in Physicsin Physics

Chris MeyerChris MeyerYork Mills C.I.York Mills C.I.

christopher.meyer@tdsb.on.cachristopher.meyer@tdsb.on.cawww.meyercreations.com/physicswww.meyercreations.com/physics

The Problem with The Problem with LearningLearning

Many students do not believe science Many students do not believe science is real!is real!

Students don’t relate their ideas to Students don’t relate their ideas to their everyday life.their everyday life.

Nonsense answersNonsense answers Science requires specialty equipment Science requires specialty equipment

CLASSCLASSColorado Learning Attitudes about Colorado Learning Attitudes about

Science SurveyScience Survey

Real World Connections Category: The subject of physics has little The subject of physics has little

relation to what I experience in relation to what I experience in the real world.the real world.

Learning physics changes my Learning physics changes my ideas about how the world works.ideas about how the world works.

76% → 53%

Kinematics

Frame a lesson

Kinematics

Frame the lesson Develop the concepts and

equations Predict a result Verify

Momentum Problem

Design an experiment

Take data Analyze Draw

conclusions

Momentum Problem

Momentum Problem

Circular MotionCircular Motion

Develop ideas A capstone

question: What happens to the force of tension when the pendulum is swinging?

The Rollercoaster The Rollercoaster ChallengeChallenge

one metal bar

The Rollercoaster The Rollercoaster ChallengeChallenge

The Rollercoaster The Rollercoaster ChallengeChallenge

The The Rollercoaster Rollercoaster

ChallengeChallenge

one metal bar

Force Concept Inventory Force Concept Inventory (FCI)(FCI)

Starting 1Starting 1stst year physics at U of T= 57% year physics at U of T= 57%

Starting 1Starting 1stst year physics at Harvard = 70% year physics at Harvard = 70%

Finishing Gr. 12 physics at York Mills = 82.8%Finishing Gr. 12 physics at York Mills = 82.8%

57%57%11stst Year Year PhysicsPhysicsU of TU of T

70 %70 %

11stst Year Year

PhysicPhysicsHarvsHarvardard

Problem-Based LearningProblem-Based Learning

Uses: Uses: Motivation to develop ideasMotivation to develop ideas Confirm new ideasConfirm new ideas Apply ideasApply ideas

Problem-Based LearningProblem-Based Learning

Results:Results: must be immediately testable or must be immediately testable or

verifiableverifiable must be verified by students not must be verified by students not

by authority figureby authority figure can be found by direct can be found by direct

experiments, comparisons to experiments, comparisons to videos or simulationsvideos or simulations

PhET Simulations

PhET Simulations