Interactive Learning in the Classroom:Building on a Base

Steven.Pollock@colorado.eduPhysics Department

http://per.colorado.edu

With support from: FTEP, Pew/Carnegie CASTLNSF CCLINSF STEM-TPAPS PhysTECMike Dubson, Noah Finkelstein, & the CU PER group

Have you (personally) used clickers in your classroom?

• A) Yes I have, with some success

• B) Yes I have, but with lots of problems

• C) No, but I'm thinking about it

• D) No, I really don't know enough about it

• E) (None of the above really reflects what I want to say here!)

What is your field of primary interest?

• A) Physical Science, math, engineering

• B) Social Science

• C) Humanities

• D) Education

• E) Something else!

Which of the following statements do you "resonate" with?

• A) Good teachers are born, not made• B) Teaching is an art, not a science• C) Teaching is a way to get the lecture notes

of the prof into the notebook of the student (without passing through the mind of either)

• D) more than one of the above • E) None of the above

I don't think you can teach physics very well anyway to people in that manner, by giving lectures on a big scale. I think it's hopeless. Richard Feynman, 1918-1988

Feynman

Overview

focus on student learning• Build on a base (Education Research)• Why clickers? Interactive Engagement (Just a bit on how/what/when clickers)

• This is not a "lecture on teaching"

Theoretical frames

Student concepts and engagement

Curricular reforms

Data

Classroom practice

Building on a base

structurePieces Coherence

By Authority Independent(experiment)

learning

Novice Expert

Formulas & “plug ‘n chug”

Concepts & Problem Solving

content

think about science like a scientist

What’s my goal in Phys 1110?

What's your goal?

Which of the following is the best reason for you to use

clickers?• A) Keep attendance (automatically)

• B) Quizzes/practice for exams

• C) Encourage/support peer instruction

• D) Feedback to instructor

• E) Feedback to students

Which of the following is the best reason for you to use

clickers?• A) Keep attendance (automatically)

• B) Quizzes/practice for exams

• C) Encourage/support peer instruction

• D) Feedback to instructor

• E) Feedback to students

Peer instruction* (used locally)

1. Question

2. Talk (2-3 min)

3. Vote

4. Discuss (Class)

* http://galileo.harvard.edu/

Modes of Use of Clickers1 quiz on the reading 2 elicit/reveal prior

ideas 3 test conceptual

understanding 4 require prediction of

demo, expt, sim. 5 require recall of

lecture point

6 transfer/implication

7 relate different representations

8 do a calculation

9 survey students

10 draw on intuition from everyday life

Advantages of Clickers• interactive

• feedback – to student on how she is doing– to students on the class performance– to instructor on class– to instructor on students

• lower threat of public presentation

• role of social dynamics (talk, groups, consensus)

Learning: Students construct knowledge

Research based methodsTeaching:

think about teaching like a scholar

What are some goals today?

Context: Peer instruction

Bottom line goals for clickers:

• Facilitate interaction ("peer instruction")

Increase learning!– For significant and lasting learning, students minds

must be active.– If they are passive, learning is usually less than you

think.– The success of even an exemplary lecture is

limited by the way students learn.

ANY QUESTIONS?

15 minutes later in the lectureQuestion to Class: The sound they hear from a violin is produced bya) mostly by strings, b) mostly by wood in back, c) both equally, d) none of the above.

What fraction gave the correct answer?a. 10%, b. 30 %, c. 50%, d. 70%, e. 90%

• Explain about sound & violin.• Show class a violin • Tell them that the strings cannot move enough air• Point inside violin to show a sound post • Tell them strings causes back of violin move

& back makes sound.

b. 10%

Use for recall: Large intro Lecture Use for recall: Large intro Lecture

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How do lightening rods work?a) attract lightening to tip, prevent from

hitting rest of building.b) prevent lightening from occurring.c) make it strike somewhere else.d) don’t actually do anything, are

superstition.

++After Lecture: first asked 10% correctclass discussion ensues2 days later, asked again 88% correct

(consistent with 100%)

Role of talk*

Mazur, Peer Instruction

Take a step back:Data on student conceptions

Interviews/open questions

(Arons, McDermott, ...)

• Prior knowledge

• Basis for surveys and curriculum reform

CLASS

CURRIC

STUDENT

DATA

THEORY

A possible “tilting” development in physics

• Force Concept Inventory (Hestenes, Wells, Swackhamer, Physics Teacher 20, (92) 141, Halloun and Hestenes)

• Multiple choice survey, (pre/post)

• Experts (especially skeptics!) =>

necessary (not sufficient) indicator of conceptual understanding.

CLASS

CURRIC

STUDENT

DATA

THEORY

Sample question

Force Concept Inventory (FCI)

R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, 64-74 (‘98).

<g> = post-pre 100-pre

traditional lecture

FCI I CLASS

CURRIC

STUDENT

DATA

THEORY

Trad’l Model of EducationInstruction via

transmissionIndividual Content (E/M)transmissionist

CLASS

CURRIC

STUDENT

DATA

THEORY

Think about our teaching environments

2000 years ago

Today

Force Concept Inventory (FCI)

R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, 64-74 (‘98).

<g> = post-pre 100-pre

red = trad, blue = interactive engagement

FCI II

CLASS

CURRIC

STUDENT

DATA

THEORY

PER Theoretic Background

Instruction

via transmissionIndividual Content (E/M)transmissionist

Individual

Prior knowledge

Content (E/M)Construction

constructivistbasic constructivist

Students: are active in the educational processconstruct understanding based on prior knowledgelearn through individual development

CLASS

CURRIC

STUDENT

DATA

THEORY

Force Concept Inventory (FCI)

R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, 64-74 (‘98).

<g> = post-pre 100-pre

Fa03/Sp04Fa98

red = trad, blue = interactive engagement

FCI at CU

CLASS

CURRIC

STUDENT

DATA

THEORY

Summary

• It's not about "teaching" (!)

• power of peer instruction

• make goals explicit

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning:

beyond “reflective teaching”

CLASS

CURRIC

STUDENT

DATA

THEORY

Discussion!

• Starting ideas...– What do we need, to change classroom culture?– What are your concerns/needs?– What sorts of practices occur in your department,

based on what sort of research/theoretical framing?– What (assessment) tools are there?– How well codified is the discipline / goals of

instruction?

Jumpto CT's

The end

See: www.flaguide.orgper.colorado.eduwww2.physics.umd.edu/~redish/Book/

CT metal ring

A thick metal ring has a circular hole in the middle.

If the ring is heated, the hole gets...

A: largerB: smallerC: stays the sameD: Not sure at all

Conceptual focus, generalization/transfer!

CT galileo

A heavy steel ball and a much lighter (hollow) steel ball of similar size and shape are dropped from a large height.

Which one hits the ground first?

A: The heavier oneB: The lighter oneC: They both hit at about the same timeD: I have no idea

Depends on timing - could be reading quiz, fact recall - or concept/transfer/predict exp't…!

CT galileo II

A heavy steel ball and a much lighter (hollow) steel ball of identical size and shape are dropped from a large height. Do not neglect air resistance.

Which one hits the ground first?

A: The heavier one (barely)B: The lighter one (barely)C: They both hit at exactly the same timeD: Not enough information to decide

Could be concept/transfer/predict exp't, also connect with personal experience…!

CT Cannon and basketball

I launch a basketball (vertically!) from the cannon as the cart moves steadily across the room

Where does the basketball land?

A: Way behind the cannonB: Behind the cannonC: Hits the holeD: Ahead of the cannonE: No idea/ it’s totally random

estimation

How many gas stations are there in the USA?

A: 10,000B: 100,000C: 1,000,000D: 10,000,000E: There is no way to know this without looking it up

Yet another kind of concept test - estimation, (broad compilation of logical tools, connect with personal experience)

Survey question

Survey question

Have you been accessing lecture notes online?A) Yes, I look at them before classB) Yes, after classC) SometimesD) I wasn't aware they were availableE) No, and I probably won't.

vague question

What is your best hope for our energy future?

A) that the oil crisis is hype, and we'll continue merrily along as we are nowB) that we transition to renewables (solar, wind, etc)C) that we invent new technology (e.g. fusion)D) that we scale down energy use to a sustainable level with current fossil fuelsE) that we return to slaves, firewood, and animals for energy.

Meta-message - no right answer here (only ONE is wrong)! Even with multiple choice, it's about the discussion, not the answer.

Think fast!

Think fast!You've just driven around a curve in a narrow, one-waystreet at 25 mph when you notice a car identical to yourscoming straight toward you at 25 mph. You hav e only twooptions: hitting the other car head on or swerving into amassive concrete wall, also head on. In the split secondbefore the impact, you decide to

BLUE: hit the other car

YELLOW hit the wall

PINK: hit either one- it makes no difference.

PURPLE: consult your lecture notes.

Meta: for goodness' sake, there could be CHILDREN in the other car!

Concept Test (skiier)A skier on frictionless snow (so common in Colorado) is cruising gently along the flats, when she spots a symmetrical dip. She can go down and back up the dip, or ski horizontally across a bridge. Which path will get her to the far side faster?

PINK: Bridge is faster

BLUE: Dip is faster

GREEN: Same

PURPLE: Not sure

?

CT (eye)

A bundle of parallel rays approaches the eye and some of the rays enter the eye's pupil, as shown below. No other rays enter the eye. What does the eye see?

PINK: A single point of light, surrounded by blackness. GREEN: A uniformly illuminated wall of light, like a white wall.BLUE: Many scattered points of light, like stars in the night sky.YELLOW: None of these.

Eye