peer instruction: best practices leo porter cynthia bailey lee
TRANSCRIPT
Peer Instruction: Best Practices
Leo PorterCynthia Bailey Lee
We’ve seen the results
• What PI offers Students– Improved Conceptual Learning– Measurable Learning During Class– Reduction in Failure Rates– Improved Retention of Majors– Positive Learning Experiences– More Feedback on their Learning
Introductory Physics
• Force Concept Inventory– Example Question:
A large truck runs into a small car head-on. The amount of force applied to the small car is:
A. Less than that applied to the large truckB. Equal to that applied to the large truckC. Greater than that applied to the large truck
Physics – Dramatic gains in Learning and it’s not the instructor effect
Crouch, C., Mazur, E. Peer Instruction: Ten years of experience and results
Traditional Instruction
Peer Instruction
Physics Learning Gains
Hake, R., “Interactive-Engagement vs. Traditional Methods: A Six-Thousand-Student Survey of Mechanics Test Data for Introductory Physics Courses,” American Journal of Physics, 1998.
Class Learning Gain
White=Traditional (T), n=14Black = Interactive (IE), n=48
n=62 classes
Average:Traditional: 0.23 ± 0.04Interactive: 0.48 ± 0.14
Some Research Highlights in CS
Learning Outcomes - CS
• Examined Final Exam Performance in CS0– 2 sections, same class, same professor– Conscious effort to ensure same information
exposure – Identical Final Exams
Simon, B., Harris, J, and Spacco, J. How We Teach Impacts Student Learning: Peer Instruction versus Lecture in CS0. SIGCSE 2013.
Final Exam Scores
8
OverallMean 84.5%Std Dev 13.4%N 208
Standard81.9%13.1%121
Simon, B., Harris, J, and Spacco, J. How We Teach Impacts Student Learning: Peer Instruction versus Lecture in CS0. SIGCSE 2013.
Final Exam Scores
9
OverallMean 84.5%Std Dev 13.4%N 208
Standard81.9%13.1%121
Peer Instruction88.0%13.0%87
Simon, B., Harris, J, and Spacco, J. How We Teach Impacts Student Learning: Peer Instruction versus Lecture in CS0. SIGCSE 2013.
Failure Rates in CS1
Examined Fail Rates (D,F,W) for 10 years at UCSD (2001-2011)
Data Set CS1
Number of Classes SI 18PI 9
Number of Different Instructors
SI 5PI 4
Total EnrollmentSI 1764
PI 1296
Porter, L.; Lee, C.B.; Simon, B. Halving Fail Rates using Peer Instruction: A Study of Four Computer Science Classes. SIGCSE, March 2013.
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Not all “PI” Classes are the sameN-A N-B N-C E-D E-E E-F E-G
Institution R1 PUI PUI R1 R1 R1 PUILanguage Java Java Java Python Alice Matlab Java
Times Taught this Course 6 10+ 10+ 10+ 2 1 0
Students Completed Course 64 30 36 151 87 98 19
Percentage of CS majors
59% (ant.) 50% 29%
(decl.)70%
(ant.) 1% 6.4% 44% (ant.)
Clickers with discussion is valuable for my learning. 74% 93% 100% 100% 94% 91% 93%
I recommend that other instructors use this approach (reading
quizzes, clickers, in-class discussion) in their
courses.
71% 90% 100% 98% 93% 87% 100%
Publication pending.
An analogy
• You get a bacterial infection and the doctor gives you antibiotics. They tell you to take them for 10 days because after 10 days, the odds are high that the infection is gone. Could you stop at 6?
• Well… maybe. But maybe not.
If you’re interested in faculty adoption of pedagogical practices,check out Charles Henderson’s work! http://homepages.wmich.edu/~chenders/
Elements of Success
• Tell them why you’re changing the class• Make class a safe learning environment• Reward participation and pre-class activities• Be prepared for the unexpected• Use your time wisely• Ask difficult, important questions
THE FIRST DAYSome slides from Cynthia’s first day of class!
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The Basics: Your Grade
• 5% Clickers– Participation only, not correctness– Answer at least 80% to get credit for that
lecture, drop 2 lectures • 5% Reading quizzes (drop 1)• 20% Homework (drop 1)• 30% Midterm (two,15% each)• 40% Final Exam
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What do I do in class?
• Think of me as your tutor• Be your guide in inducing you to explore
concepts• Create situations and pose problems that
set the scene for your exploration• Answer your questions• Not spend lecture reading the textbook to
you with slightly different words
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What do you do in class?
(before class, you prepared yourself by reading the textbook and answering the reading quiz in Moodle)1. I ask a question2. You first answer it by yourself 3. Then discuss in assigned groups of 3-4 students
– Like a jury, you must come to a unanimous decision– Answer the question a second time
4. I will ask groups to share their insights, and I will provide additional clarification as needed
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“But professor, wouldn’t it be more efficient if you just taught us the right answer to begin with?”
• Have you ever heard of a fitness class where the instructor did all the exercises at the front of class, while the class just watched attentively?
• Me neither.• To learn, you must
do the work with your own muscle (your brain).
Image: Crossfit at lenoxspartanfitness.com
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What do you do in this course?
• Prepare your brain for maximum in-class learning– Reading, reading quizzes
• In class: engage with your neighbors and the class, engage with the ideas– Turn them upside down and sideways, think about what
common errors or misconceptions might be• Seek help and seek to help others
– In class, moodle forums, office hours, discussion section– I expect each class member to contribute to an
environment of mutual aid and cooperation
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Tips for a good group discussion
• Take turns being the first one to talk• Once you all agree on the answer, don’t stop!
– Always go over each wrong answer and explain why it is wrong
• Also interesting and useful to think about why somebody might be tempted to choose it—how was Prof. Lovett hoping to “trick” somebody by including that wrong answer?
– Even if your group-mate has said something very clearly and correctly, it’s a good idea to repeat it yourself
• “So, what I think you said was, …”• Might seem pointless, but your brain will remember better
if YOU say it too
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Rules for what you do in this course
• Reading quizzes– Yes:
• Open book, though being able to answer book is a good sign
• You can retry a question if you answer incorrectly (small penalty), and you can take as much time as you need
• Complete them individually
– No:• Sharing answers on a reading quiz is as inappropriate
as sharing answers on an in-class exam—don’t do it
OTHER TIPS
Handling a tech disaster• Pretty much never happens, unless you are using
iclicker “Go” app for phone/browser, which can be glitch
• Have students vote with raised fingers:– one finger = A, 2 fingers = B, etc.
• Lost slides for the day? Use a question to buy time….
Encouraging volunteers in whole-class discussion
• Buy bulk candy after candy-heavy holidays (Halloween, Easter)
• Set a class goal for number of unique individuals speaking– “Let’s see if we can get 10 different people to talk
in class today.”– Also good for quieting “that guy” who always
dominates—now he’s detracting from the class goal of getting many different people to speak
In-Class Time
• PI Questions take 3-8 minutes EACH– Do NOT have 20 questions for a 50 minute lecture– DO have 3-5 questions
• You will HAVE to cut some content– This can be difficult– Forces Depth vs. Breadth philosophy– Pick what really matters
• Major concepts• Common misconceptions
Take time to think—now you have it!
• One of my favorite things about PI (and there are many!) is having time to pause during class and do a 1-minute reflection on how things are going– Am I going too fast, too slow?– Pick your “I need to remember to do that” public
speaking to-do for the day—now is your chance to check in on whether you’re doing it
Elements of Success
• Tell them why you’re changing the class• Make class a safe learning environment• Reward Participation and Pre-Class Activities• Be prepared for the unexpected• Use your time wisely• Ask difficult, important questions
Next Session will focus on questions, but first….
What are your current concerns?
• 20 minutes in groups, discuss the top 5 concerns most commonly mentioned about switching to PI– We’ll come back as a group to share best practices– Keep notes during your session!
• Feel free to add your own– They can be anything, from technical to
administrative!
Next Session: Writing Good Questions