College Readiness: What skills do they need? Stephen Scannell Gresham High School/PSU Center for Science Education sgscannell@gmail.com

Energizingphysics.com Written by Aaron Osowiecki and Jesse Southwick Project Director: Cary Sneider 2011-2012 Pilot: 7 schools, 13 teachers

What is Energizing Physics? High School course Energizing Physics- designed to help students with a wide range of capabilities by applying best practices and presenting a relatively small number of key concepts in depth. BEAR assessment system, designed to provide frequent formative assessment data to students and teachers. The goal is to develop and test a formative assessment system for Energizing Physics that has the potential to enable all students to learn how to learn physics, so they can succeed in their first physics course in college

Connections to Stephanie Chasteen’s Workshop Specific Learning Targets, DYGIT Statements, & Surveys Chapter 1 Learning Targets (those in bold will be formally assessed in the curriculum)   C1.1. (I can) Design a measurement device. a. Brainstorm possible measurement devices. b. Assess strengths and weaknesses of possible solutions. c. Select the most appropriate solution. d. Differentiate between instrumental and operational error. DYGIT (Did You Get IT?) What are the two most important things to consider when designing a measuring device?

Connections to college Connections to college. Question: What knowledge and skills introductory physics students need in order to be successful from the college physics instructor perspective?

My Initial Investigation Interviewed 4 PSU Introductory Physics Professors Corresponded with 2 Community College Instructors

Problem solving skills- Students may have math skills, but do not know what strategies to apply to a specific problem. Students who are good at memorizing formulas, but do not have the conceptual understanding to know how to use the formulas/relationships between variables. Students do not understand how to apply general principles to problem solving. Reading comprehension: students struggle with identifying variables in a problem and determining what information is relevant.

Math Skills • Basic understanding of geometry concepts (angles, rotating a triangle) are critical. Basic algebraic concepts critical. Being able to modify equations to solve for a particular variable is important, yet difficult for many. Symbolic solving (bonus points if you can your math department to shift to symbolic solving and well) Understanding and use of free-body diagrams (including setting the FBD equal to Fnet) Good estimation skills

Motivation & Attitude convincing students that physics can be difficult and that more work and practice are needed to be successful. Some students just give up. Motivation was identified as the single most important factor in student success. (older than average students out-perform traditional 19 year old students). Able to be an active participant in the lab.

Challenges for College Physics Teachers Attendance: Students are not required to attend and attendance can drop below 60% by midterm. Labs are weekly and can be out-of-sink with what is happening in the lecture. Some students may not be taking lab. Students in Algebra-based and Calculus-based are in combined lab classes. Labs are not inquiry-based, but tradition plug-chug.

Areas of Success Undergraduate students invited and encouraged to work in labs. Tutoring workshops, run by former successful students, are very helpful to current students (peer instruction).

A problem for the Physics Community. Studies correlating effects of matriculation in high school physics courses and success in the introductory physics course in college show that having taken high school physics has no larger an effect on success in the introductory college physics course than having taken high school mathematics instead. National Task Force on Teacher Education in Physics (2010)

The Challenge The challenge is to identify the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of such exemplars and build physics teacher education programs that focus intentionally on the development of these qualities in their prospective physics teachers in sufficient numbers to meet the national need. National Task Force on Teacher Education in Physics (2010)

Next Steps Review literature Potential ideas Other Develop a survey for college teachers. Develop a survey for college students Other