Teaching Strategies for Instructors of the Physical Sciences UNC Orientation for New Graduate Students Fall 2001 Presented by Duane Deardorff Director of Undergraduate Laboratories Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

Introduction Which department are you from? Will you teach labs, recitations, or a course? What teaching techniques are you aware of? What do you hope to learn from this session?

Workshop Goals Learn teaching strategies to add to your teaching tool box. Develop plan to implement teaching tools.

Summary of PER Findings Traditional lecturing is not as effective as active-engagement methods of instruction. Students are not “blank slates.” They construct new knowledge based on their prior experiences and beliefs. Students’ knowledge is not as well-organized as that of experts. Research-based curricula can improve students’ conceptual understanding.

Active Learning Fifty years of modern scientific research has yielded the same conclusion stated hundreds of years earlier by Confucius.

Active Learning Fifty years of modern scientific research has yielded the same conclusion stated hundreds of years earlier by Confucius. I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. - Chinese proverb

Cooperative Learning Groups Requirements for successful cooperative learning:

Cooperative Learning Groups Requirements for successful cooperative learning: Positive interdependence

Cooperative Learning Groups Requirements for successful cooperative learning: Positive interdependence Individual accountability

Cooperative Learning Groups Requirements for successful cooperative learning: Positive interdependence Individual accountability Face-to-face interaction

Cooperative Learning Groups Requirements for successful cooperative learning: Positive interdependence Individual accountability Face-to-face interaction Appropriate use of interpersonal skills

Cooperative Learning Groups Requirements for successful cooperative learning: Positive interdependence Individual accountability Face-to-face interaction Appropriate use of interpersonal skills Regular group self-assessment

Peer Instruction, Think-Pair-Share Instructor poses a challenging question Students commit to an answer individually Instructor calls for class vote (~50% correct) Students discuss answers with neighbors After several minutes, students vote again, this time about 80% of students are correct. Instructor summarizes correct reasoning.

What does the scale read? A) 0 B) 5 lbs. C) 10 lbs. 5 lbs

Interactive Lecture Demonstrations Lecture demonstrations are most effective when there is an active-learning component. Students predict the outcome of a demo Instructor performs demo and discusses Ideal for pre-lab presentations

Socratic Dialogue Ask students leading questions instead of giving an answer that will be easily forgotten. S: “Isn’t the ball’s acceleration zero at the top?” T: “What is the definition of acceleration?” S: “It’s the change in the velocity.” T: “Is the direction of the velocity changing?” S: “Yes, so I guess the acceleration is not zero.” T: “Right!”

Scaffolding Guidance and structure are removed as students gain experience. Useful for learning experimental design –Transition from “cookbook” to open-ended labs

Model-Coach-Fade Complex tasks require guidance and practice: Model what is expected (show example) Coach students as they practice Fade until students can master on their own This technique is ideal for recitations.

Bridging Connects students’ common-sense beliefs to an intended way of thinking that may not make sense at first. Example: The question about scale force.

Learning Styles Visual/Verbal Active/Reflective Intuitive/Sensing Inductive/Deductive Sequential/Global Try to match your teaching style to your students’ learning styles:

Relevant Applications Abstract concepts can be made real by giving students examples of applications Motivates interest - good for introduction After instruction, ask students to think of other applications

Analogies This is another way to connect with the familiar. Examples: Electric current is like water flowing in pipes Voltage is like water pressure Resistance is like a constriction in the pipe An emf is like a pump

Multiple Representations Words, symbols, diagrams, math, graphs: acceleration a dv/dt v t a a

Mnemonics Sine isMercuryMy Opposite overVenusVery Hypoteneuse.EarthEducated Cosine isMarsMother Adjacent overJupiterJust Hypoteneuse.SaturnServed Tangent isUranusUs Opposite overNeptuneNine Adjacent.PlutoPizza Planet XPies “ELI the ICE man”

GOAL Problem-Solving Strategy Gather information Organize your approach Analyze the problem Learn from your efforts

Concept Tests 30+ diagnostic test instruments for physics alone FCI - Force Concept Inventory TUG-K - Test of Understanding Graphs FMCE - Force and Motion Concept Exam CSEM - Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism MPEX - Maryland Physics Expectations

Minute Paper What is the main thing you learned today? What questions do you still have?

What can you use in your teaching? Think-Pair-Share Cooperative Learning Demonstrations Socratic dialogue Model-coach-fade Scaffolding Bridging Learning styles Representations Analogies Mnemonics GOAL Concept Tests Minute Paper