Promoting and studying deep-level discourse during large-lecture introductory physics Dedra Demaree and Sissi L. Li Physics Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR Physics Education Research Conference, July

Introductory calculus-based physics Three term sequence with three 1-hour lectures per week 200 students per lecture section, heavily incorporating active-engagement 2

Curricular model: Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE): ISLE goals: Building Scientific Abilities Representing information, conducting experiments, thinking divergently, collecting and analyzing data, constructing, modifying and applying relationships and explanations, being able to coordinate these abilities ISLE Meta-Goals: scientific discourse, metacognition, evaluation, brainstorming multiple explanations, reconciling different solutions, understanding when models apply (assumptions), discussing open- ended situations… 3

Pedagogical reform methods: Peer Instruction (PI) and group work are used to facilitate ISLE goals during lecture Goals are supported by homework, lab write-ups, and exam questions (students are asked to state assumptions, justify the application of model, explain reasoning…) Goal of helping students build sophisticated discourse Develop a classroom community for the practice of meta-goals Provide opportunity for students to make meaning in class to build a shared repertoire of knowledge BUT, need effort to help students practice the meta-goals within the classroom community Normalized FCI gain Fall Fall Reform success: 4

Using the Communities of Practice (CoP) framework Focus on helping students belong to the classroom community in order to participate in learning opportunities Ability to contribute to and negotiate practices of the community supports more participation and more central identities. Having contributions accepted as valid and worthy affirms identity of being a member in the CoP Teacher is “Broker”: bridge between professional physics community and classroom community, rather than a dictator Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press. 5

Teacher discusses subtleties of open-ended problem solving through lecture Teacher models discourse via whole class conversations Teacher models discourse via interacting with groups during PI Students adapt discourse practices within groups Are goals met? Refine process and scaffold in new meta-goals Post-class analysis of researcher observations, and student and teacher dialogue Set meta-goals and write classroom activities aimed at supporting them 6

Classroom community can be encouraged during ‘lecture mode’ where students justify reasoning and provide explanations without direct prompting In lecture, a student interrupted with a question. Instead of launching into another explanation, teacher asked for his existing knowledge. Teacher is acting in the role of the broker, helping the student practice dialoging in a scientific fashion. Can you explain that more? The student then explained their reasoning, and a second student immediately understood their viewpoint, and chimed in with a great explanation for the first student. The second student had held the same view a few minutes prior and had just come to understand my explanation and had made sense of it himself using that ‘if then’ reasoning. What is your understanding so far? 7

Challenge student expectations to alter classroom norms with open-ended, or multiple answer voting questions: 8

PI Questions to model reasoning and to validate ideas brought up by students Which of the following explanations were consistent with our observation experiments? 1.The motion is the vector sum of all interactions 2.The force of the hand on the ball is greater than the force of the earth on the ball, therefore the ball doesn’t move 3.The force of the hand on the ball is equal to the force of the earth on the ball, therefore the ball doesn’t move 4.If there is more force in one direction, the object will have a change in motion in that direction 5.Interactions have the ability to cause motion if they are unbalanced 9

Encourage students to rely on their prior community developed knowledge to address completely new situations Prompt: “think about it in terms of 211 ideas” (applying mechanics ideas from fall term to the winter term course). Voting Question: An object hangs motionless from a spring. When the object is pulled down, the sum of the elastic potential energy of the spring and the gravitational potential energy of the object of the Earth 1. increase 2. stays the same 3. decreases Based on Newton’s 2 nd law, predict what will happen to the reading of the spring scale when the mass is accelerated upward (a>0), then moves at constant velocity, then is accelerated (a<0) to a stop. JUSTIFY YOUR PREDICTION WITH FORCE DIAGRAMS!! 1.The reading will be the same at all times 2.The reading will increase, stay steady above the ‘at rest’ reading, then decrease back to the ‘at rest’ reading once the object has come to rest 3.The reading will increase, go back to the ‘at rest’ reading then decrease before the object comes to a full stop 4.The reading will decrease, stay steady below the ‘at rest’ reading, then increase back to the ‘at rest’ reading once the object has come to rest 5.The reading will decrease, go back to the ‘at rest’ reading then increase before the object comes to a full stop 10

Teacher provides opportunity for shared authority with students while circulating among groups One student in a group asked a question too softly for the teacher to hear. T: Hmm? S1: Will the bullet have a trajectory like that or will it just go straight? S2: The bullet’s gonna drop a little bit… S1: Yeah. T: It will drop a little bit. So you are both right, the bullet’s gonna slow down but does that tell us what’s going to happen? Authority to teacher, asking for the ‘right answer’ Student taking authority to express understanding Student validating S2’s right to answer in place of the teacher Teacher taking authority but also validating both students’ ideas and return meaning making to the students with question Teacher listens but does not respond until the group members have their chance to speak. 11

Use research-based observations to refine activities to better achieve goals Group-work prompt: Observation experiment: make physical representations for the following ◦ The motion of the ball with respect to the table ◦ The motion of the cart with respect to the table ◦ The motion of the ball with respect to the cart From Instructor Journal: (Wed, Oct 15) Today I tried ISLE observation and testing experiments … 2nd class tossed out magnetism idea - first class didn't come up with any alternate explanations. emphasized representation which gave away answer, did in part for discussion of reference frames which was important. Better way - multiple brainstorming, then represent motion then devise testing experiments after we tested - then could get both effects. liked the discussion on limits and assumptions - both classes brought up assumptions on their own, liked tie in to projectile simulation to discuss effect of assumptions. 12

Prompts found useful to encourage productive dialogue and engagement Encouraging discourse and acknowledging struggle: "Go ahead and talk to your neighbors, this is not particularly easy." Encourage students to teach and value social learning: “I see from the results that it would be helpful to talk to your neighbor, so go ahead and do that.” Encouraging re-thinking of classroom social norms: "If you are not near a neighbor, just shout. It can get loud in here that's fine with me.“ Leaving students responsible for though process: "Give it a try. See what you think.“ Expecting students to immediately use methods just modeled for them: “Give you a chance to think about how to apply these things.” 13

Evidence of students adapting discourse Context : Skills and practices demonstrated: ◦ Part I: Origin choices, assumptions, interpreting task/open-ended question, sense-making ◦ Part II: System choices, analysis of set-up, justifying choices, checking if reasoning makes sense 14

SpeakerDiscourse S3 Ok so at the edge of the roof, that’s where it has its highest potential and lowest kinetic. [Reads] What do you need to find your diagram? Write the math… [inaud] representation with your diagram… [looks to towards S1 and S2] S2Um… S1So … S2We just need to define this… S1…the states. So initial is… exactly what it says, just after leaving the roof. [S2 writes] S3[to himself] Well initial and final would be the same… but… S1[to S2] And then you have to state the origin is… the ground. S3[to himself] … initial and final… potential and kinetic doesn’t have to be a different story. S1All potential… S2All potential is… S4At the top… S1You’re assuming it’s not rolling off with speed. S3It’s at the very edge so it’s not sliding off the roof, it’s just tipped over. S1Right. [turns face to nod and acknowledge S3’s comment] S2At the origin… S3Yeah. S2…height equals zero. S3So for afterwards it would have zero potential… lots of kinetic and in the beginning reverse that. S2The cat entering our system? S3Right. Part I 15

SpeakerDiscourse S3 Ok the system would be… the cat and the ground. [pause] Well the cat and the Earth obviously. And the roof is pretty much… S3 [turns to S1 who turns to face S3] Would the system be the… I know it’s the cat and Earth at least, but would the… roof be part of the system or… S1It wouldn’t need to be. S3Yeah… S1Cause the only thing interacting is the cat with the ground, with the Earth due to gravity. S3Yeah. S1That’s our only interaction. We’re going… S3 It’s pretty much just the position and place. [pause] Doesn’t add or take anything away from it, except just gives it a position for the cat to be on. S1It is what gives the cat the initial potential energy. S3Yeah. S1 Cause the cat got up there. That’s what it amounts to. If you get up there you’ve expended energy, you have to gain that back to get back down. S2[S1 turns to look at S2’s notebook] We didn’t really write a mathematical representation, did we? S3 [S1 turns back to face S3] Yeah. But technically though, if you expend the energy to go up and go back down… you technically… physically, in physics you gain… it’s equal but when… biological sense, you don’t get it back. S1Right. Part II 16

Abstract At Oregon State University, the introductory calculus-based physics sequence utilizes social engagement as a learning tool. The reformed curriculum is modeled after the Interactive Science Learning Environment from Rutgers University, and makes use of Peer Instruction as a pedagogical tool to facilitate interactions. Over the past two years we have utilized a number of techniques to understand how to facilitate activities that promote productive discussion within the large lecture classroom. We specifically seek student discussion that goes beyond agreement on conceptual questions, encouraging deeper discussions such as what assumptions are appropriate, or how different assumptions would change the chosen answer to a given question. We have quantitative analysis of engagement based on video data, qualitative analysis of dialogue from audio data, and classroom observations by an external researcher. In this session we share a subset of what we have learned about how to engage students in deep-level discussions during lecture. 17