Is your clicker working? A)Yes B)No (!?) Press and hold power button – it should flash green Enter “AA” Please return your clicker at the end!! If the power doesn’t come on – try pulling the battery tab

Steven Pollock Dep’t of Physics, CU Boulder COLTT 2014 Understanding Educational Reforms: Impacts of Physics Education Research

Funded by: National Science Foundation William and Flora Hewlett Foundation American Association of Physics Teachers Physics Teacher Education Coalition American Institute of Physics American Physical Society National Math & Science Initiative Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grad Students: Ian Her Many Horses Mike Ross Enrique Suarez Ben Van Dusen Bethany Wilcox Simone Hyater-Adams Rosemary Wulf Jessica Hoy +recent grads (4 PhD) + many participating faculty and LAs Teachers / Partners / Staff: Shelly Belleau, John Blanco Kathy Dessau, Jackie Elser Kate Kidder, Sam Reid Trish Loeblein, Chris Malley Susan M. Nicholson-Dykstra Oliver Nix, Jon Olson Sara Severance Faculty : Melissa Dancy Michael Dubson Noah Finkelstein Heather Lewandowski Valerie Otero Robert Parson Kathy Perkins Steven Pollock Carl Wieman* Postdocs/ Scientists: Stephanie Chasteen Karina Hensberry Katie Hinko Emily Moore* Ariel Paul Qing Ryan Joel Corbo Daniel Reinholtz Physics Education Research at CU Boulder

Outline / Framing Brief overview of why, what, and how of PER –Building on a base –Theoretical models & educational practices Impacts –Introductory physics (results, replicability) –Longitudinal study –K12 teacher recruitment and prep –Upper division

What is your primary scholarly identity? A)STM (Science, Technology, Math) B)Engineering C)Humanities D)Fine Arts E)Other…. (or more than one) Press and hold power button – it should flash green Enter “AA”

What is Physics Education Research? Studies by physicists of:

What is Physics Education Research? Studies by physicists of: How do students learn?

What is Physics Education Research? Studies by physicists of: How do students learn? How do we know they’re learning?

What is Physics Education Research? Studies by physicists of: How do students learn? How do we know they’re learning? How do we help them learn?

What is Physics Education Research? Studies by physicists of: How do students learn? How do we know they’re learning? How do we help them learn? Theory

What is Physics Education Research? Studies by physicists of: How do students learn? How do we know they’re learning? How do we help them learn? Theory Experiment

What is Physics Education Research? Studies by physicists of: How do students learn? How do we know they’re learning? How do we help them learn? Theory Experiment Application

Sample question

How hard was that question? A)Very easy B)Easy C)Moderate/Difficult D)Very difficult E)How could I know this? (For CU algebra-based students)

R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, (‘98). traditional lecture Force Concept Inventory Learning gains Less Learning More Learning

R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, (‘98). traditional lecture Force Concept Inventory (FCI) Learning gains Less Learning More Learning Students are learning ~ ¼ of what they didn’t already know!

2000 years ago Built in to our classes?

Today

Conventional model of teaching and learning: “transmitting knowledge” => lecture (efficient!)

R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, (‘98). traditional lecture FCI Learning gains Less Learning More Learning interactive engagement

traditional lecture FCI/FMCE Learning gains Less Learning More Learning interactive engagement CU for last 18 semesters S. Pollock and N. Finkelstein, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 4, (2008)

traditional lecture FCI/FMCE Learning gains Less Learning More Learning interactive engagement Clickers in lecture, Traditional Recitation at CU S. Pollock and N. Finkelstein, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 4, (2008)

traditional lecture FCI/FMCE Learning gains Less Learning More Learning interactive engagement With Tutorials and LAs S. Pollock and N. Finkelstein, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 4, (2008)

Suppose you could improve student performance on such measures (like the FCI) – should you? A)Of course. And, at any cost! B)Sure – if the cost is low enough* C)It really should be up to departments D)It really should be up to individual faculty E)I don’t fit in any of these bins!!

PER curricular innovations ScaleUP Studio

Tutorials in Introductory Physics Reconceptualize Recitations Materials Classroom format / interaction Instructional Role L. McDermott et al, University of Washington

Tutorial vs. Trad'l Recitation

BEMA scores over time

TA (pre) 1120 BEMA pre/post Pre Post TA (post) NCSU post NCSU honors LA (pre) LA (post)

Upper-Level Course Transformation Longitudinal After upper div. E&M. (Only students who took intro without Tutorials) Upper division majors’ BEMA scores S. Pollock, 2007 PERC, and Phys. Rev STPER 5 (2009)

Upper-Level Course Transformation Longitudinal BLUE: students who took freshman E&M with Tutorials Upper division majors’ BEMA scores S. Pollock, 2007 PERC, and Phys. Rev STPER 5 (2009)

Upper-Level Course Transformation Longitudinal Yellow: students who had been E&M LAs (3.1 ±.1) (3.0 ±.1) (3.3 ±.1) (3.2) Grade in course S. Pollock, 2007 PERC, and Phys. Rev STPER 5 (2009) Upper division majors’ BEMA scores

Faculty & Staff Model of Course Transformation Chasteen, Perkins, Beale, Pollock, & Wieman, JCST 40 (4), 70, 2011 Chasteen et al., AJP 80, 923, 2012, PRSTPER , 2012

Establish learning goals Faculty & Staff Model of Course Transformation Chasteen, Perkins, Beale, Pollock, & Wieman, JCST 40 (4), 70, 2011 Chasteen et al., AJP 80, 923, 2012, PRSTPER , 2012

Establish learning goals Faculty & Staff Using Research & Assessment Model of Course Transformation Chasteen, Perkins, Beale, Pollock, & Wieman, JCST 40 (4), 70, 2011 Chasteen et al., AJP 80, 923, 2012, PRSTPER , 2012

Establish learning goals Apply research-based teaching techniques & measure progress Faculty & Staff Using Research & Assessment Model of Course Transformation Chasteen, Perkins, Beale, Pollock, & Wieman, JCST 40 (4), 70, 2011 Chasteen et al., AJP 80, 923, 2012, PRSTPER , 2012

Focus on student understanding Courtesy M. Dubson

Focus on student understanding Courtesy M. Dubson

Upper-division conceptual test (CUE) score distribution traditional lecture N tot =540 at 5 Universities

N tot =540 at 5 Universities, (18 classes) traditional lecture interactive engagement Upper-division conceptual test (CUE) score distribution

Term SFSFSFSFSFSFSFSF Mech Math I Mech MathII EM I EM II QM I QM II Stat Mech Solid State Plasma Nuclear/HE Upper-div Clickers at CU Perkins et al, PERC 2009

PER faculty Upper-div Clickers at CU Term SFSFSFSFSFSFSFSF Mech Math I ✔✔✔✔✔ Mech MathII ✔✔✔✔ EM I ✔✔✔✔✔✔ EM II ✔✔✔✔✔ QM I ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔ QM II ✔✔✔ Stat Mech ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔ Solid State ✔✔✔✔ Plasma Nuclear/HE

Term SFSFSFSFSFSFSFSF Mech Math I ✔✔ Mech MathII ✔ EM I EM II QM I QM II Stat Mech ✔✔✔✔ Solid State Plasma Nuclear/HE Upper-Level Course Transformation PER faculty Upper-div Clickers at CU

PER faculty Upper-div Clickers at CU Term SFSFSFSFSFSFSFSF Mech Math I ✔✔✔✔✔ Mech MathII ✔✔✔✔ EM I ✔✔✔✔ EM II ✔✔✔✔✔ QM I ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔ QM II ✔✔✔ Stat Mech ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔ Solid State ✔✔✔✔ Plasma Nuclear/HE

New 100+ student classroom in Duane physics

Summary

We must know our audience.

Summary We must know our audience. Student attitudes and beliefs are important

Summary Active learning works! We must know our audience. Student attitudes and beliefs are important

Summary Active learning works! Conceptual understanding doesn’t come along for free We must know our audience. Student attitudes and beliefs are important

Summary Active learning works! Conceptual understanding doesn’t come along for free It’s about the learning. We must know our audience. Student attitudes and beliefs are important

Teaching is an Art Conclusions:

Teaching is an Art Conclusions: a science

Teaching is an Art Teaching and Research are not separate missions. Teaching can be improved by scholarly study! Conclusions: a science

Two-way conversations with students are vital “Pearls Before Swine” by Stephan Pastis, 2002.

Two-way conversations with students are vital “Pearls Before Swine” by Stephan Pastis, 2002.

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