1. Interactive Teaching Techniques: Are they transferable across cultures?

2. There is a substantial body of evidence to suggest that: traditional lecturing is not an effective way of producing learning or understanding in students.

3. Physics education research (1980–2000)  has identified many common misconceptions  has led to the construction of standardized diagnostic tests

4. Mathematics and Physics Conceptual Evaluation Thornton & Sokoloff, Am. J. Phys, 66(4), 1998, p 338

5. Physics education research (1980–2007)  has identified many common misconceptions  has led to the construction of standardized diagnostic tests  has prompted development of targeted teaching strategies.

6. For example: Interactive Lecture Demonstrations  use computers in lectures to log and display data in various representations,  rely on carefully controlled teacher-class interactions,  claim very substantial gains in student learning.

7. 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre- and post-traditional instruction 100 0 50

8. 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre- and post-ILD 100 0 50

9. Normalized gains: different institutions and teaching methods 20%40%60%80%100%0% (% normalized gain)

10. Evaluation of ILDs at Sydney University

11.  First semester 1999, 1 Regular class (130 students) taught with ILDs  Advanced stream and other 2 Regular streams (320 students) as controls  Module chosen was MECHANICS, (HRW chapters 1–12 )

12. Logistics  Control classes had 15 1-hour lectures (5 weeks)  Experimental class had 11 1-hour lectures plus 4 1-hour ILD sessions  All tested during first lecture period, and again in middle of the semester.

13. Pre-test scores: all Introductory classes 100 0 Percentage of students understansing 1st & 2nd, graphical 1st & 2nd, natural language 50 3rd law, collisions 3rd law, contact

14. Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre-instruction 100 0 50

15. Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre- and post-instruction 100 0 50

16. Average gain: all Introductory classes 100 0 Average gain (%) Advanced Regular (ILD) Regular (standard) 50

17. Experiment repeated in 2000  Same class numbers (roughly), same logistics  Only the 3 regular streams were given the pre-test  All 3 regular and 1 advanced streams given the post-test (compulsory).

18. Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre- and post-instruction (2000) 100 0 50

19. Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Gain (%) Relative gain: experimental classes 1999 and 2000 100 0 50

20. Average gain: all Introductory classes: 1999 and 2000 100 0 Average gain (%) Advanced Regular (ILD) Regular (standard) 50

21. Experiment done again in 2001  Same class numbers and same logistics again.  Different lecturer.

22. Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Gain (%) Normalized gains: post-ILD instruction (1999, 2000, 2001) 100 0 50

23. Gain (%) Normalized gains: post-ILD instruction (1999, 2000, 2001) 100 0 50 Average gains = 36%, 48%, 38%

24. Same experiment started in a Thai university in 2002  Mahidol University, Bangkok.  1300 first year physics, medical science and engineering students.  Only results from first stage of the experiment available so far.

25. Correct (%) Correct responses: post traditional instruction (Thailand) 100 0 50 Natural language GraphicalCoin tossCart on ramp

26. Gain (%) Normalized gains: post traditional instruction (Thailand) 100 0 50 Natural language GraphicalCoin tossCart on ramp

27. Same experiment started again in Sydney in 2007  90 first year physics students.  All in the Fundamental stream.  Four different lecturers involved.

28. Correct (%) Correct responses (Fundamentals 2007) pre- and post ILD 100 0 50

29. Correct (%) Correct responses (Fundamentals 2007) pre- and post ILD 100 0 50 Average gain = 33%

30. Correct responses: pre- and post-instruction 20%40%60%80%100%0% (% normalized gain)

31. Conclusions?  This teaching technique seems to achieve what it claims (to a degree)  This teaching technique requires practice and commitment to be used successfully  There seems to be a small fraction of students who cannot be reached

32. 47 Questions Individual questions answered incorrectly 79 Students