1. Role of PER in a Thriving Physics Department - Viewing Learning through the Lens of Physics Ken Heller School of Physics and Astronomy University of Minnesota Supported in part by Department of Education (FIPSE), NSF, and the University of Minnesota 20 year continuing effort to improve undergraduate education with contributions by: Many faculty and graduate students of U of M Physics Department In collaboration with U of M Physics Education Group Details at http://groups.physics.umn.edu/physed/ Our PER group 2 faculty – 1 physics + 1 education 1 post doc 3 graduate students 1 teacher-in-residence Visiting scholars Etc.

2. Outline for Discussion What can PER do for your department. Examples Are we a “thriving” department? Number of majors increased from about 15/yr to about 50/yr We are maxed out Instructional budget is “protected” by the Dean through numerous budget cuts Adequate funding for undergraduate program improvements both internal and external We have large improvements to make– we can do better. Improve the number of female majors Better measure of problem solving Modernize the curriculum More organized undergraduate research

3. All Physics Departments Teach The Same Meta-stable Specific Changes Research-based Instructional System Stable Better Implementation Individual EffortDepartmental Commitment Stable Systemic Changes Large continuous effort Easily returns to ground state Small continuous effort Stable against small changes Can jump to ground state Small continuous effort Stable against change Can decay to ground state

4. PER: Helps Initiate Change Don’t try to invent a perpetual motion machine. – Good educational practice, like good science is often counter-intuitive Fundamental Principles (Causality, Unitarity, Lorentz Invariance) Theory (Electricity and Magnetism described by Maxwell’s equations) Empirical rules (Ohm’s law) – Educational change has a long history Many things are known not to work We even know why they don’t work Learning is a biological process, teaching is the action that helps people implement that process. – Neural science and cognitive psychology set boundary conditions – Teaching is the manipulation of the learning environment Assessing change – What is an appropriate measure? – Establishing a baseline

5. PER: Helps Implement Change Arrive at reasonable goals – Getting information from stakeholders – What changes are easy – What changes are hard Identify minimum necessary changes – Incremental or dive in Recognition that improvement takes time – Measurement and baseline data – Change initially degrades performance performance time

6. PER: Helps Sustain Change A Physics Department is not a closed system – Inputs from Administration, Government, Parents, Students Initiatives to embrace Initiatives to ignore Initiatives to resist – Finances are important – what to cut? – Faculty time is important – effort balance Meaningful change is not initially popular – Understand dynamics of natural human resistance – To identify and tweak the parameters requires measurements Countering entropy increase requires an energy input – Identify when system is degrading – Initiate corrective action

7. PER Enriches the Intellectual Environment Research into learning from a physics point of view – Education – Cognitive psychology – Neural science – Measurement Quantitative – appropriate statistics Qualitative – Question the “frozen” curriculum Awareness of the field – Build on other people’s progress Research opportunities for students Opportunities for outside collaboration Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration

8. Phenomenological Learning Theory Apprenticeship Works coach model fade Collins, Brown, & Newman (1990) Learning in the environment of expert practice Why it is important How it is used How is it related to a student’s existing knowledge INSTRUCTION Brain MRI from Yale Medical School Neuron image from Ecole Polytechnique Lausanne Pedagogy - Learning is a Biological Process Neurons that fire together, wire together Simplification of Hebbian theory: Hebb, D (1949). The organization of behavior. New York: Wiley. Cognitive Apprenticeship

9. LECTURES Four hours/week, sometimes with informal cooperative groups. Model constructing knowledge in response to problems, model organized problem solving framework. RECITATION SECTION LABORATORY One hour each Thursday – cooperative groups practice using a problem-solving framework to solve context-rich problems. Peer coaching, TA coaching. Two hours/week -- same cooperative groups practice using a framework to solve context-rich experimental problems. Same TA. Peer coaching, TA coaching. TESTS 4 quizzes/semester on Friday -- problem- solving & conceptual questions (2 problems, 10 multiple choice) (1 group problem in previous discussion section). Pedagogy – Cooperative Group Problem Solving

10. Scaffolding Additional structure used to support the construction of a complex structure. Removed as the structure is built An explicit problem solving framework - continually modeled A worksheet that structures the framework – removed early in the course Cooperative group structure that encourages productive group interactions Limit use of formulas by giving an equation sheet (only allowed equations) Explicit grading rubric for problem solutions to encourage expert-like behavior Problems that discourage novice problem solving Explicit grading rubric for lab problems to encourage expert-like behavior TA education and support in pedagogy Examples of Scaffolding in teaching Introductory Physics

11. Problem-solving Framework Used by experts in all fields Recognize the Problem What's going on? STEP 1 Describe the problem in terms of the field What does this have to do with...... ? STEP 2 Plan a solution How do I get out of this? STEP 3 Execute the plan Let's get an answer STEP 4 Evaluate the solution Can this be true? STEP 5 Competent Problem Solver G. Polya, 1945 Chi, M., Glaser, R., & Rees, E. (1982)

12. Page 1Page 2 Problem Solving Worksheet used at the beginning of the course

13. Your task is to design an artificial joint to replace arthritic elbow joints in patients. After healing, the patient should be able to hold at least a gallon of milk while the lower arm is horizontal. The biceps muscle is attached to the bone at the distance 1/6 of the bone length from the elbow joint, and makes an angle of 80 o with the horizontal bone. How strong should you design the artificial joint if you assume the weight of the bone is negligible. Individual Context- Rich Problem on an Exam Gives a motivation – allows some students to access their mental connections. Gives a realistic situation – allows some students to visualize the situation. Does not give a picture – students must practice visualization. Uses the character “you” – allows some students to visualize the situation.

14. Coaching With Cooperative Groups u Positive Interdependence u Face-to-Face Interaction u Individual Accountability u Explicit Collaborative Skills u Group Functioning Assessment Having Students Work Together in Structured Groups I was reading through your 'typical objections'. Another good reason for cooperative group methods: this is how we solve all kinds of problems in the real world - the real academic world and the real business world. I wish they'd had this when I was in school. Keep up the great work. Rick Roesler Vice President, Handhelds Hewlett Packard Email 8/24/05

15. semesters quarters Retention Dropout rate to 6%, F/D rate to 3% in all classes Change from quarters to semesters

16. Final State Student Problem Solutions Initial State

17. 9495 96979899000102030405 0607 08 93 Incoming student scores are slowly rising (better high school preparation) Our standard course (CGPS) achieves average FCI ~70% Our “best practices” course achieves average FCI ~80% Not executing any cooperative group procedures achieves average FCI ~50% Each letter represents a different professor (37 different ones)

18. Students are getting better from high school There is a gender gap in conceptual performance from high school Males do better.

20. About 90% of males and 85% females have had at least high school physics

21. There is a slight gender gap in math skills from high school Females do slightly better.

22. Gender gap is there no matter what high school physics preparation. 14.2 0.7 % Gap = 13.01.2 % 17.11.4 % 14.53.1 % 10.13.6 %

23. 12.6 0.8 % Gap = 13.01.7 %13.81.5 %13.33.5 %11.83.4 % Gender gap persists no matter what high school physics preparation.

25. CEILING EFFECT

26. Males and females gain the same amount from the class.

27. Males and females do about as well in the course.

28. Males do slightly better in the course final exam problems.

29. Identify Critical Failure Points 1.Inappropriate Tasks Must engage all group members (not just one who knows how to do it) 2. Inappropriate Grading Must not penalize those who help others (no grading on the curve) Must reward for individual learning 3.Poor structure and management of Groups Fail Gracefully Non-optimal implementation gives some success

30. Building A Course Teach Students an Organizational Framework – Emphasize decisions using physics – Rule-based mathematics Use Problems that Require – An organized framework – Physics conceptual knowledge – Connection to existing knowledge Use Existing Course Structure – Lectures and “handouts” MODELING – Discussion Sections COACHING – Labs COACHING Scaffolding to Support Problem Solving ModelingCoaching Peer Instructor Fading

31. CGPS Propagates Through the Department Goals: Goals: Biology Majors Course 2003 4.9Basic principles behind all physics 4.4General qualitative problem solving skills 4.3Use biological examples of physical principles 4.2 Overcome misconceptions about physical world 4.1 General quantitative problem solving skills 4.0Real world application of mathematical concepts and techniques Goals: Goals: Calculus-based Course (88% engineering majors) 1993 4.5Basic principles behind all physics 4.5General qualitative problem solving skills 4.4General quantitative problem solving skills 4.2Apply physics topics covered to new situations 4.2Use with confidence Upper Division Physics Major Courses 2002 Analytic Mechanics Electricity & Magnetism Quantum Mechanics Graduate Courses 2007 Quantum Mechanics

32. The End Please visit our website for more information: http://groups.physics.umn.edu/physed/ The best is the enemy of the good. "le mieux est l'ennemi du bien" Voltaire