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Interactive Engagement in Upper-Level Physics Lessons

Explore teaching principles & strategies for active learning in physics education. Enhance engagement through kinesthetic activities and small whiteboards. Develop a supportive classroom environment for student growth and transformation.

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Interactive Engagement in Upper-Level Physics Lessons

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  1. Interactive Engagementin Upper-Level PhysicsLessons from the Paradigms Program http://physics.oregonstate.edu/portfolioswiki Corinne Manogue & the whole Paradigms Team New Faculty Workshop

  2. Support • National Science Foundation • DUE-9653250, 0231194, 0618877 • DUE-0837829, 1023120, 1323800 • DUE-0088901, 0231032, 0837829 • Oregon State University • Oregon Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers • Grinnell College • Mount Holyoke College • Utah State University New Faculty Workshop

  3. On your small whiteboard • Write the main purpose of educatiom? New Faculty Workshop

  4. The Purpose of Education —A challenging vision “…the purpose of your education is your growth as an individual and the development of your capacity to contribute to the transformation of society.” —FUNDAEC Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias New Faculty Workshop

  5. On your small whiteboard • List one characteristic of middle-division students? New Faculty Workshop

  6. The Middle-Division • The middle-division is different from the lower division: • Smaller classes. • Invested students. • More complicated content. • More time/courses. • Opportunity to spiral. New Faculty Workshop

  7. My Agenda Today • Discuss a few “teaching principles” and related “teaching suggestions.” • Model and discuss different types of activities. New Faculty Workshop

  8. Teaching Principle • Make explicit choices about when do “Teaching by Telling” vs. “Active-Engagement”? New Faculty Workshop

  9. The Instructor/Textbook: Paints big picture. Inspires. Covers lots fast. Models speaking. Models problem-solving. Controls questions. Makes connections. The Students/Groups: Focus on subtleties. Experience delight. Slow, but in depth. Practice speaking. Practice problem-solving. Control questions. Make connections. Teaching by Telling vs. Active Engagement New Faculty Workshop

  10. Teaching Principle • Good teaching is like picking up someone else’s baby. New Faculty Workshop

  11. Babies • Good teaching is like picking up someone else’s baby. • Believe it will be a good experience for you and the baby! • Hold the baby firmly so it feels safe. • Engage the baby’s attention with something fascinating. New Faculty Workshop

  12. Teaching Principle • Humor is important in the classroom, but use it thoughtfully. New Faculty Workshop

  13. Humor • Did you feel that my analogy of “picking up a baby” let you off the hook? New Faculty Workshop

  14. Teaching Principle • Students have little experience with geometric visualization. Suggestion • Use kinesthetic activities to tap into students’ embodied cognition. New Faculty Workshop

  15. Kinesthetic Activities • Stand up. • Each of you represents a point charge. • Make a linear charge density. New Faculty Workshop

  16. Teaching Principle • It takes effort to bring information into working memory. Suggestion • Use small whiteboards to help students activate the relevant information. New Faculty Workshop

  17. Small Whiteboards • On your small whiteboard, write something you know about the dot product. New Faculty Workshop

  18. Affordances of Small White Board Questions • Allow the instructor to see if everyone is on the same page. • “Quiet” members of the class are encouraged to participate. • Students vie to have their answers chosen. • Keep everyone engaged and awake. • Professional development: communication skills. New Faculty Workshop

  19. Using Small Whiteboards • Make it safe to be wrong: • Insist that students answer, but allow a question mark. • Make answers anonymous at first. • Different types of questions: • Review, comparing multiple representations. • Bring out common problems. • Model professional problem-solving. New Faculty Workshop

  20. Teaching Principle • Don’t try to answer a question that students don’t yet have. Suggestion • Use active engagement to prime “the teachable moment.” New Faculty Workshop

  21. Compare and Contrast Activities • On your medium whiteboards, construct a square grid of points, approximately two inches apart, at least 7 by 7. • I will draw an origin and a vector on your grid. • For every point on your grid, imagine drawing the position vector to that point, calculate • Connect the points with equal values of New Faculty Workshop

  22. Affordances of Medium Whiteboards • Provide the opportunity: • to develop and practice problem-solving strategies, • to compare and contrast answers, • for mini-presentations, • to discuss synthesis, evaluation, decision-making, etc. New Faculty Workshop

  23. Socratic vs. Groups How does it feel to teach in these ways? vs. Everyone knows everything vs. No one knows anything New Faculty Workshop

  24. Take-home Message • You are in this for the long haul! • Join or build a learning community, preferably in your own department. • Make it safe for each person to grow in their own way. • Use reflective practice: If it worked, figure out why so you can do it again and share it. If it didn’t work, figure out why so you can do it differently next time. New Faculty Workshop

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