Marina Milner-Bolotin

Comparison of the effectiveness of collaborative groups and peer instruction in a large introductory physics course for science majors

We report on an experiment comparing examinations of concepts using slightly modified peer instruction (MPI) interventions with a conceptual conflict strategy based on collaborative groups (CG). Four interventions were utilized in two sections of an introductory physics course for science students. Both instructors and strategies were alternated in the two classes so that instructor dependence could be factored out and so that each class could serve as both an experimental and a control group. The gain on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) used as a pre- and post-test is essentially the same in both classes. The instructors were experienced in use of MPI, but this was the first time that these instructors had used a collaborative group activity in their classes and only used it for the two interventions in each class described in this paper. CG appears to be more effective as a teaching method than PI. It also should be noted that the effectiveness of both teaching methods seems to be instructor independen...

Examination of factors predicting secondary students’ interest in tertiary STEM education

ABSTRACT Based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the study aims to investigate factors that predict students’ interest in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in tertiary education both in general and in relation to their gender and socio-economic background. The results of the analysis of survey responses of 2458 secondary public school students in the fifth-largest Israeli city indicate that STEM learning experience positively associates with students’ interest in pursuing STEM fields in tertiary education as opposed to non-STEM fields. Moreover, studying advanced science courses at the secondary school level decreases (but does not eliminate) the gender gap and eliminates the effect of family background on students’ interest in pursuing STEM fields in the future. Findings regarding outcome expectations and self-efficacy beliefs only partially support the SCCT model. Outcome expectations and self-efficacy beliefs positively correlate with students’ entering tertiary education but did not differentiate between their interests in the fields of study.

Student diversity and the persistence of gender effects on conceptual physics learning

At Ryerson University every year, hundreds of science and engineering students enroll into required introductory physics courses. The diverse educational histories and demographic characteristics of these students reflect the diversity of Toronto as an urban metropolis and Canada more generally. In this study, we investigate how students’ demographic and educational diversity affects their conceptual learning in introductory university physics. As expected, we found that the completion of a senior high school physics course is positively related to students’ initial conceptual understanding of physics. The unexpected result was that gender remained a predictor of the students’ initial conceptual understanding, even when the completion of high school physics was accounted for. Other demographic characteristics, such as students’ mother tongue and country of birth, seem not to matter. Students’ initial conceptual understanding was the strongest predictor of students’ course learning outcomes, which makes un...

Tips for Using a Peer Response System in a Large Introductory Physics Class

Teaching a large introductory physics course can be a challenge for a young physics instructor, and making a large physics lecture interactive may seem almost impossible. The most difficult part about the large class is that due to its size there is very little real-time interaction between the students and the lecturer. The instructor often does not know how well the students understand the lecture or how actively they are involved in it. The lack of real-time communication might make it very difficult and misleading for both the students and the instructor. Fortunately, recently we witnessed the proliferation of technological tools that can help the instructor get instantaneous feedback during the lecture. One of these tools is the peer response system (PRS).1

Physics Exam Problems Reconsidered: Using Logger Pro to Evaluate Student Understanding of Physics

In the past few decades, the physics teaching community has witnessed a surge in creative and often effective ways of using technology to improve physics instruction.1–3 Most of these findings suggest how technology can help instructors create interactive learning environments and how interactivity influences the effectiveness of physics learning.4 However, every physics teacher knows that in order for any teaching method to be effective, the exams have to test the skills and concepts addressed by the teacher. Exam content and style sends the clearest message to students about what skills and content are valued by instructors. The mismatch between what we intend to teach and what we effectively test in exams is of great concern to many science teachers. These were our motives for creating data-rich questions to be used in the exams in a large undergraduate first-year physics course at the University of British Columbia. These data-rich questions were developed to support the use of an innovative teaching ...

Technology-Enhanced Teacher Education for 21st Century: Challenges and Possibilities

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) education goals have transformed dramatically during the last half of the century. Presently, they include developing an appreciation of the beauty and wonder of science; possessing sufficient knowledge to engage in public discussions; becoming careful consumers of information; learning about STEAM inside and outside school; and having the skills to enter careers of their choice, including, but not limited to STEAM. Unlike their 20th century predecessors who were exploring if and how technology might enter the public education realm, modern educators focus on how technology can address these goals. At the same time, the preparation of future STEAM teachers hasn’t always kept pace with the changing technology-rich educational landscape. Teachers can barely keep up with technological innovations and often end up placing the pedagogical aspects of technology engagement on the back burner. New educational goals coupled with new educational technologies should be reflected in how we prepare STEAM teachers. This chapter attempts to re-conceptualize the engagement of STEAM teacher-candidates with technology during their formative years in order to help them meet these rapidly changing goals. To make the argument more meaningful, we use an example of a physics methods course in which an instructor modeled technology-enhanced active engagement pedagogy and teacher-candidates were able to experience this learning environment both as students and as future teachers. The chapter also discusses the impact of this course on teacher-candidates’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK), their attitudes about science teaching and learning, and their pedagogical decision-making during the practicum.

The essence of student visual-spatial literacy and higher order thinking skills in undergraduate biology.

Science, engineering and mathematics-related disciplines have relied heavily on a researcher’s ability to visualize phenomena under study and being able to link and superimpose various abstract and concrete representations including visual, spatial, and temporal. The spatial representations are especially important in all branches of biology (in developmental biology time becomes an important dimension), where 3D and often 4D representations are crucial for understanding the phenomena. By the time biology students get to undergraduate education, they are supposed to have acquired visual–spatial thinking skills, yet it has been documented that very few undergraduates and a small percentage of graduate students have had a chance to develop these skills to a sufficient degree. The current paper discusses the literature that highlights the essence of visual–spatial thinking and the development of visual–spatial literacy, considers the application of the visual–spatial thinking to biology education, and proposes how modern technology can help to promote visual–spatial literacy and higher order thinking among undergraduate students of biology.

Rethinking Technology-Enhanced Physics Teacher Education: From Theory to Practice

This article discusses how modern technology, such as electronic response systems, PeerWise system, data collection and analysis tools, computer simulations, and modeling software can be used in physics methods courses to promote teacher-candidates’ professional competencies and their positive attitudes about mathematics and science education. We show how modeling technology-enhanced deliberate pedagogical thinking in physics methods courses can improve teacher-candidates’ subject-specific pedagogical knowledge and their positive attitudes about science learning. We also discuss potential challenges that must be addressed in order to help teacher-candidates successfully implement these pedagogies during the practicum and in their early years of teaching.RésuméL’article analyse comment les technologies modernes, par exemple les systèmes de réponse électronique, les systèmes PeerWise, les outils de cueillette et d’analyse de données, et les logiciels de simulation et de modélisation, peuvent être utilisés pour mettre en valeur les compétences professionnelles des futurs enseignants, ainsi que leur attitude positive à l’endroit de l’enseignement des mathématiques et des sciences. Nous illustrons comment, dans les cours de méthode en physique, une pensée pédagogique volontairement enrichie par les technologies de modélisation est susceptible d’améliorer les savoirs pédagogiques spécifiques à la matière enseignée de même que l’attitude positive des candidats à l’enseignement à l’égard de l’apprentissage des sciences. Nous abordons aussi certains défis potentiels qui devront être relevés si on veut aider les candidats à bien mettre en œuvre ces pédagogies au cours de leur stage pratique et pendant leurs premières années d’enseignement.

The Effect of Classroom Diversity on Conceptual Learning in Physics

Hundreds of students are required to take introductory physics each year at our mid‐size Canadian university. These students enter the course with diverse educational histories and demographic characteristics that reflect the diversity of the large, metropolitan city that the university is located in. In this project, we investigate how students’ demographic and educational diversity is related to their conceptual learning in introductory university physics. Students’ learning outcomes in introductory sciences courses often impact their later learning in undergraduate science degree programs. As expected, we found that the completion of a senior high school physics course is positively related to students’ conceptual understanding of physics. The unexpected result was that gender remained a predictor of the students’ conceptual understanding, even when the completion of high school physics was accounted for. Interestingly, other demographic characteristics, such as students’ mother tongue and country of b...

Teachers as Actors: The Implications of Acting on Physics Teaching

In the spring of 2006, a rather unusual advertisement by the Centre of Teaching and Academic Growth at UBC (http://www.tag.ubc.ca) came to my attention. Faculty members were invited to take part in a workshop entitled “All the Worlds a Stage: Teachers as Actors,” offered by a zoology instructor and an amateur actor, Greg Bole: Teaching can be seen as creating an interpersonal relationship and hence uses many of the same skills as acting. The investigation and use of acting skills in teacher preparation can allow a greater facility with diverse methods, increase skill at adapting to change in the classroom or lecture hall, and an increased ability to quickly form positive relationships with students. (Greg Bole: http://www.tag.ubc.ca/programs/series-detail.php?series_id=249 )