Replicating Physics Education Reforms:
How (and why)
to keep a good thing going
Steven Pollock
Noah Finkelstein
Physics Department
University of Colorado, Boulder
APS
Apr Meeting
April 2006
Acknowledgements
Physics faculty:
Noah Finkelstein
Carl Wieman
Kathy Perkins
Michael Dubson
Postdocs:
Sam McKagan
Linda Koch
Ph. D. students:
Wendy Adams
Jack Barbera
Kara Gray
Chris Keller
Pat Kohl
Noah Podolefsky
Chandra Turpen
School of Ed collaborators:
Valerie Otero
Derya Cobanoglu
Danielle Harlow
QuickTi me™ and a T IFF (Uncom pressed) decom pressor are needed to see t his pict ure.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Replicating successful curricula
What does it mean to replicate?
• What is necessary, sufficient?
• What theoretical frameworks help us
understand?
What does it mean to sustain?
CU Model of Course
Transformation
Building from traditional courses
• Bottom up reform
• Peer instruction, Tutorials in
Introductory Physics
• Learning Assistants
Force Concept Inventory
red = trad, blue = interactive engagement
<g> = post-pre
100-pre
CU Fa98
CU Fa03/
Sp04
R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, 64-74 (‘98).
A “frames of context” perspective
Departmental level
Course culture (Physics I)
Situation (Tutorial)
Task (2-D drawing)
Student
Concept
Finkelstein and Pollock, (2005). Physical Review: ST PER, 1,1.
Tasks
Task
• Tutorials in Introductory Physics (UW)
– Reconceptualize Recitation Section
– well documented,
– easy to implement
Proven Curricula
D.E. Trowbridge and L. C. McDermott, "Investigation of student understanding of the concept
of acceleration in one dimension," Am. J. Phys. 49 (3), 242 (1981).
D.E. Trowbridge and L. C. McDermott, "Investigation of student understanding of the concept
of velocity in one dimension," Am. J. Phys. 48 (12), 1020 (1980)
R.A. Lawson and L.C. McDermott, "Student understanding of the work-energy and impulsemomentum theorems," Am. J. Phys. 55 (9), 811 (1987)
L.C. McDermott and P.S. Shaffer, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An
example from introductory electricity, Part I: Investigation of student understanding." Am.
J. Phys. 60 (11), 994 (1992); Erratum to Part I, Am. J. Phys. 61 (1), 81 (1993).
P.S. Shaffer and L.C. McDermott, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An
example from introductory electricity, Part II: Design of instructional strategies." Am. J.
Phys. 60 (11), 1003 (1992)
L.C.McDermott, P.S. Shaffer and M. Somers, "Research as a guide for curriculum
development: An illustration in the context of the Atwood's machine," Am. J. Phys.62 (1)
46-55 (1994).
M.E. Loverude, C.H. Kautz, and P.R.L. Heron,ﾊ "Student understanding of the first law of
thermodynamics”, Am.J. Phys. 70 (2) 137 (2002)
www.phys.washington.edu/groups/peg/pubsa.html
Task data
TOPIC
PRE
Direction 20
of a at
top of
ramp
Direction 10
of a on
curved
path
POST
(click)
POST
(exam)
Task data
TOPIC
PRE
Direction 20
of a at
top of
ramp
Direction 10
of a on
curved
path
POST
(click)
POST
(exam)
70
75
70
65
Tasks
Task alone insufficient (!)
Task
Situat.
Situations
• Interactions with other students/TA’s
• Room/environment
Classroom: Trad -- Tutorial
Situat.
Situations
• Interactions with other students/TA’s
• Room/environment
• Grading norms
Impact and Reproducibility
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Newton &
constraints
Force diagrams
UW - No Tut
Newton III
UW - with Tut
Combine
Newton's Laws
CU - with Tut
Trowbridge and McDermott," Am. J. Phys. 49 (3), 242 (1981).
Finkelstein and Pollock, (2005). Phys Rev ST PER, 1,1.010101
Culture
Class Culture
•
•
•
•
Critical, subtle!
Ideas constructed by students
Answers are justified and reasoned
Tutorials connected to class (and
world/your life)
• Enculturation over time
Depart.
Broader layer(s)
•
•
•
•
Support of institution
$$$
TA training
Reformed classes
What does replication mean?
• More than repeating
activities/worksheets
• Appropriate activity, surrounding
structures:
– tasks, situations, norms, practices,
infrastructure…
• New env’t => Adopt, adapt, reinvent
(Henderson)
intra-institutional replication
1120 BEMA pre/post
20
PreF04
18
PreS05
% of students
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0
6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97
Score
F04 (N=319) Pretest: 26%
S05 (N=232): 27%
1120 BEMA pre/post
20
PreF04
18
PreS05
PostF04
PostS05
% of students
16
14
12
g(F04) = .44+/- .01 g(S05)=.43+/- .01
10
8
6
4
2
0
0
6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97
Score
F04 (N=319) Post: 59%
S05 (N=232): 59%
1120 BEMA LA’s
TA(post)
(post)
TA(pre)
(pre) LA
LA
LA2
(post)
CU upper division (trad)
Replication?
yes…
instructor effects?
Handoff to non-PER faculty
… everything looks the same…(except
the instructor)
Hand-Off Results
Fall 2005:
Pre: 25
Post 50
g(F04) = .44+/- .01 g(S05)=.43+/- .01
g(F05)=.33+/- .02
Recitation (curriculum)
effects?
The impact of recitation/pedagogy
Physics 1, 300+ students,
using Peer Instruction in lecture, and:
1: “Tutorials” (Sp04) Tutorials
2: “Workbook” (Fa04) Knight Workbook
3: “Traditional” (Sp05) Mostly traditional
Phys 1110 normalized gains
gain <g>
= .66 +/-.02
% of students
30
Tutorials
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
normalized gain
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
Phys 1110 normalized gains
gain <g>
= .66 +/-.02
= .59 +/-.02
% of students
30
Tutorials
Workbooks
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
normalized gain
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
Phys 1110 normalized gains
% of students
30
gain <g>
= .66 +/-.02
= .59 +/-.02
= .45 +/-.02
Tutorials
Workbooks
Traditional
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
normalized gain
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
Beyond the FMCE: Exam comparisons
80
Exam scores (%)
70
60
50
40
-7
-14
-6
-10
30
20
10
0
Tut-related q's
Tutorial course
Trad/quant q's
Workbook course
Trad recitation
N.B. 12 points is roughly 1 letter grade.
Beyond the FMCE: Exam comparisons
80
Exam scores (%)
70
60
50
40
-7
-14
-6
-10
30
20
10
0
Tut-related q's
Tutorial course
Trad/quant q's
Workbook course
Trad recitation
N.B. 12 points is roughly 1 letter grade.
Impact on different pretest populations:
"high starters" 50<pre<93%
normaliz ed gain for high pretest
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
g
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
S04 (13 %)
F0 4 (22%)
S05 (14 %)
Semester (%
of class
clas s in
in this
thispool)
(% of
Tut course
Course
(1)
pretes t >50%
(2)
Trad Recit
(3)
Impact on different pretest populations:
"low starters" pretest <=12.5%
nor malized gain for low pretest
0.6
0.5
g
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
S04 (2 3%)
F04 (20%)
S05 (2 2%)
Semester (%
(%of
ofclass
c lassin
inthis
thispool)
Tut course
Course
(1)
prete st <= 12.5%
(2)
Trad Recit
(3)
Ongoing studies
Currently:
4 non PER faculty running Tutorials data at AAPT/PERC
Conclusions
• Replicating & Sustaining reforms is possible
– theoretical framing helpful
– curriculum matters
– context matters
QUESTIONS
Please!
per.colorado.edu (for this talk and more)
fin
A&B and learning gains
Data from instructor attending (somewhat) to “hidden curriculum”)
% Favorable
75
Beliefs
(preUnderstanding
/ post) vs. learning gain
Conceptual
65
55
45
35
g<=.25
0.25<g<=0.5 0.5<g<=0.75 0.75<g<=0.9
0.9<g<=1
Learning Gains
Low learning gain <---------> high learning gain
Adams et al. (2006) Physical Review, ST:PER, 010101
Perkins et al (to appear). Proceedings of PERC
Connecting Tutorials to course as whole
Course score (%)
100
80
60
40
20
0
0
20
40
60
80
Tutorial homework (%)
100