Physics Education
in Canada
Tetyana Antimirova and Pedro Goldman
Department of Physics,
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science
Ryerson University
2008 OAPT Conference
22-24 May 2008
Welcome to Ryerson!
Outline
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State of physics teaching
What is PER and PER subfields
Challenges of PEP in Canada due to current
funding model and our efforts to change it
Latest Canadian PER initiatives
Physics Education at Ryerson
Looking into the future
Current State of Secondary Science
Education in Canada: PISA 2006
Programme for
International Student
Assessment (PISA):
57 countries took part in
the assessment. Canada
came up 3rd!
Only students from
Finland and Hong-Kong,
China outperformed
Canadian students in
science!
PISA2006
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However, science performance is uneven among
the Canadian provinces.
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Alberta is significantly better than any Canadian
province, while Quebec, Ontario, and BC
performed at the average level, and the rest of
the provinces performed significantly below the
Canadian average.
Challenges for Postsecondary
Education
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Increasing expectations for student
engagement and satisfaction
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Meeting the needs caused by changing
demographics
Changing Demographics
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More people than ever before pursue post-secondary
education
Large Classes (100-200 students is a new norm, some
classes are up to ~1500 students)
In Ontario: younger population
Too many distractions
Many students are forced to work while going to
school
Trends
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The transition from high school to university is very painful
for many students
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Many programs/universities report low graduation rates
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The success or failure during the first year is a good predictor
of student’s future at the university
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Universities invest into lots of resources into first-year
intervention to ease the transition (first-year offices,
orientation courses, additional free tutoring, etc.) - but many
of these measures are mostly subject non-specific
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Drastic differences between high school and university in
study culture and expectations are not taken into account yet
Ontario Statistics
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One out of 6 high school students takes grade
12 physics course
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95% of them pass the course
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Overall, much lower success rate is reported in
the University introductory physics courses
University Introductory Physics
Even by conservative estimates:
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Up to 30% of those who attempt introductory physics
courses, drop these courses and take them later
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Up to 25-30% students fail introductory physics
courses in their first attempt
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“Minus 15% rule”- For those who pass, the grade is
lower by 15% on average
Adjusting to University
First –Year Student Survey 2007 at Ryerson:
A lower percentage of respondents (64% in 2007 compared
to 78% in 2004), reported success with “performing
adequately in courses requiring
skills”
mathematical
General Population
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According to various estimates, only between 0.5%
and 2% of university population major in Physics
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Phobia of physics
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The rest:
Take required physics courses for engineering, premedical, other science programs or have no exposure
to physics at all
“The task of the physics teacher today is to figure
out how to help a much larger fraction of the
population understand how the world works, how to
think logically, and how to evaluate science”
Joe Redish
“Teaching physics can be both inspirational and
frustrating”
Joe Redish
What is Physics Education Research (PER)?
PER Subfields
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Cognitive mechanism
Curriculum and instruction
Epistemology and attitudes
Institutional change
Problem solving and reasoning
Research methods
Socio-cultural mechanisms
Student conceptions
Teacher education and TA training
Effective use of technology in teaching
What Are We Concerned With?
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empirical investigations of student understanding
modeling student learning
PER-based curricular materials (development, testing,
evaluation, implementation)
PER-based diagnostic instruments and assessmentsour research tools
Practicalities: A four-step, Scientific
Approach to Teaching
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Establish what students should learn
Scientifically measure what students are actually learning
Adapt instructional methods and curriculum and incorporate
effective use of technology and pedagogical research to
achieve desired learning outcomes
Share findings, disseminate and adopt what works
Four-step approach from Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (CWSEI)
Tools: Using Technology in Science Teaching
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Interactive engagement in large lectures (Clickers)
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Using live data collection (sensors and probes, LoggerPro)
to provide students with the opportunity to test their ideas
about science
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Using video-based motion analysis
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Using online computer simulations (PhET) in large
lectures as well as in labs, tutorials and homework
assignments
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Using online interactive homework systems, such as
MasteringPhysics
Evaluating Impact: Action Research
To know where we are going:
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Monitoring introduced changes
Pre- and post-instruction testing
Use of standardized conceptual tests for
measuring the impact
Science Education Research Groups in Canada
PER in Canada
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Unlike the USA, Europe, Australia and Latin America,
there are only few Physics Education groups in Canada
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All PER initiatives in Canada happen despite the lack of
PER funding on national and provincial levels
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These initiatives are initiated by individuals, small groups
and some universities
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PER movement in Canada is building from the ground
up!
Science Education Funding in
Canada
NSERC
Sc. Ed.
CIHR
SSHRC
22
Current State of Science Education
Funding in Canada
NSERC
Latest Development: Lobbying for
Funding Model Change
Lobbying for joint committees of major Canadian
granting agencies (NCERS, SSHRC and CIHR) to review
grant applications in subject-based Science Education
Research
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Currently the signatures are being collected in the
support of the initiative of Dr. M.Milner-Bolotin and
Dr. P.Walden.
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Looking Into the Future
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Physics Education Research (as any subject-based science
education research) requires consistent funding for research
and curriculum development and evaluation, preferably from
national granting agencies
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Subject-based Science education research (PER in particular)
should be centered at science departments
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Science (physics) departments should be involved in the
training of science teachers
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Despite Current Obstacles… A Few
Canadian Post-Secondary Science
Education Initiatives
University of British Columbia: Carl Wieman Science
Education Initiative (CWSEI) - $12 million over 5 years,
started January 2006. Funded by the University.
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University of Toronto: Renovation of Undergraduate Physics
Labs (studio-based physics teaching) - funded mainly by the
University
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Alan Slavin’s work at Trent University on Students’
Achievements in Introductory Physics Courses
A Few Canadian Post-Secondary
Science Education Initiatives
(continued)
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Ryerson University: Hired two tenure track physics education
faculty at the Department of Physics; the scope of our PERrelated activities is growing
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Perimeter Institute initiatives
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Toronto District School Board (TDSB) involvement with PER
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University of Calgary: Undergraduate Laboratory project
funded by University, includes hiring postdoctoral researcher
for PER-Latest development!
Carl Wieman Science Education
Initiative (CWSEI)
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University of British Columbia – Carl Wieman Science
Education Initiative (CWSEI)
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$12 million over 5 years, started January 2006. Funded by the
University.
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Science Education in the 21st Century: Using the Tools of
Science to Teach Science
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Achieving the most effective, evidence-based science
education
Undergraduate Physics Labs at University of
Toronto
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Renovation of Undergraduate Physics Labs (studiobased physics teaching)
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4.7 million
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State-of-the-art studio: both space and equipment
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Merging laboratory and tutorials, while preserving
lectures
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Impact study
The Latest! Calgary Initiative
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Modernization of Undergraduate Physics Labs
Includes hiring a postdoctoral researcher to
conduct PER
2-year project funded by the University
Impact study
Ryerson Developments
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Ryerson University: Hired two tenure track physics
education faculty at the Department of Physics (2004
and 2007)
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Two more faculty members are involved in PER on a
part-time basis
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The scope of our PER-related activities is increasing
steadily
TDSB Activities
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Conferences (for example, “Eureka” in
November 2007)
Growing collaboration with Universities
Involvement with OAPT, STAO
Involvement with physics teachers training
Teachers’ professional development
Disclaimer
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This is rather a snapshot, not a comprehensive
account of physics education in Canada
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Only relatively new developments and trends were
mentioned
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We might be not aware of some of the initiatives
taking place
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If you happen to know the groups that we did not
mention, we would like to hear about them!
Physics Education @ Ryerson
http://www.physics.ryerson.ca/
PROGRAMS:
●BSc in Medical Physics
●MSc in Biomedical Physics
●Applied to OCGS for PhD in Biomedical
Physics
●Long-term goal: MSc in Science
(Physics) Education
Our Faculty
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15 faculty members (10 in Medical Physics, 2
in Physics Education)
Largest university-based Biomedical Physics
group in Ontario
Physics Education is designated as our second
area of expansion (2 full-time and 2 part-time
faculty members)
We believe that we are the only Physics
Department in Canada which hired tenuretrack faculty for PER
We Teach…
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Introductory physics courses for over 800 students in
Engineering Programs
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Introductory physics courses for over 300 students for
Science Program (Medical Physics, Chemistry,
Biology and Contemporary Science)
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Our typical undergraduate physics classes have
lecture section between 100 and 200 students
We Teach (continued)…
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Advanced physics courses for our own undergraduate BSc
program in Medical Physics
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Graduate courses for our graduate MSc program in Biomedical
Physics
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Several elective courses for Liberal Arts Program (including
very popular Astronomy course)
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Innovative Course for Architectural Science Program (new!)
Bachelor of Science in Medical Physics at
Ryerson University
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A new Bachelor of Science in Medical Physics
program at Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario was
launched in Fall 2006 (first intake of second-year
students).
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Small at first, but very strong group of students will
graduate after Winter 2009
Bachelor of Science in Medical Physics
Program at Ryerson University
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Beyond first year courses include such topics as
radiation therapy, image analysis, medical diagnostics
and computer modeling techniques.
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In the final year the students undertake an
independent, faculty-supervised thesis project in an
area of personal research interest.
Our Graduate Programs
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Master of Science in Biomedical Physics launched in
Fall 2006
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Our own MSc. Students will graduate this summer
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Application for PhD program in Biomedical Physics
is submitted to OCGS
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Tentative plans for Master’s Program in Science
Education (starting with Physics Education) fit well
with the University’s Academic plan
Our PER-Related Activities
Common theme: the impact of new technologies on
students learning:
 Clickers
 Probe/sensor technologies for real-time data
acquisition, Logger Pro
 Interactive computer simulations (PhET)
 On-line tutoring/homework systems (Mastering
Physics)
 Video-based motion analysis
Our Goal: to implement activity-based, inquiry
based learning in all our courses
Personal Response Systems
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Our Department was instrumental in University-wide
adoption of eInstruction clickers in Fall 2007
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Members of our Department piloted clickers in several
Physics courses for Science program students in 20052006
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Currently clickers are used in several large enrollment
physics courses for Sciences and Engineering programs
Our Ongoing PER Activities
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Plans for total undergraduate lab renovations
(we are still in a fundraising stage)
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Implementation of video-analysis assignments
(in progress)
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Action research in our introductory Physics
course for Science programs (pre- and posttesting)
High School Physics Courses Experience
and Learning Outcomes in University
Introductory Physics Courses
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The common introductory physics course for all
Science Programs (~300 students) at Ryerson combines
the students who took Ontario grade 12 high school
physics or its equivalent, and those who did not
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This natural split allowed us to probe how the previous
exposure to high school physics influences the learning
outcomes in the university introductory physics courses
Science Programs Class
at Ryerson
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60% took grade 12 physics course or equivalent
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40% did not
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We teach them in one class
FALL 2007: Did you take high
school physics?
58%
42%
YES
2. NO
(self-identified)
O
N
Y
E
S
1.
Our Conclusions
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Although there are huge variations in individual
performance, statistically, the knowledge gap
between the two groups (with and without high school
physics background) does not shrink after the
instruction.
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Course dropout rates are significantly higher among
the students who did not take grade12 physics or
equivalent
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The high school exposure to sciences does matter!
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We must communicate this information to the
students, parents, teachers and high school counselors
Pilot study
Impact of Student Major on their Achievement
in Introductory Physics
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Implement pre- and post testing (FCI, FMCE)
Implement Attitude Towards Science surveys
Experiential Learning
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Dr. Marina Milner-Bolotin developed innovative
course (PCS107) for first-year students Architectural
and Building Science Program
Dr. Carl Kumaradas will introduce project-based
small-group learning in our second-year
Introduction to Medical Physics course
High School-University
Transition
Why to collaborate?
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Postsecondary and secondary education have similar
goals: to provide successful student-centered teaching
and learning
Face somewhat similar challenges
Both systems can benefit from sharing experiences
and exchanging ideas
Help our students with smooth transition from high
school to university
Mutual University-High School Visits
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In Fall 2007 David Doucette visited my
PCS120 first year class for students enrolled in
Sciences Programs
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I visited grade 11, grade 12 and advanced
placement physics classes in David’s high
school in Richmond Hills.
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University instructors can learn a lot from
high school teachers: group work, inquirybased teaching and student-centered approach
What We Can Offer
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To send our Faculty to your class to talk about
Medical Physics and Biophysics
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To invite your high school classes for a site visit at
Ryerson
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Once we get new teaching labs we will be able to
provide workshops for teachers if needed
Looking Into the Future
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PER movement is gaining momentum at all
levels of educational system
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We hope there will be even more opportunities
if the funding model problem gets solved
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The community of educators is ready for a
change, but the institutional support is needed
for consistent and sustainable changes
Resources
1. Antimirova, T., M. Milner-Bolotin, et al. "Physics
Education on the Move in Canada" Newsletter of the
International Consortium on Physics Education
(ICPE), Spring 2008.
2.
Milner-Bolotin, M. and T. Antimirova (2007).
"Physics Education in Canada: Recent
developments." Canadian Undergraduate Physics
Journal VI(1): 28-29.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS…
SUGGESTIONS… IDEAS…
Please feel free to contact us:
Phone: (416) 9795000 x 17416
Email: antimiro@ryerson.ca
Phone: (416) 9795000 x 16538
Email: goldman@ryerson.ca
Tetyana Antimirova
Assistant Professor
Assistant Chair for the
Undergraduate Studies
Department of Physics
Ryerson University
Pedro Goldman
Professor and Chair
Department of Physics
Ryerson University
We would like to thank Marina Milner-Bolotin
for providing some materials for this
presentation.
Thank you!