Interactive, Collaborative,
Electronic Learning Logs in
the Physics Classroom
Chris Gosling
Physics Teacher
Saranac Lake High School
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation DUE0302097, SUNY-Buffalo
State Physics, The Adirondack Teacher Center, and Saranac Lake Central
School District
Presentation Structure
Why journal?
 Types of journals
 Implementation
 Interactive Journaling Activity
 Selected excerpts
 Questions

Why journal?

Students who journal outperform their
peers
MacDonald and Cooper as cited by Bazerman, Little, Bethel, Chavkin,
Fouquette, & Garufis (2005).



Written record of ideas
Form group identity
Gauge student understanding
My Use of Journals

Traditional paper journals
– College level students
– Checked at midterm  Disaster!

Interactive Collaborative Electronic
(ICE) Learning Logs (Hickman, 2000)
– 2.5 semesters of use at college level
– 1 semester of use at high school level
Interactive Collaborative
Electronic Learning Logs



Interactive
 Group-based dialogue
journal
Collaborative  Group discussion to write
entry
Electronic
 Chronological wordprocessing documents
(Hickman, 2000)
Implementation

Virtually identical to Hickman’s
– Instructor uses bold font (white)
– Students use regular font (colored)

Randomly assigned groups
– Different from class activity groups
– Varied experiences produce discussion
Implementation Cont.



Rotating typist
Graded on a scale from 1-10
Frequency
– 3 entries/week college vs. 1/week H.S.
Sample ICE Learning Log
Your turn!




Find 2 other people close to you
Get a piece of paper and a pen
Come up with a short name or phrase
to represent your group
Answer the questions on the following
slide
Sample Questions


What is projectile motion? Give me an
example of projectile motion that you have
observed outside of school.
Take a few minutes and draw me a picture
of the path that the projectile you described
above might follow. Use Paint to draw a
quick sketch of this situation- be creative!
(just sketch – no paint)
Today’s answers

Projectile motion is when object is
launched into the air and gravity
works on it to form a parabola
shaped path. An example is when
kids go egging on Halloween and
toss eggs.
Today’s sketches
Building
Identity




Killer Time Traveling
Train Team
Rats in a Box
Kinematic
Cockatoos
Wyld stallions
College (calculus)
College (algebra)
H.S. (algebra)




Nameless
Friction Fighters
The Rubber Duckies
Interactive
Collaborative
Electronic Learning
Loggers
The most common group names were those formed
using students’ initials
Conceptual
Understanding

C-c
C-a
HS-a
What is the difference between
average and instantaneous velocity?
– Instantaneous velocity is the slope of the
tangent line at a specific point. Average
velocity is the average slope of the entire
curve on the p vs. t graph.
Broad Open-Ended

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Provide an example of a situation
where an object accelerates.
– When an object accelerates, it is gaining
velocity. An example of this would be a small
child rolling down a hill in a garbage can.
– When you spit off a bridge the spit
accelerates from your mouth as at falls to the
icy depths of the water.
Specific – Open Ended
Position vs. Time
20
Position (m)
And finally, please tell me a
story that could have resulted
in the motion shown on the
graph below. Be creative!
C-c
C-a
HS-a
15
10
5
0
Time (s)
– A runner goes back toward the starting line
because he dropped the baton then stops to pick it
up, and after a few seconds sprints forward make
up the time lost and stops at the finish.
Specific – Open Ended
Position vs. Time
20
Position (m)
And finally, please tell me a
story that could have resulted
in the motion shown on the
graph below. Be creative!
C-c
C-a
HS-a
15
10
5
0
Time (s)
– So, there was this guy. His name was Phil. …he left the
remote on the coffee table, 6 ft away from the T.V. He went
and got the remote, and tripped and fell. So, now he’s lying
on the floor, for some seconds. So then, his show came on,
but he forgot his iced tea in the kitchen. So, he SPRINTED to
the kitchen and got his iced tea. So, then he sat and drank
his iced tea, when someone called. It was his mom. And
then she made him talk indefinitely. The End.
Ah-ha moments

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Did any of your group members
have an “Ah-ha” moment when
the light bulb turned on and
everything made sense?
– The analogy with the car and the gas tank made a lot of sense
for us. [reference to constructing motion maps]
– Our light bulbs are flickering, but are not turn on completely.
We understand most of the material but the subtleties in
understanding the different graphs. All we need is just to review
the material to gain a complete understanding.
Cries for help
C-c
C-a
HS-a
– No one in our group has an epiphany, but most of our
group is confused with the slope of velocity. We also
have trouble with acceleration vectors.
– Soooo, the homework, was NOT as easy as we were
thought to believe. In fact, the diver question and
skier question were near impossible! It is partially
our fault for not starting the homework earlier and
asking questions on it, but we thought it would be
easy and quick, and the fact that blackboard was
down this weekend did not help
Humor

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Tell me a story about a situation where
net force might be applicable.
– If you have two Rare Mountain Shoats playing tug of
war on top of St. Regis Mountain. The two shoats
are of equal strength but not stamina. So for a while
the net force on the rope applied by the shoats is
ZERO. After 3 minutes shoat 1 gets tired and is
applying less force than Shoat 2. Shoat 2 pulls him
down the mountain and into Lower St. Regis Lake.
He won.
Humor
Humor

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Invent a motion map and then provide a plausible
explanation for how it could have been created.
Student
Reactions

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Which do you prefer: individual journaling or
the group journals
– Well the groups journal was preferred as we can work
together to find our way and in addition we get some
satisfaction in the more immediate reply from you the
teacher as to our rightness or wrongness
– We believe that the journals in class were definitely the way
to go. They allowed us more constructive journal entries,
instead of writing them all at the end and forgetting some
stuff. It’s actually incentive to do them, since it’s done in
class.
Student
Reactions
C-c
C-a
HS-a
Do you think that writing the Learning
Logs helps you learn physics?
– Learning logs help- they kind of bring everything
together.
– We think they help us and they are a better way
to figure out things we have problems with.
– It didn’t necessarily help to learn physics but
they definitely gave us a good summary of the
material and good practice!
References
Bazerman, C., Little, J., Bethel, L., Chavkin, T., Fouquette,
D., & Garufis, J. (2005). Reference guide to writing across
the curriculum. West Lafayette, Indiana: Parlor Press.
http://wac.colostate.edu/books/bazerman_wac/
Hickman, P. (2000). Assessing student understanding with
interactive-electronic-collaborative learning logs. ENC
Focus, 7(2), 24-27.
Abstract and presentation available at:
http://physicsed.buffalostate.edu/pubs/AAPTmtgs/AAPTJan07/
Questions?
Student
Reactions
C-c
C-a
HS-a
If I require you to keep a journal of
some sort, what would you prefer?
– 92.5% ICE Learning Logs
– 7.5% Individual electronic journals
– 0%
Individual paper journals
(n=40)
Student Reactions
C-c
C-a
HS-a
How much did each of the following
aspects of the class help your learning?
Learning Logs / Journals (n=76)
No help
7.9%
A little help
18.4%
Moderate help
26.3%
Much help
31.6%
Very much help
15.8%
Connection to
real world

C-c
C-a
HS-a
…what’s another example of a real-life
object that can function as a Faraday
cage?
– We talked about cars, trucks, or other petroleum
spewing vehicles acting as a faraday cage in a
lightning storm. With a metallic shell, electrical
charge is distributed on the outside. This is the
reason that people do not get barbequed when their
car is struck with lightning while sitting on the side of
the highway during a tornado
Connection to
real world

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Give an example of a situation where the
velocity of an object is changing but its
speed is not.
– An example of the velocity of an object changes but
not the speed is if an airplane was changing course
but maintaining a constant speed.
– A car can be traveling north on I87 at 60 mph and
then go South on I87 at 60 mph. The speed of the
car remains the same and the direction changes.
Connection to
real world

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Come up with a real-life situation
where you could use the kinematic
equations to solve a problem. Be
creative!
– You are flying a helicopter at an elevation of
500m…You are trying to drop a ball out and
land it in your friend’s pool. How long would
it take for the ball to land in the water?
Connection to
real world

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Tell me a story about a situation
where net force might be applicable.
– An example of this is if Student B’s car stalls
out and he needs two of his friends, Willie
and Bob, to help him push while he steers the
wheel. The net force is equivalent to the
force applied on the car by Willie (F_w) plus
the force applied on the car by Bob (F_b).
Therefore, F_xnet = F_w + F_b.
Connection to
real world

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Please tell me a story where an object or a
person has a positive position and velocity,
but negative acceleration.
– If you are moving in a positive direction but slow down so
you don’t you get hit by a truck you will have negative
acceleration.
– A runner is running away from the starting line (the
origin), steps into a pothole, stumbles for a bit, and then
continues running. His velocity would have decreased, but
would stay positive, while acceleration would be negative.
Yes! This is a good story. Did Scott (who’s on the
cross-country team) help dream it up? I’m glad you
liked it, It was Scott.
…made you
think

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Within your group, select one problem that made you
THINK!
– 4.20 in the purple book made us think hard about where the ball would
go. We thought the ball would continue in a straight line, but we would
like to see proof in class. (tennis ball and pvc pipes). (a bowling ball
and rope would also work well) How about a marble and a pie tin?
Though a bowling ball would certainly be more dramatic,
especially since we’re working in 2-D without the effects of
gravity. That means that the ball would have to be swinging in
a perfect horizontal circle while Andrew gets to run in with a
pair of scissors and cut the string.
– The problem that made us think was the problem with the two cars
colliding with different masses and velocities. We had to predict the
direction after the collision. It made us think because it was a real life
situation.
…made you
think

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Within your group, select one problem that made
you THINK!
– Student K’s group did a problem with the quarterback and it
showed that you can move backwards and forwards. The
quarterback dropped back from the line of scrimmage, then
threw the ball forward to a receiver, and then the receiver
continued to run into the end zone. This showed us that there is
both positive and negative movement in terms of direction.
– Student J predicted that two objects of equal size but different
weight would hit at different times, the heavier of the two hitting
first. I predicted that objects of different weight would hit at the
same time. Ok- thanks. Most people on the street would
predict that they hit at different times, but now you
know! We observed that the shape of the object has more
affect on falling rate than the mass of the object does.
Humor

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Tell me a story about a situation where
net force might be applicable.
– All of a sudden, little Timmy musters up enough
strength to increase the force of team B … Team
B is now able to pull team A into the alligator
infested mud pit and win the extreme tug-o-war
tournament for the fifth consecutive year. All of
the players of team A were sadly consumed by
the alligators and will no longer be able to
compete in next year’s tournament.
Student
Reactions

C-c
C-a
HS-a
How do these learning logs
compare to traditional journals?
– We all like the electronic learning logs a lot
better than having to write them on paper.
– They are faster and are easier to correct
mistakes with a teachers response.
Student
Reactions

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Do you think that writing journals in groups or
individually helped you learn more in this course?
– I thought jounaling in groups helped a great deal with the learning
process in this course. With group journaling it was possible to
clarify, and bounce ideas off one another. With individual jounaling,
if you were confused, you stayed confused until the next jounal
collection.
– I liked individual journaling because I got to express my individual
feelings and problems. I know it would be too much for you to
read over but individual computer journals with your questions
would be much better.
– I'm torn on that topic. I liked the individual work as it allowed me
a way to fight myself through a hard place but group work alloed
extra voices into the argument and struggle as well as a voice of
athority that was very useful.
Paper Journals
 Traditional
paper journals
–kept by the student without
prompts
–checked periodically by an
instructor
Limitations of paper journals



Student entries do not keep up with
class
Feedback limited to instructor
comments at end of grading cycle
Quality of writing/reflection limited
with students of lower ability
MacDonald and Cooper as cited by Bazerman et. al.
(2005).
Dialogue Journals


Students respond to questions posed
by instructor
Instructor reads entries, writes
comments, and asks new questions
Advantages of Dialogue
Journals


Rapid feedback from instructor
High quality reflection can be achieved
with proper questions
Advantages of Using an
Electronic Format



Physical demands of traditional
dialogue journals eliminated
Identical questions can be easily
directed to all students (copy & paste)
Students can quickly search for topics
Advantages of GroupBased Journaling


Easier for instructor
-respond to fewer entries
Different experiences lead to good
discussion
Disadvantages of
Dialogue Journals


Time consuming for instructor
Physically challenging: numerous
journals to be collected and
transported
Disadvantages of Using
an Electronic Format




Still time-consuming
Files can be lost or corrupted
Physical act of writing is eliminated
Images make for unwieldy files
Disadvantages of GroupBased Journaling

Comments may from typist rather than
group

Quiet group members may be ignored

Sketches are harder to create
Humor

C-c
C-a
HS-a
Invent a motion map and then provide a
plausible explanation for how it could have
been created.
– This guy Chris Gosling was walking along one day and he
tripped on a porcupine. It is important to note that he was
near the top of a hill when this incident happened. So when
he tripped he fell in the direction of the downward slope
and proceeded to roll into a ball and then down the hill.
Along the way a large rock intercepted Chris’ path and he
flew 2ft into the air and was caught by a large eagle and
carried off to spend the rest of his life to live in a nest.
However, between the time of porcupine impact and when
he slammed into the rock, some nearby Physics students
decided to measure motion maps than save him from his
doomed fate.
Creative
Responses
Position vs. Time
20
Position (m)
And finally, please tell me a
story that could have resulted
in the motion shown on the
graph below. Be creative!
C-c
C-a
HS-a
15
10
5
0
Time (s)
– There was a zookeeper and he started at his office, and then
he went away from his office to go home and on his way he
stopped at the lions cage and realized it was open. So he
stopped on his way out to close the gate. He then heard a
noise behind him and ran because he knew it was the lion.
He ran past his office and into the woods where the lion
tackled him and ate him and that is where the line remains in
the same position.
Sample Learning Log
Regents Physics
Interactive Collaborative Electronic Learning Logs
Welcome to the world of electronic journaling! I suspect that you’ve kept a journal at one
time or another before taking this course, but this is your opportunity to keep an
Interactive Collaborative Electronic Learning Log! Your logs will be interactive because I
will respond to your reflections after each entry. They are collaborative because you’ll be
working in groups, rotating the typist each day. We’re using an electronic medium because
my handwriting is terrible. And last but not least, you’ll be learning!
You may be asking yourselves why you have to do this. The idea is that people typically
learn better when they reflect about what they’ve learned. I’ve assigned you to random
groups so that there is a better chance that you’ll be in a group with someone that had a
slightly different experience than you did during class. Thinking about the individual
experiences of each group member and coming to an understanding of the concept as a
group will help you all understand the topic much better than if you had just gone on your
merry way to your next class.
This log will be administered using the website. Each week you’ll get together as a group
around a single computer. Someone will log in, and you’ll open up an Internet browser and
go to the class website. Once you’re there you’ll download your Learning Log file and
SAVE it to your computer. Then you’ll answer my questions, SAVE it again, and email it
to me at goslingchr@slcs.org. You can access the files electronically at any time, so there is
no need to print out your entries every day.
As you know, my name is Mr. Gosling, and I will try, through this electronic medium, to be
your teacher, guide, mentor, advocate, encourager, and listener. I will always use a bold
font to respond to your entries. You may use any other readable font that you wish when
you write in your logs but please write one entry every week, make sure you date each
entry, and please identify who is typing. Start each week’s entry below the questions I’ve
posed.
Feel free to express your questions, concerns, suggestions, and any other issues that you
would like to have addressed. This log is semi-private between your group and me, your
coach, though there may be times when we share journal entries with other groups. I will
do my best to respond to your journal entries after every class.
Alright, let’s get started. Your first task is to choose a group name to replace the number I
assigned your group. Keep it in good taste please! Write this at the beginning of your entry.
I would like to begin by having each member of the group write a quick introduction. You
might include where you’re from, hobbies, pets, or even musical tastes.
Once you’ve done that, please respond to these questions:
What did since the start of class? Did anything happen that surprised you? Is any of the
terminology or vocabulary that we’ve used so far confusing?