A few of the highlights
from PER...
Physics education research is the study of student learning in physics
and the teaching of physics. PER is a growing field in physics departments throughout
the United States.
Assessment tools
- Go beyond typical word problems
found at the end of chapters, and probe students' understanding and misconceptions,
rather than their ability to follow examples.
- Are typically given pre &
post instruction to give a better sense of what changed during the semester.
| Normalized Gain
(G) |
One way to gauge students' improvement over the course of a semester.
Examples:
- A student with a prescore
of 20%, and a postscore of 60% would have a G of 0.50.
- A student with a prescore
of 50% and a postscore of 75% would also have a G of 0.50.
|
 |
Dick Hake published one of the first
analysis of FCI results from colleges & high schools. One of his findings
was that "interactive" courses, no matter what techniques were used,
yielded higher gains than "traditional" courses.1
Classroom Materials
Many hands-on, and heads-on, research-based
materials have been developed and tested.
- Workshop Physics- traditional
lecture/ lab structure is replaced with a curriculum that places the students
at the center of knowledge creation as there is minimal lecture
- Tutorials in Introductory
Physics- worksheets that are conceptual in nature and use significant
cognitive conflict to help students reconcile new information with existing
knowledge
- Peer Instruction- students
discuss their responses to short, conceptual questions with their peers, before
the instructor discusses the question
- Interactive Lecture Demonstrations-
traditional, passive demonstrations are replaced with ones where students
make predictions before the demonstration. Predictions are compared to quantitative
data that is collected with computer interfaced probes
- Modeling- Students are
guided through the development of models via a learning cycle
- Context-rich problem solving-
students are asked to work through problems that are more akin to "real
life" than textbook problems. Significant scaffolding and support is
offered by the instructors
"The APS
applauds and supports the acceptance in physics departments of research
in physics education. Much of the work done in this field is very specific
to the teaching of physics and deals with the unique needs and demands
of particular physics courses and the appropriate use of technology in
those courses. ... The APS recognizes that the success and usefulness
of physics education research is greatly enhanced by its presence in the
physics department."
-APS Statement
on Research in Physics Education (May 1999) |
- R. Hake, "Interactive-engagement
vs traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data
for introductory physics courses" American Journal of Physics
66, 64-74 (1998)