Engaging Students in Science

Dan BurnsLos Gatos High Schooldburns@lgsuhsd.orgEnCorps Workshop

3/1/14

Agenda:

• Introductions/How I became a Teacher• Demonstrations• Online Resources• Interactive Engagement/Peer Instruction• Physics Education Research (PER)• Creating Interactivity• Online Homework• Assertion-Evidence Slide Design

Online Physics Resources:

Phyz (includes Book and Blog of Phyz)

Pretty Good Physics

comPADRE

PTSOS

Pablo’s Physics

A Plus Physics

Hippocampus

Learn AP Physics

My Website

Interactive Engagement and Peer Instruction Increase Learning

Largest Student Gains in Pre and Post Tests were in Courses that used Interactive Engagement11

What is Interactive Engagement and Peer Instruction?

• Expose students to content first• Distribute a classroom response system

(index cards, clickers, or Plickers!)• Pose conceptual questions and solicit

responses• Allow time for students to share their

reasoning• Solicit new responses and explain if

necessary

Interactive Engagement and Peer Instruction Rationale

• Students learn better when interacting with the material and their peers

• Students can memorize content without knowing underlying concepts

• Understanding requires knowing the concepts

• Teachers can learn more about what their students know and don’t know

• Allows on-the-fly differential instruction

Other Recommendations

• Collect data on responses by period• Administer pre and post benchmark test

like Force Concept Inventory• Put conceptual questions on tests and

quizzes• Explain rationale for Peer Instruction to

students• Free up time by omitting lectures that

could be replaced by lecture notes

If Object A Exerts a Force on Object B, then Object B Exerts an Equal, Oppositely Directed, and Simultaneous Force on Object A

Newton’s Third Law

For Every Action There is an Equal and Opposite Reaction

If your feet push down on the floor, what does the floor do?

A. NothingB. Absorbs the pushC. Pushes up on your feet, but with less forceD. Pushes up on your feet with an equal forceE. Pushes up on your feet with greater force

Newton 3

Can the floor push up on your feet with a force greater than

your weight?

A. Yes, but nothing will happenB. Yes, you will accelerate up into the airC. No, it always equals your weightD. No, it can only equal or be less than your

weightE. Yes, but only on a planet with stronger

gravityNewton 3

What is the force from that causes a car to accelerate down the road?

A. The engineB. The transmissionC. The pistonsD. The roadE. The tires

Newton 3

What is the force from that causes a swimmer to accelerate across a pool?

A. The swimmer’s legsB. The swimmer’s armsC. The swimmer’s arms and legsD. GravityE. The water

Newton 3

In the tug-of-war, what is the reading on the scale?

A. 0 NB. 1000 NC. 2000 ND. 3000 N

1000 N 1000 N0

3000

2000

1000

The tree pulls just like the tug-of-war team. If the pull is only from one

side, the tension is zero.

What will the scale read that is pulled from both sides by 10 N weights?

A. 0 NB. 10 NC. 20 ND. 30 N

Peer Instruction Resources

• 2Know Renaissance Responders• iClickers• Quizdom• Poll Everywhere• eClicker• Plickers• Index Cards!• Conceptests at CU Boulder

Peer Instruction CD Contents• ConcepTests ppt files by topic• Interactive Teaching DVD promo movie• FCI.pdf Force Concept Inventory• MBT.pdf Mechanics Baseline Test• Questionnaires.pdf (Questionnaires from

Chapter 3 and Chapter 9• RQ.pdf Reading Quizzes)• CT.pdf ConcepTests• CEQ.pdf Conceptual Exam Questions• FlashCards.pdf

Physics Education Research (PER)

• Physicists applied research skills to problem of student learning

• Developed many effective instructional strategies

• Research has shown that lecture based methods are not effective

• PER methods can be adopted incrementally, Peer Instruction is one example

PER Resources• Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite• Five Easy Lessons, Strategies for Successful Physics Teac

hing• Interactive Lecture Demonstrations• Ranking Tasks• Modeling Method • Dolores Gende’s PER Resources• Understanding Physics, Cummings, Laws, Redish, Coon

ey• Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Knight• Principles of Physics, Serway, Jewett

Other Ways to Make Slide Presentations Interactive

• Column Sorting• Brainstorming• Anticipation Guides• Link to Slides• Fill in the Blank• Correct the Statement

Mr. Burns or Mitt Romney?

Mr. Burns

Mitt Romney

Directions: Place the number of each quote under the name of the person who said it

3.

8.

5.

14.

11.

13.

12.

10.

9.

7.

6.

4.

2.

1.

14.

Checklists offer professionals an effective way to ensure desirable results

Astronauts use them

Doctors rely on them

Pilots don’t take off without them

Military officers swear by them

Checklist for evaluating internet resources for high school research3,4

Accuracy Authority Objectivity Currency Coverage

✔✔

✔✔

✔

A checklist approach will improve and increase student evaluation of internet resources

- Who is the author and why are they qualified?

- .edu or .gov? Who published the webpage?

- What is the purpose of the website?

- How old is the information?

- Compare the information with other sources

Directions: Write down what you think each item means

CIPA compliant content filters have Pros and Cons of their use in schools

Pros Cons

Directions: Brainstorm a list of Pros and Cons with your neighbor

Protect students from inappropriate content

Prevents educational use of social websites

Protect schools from lawsuits

Restricts teachers from using online video sites

Allows schools to receive E-rate internet access

Can unintentionally prevent access to legitimate websites

Los Gatos High School’s technology use agreement5 protects the school and the student

Inappropriate content creation or access is prohibited

Students are encouraged to save files to external devices

Network administrators authorized to monitor content of files created on school computers

Unauthorized modification to computers is prohibited

Social media use only if approved by teacher

Select True or False for the following statements about fair use of copyrighted material8

T

F

Entire Poems may be used if < 250 wordsOK to use ≤ 4 pages from a children’s bookOK for teachers to make a copy of their DVDsOK to use 5 images from same artistOK to use up to 5 minutes from a videoOK to use up to 25% of a songOK for libraries to lend softwareOK for teachers to show recorded TV shows

✔✔

✔

✔✔

✔

✔

✔

Next

True

If the poem is 250 words or greater you can only use 10% or 1000 words, whichever is less

Click to Return to True and False Slide

False

If the book is less than 2500 words which is typical for a children’s book, you can use up to 2 pages

Click to Return to True and False Slide

True

If the DVD was obtained legally it is OK to make one copy to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged copy or as a backup

Click to Return to True and False Slide

True

It is OK to use a single photograph or artwork in its entirety but no more than 5 from the same artist or photographer

Click to Return to True and False Slide

False

Fair use guidelines allow no more than 3 minutes or 10%, whichever is less

Click to Return to True and False Slide

False

Just like with video, fair use guidelines allow no more than 3 minutes or 10%, whichever is less

Click to Return to True and False Slide

True

Libraries can lend software but the number of simultaneous users must not exceed what the software license allows. Libraries must take aggressive action to make sure unauthorized copying is not taking place

Click to Return to True and False Slide

True

Teachers can show recorded broadcast shows for up to ten days after it was recorded. Some PBS shows may be retained for much longer. Some cable shows grant this permission too.

Click to Return to True and False Slide

Complete the Following about the Top 5 Causes of the _______ ____

1._________ and social differences between the North and the South.

2._______ ______ versus federal rights.

3.Conflict between ______ States and _______States.

4.Growth of the ________ Movement

5.The election of ,

Civil War

Economic

States rights

slavefree

abolition

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

The clerk sold the scarf to the woman with the red print.

On her way to school, Marissa found a green woman's purse.

Jessie ate a cold bowl of cereal for breakfast.

The broken teacher's umbrella was in the coat room.

Adam was just picked for the team.

The teacher's broken umbrella was in the coat room.

Jessie ate a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast.

On her way to school, Marissa found a woman's green purse.

The clerk sold the scarf with the red print to the woman.

Just Adam was picked for the team.

Misplaced ModifiersA misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies/describes. Because of the separation, sentences with this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing. Furthermore, they can be downright illogical. Correct the misplaced modifiers in the following sentences.

Using Online Homework(No More Excuses!)

EnCorps WorkshopDan Burns

What Are These StudentsTalking About?

I like it and i like how it forces you to do the homework on time, keep kids in check.

It is a very beneficial tool! It forced me to actually learn the material, rather than getting a problem wrong and thinking "oh well move on"

It helped me to understand what we learned better

It compels students to get the work done on time and not get behind, which is crucial because physics concepts build on each other.It is very effective and efficient. It makes doing homework convenient, and by answering the questions one learns everything they need to learn.

i liked how you would immediately know if you got the answer wrong or right.

it was awesome. made homework much more organized.

Online Homework Service Choices

• WebAssign• Quest

What is WebAssign?

• Online subscription homework service• Primarily used by math, science, and business

classes• Students have custom problems assigned with

numbers and answers unique to each student• Problems can be assigned from your textbook and

other sources or can be created by the instructor• Assignments are scored and graded instantly• Students are given limited tries to solve problems• Assignments have instructor-set due dates and times

What are the Benefits of WebAssign?• Every student has a different

set of homework problems,making copying difficult

• Students receive instantfeedback

• Due dates and times encourage students to complete homework on time

• Instructors can enable a feature that allows students to ask them questions online

• Students learn more using it• Online instructor support is fast and individualized• Students like it!

My Experience with WebAssign• Used in AP Physics since 2005/06 school year• 90% of students complete 90% of the homework

correctly and on time• Creating assignments and recording grades takes

no more time than traditional homework• Students collaborate on homework in meaningful

ways• Student performance on the AP Physics test has

improved dramatically

+ =

Student Performance Comparison

• WebAssign has been used for 7 years in AP Physics, 2006 – 2012 (year of AP test)

• AP Test data from previous 5 years is averaged and compared to 7 year average with WebAssign

• WebAssign was used for about half of assigned homework from 2006 – 2009

• WebAssign was used for all homework after Block schedule started, 2010-2012

• No other major change was made to the course during this 12 year span except for changing to block schedule in 2010

AP Test Scores Improved with WebAssign

% 5s % 4+5s % 3+4+5s0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Traditional HW Vs WebAssign

Traditional

WebAssign

% S

tude

nts

Students Earning AP Scores of 4 and 5 Increased the Most

5

%

Increas

e

4+5

%Incre

ase

3+4+5 %Incre

ase

Student %

Increas

e0

20

40

60

80

100

AP Score % Increase with WebAssign,shown with % Student Increase

Perc

ent I

ncre

ase

WebAssign helped Mitigate Loss of Class Time in Block Schedule

% 5s % 4+5s % 3+4+5s0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

AP Scores before and after Block with WebAssign

Pre-BlockBlock

% S

tude

nts

Student Performance on the AP Test

Ave # Taking Test

% 5s % 4+5s % 3+4+5s

Before WebAssign(01 – 05)

67 15 29 76

After WebAssign(06 – 12)

94 25 57 81

Half WebAssign (Pre-Block)

(06 - 09)

92 26 58 82

All WebAssign (Block)(10-12)

96 25 56 79

How Can I Get In On This?

• Webassign.net• 30 day free trial• $10.50 per student for the entire year

(depending on your textbook)• NMF, School Site Council, and Home and School

Club have funded WebAssign for AP Physics

How Do I Set Up a WebAssign Account?

• Click on “Faculty Sign Up”• Complete form and wait for email verification• No charge to set up your account• Now create a course

How Do I Create a Course?

• Click on “Create”, then select “Course”• Complete course settings and select number of sections• Select the textbook that you use for your course• Select other available question banks• Now upload roster for each section

How do I Upload My Student Roster?

• Students can self-enrollusing a credit card

• Instructors can uploadspreadsheet files or tabdelimited text files

• Instructors can copy and paste a roster

• Aeries class rosters can be used for pasting• Give each student the same password at first• Now create and schedule an assignment

How Do I Create and Schedule an Assignment?

• Click on “Create”• Select “Assignment”• Use default settings at

first, alter as you learn• Select problems from book and other sources,

save assignment• Select “Schedule” and enter an ending data and

time• Instruct students on how to use WebAssign

How Do I Instruct Students on How to Use WebAssign?

• Issue login information• Have students login during

class if possible• Assign “Getting

Started” student help section• Create a first-day handout

using information frominstructor help section

• Sit back and watch the magic!

How Do I Get the Most Out of WebAssign?

• Make assignments due frequently• Make homework worth at least 15%

of their grade• Use the “Practice” feature and give 3-

5 tries per problem• Create review assignments and let

students work on them during class• Activate the “Ask Your Teacher”

feature• Participate in a WebAssign webinar• Flip through the WebAssign

Instructor’s Guide

What is the Future of WebAssign?• WebAssign Plus available for newer textbooks• Links to tutorials and hints• Links to relevant sections of an eBook• Embedded video problems• Interactive simulation

problems• Improved iPad compatibility

For More Information:• WebAssign Faculty Support,

http://www.webassign.net/user_support/faculty/• WebAssign Webinar Training Sessions,

http://www.webassign.net/user_support/faculty/webinars.html

• WebAssign Video Tutorial, http://www.webassign.net/user_support/faculty/tutorials_training.html

• WebAssign Best Practices, http://www.webassign.net/user_support/faculty/best_practices_and_tips.html

What is Quest?

• Homework service operated by the University of Texas

• Similar to WebAssign except not tied to textbooks

• Select questions from question banks• $179 per year for entire school• 90 Day Free Trial

To Use Quest you must first get a Free EID

https://idmanager.its.utexas.edu/eid_self_help/?geid=

You can then create courses, and assignments

Students obtain an EID, enroll in your course, and start doing their HW

For More Information:• Search “UT Quest” online• Quest Instructor Signup,

https://quest.cns.utexas.edu/instructor/• Quest Introductory Video,

http://web4.cns.utexas.edu/quest/intro/• Instructor FAQs,

http://web4.cns.utexas.edu/quest/support/instr/

• Faculty Testimonials, http://getquest.cns.utexas.edu/for-faculty?wid=2

The Assertion-Evidence Slide Design Makes the Purpose of the

Slide Clear to the Audience

Assertion-Evidence Slide Design• Developed by Alley and Neely 10

• Organizes slide around an assertion written as a sentence

• Backs assertion with supporting data and visuals

• Discards default Powerpoint slide formats

• Does not use bullets

Because the blast wave passes by quickly, the blast fragments become the primary hazard to personnel

Stating the Main Assertion in the Title Gives it More Emphasis than if

it was Part of a Bulleted List

Which Slide Might Have Saved the Space Shuttle Columbia?

Visual Evidence is More Effective at Supporting the Assertion than Items in a Bulleted List

SilverStar Ultra TM

Standard Halogen

Xenon

Xenon Headlights are better than Halogen

Xenon Headlight

Halogen Headlight

• Xenon more Efficient than Halogen• The Human Eye is more Sensitive to

Xenon Wavelengths• Xenon has 33% higher Lumens output• Xenon is a Noble gas• Xenon Bulbs last longer

Xenon Headlights are more Effective than Halogen at Illuminating the Road

Assertion Evidence Design has been shown to Improve Student Learning10

If Object A Exerts a Force on Object B, then Object B Exerts an Equal, Oppositely Directed, and Simultaneous Force on Object A

Newton’s Third Law

Return