Major Course Revision for MLGN593: Bonding, Structure ... · MLGN593: Bonding, Structure, &...

Major Course Revision for MLGN593: Bonding, Structure, & Crystallography BACKGROUND WHAT IS CHANGING EXPECTED RESULTS Perspectives on Trefny Center Summer Intensive Course Revision Program: • The Intensive Course Revision program helped me narrow and focus my learning objectives so that they are useful for the students • A great opportunity to work with other faculty from across campus with a range of teaching experiences • Teaching well is never easy, but learning effective instruction techniques should make you more efficient at preparing for class. • Well defined learning objectives help align tests and homework and gives students clear expectations, improving attitudes. Jeramy D. Zimmerman, Assistant Professor, Physics Department & Materials Science Program Photovoltaic, Light Emitting Devices, Materials for Energy Applications Summer 2017 Cohort Materials Science Graduate Core program: • MLGN 591: Materials Thermodynamics • MLGN 592 Advanced Materials Kinetics and Transport • MLGN 593: Bonding, Structure, & Crystallography • Wide variety of backgrounds • 1/3 Materials Science or related Degree • 1/3 NO Mat Sci background • No required materials science prerequisites • Must have enough knowledge of materials science to perform research and not embarrass themselves at conferences. X Learning Outcomes: • Clear & concise learning outcomes defined for students • Addition of prerequisite low-level knowledge added to prerequisite knowledge (with resources for finding answers) Expected improvements: • Students able to identify why each homework is assigned and how exam problems do indeed build on homework • Less of a “fire hose” feeling for many students Previous approach: • Just in time teaching (JiTT) on readings and online quizzes • Students with weak materials Backgrounds • I had to cover material in readings, eliminating any possible time savings. Videos & targeted readings: • Videos being created to cover difficult concepts • Pre-class quizzes focusing on specific closed- end information (low-level depth of knowledge) and general curiosities about what to explore deeper • Material in readings not repeated in class! • More time to apply ideas in class Why change? • Large amount of material to cover • Students struggle to master topics covered and struggle to see how different topics are connected Emphasis on metacognition: • Students often focus on mechanics of solving problem and miss the general concept. • Additional homework added to build connections to learning objectives and major concepts. Metacognition: • Assessments added on identifying general concepts learned and connections to learning objectives • Assignments including descriptions of concepts with extended written portions Class time: • Slower pace for in-class coverage of material • Time for real examples and constructing complex ideas • More computer simulations and visualization software • Active participation by students in small group discussions

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Transcript of Major Course Revision for MLGN593: Bonding, Structure ... · MLGN593: Bonding, Structure, &...

Page 1: Major Course Revision for MLGN593: Bonding, Structure ... · MLGN593: Bonding, Structure, & Crystallography BACKGROUND WHAT IS CHANGING EXPECTED RESULTS Perspectives on TrefnyCenter

MajorCourseRevisionforMLGN593:Bonding,Structure,&Crystallography

BACKGROUND WHATISCHANGING EXPECTEDRESULTS PerspectivesonTrefny CenterSummerIntensiveCourseRevisionProgram:• TheIntensiveCourse

Revisionprogramhelpedmenarrowandfocusmylearningobjectivessothattheyareusefulforthestudents

• Agreatopportunitytoworkwithotherfacultyfromacrosscampuswitharangeofteachingexperiences

• Teachingwellisnevereasy,butlearningeffectiveinstructiontechniquesshouldmakeyoumoreefficientatpreparingforclass.

• Welldefinedlearningobjectiveshelpaligntestsandhomeworkandgivesstudentsclearexpectations,improvingattitudes.

JeramyD.Zimmerman,AssistantProfessor,PhysicsDepartment&MaterialsScienceProgramPhotovoltaic,LightEmittingDevices,MaterialsforEnergyApplicationsSummer2017Cohort

MaterialsScienceGraduateCoreprogram:• MLGN591:MaterialsThermodynamics• MLGN592AdvancedMaterialsKineticsandTransport• MLGN593:Bonding,Structure,&Crystallography• Widevarietyofbackgrounds

• 1/3MaterialsScienceorrelatedDegree• 1/3NOMatSci background

• Norequired materialsscienceprerequisites• Musthaveenoughknowledgeofmaterialsscienceto

performresearchandnotembarrassthemselvesatconferences.

LearningOutcomes:• Clear&conciselearningoutcomesdefined

forstudents• Additionofprerequisitelow-levelknowledge

addedtoprerequisiteknowledge(withresourcesforfindinganswers)

Expectedimprovements:• Studentsabletoidentify

whyeachhomeworkisassignedandhowexamproblemsdoindeedbuildonhomework

• Lessofa“firehose”feelingformanystudents

Previousapproach:• Justintimeteaching(JiTT)onreadingsandonlinequizzes• StudentswithweakmaterialsBackgrounds• Ihadtocovermaterialinreadings,eliminatingany

possibletimesavings.Videos&targetedreadings:• Videosbeingcreatedtocoverdifficult

concepts• Pre-classquizzesfocusingonspecificclosed-

endinformation(low-leveldepthofknowledge)andgeneralcuriositiesaboutwhattoexploredeeper

• Materialinreadingsnotrepeatedinclass!• Moretimetoapplyideasinclass

Whychange?• Largeamountofmaterialtocover• Studentsstruggletomastertopicscovered

andstruggletoseehowdifferenttopicsareconnected

Emphasisonmetacognition:• Studentsoftenfocusonmechanicsofsolving

problemandmissthegeneralconcept.• Additionalhomeworkaddedtobuild

connectionstolearningobjectivesandmajorconcepts.

Metacognition:• Assessmentsaddedon

identifyinggeneralconceptslearnedandconnectionstolearningobjectives

• Assignmentsincludingdescriptionsofconceptswithextendedwrittenportions