University of Marylands Biology Education Research Group Physics Education Research Group Teaching is like tapping What some students hear Sir Ken Robinson Sometimes teaching is humming ID: 494612
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Slide1
NEXUS – new ways of teaching physics
University of Maryland’s
Biology Education Research Group +
Physics Education Research Group Slide2
Teaching is like tapping
What some students hear
Sir Ken RobinsonSlide3
Sometimes teaching is humming
What the best students hearSlide4
But what the teacher hears:Slide5
Teaching students
Biology Physics
What
How
Why
WhatSlide6
Physics – Two pronged approach
Pedagogy reform – Joe
Redish
and PERG
Curriculum reform – HHMI project NEXUSJoe Redish, Todd CookeKaci
Thompson, Joelle Presson, Gili Marbach-Ad
Wolfgang
Losert
, Karen Carleton
PD: Chandra
Turpen
, Julia Svoboda,
Vashti
Sawtelle
Grad: Ben Dreyfus, Ben Geller, Kristi Hall
Biologists: Marco
Colombini, Richard PayneSlide7
Project NEXUS
N
ational
EXperiment in
Undergraduate Science EducationResponse to Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians report (2009)
Four university “collaboration” reimagining pre-med education based on competenciesPurdue University: ChemistryUMCP: Physics
UMBC: Math
Univ Miami: Medical case studiesSlide8
Timeline
Dec 2009 June 2010 March 2011 Summer 2011
UMd
submit
proposal
Develop collaborative proposal
NEXUS kickoff meeting
Develop 1
st
semester materials
Fall 2011
Spring 2012
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Joe
Redish
teaches 20 students
Joe
Redish
+ Wolfgang
Losert
each teach 20 students
Phys
131 / 132 goes LIVE replacing 121/122
New labs
Old labsSlide9
Meta-goal
To create a course that both physicists and biologists will see as authentic to their discipline AND
that students will see as giving them insight into biology that is important to them in their vision of their future selves as scientists.
1/11/11
NEXUS Workshop
9Slide10
Think about teaching physics…
“Physics should be as simple as possible – but no simpler.” (Einstein)
“The physics we are
learning in this class
is simple – but seeing that it is simple
can be exceedingly difficult.” (Redish)Redish
2011 NEXUS Workshop
10Slide11
Why this is hard
Physics
Biology
Reasons
from a few core principles with simplest possible examples
Biological
organisms are complex
Quantify
the world and model with math
Intro bio is qualitative
Thinks with equations
Think descriptively
No
link to chemistry
Relies on chemistry
Approach from overarching macroscopic principles
Makes
micro to macro connections
Principles true for all timeHistorical
= evolutionarySlide12
Negotiating the curriculum
It has to build from first principles
It has to apply to real organisms
Energy is key
Forces are a mustSlide13
Content decisions
Expand or include
Reduce or eliminate
Atomic and molecular models of matter
Energy, including chemical energy
Fluids, including fluids in motion and solutions
Diffusion and gradient driven flows
More emphasis on dissipative forces (viscosity)
Electrostatics in fluids
Kinetic theory, implications of random motion, statistical picture of thermodynamics
Projectile motion
Universal gravitation
Inclined planes, mechanical advantage
Linear momentum
Rotational motion
Torque, statics, and angular momentumSlide14
Key topics – Semester 1
. . . . .
Homework
Class topics
Lab/recitationSlide15
Key topics – semester 2
. . . . .
Homework
Class topics
Lab/recitationSlide16
Flip the class: Students read several wiki pages night before and answer questionsSlide17
During class
Students work clicker problems
Lots of debate with their classmatesSlide18
Discuss: How do we know?Slide19
New labs – Wolfgang Losert et alSlide20
Lab example – Brownian motion of particles
Vary size, temperature, solution viscosity
Quantitative
ExploratorySlide21
If you suppress
a lot of traditional mechanics and stress energy instead,
what happens?
Redish
2011
NEXUS Workshop21
N
Gain
forces
Gain
energy
A
NEXUS test class
20
0.41
0.71
B
Reformed traditional
(E / with tut.)
189
0.46
0.50
C
Traditional
(with tut.)
201
0.26
0.22
Phys
131
Phys
121
ConventionalSlide22
Learning about learning
Fascinating subject
Leads to better teaching
Evidence / research basedLeads to publicationsLeads to community
Thanks to the NEXUS team!!