*based on the research of many people, some from my science ed research group (most examples college...
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*based on the research of many people, some from my science ed research group(most examples college physics, but results general)
Carl WiemanAssoc. Director for ScienceOSTP
--a scientific approach
Why need better STEM education?
Scientifically literate public
Modern economybuilt on S & T
Need all students to think about and use science and engineering more like scientists and engineers
Presidential priority
Requires large “STEM competent” workforce
Critical role of teachers
science fairs, technology, enrichment, ... nice, but
STEM education lives or dies on the quality of the teachers!
What makes a great teacher?
cognitivepsychology
brainresearch
College scienceclassroom
studies
Major advances past 1-2 decadesConsistent picture Achieving learning
good teaching = facilitate learning
or ?
Expert competence =• factual knowledge• Mental organizational framework retrieval and
application
Expert competence research*
• Ability to monitor own thinking and learning("Do I understand this? How can I check?")
New ways of thinking-- everyone requires MANY hours of intense practice to develop.Brain changed
*Cambridge Handbook on Expertise and Expert Performance
patterns, relationships, scientific concepts
historians, scientists, chess players, doctors,...
Learning expertise*--Challenging but doable tasks/questions
Explicit focus on expert-like thinking• concepts and mental models• recognizing relevant & irrelevant information• self-checking, sense making
Feedback and reflection (teacher) 10,000 hours later– world-class level expertisevery different brain
Requires brain “exercise”
* “Deliberate Practice” , A. Ericsson researchaccurate, readable summary in “Talent is over-rated”, by Colvin
What is the role of the teacher?
“Cognitive coach” • Designs tasks that practice the specific components,
of “expert thinking”.• Motivate learner to put in LOTS of effort• Evaluates performance, provides timely specific
feedback. Recognize and address particular difficulties (inappropriate mental models, ...)
• repeat, repeat, ...-- always appropriate challenge
Implies what is needed to teach well:expertise, understanding how develops in people,common difficulties, effective tasks and feedback,effective motivation.
embodied in many innovative teaching practices.
• “active learning”• “formative assessment”• “context rich” or “real world” problems, • much of “collaborative learning”• ...
What (research) every teacher should knowComponents of effective teaching/learning apply to all levels, all settings
1. Motivation (lots of research)
2. Connect with prior thinking
3. Apply what is known about memorya. short term limitationsb. achieving long term retention
*4. Explicit authentic practice of expert thinking. Extended & strenuous. Timely & specific feedback.
basic cognitive & emotional psychology, diversity
Motivation-- essential(complex- depends on previous experiences, ...)
a. Relevant/useful/interesting to learner (meaningful context-- connect to what they know and value)
b. Sense that can master subject and how to master
c. Sense of personal control/choice
Enhancing motivation to learn
What (research) every teacher should knowComponents of effective teaching/learning apply to all levels, all settings
1. Motivation (lots of research)
2. Connect with prior thinking
3. Apply what is known about memorya. short term limitationsb. achieving long term retention
*4. Explicit authentic practice of expert thinking. Extended & strenuous. Timely & specific feedback.
basic cognitive & emotional psychology, diversity
Mr Anderson, May I be excused?My brain is full.
MUCH less than in typical lecture
a. Limits on working memory--best established, most ignored result from cognitive science
Working memory capacityVERY LIMITED!(remember & process~ 5 distinct new items)
Reducing unnecessary demands on working memory improves learning.
jargon, use figures, analogies, pre-class reading
Components of effective teaching/learning apply to all levels, all settings
1. Motivation
2. Connect with and build on prior thinking
3. Apply what is known about memorya. short term limitationsb. achieving long term retention
Retrieval and application-- repeated & spaced in time (test early and often, cumulative)
*4. Explicit authentic practice of expert thinking. Extended & strenuous
Experiment–- inexperienced teacher trained to use research-based approach. Control--standard lecture class– highly experienced Prof with good student ratings.
Comparing the learning in two identical sectionsof 1st year college physics. 270 students each.
Same learning objectives, same class time,same exam (jointly prepared)
Testing in classroom*
*Deslauriers, Schewlew, Wieman, Sci. Mag. May 13, ‘11
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 120
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
standardlecture
experiment
Histogram of exam scores
Clear improvement for entire student population.Also engagement 45(5) % vs. 85(5)%
ave 41 ± 1 % 74 ± 1 %
R.G.
many hundreds of other studies– all sciences and eng. NRC just released!!
“Discipline-based Education Research”http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13362
Þ dramatic improvements for all students.
Good Refs.:S. Ambrose et. al. “How Learning works”NAS Press “How people learn”Colvin, “Talent is over-rated” NRC DBER study http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13362Wieman, Change Magazine-Oct. 07 at www.carnegiefoundation.org/change/
cwsei.ubc.ca-- resources, references, effective clickeruse booklet and videos
STEM teaching
-- like astronomy, not astrology
Example from teaching about current & voltage--
1. Preclass assignment--Read pages on electric current. Learn basic facts and terminology. Short online quiz to check/reward (and retain).
2. Class built around series of questions & tasks.
How to applyin classroom?
(%
)
A B C D E
When switch is closed, bulb 2 will a. stay same brightness, b. get brighterc. get dimmer, d. go out.
21 3
3. Individual answer with clicker(accountability, primed to learn)
4. Discuss with “consensus group”, revote. (prof listen in!)5. Elicit student reasoning, discuss. Show responses. Do “experiment.”-- cck simulation. Many questions.
Jane Smithchose a.
Instructor talking, but reactive.
Requires much more subject expertise. Fun!
9 instructors, 8 terms, 40 students/section. Same prescribed set of student activities.Mental activities of the students dominate
Hoellwarth and Moelter, Am. J. Physics May ‘11
average trad. Cal Poly instruction
~ 30 extras below
1. tradition2. Brain has no perspectiveto detect changes in self.“Same, just more knowledge”
3. Incentives not to change—research is closely tracked, educational outcomes and teaching practices not.
Why so hard to give up lecturing? (speculation)
Psychology research and our physics ed studies
Learners/experts cannot remember or believe previously held misunderstandings!
On average learn <30% of concepts did not already know.Lecturer quality, class size, institution,...doesn't matter!Similar data for conceptual learning in other courses.
R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, 64-74 (‘98).
• Force Concept Inventory- basic concepts of force and motion 1st semester university physics. Simple real world applications.
Fraction of unknown basic concepts learned
Average learned/course 16 traditional Lecture courses
Measuring conceptual mastery
Ask at start and end of the semester--What % learned? (“value added”) (100’s of courses/yr)
improvedmethods
Novice Expert
Content: isolated pieces of information to be memorized.
Handed down by an authority. Unrelated to world.
Problem solving: pattern matching to memorized recipes.
Perceptions about science
Content: coherent structure of concepts.
Describes nature, established by experiment.
Prob. Solving: Systematic concept-based strategies. Widely applicable.
*adapted from D. Hammer
measure student perceptions, 7 min. surveys. Pre-post
intro physics course more novice than beforechem. & bio as bad
more opportunities--“noncognitive” expert thinking
Perceptions survey results– Highly relevant to scientific literacy/liberal ed.Correlate with everything important
Who will end up physics major 4 years later?
7 minute first day survey better predictor than first year physics course grades
recent research changes in instruction that achieve positive impacts on perceptions
Student Perceptions/Beliefs
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
All Students (N=2800)
Intended Majors (N=180)
Survived (3-4 yrs) as Majors (N=52)
Perc
ent o
f Stu
dent
s
CLASS Overall Score (measured at start of 1st term of college physics)
ExpertNovice
Kathy Perkins, M. Gratny
Student Beliefs
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Actual Majors who wereoriginally intended phys majors
Survived as Majors who were NOT originally intended phys majors
Perc
ent o
f Stu
dent
s
CLASS Overall Score (measured at start of 1st term of college physics)
ExpertNovice
How to make perceptions significantly more like physicist (very recent)--
• process of science much more explicit (model development, testing, revision)
• real world connections up front & explicit
Common claim “But students resent new active learning methods that make them pay attention and think in class.”
or do they...
Survey of student opinions-- transformed section
“Q1. I really enjoyed the interactive teaching technique during the three lectures on E&M waves.”
Strongly agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
7063
57
12
2 0Num
ber
of
stu
dents
“Q2 I feel I would have learned more if the whole phys153 course would have been taught in this highly interactive style.”
Strongly agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
67
36
21
82
Num
ber
of
stu
dents
stronglyagree
Not unusual forSEI transformedcourses
Comparison of teaching methods: identical sections (270 each), intro physics. (Deslauriers, Schewlew, submitted for pub)
___I___________
Experienced highly rated instructor-- trad. lecture
wk 1-11 wk 1-11very well measured--identical
_____II_________
Very experienced highly rated instructor--trad. lecture
Wk 12-- experiment
Control Section Experiment Section
Number of Students enrolled 267 271Conceptual mastery(wk 10) 47± 1 % 47 ± 1%Mean CLASS (start of term) (Agreement with physicist)
631% 651%
Mean Midterm 1 score 59± 1 % 59± 1 %Mean Midterm 2 score 51± 1 % 53± 1 %Attendance before 55±3% 57±2%Attendance during experiment 53 ±3% 75±5%Engagement before 45±5 % 45±5 %Engagement during 45 ±5% 85 ± 5%
Two sections the same before experiment. (different personalities, same teaching method)
Comparison of teaching methods: identical sections (270 each), intro physics. (Deslauriers, Schewlew, submitted for pub)
___I___________
Experienced highly rated instructor-- trad. lecture
wk 1-11 wk 1-11
elect-mag wavesinexperienced instructorresearch based teaching
elect-mag wavesregular instructorintently prepared lecture
identical on everythingdiagnostics, midterms, attendance, engagement
_____II_________
Very experienced highly rated instructor--trad. lecture
Wk 12-- competition
wk 13 common exam on EM waves
Measuring student (dis)engagement. Erin LaneWatch random sample group (10-15 students). Check against list of disengagement behaviors each 2 min.
time (minutes)
example of data from earth science course
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 2030
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Retention interval (Months after course over)
Co
nce
pt
Su
rve
y S
core
(%
)
award-winningtraditional=- 2.3 2.7 %
transformed =-3.4 2.2%
Retention curves measured in Bus’s Sch’l course.UBC physics data on factual material, also rapid drop but pedagogy dependent. (in prog.)
Highly Interactive educational simulations--phet.colorado.edu >100 simulations FREE, Run through regular browser. Download
Build-in & test that develop expert-like thinking andlearning (& fun)
laserballoons and sweater
Design principles for classroom instruction1. Move simple information transfer out of class. Save class time for active thinking and feedback.
2. “Cognitive task analysis”-- how does expert thinkabout problems? 3. Class time filled with problems and questions that call for explicit expert thinking, address novice difficulties, challenging but doable, and are motivating.4. Frequent specific feedback to guide thinking.
DP
Used/perceived as expensive attendance and testing device little benefit, student resentment.
clickers*-- Not automatically helpful-- give accountability, anonymity, fast response
Used/perceived to enhance engagement, communication, and learning transformative
• challenging questions-- concepts• student-student discussion (“peer instruction”) &
responses (learning and feedback)• follow up instructor discussion- timely specific
feedback• minimal but nonzero grade impact
*An instructor's guide to the effective use of personal response systems ("clickers") in teaching-- www.cwsei.ubc.ca
Characteristics of expert tutors* (Which can be duplicated in classroom?)
Motivation major focus (context, pique curiosity,...)Never praise person-- limited praise, all for process
Understands what students do and do not know. timely, specific, interactive feedback
Almost never tell students anything-- pose questions.
Mostly students answering questions and explaining.
Asking right questions so students challenged but can figure out. Systematic progression.
Let students make mistakes, then discover and fix.
Require reflection: how solved, explain, generalize, etc.
*Lepper and Woolverton pg 135 in Improving Academic Perfomance
UBC CW Science Education Initiative and U. Col. SEI
Changing educational culture in major research university science departmentsnecessary first step for science education overall
• Departmental level scientific approach to teaching, all undergrad courses = learning goals, measures, tested best practicesDissemination and duplication.
All materials, assessment tools, etc to be available on web
Institutionalizing improved research-basedteaching practices. (From bloodletting to antibiotics)
Goal of Univ. of Brit. Col. CW Science Education Initiative (CWSEI.ubc.ca) & Univ. of Col. Sci. Ed. Init.• Departmental level, widespread sustained change at major research universities scientific approach to teaching, all undergrad courses
• Departments selected competitively• Substantial one-time $$$ and guidance
Extensive development of educational materials, assessment tools, data, etc. Available on web.Visitors program
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