Workshop on Constructing Peer Instruction Questions

Alan SlavinDepartment of Physics and Astronomy

TRENT UNIVERSITY

CAP Congress 2010

OUTLINE

- What is Peer Instruction?

- Goals of Peer Instruction?

- What makes a good question?

- Group work on creating questions.

What is Peer Instruction?Q. Who use some form of Mazur's Peer Instruction approach?

Who attended my JiTT talk yesterday?

Background on Peer Instruction (if necessary):

- Instructor presents a question that requires strong understanding of the concepts. For a first-year class, it usually does not require much mathematics but beyond proportionality.

- A series of multiple-choice answers are usually simultaneously presented.

-Students are asked to spend about a minute deciding which is the correct answer. They may be asked to vote at that point.

-Students discuss the question for ~ 5 minutes, and vote again.

-Voting: large display cards or electronic "clickers". Clickers show the voting pattern to the entire class; engages them.

- Instructor discusses the right and wrong answers.

Example

av

t

Goals of Peer Instruction

Physics Education Research has shown (McDermott)

• Students must be actively involved in the process of constructing their mental models of how the world works if they are to have more than a superficial understanding.

• The ability to solve standard end-of-chapter numerical problems is insufficient to develop a deep understanding. Qualitative and verbal facility with the concepts are required as well.

• Most students do not develop analytical reasoning through traditional instruction.

• the best time to correct a students' misconceptions is when they realize they are wrong.

Average amount of information retained through different learning methods

Lecture = 5% Reading = 10% Audiovisual = 20% Demonstration = 30% Discussion Group = 50% Practice by doing = 75% Teach others / immediate use of learning = 90%

Source: Brooks, J. and Brooks, M. (1993). In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms.

Types of Peer Instruction Questions

Year -I

- Definitions

- Proportionality

- Dimensional analysis

- Purely conceptual

- Graphical

- Application of formulae (may be multiple questions)

- Vote on the result of a classroom demonstration

Upper-year:

- Conceptual questions as used in year-1

- Simple calculations, and I rove class to check on progress.

Definitions

The gravitational force between two objects of mass m1 and m2 , separated by a distance r, is given by

F Gm m

r 1 2

2

The weight of a person of mass m on the Earth’s surface is given by

What would the weight of the person be at a height of RE above the Earth’s surface, where RE is the radius of the Earth?

(a) mg (b) 2mg (c) mg/2

(d) mg/4 (e) zero

W = mg

Proportionality

Which of the following expressions is the most correct? (why/why not?)21

2I) a) b) c) o o ov v a t v v a t v v at

II) a) b) c) 2 2

o oav o av av

v v v vv v v v v

21 12 2

212

III) a) b)

c) d)

o ox v t at x v t at

x vt at x v t

2 2

2 2 2 2

IV) a) 2 b) 2

c) 2 d) 2

o o

o o

v v a t v v a t

v v a v v a x

Definitions,

dimensionality,

algebra

v

v0

Δtt

slope = a

Ids

1

ds

2 ds

3

ds

4

r1

r2

r3

r4

The magnetic field at P due to the current I in

Biot - Savart law

dB k Ids r

rm

2

is

(a) into the screen (b) out of the screen

(c) up (d) down

(e) zero

11. ds

22. ds

33. ds

44. ds

P

Application of formulae #1

I

ds

r

Biot - Savart law: dB k Ids r

rm

2

PI

The magnitude of the magnetic field contribution from the current element above isds

2

2

2

1 sin 90)

cos90)

1 sin)

) none of the above

o

m

o

m

m

dsa dB k I

r

ds rb dB k I

rds

c dB k Ir

d

Application of formulae #2

I

ds

Biot - Savart law:2

2

ˆ

sin 90

m

o

m

ds rB dB k I

r

IdsdB k

r

PIThe total magnetic field at P

from the current in the wire shown on the right is:

a B kI r

r

b B kI r

r

c B kI r

r

d B kI ds

re

P m

P m

P m

P m

o

)

)

)

)sin

)

no ne o f the ab o ve

2

2

2

2

2

2

9 0

Application of formulae #3

Metallic bonds

A valence electron in a metal sample, 1 cm to each side,leaves the parent atom to wander through the metal. Estimate the kinetic energy reduction by this process, ineV.

Hint: a particle in a 1-D box of width L has a minimumkinetic energy of p2/2m where p=h/λ and the deBrogliewavelength λ ~ L.

4th-year Condensed Matter #1

4th-year Condensed Matter #2

1 unit of energy

kE1

E

E2

For the dispersion curve of a particle in a 1-dimensional box as sketched below, what isthe approximate energy density-of-states,

(a) near E1?

(b) near E2?

Workshop

• What courses do you want to consider? (Poll)

Year 1?

Upper year? E&M, thermodynamics, mechanics, quantum, ...

• Divide into groups of 2 – 3.

• Decide what concepts to develop; decide on needed background; develop two or three questions.

• At 16:10, discussion: insights, questions, …