Seattle Pacific University Project Report 2007
Course Reform
Successes
- In introductory courses, two new faculty members facilitated reformed learning environments which incorporate Learning Assistants to support inquiry based learning. Each of these courses extensively utilizes research-based curriculum,
- Students in these introductory courses demonstrated strong learning gains as measured by nationally normed concept inventories (FCI, TUG-K, CSEM).
- The Learning Assistant program has been expanded to support two physics courses for non-majors.
- The physics department has implemented the LA Pedagogy course created by Valerie Otero and Steve Iona at CU Boulder.
- Science methods courses use LA’s and model active-engagement, drawing strongly upon reseach in Education and Physics Education. In these courses, the pre-service teachers are expected to build their own scientific models using evidence based reasoning. These courses have adapted curriculum from Physics by Inquiry (U. Wash.) and Physics and Everyday Thinking (SDSU).
- Two physics courses for non-science majors continue to evolve from lecture-based courses to lab-based inquiry courses. Curriculum in both courses has undergone substantial revision by the instructors to better reflect the nature of inquiry and curriculum expectations in local school districts.
Challenges
- The curriculum we are using in our introductory courses (UW Tutorial, etc.) is most effective in an environment where students, working in groups, have regular access to faculty or LA’s. It can be difficult to provide this access when students are working on homework during evening hours.
- As the LA program grows to encompass more courses, it is challenging to insure that all LAs have sufficient training for all of the activities that they will be assisting with.
Sustainability/Physics Department Buy-In
- We will be adding a Physics Help Center where students will be encouraged to meet in groups to cover tutorial homework. The help center will be staffed by both LA’s and physics faculty.
- Coordinating the LA training course is now a position for which a faculty member will receive load credit.
- By developing a team approach to teaching the introductory physics courses we have demonstrated that the reformed teaching methods utilized in these courses can readily be adapted by new faculty.
- We plan to more actively partner with other College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) faculty to recruit non-physics and non-science majors to take the LA pedagogy course. We believe that learning to communicate complex ideas is critical in a wide range of professions. Therefore, the LA pedagogy course has value for all students, not just future physics teachers.
Lessons Learned
- An LA program provides a very effective framework in which new faculty can effectively implement reformed teaching strategies.
- When students are actively engaged in learning physics, they will seek out more assistance from faculty and LA’s. A support structure for assistance outside of class hours should be integrated into a course reform effort.
- An LA program should be explicitly constructed to demand responsibility and accountability of the students, LAs and physics faculty.
Algebra Based Introductory Physics, year-long sequence and Calculus Based Introductory Physics, year-long sequence
- Two-thirds of course time is devoted to small group activities using research-based curriculum (Tutorials in Introductory Physics (UWashington), Realtime Physics (UOregon, Tufts, Dickinson), Activity Based Physics (UMaryland).
- One-third of course time is devoted to interactive large group discussion.
The LA’s, along with physics faculty, guide small group activities.
- Assessment using TUG-K (Test of Graphing and Kinematics), FCI, CSEM and pre-post tests for individual activities.
University Scholars Physics (Liberal arts physics for non-science honors students)
- One-half of course time is devoted to small group activities using research-based curriculum.(Tutorial in Introductory Physics as well as similar non-published materials developed for special relativity and quantum mechanics.)
- One-half of course time is devoted to interactive large group discussions.
Environmental Education for Elementary Teachers
- This course uses LA’s and model active-engagement, drawing strongly upon reseach in Education and Physics Education.
- Pre-service teachers are expected to build their own scientific models using evidence based reasoning.
- Curriculum has been adapted from Physics by Inquiry (U. Wash.) and Physics and Everyday Thinking (SDSU).
Physics of Sound and Introduction to the Nature of Science
- Two of SPU’s Physics courses for non-science majors taught by Eleanor Close and Lezlie DeWater
- Course instruction evolving from from lecture-based courses to lab-based inquiry courses.
- Curriculum in both courses has undergone substantial revision by the instructors to better reflect the nature of inquiry and curriculum expectations in local school districts.
