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Using the ISLE learning system in a large
algebra-based physics class I have used ISLE
in an honors engineering physics course at Most of the LRMs
involved the use of eight to twelve large-print transparencies of activities
from the ALG (20 font size), which were placed an
overhead projector. Students brought their own ALG to each LRM
and recitation and worked on the activities, often checking with neighboring
students. After working for a minute or more, I worked through the activity
with their feedback in the open spaces on a blank transparency that lies on
top of the enlarged master—I can reuse the master the next year. The routine
for a unit is described below (this is not a fixed routine but a common one).
First LRM: The main goal in the first LRM is for
students to develop a qualitative explanation for a big concept in that unit,
and to learn to qualitatively represent and reason about the physical world
using that concept. In some cases, the quantitative development of the
concept also begins during the first LRM (we’ll
assume that this occurs in the second LRM). Often,
this qualitative understanding is developed as follows. · Students observe a small number of relatively simple experiments and
record their observations. Appropriate experiments are described early in
Section 1 of each chapter of the · Sometimes I ask them to
qualitatively analyze each
experiment—for example, draw free-body diagrams for objects at one point
during their constant speed circular motion. · They look for some common pattern in these observation
experiments. · Students use the pattern to
devise a qualitative explanation
that can account for the observed pattern. The explanations are written on
the board. (It takes considerable patience and encouragement to collect
students’ explanations. Having simple observation experiments helps—so
students can see the patterns. It is most fun if there are several different
explanations.) · I then describe a different testing experiment related to that
concept (often chosen from Section 1 of the ALG) and ask students to use each explanation to predict the outcome of this experiment. I write their predictions
on the board. Sometimes, the predicted outcomes can be listed in
multiple-choice format and student predictions are made using a personal
response system (PRS). · After the predictions, I do the
experiment. Students decide if the outcome
is consistent with a prediction, which increases their confidence in the
explanation used to make the prediction. If the outcome is inconsistent with
the prediction, the explanation that led to the prediction either needs to be
revised or refined or completely rejected. This can become a fun game. · We often develop a qualitative representation for
processes described by the concept and use the concept and representation to qualitatively analyze physical processes.
Section 2 of the ALG has a reasonable number of
qualitative reasoning activities. Many of the special qualitative
representations are also introduced in the As mentioned above, most of the activities needed
for this first LRM are found in the first two
sections of the chapter for each unit. Thus, to prepare for a LRM, I simply choose the desired ALG activities that serve the above purposes. Second LRM: The main goal in the second LRM is for
students to develop a quantitative understanding of the big concept(s) in
that unit, and to learn to quantitatively represent and reason about the
physical world using that concept. (Remember that there is not a fixed
format—these are general guidelines.) Often, this quantitative understanding
is developed as follows. · We work together to identify and
define physical quantities that can
be used for a quantitative description of the world. This may have been done during the first
lecture. · Students analyze experimental data that involves these quantities.
Data tables are often provided in Section 3 of the ALG chapter. · The data analysis leads to quantitative relationships involving
the physical quantities. · Students use this relationship to
make a prediction about the outcome
of a new quantitative testing
experiment. One or more such testing experiments are usually suggested in
ALG Section 3. Students enjoy these. · I work through with the students
a problem solving strategy that is
illustrated early in Section 4 and that involves representing physical
processes in multiple ways (such as words, sketches, diagrams, graphs, and
equations). · The strategy is applied for one or more problems,
either found in the ALG
or from the textbook or from any other source. Recitation: The 80-minute recitation for this
unit is at the beginning of the next week. The main goal is to help students
develop various problem-solving abilities. Section 4 of the ALG has all of the activities used in the
recitations. Students work in
four-person groups on problems of the following type. · Some problems involve simply
representing processes in multiple ways and checking for the consistency of
the representations. · In other problems students convert
one representation of a process into another (for example, to convert a
mathematical description of a process into a word or some other type of
representation—called Equation Jeopardy). · Evaluate a solution with errors
in it. · Solve regular and more complex
problems. One week before the recitation the recitation
instructors are given the activities the students will do. The recitation
instructors are to prepare their own solutions. They then meet with the
faculty person on Monday morning before their Monday and Tuesday recitations
to go over their solutions for these problems, in preparation for getting the
student groups to do the problems. Laboratory: Students have a 3-hour laboratory
on Wednesday through Friday of the second week of this unit. The main goal of
the laboratory is to help students develop various science process abilities
while applying those concepts to a variety of problem types—described below.
(Occasionally, the students help develop a concept that will be addressed in
the following week.) The lab activities and write-ups are available at http://paer.rutgers.edu/194/. (One or
more experiment activities can be found toward the end of Section 4 of the · They use a prescribed list of
equipment to design an experiment to qualitatively or quantitatively prove
some prescribed concept incorrect—a testing experiment. (Remember that Millikan spent ten years trying to disprove Einstein’s
photon concept.) · They design an experiment to
solve an experiment problem—for example, to determine the coefficient of
kinetic friction between their own shoe and a floor tile, to measure the
unknown specific heat capacity of a metal block, or measure the focal length
of a lens. · They design an experiment to make
a device that can do something—for example, a microscope that produces a
magnified image. · They use a greatest common error
method to estimate the uncertainty in their experimental outcomes. For many
experiments, they are to make the measurement in two independent ways and can
then see if the two measurements are within the estimated uncertainties. · They use rubrics to evaluate
their own work. These rubrics encourage them to think about assumptions they
are making and the ways in which they perform and communicate their work. |
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EARNING
