How Technology Can Help Your Students Build a Deeper Understanding of the Subject and Enjoy Learning Physics By Dr. Marina Milner-Bolotin Department of.

How Technology Can Help Your How Technology Can Help Your Students Build a Deeper Students Build a Deeper Understanding of the Subject and Understanding of the Subject and Enjoy Learning PhysicsEnjoy Learning Physics

By Dr. Marina Milner-Bolotin

Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of British Columbia

You cannot teach a

man anything, you can

only help him to find it

within himself.

Galileo Galilei

Inquiry-Based Physics TeachingInquiry-Based Physics Teaching

Applications: Problem solving, everyday life uses, new predictions

Prediction

IF-THENUnsuccessful

Observational experiments

Physical model

Testing

Experiment

Successful

Technology – What is it Good for?Technology – What is it Good for?

Enhanced Experiments

MBL

Video

Visualization Simulations WWW

Dialogue Beyond the Classroom

Interactive Lessons Lectures

Problem Solving

Is it all? What else?

Physics Problem Data-BasesPhysics Problem Data-Bases

• Mastering Physics (Free with Knight Textbook purchase – or $28 per semester per student): www.masteringphysics.com

• The University of TX Database – Free

• Database (The Department and the students pay) www.webassign.com

• Many other databases – some are free

Interactive Problem-Solving - MPInteractive Problem-Solving - MP

Interactive Problem-Solving - MPInteractive Problem-Solving - MP

Interactive Problem-Solving - MPInteractive Problem-Solving - MP

Interactive Problem-Solving - MPInteractive Problem-Solving - MP

Interactive Problem-Solving - MPInteractive Problem-Solving - MP

Interactive Problem-Solving - MPInteractive Problem-Solving - MP

Interactive Problem-Solving - MPInteractive Problem-Solving - MP

Interactive Problem-Solving - MPInteractive Problem-Solving - MP

Online Resources - ActivPhysicsOnline Resources - ActivPhysics

Physics problem solving: simulations, advice, strategies, graphs, diagrams, charts, interactive problems…

Technology and Multiple Technology and Multiple RepresentationsRepresentations

1 - i1 R1 - i3 R3 = 0

2 - i2 R2 - i3 R3 = 0

i1 + i2 = i3

i1 i2 i3

R1 R2 R3

1 2 ActivPhysics helps

students create and connect

different representations

ActivPhysicsActivPhysics

Students visualize a problem, build energy bar charts, solve it, make and test predictions…

Peer Response SystemsPeer Response Systems

• Systems which allow students answer multiple choice questions and transmit their answer to instructor’s computer

• The answers can be displayed during the lesson and analyzed later

• There are many different systems available– PRS – EduCue – Addison Wesley

http://www.aw-bc.com/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0321267354-DS,00.html

Peer Response SystemPeer Response System

Interactive Lectures – Using PRSInteractive Lectures – Using PRS

A sample starts with 1000 radioactive atoms. How many half-lives have elapsed when 750 atoms have decayed?

1. 0.252. 0.753. 1.54. 2.05. 2.5

PRS: Who Does More Work?PRS: Who Does More Work?

1. Bob2. Joe3. Both did the same amount of work

Both men pick up the barrels with const speed

Assume the rolling friction is very small

PRS: Applying Gauss’s LawPRS: Applying Gauss’s LawThese are two-dimensional cross sections through three-

dimensional closed spheres and a cube. Rank order, from largest

to smallest, the electric fluxes a to e through surfaces a to e.

1. Φa > Φc > Φb > Φd > Φe

2. Φb = Φe > Φa = Φc = Φd

3. Φe > Φd > Φb > Φc > Φa

4. Φb > Φa > Φc > Φe > Φd

5. Φd = Φe > Φc > Φa = Φb

Immediate Feedback: PRS ResultsImmediate Feedback: PRS Results

Instructor and students get immediate feedback on the material comprehension. Large lecture becomes interactive

Enhanced Experimentation - MBLEnhanced Experimentation - MBL

Exploring the meaning of the area and slopes of graphs in 1-D Kinematics

Using available equipment, design an experiment which will test the model of 1-D motion

Enhanced Experimentation - VideoEnhanced Experimentation - Video

Dialogue Beyond the ClassroomDialogue Beyond the Classroom

• Discussion on problem solving via the interactive software – MP, WebAssign, WebCT, Discussion Boards, etc.

• Getting immediate feedback on problem solving

• Experimenting at home with the real data collected during the class time

Technology and Physics TeachingTechnology and Physics Teaching

Technology:Technology:

• Is a tool and its effectiveness depends on how you use it

• Doesn’t replace a teacher, but it opens new opportunities

• Helps students to learn interactively outside of the classroom

• Provides opportunities for more effective data analysis (video experiments, MBL, data analysis in Excel, Graphical Analysis)

Some Online ResourcesSome Online Resources• Technology Enabled Active Learning – TEAL

http://web.mit.edu/giving/spectrum/winter04/teal-teaching.html

• Physics Teaching Technology Resource - Online Videos: http://www.pt3.gse.rutgers.edu/physics/frontp.html

• Mastering Physics: www.masteringphysics.com

• ActivPhysics: http://wps.aw.com/aw_young_physics_11

• Set of PRS problems: http://www.physics.ubc.ca/~milnerm/Phys_100/Conceptual_Questions.html

• PRS Information: http://www.gtcocalcomp.com/index.htm

• MIT – Open Courseware: (video of lectures) http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html

• Interactive applets for teaching physics: http://www.ph.ed.ac.uk/cgi-bin/ss/main