Education for the 21 Century

Carl Wieman

Colorado physics & chem education research group: W. Adams, K. Perkins, K. Gray, L. Koch, J. Barbera, S. McKagan, N. Finkelstein, S. Pollock, R. Lemaster, S. Reid, C. Malley, M. Dubson... $$ NSF, Kavli, Hewlett)

A scientific approach to teaching A scientific approach to teaching science science

Data!!Nobel Prize

(and many other subjects)

I) Purpose of science education.

II) What does research tell us about learning science.

III) What does research say about how to teach science more effectively.

IV) Some technology that can help.

Purpose of science education historically-- training next generation of scientists (< 1%)

Need science education effective and relevant for large fraction of population!

Unprecedented educational challenge!

• Scientifically-literate populace--wise decisions

•Workforce in modern economy.

Effective education

Think about and use science like a scientist.

Transform how think--

Possible for most students??

Hypothesis--Yes, if approach teaching of science like a science--

•Practices based on good data

•Utilize research on how people learn

•Disseminate results in scholarly manner, & copy what works

•Utilize modern technology

improve effectiveness and efficiency

Supporting the hypothesis.....

How to teach science: (I used)

1. Think very hard about subject, get it figured out very clearly.

2. Explain it to students, so they will understand with same clarity.

grad students

II) What does research tell us about learning science.

??????????????????????????????????????????

Research on how people learn, particularly science.• above actually makes sense. ideas for improving teaching.

17 yrs of success in classes.Come into lab clueless about physics?

2-4 years later expert physicists!

??????

Teaching and science education research =rigorous, intellectually challenging

?17 yr

Data on effectiveness of traditional science teaching.-lectures, textbook homework problems, exams

1. Retention of information from lecture.

2. Conceptual understanding.

3. Beliefs about science and problem solving.

Mostly intro college physics (best data), but other subjects and levels consistent.

I. Redish- students interviewed as came out of lecture."What was the lecture about?"only vaguest generalities

II. Rebello and Zollman- 18 students answer sixquestions. Then told to get answers to the6 questions from 14 minute lecture.(Commercial video, highly polished)Most questions, less than one student able to getanswer from lecture.

Data 1. Retention of information from lectureData 1. Retention of information from lecture

III. Wieman and Perkins - test 15 minutes after toldnonobvious fact in lecture.10% remember

Does this make sense?Can it possibly be generic?

Cognitive science says yes.

a. Cognitive load-- best established, most ignored.

Mr Anderson, May I be excused?My brain is full.

Maximum~7 items short term memory, process 4 ideas at once.

MUCH less than in typical science lecture

On average learn <30% of concepts did not already know.Lecturer quality, class size, institution,...doesn't matter!

R. Hake, ”…A six-thousand-student survey…” AJP 66, 64-74 (‘98).

• Force Concept Inventory- Force Concept Inventory- basic concepts of force and motion 1st semester physics

Fraction of unknown basic concepts learned

Traditional Lecture courses

Data 2. Conceptual understanding in traditional course.

Ask at start and end of semester-- 100’s of courses

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.

nearly all intro physics courses more novice ref. Redish et al, CU work--Adams, Perkins, MD, NF, SP, CW

Data 3. Beliefs about science and problem solving

Content: coherent structure of concepts.

Describes nature, established by experiment.

Prob. Solving: Systematic concept-based strategies. Widely applicable.

*adapted from D. Hammer

Instruction built around concepts & delivered by experts, but..

not learning concepts?

learning novice beliefs?

Cognitive science explains.

or ?

Expert competence =•factual knowledge•Organizational structure effective retrieval and use of facts

Expert competence

•Ability to monitor own thinking ("Do I understand this? How can I check?")

•New ways of thinking--require extended focused mental effort to “construct”. •Built on prior thinking. (long-term memory development)

Cognitive science matches classroom results:

Most students passing courses by learning memorization of facts and problem solving recipes.Not thinking like experts.

•Not learning concepts. (how experts organize and use scientific knowledge)

•Not learning expert-like beliefs & problem solving.

17 yrs of success in classes.Come into lab clueless about physics?

2-4 years later expert physicists!

??????

Makes sense!Traditional science course poor at developing expert-like thinking.

Principle people learn by creating own understanding. Effective teaching = facilitate creation, by engaging, then monitoring & guiding thinking.Exactly what is happening continually in research lab!

• Retention of information from lecture

10% after 15 minutes >90 % after 2 days

• Conceptual understanding gain

25% 50-70%

• Beliefs about physics and problem solving

significant drop small improvement

III. Using research to teach science more effectively in classes.

Results when develop/copy research-based pedagogy

looking a lot like science!

1. Reducing cognitive load improves learning. (slow down, organization, figures, reduce jargon,...)

Research guided pedagogy-- a few examples

2. Importance of student beliefs about science and science problem solving

• Beliefs Beliefs content learning content learning • Beliefs Beliefs choice of major/retention choice of major/retention• Teaching practices Teaching practices students’ beliefs students’ beliefs typical significant decline (phys and chem)

Avoid decline if explicitly address beliefs. (+ increased motivation)

Why is this worth learning?How does it connect to real world?Why does this make sense? How connects to things student already knows?

3. Actively engage students and guide their learning. • Know where students are starting from.

• Get actively processing ideas, then probe and guide thinking. (requires “pedagogical content knowledge”)

• Extended “effortful study” (homework) focusing on developing expert-thinking and skills. (Develop long term memory)

Effective teaching = facilitate creation of understanding by engaging, then monitoring & guiding thinking.

Technology can make possible. (when used properly)

examples: a. student personal response systems (“clickers”)

b. interactive simulations

Mentally engaging, monitoring, & guiding thinking.

200 students at a time?!

a. “Clickers”--facilitate active thinking, probing student thinking, and useful guidance.

individual #

"Jane Doe picked B"

(%

)

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

Effective when use guided by how people learn.

Questions and follow-up--Students actively engaged in figuring out.

Student-student discussion (“convince neighbors of answer”) & enhanced student-instructor communication rapid + targeted = effective feedback.

clickers- Used properly transforms classroom.Dramatically improved engagement, discourse,number (x4) and distribution of questions.

Not automatically helpful--Only provides: accountability + peer anonymity+ fast feedback

supported by: Hewlett Found., Kavli, NSF, Univ. of Col., and A. Nobel

phet.colorado.edub. Interactive simulations

Physics Education Technology Project (PhET)>50 simulationsWide range of physics (& chem) topics. Run in regular web-browser.

laserballoon and sweater

examples:balloon and sweatermoving mancircuit construction kit

•Know subject•Know student thinking about subject

Address in simulation design.

Simulation testing educational microcosm.See all the elements of how people learn found in very different contexts.

Summary:Need new, more effective approach to science ed.Solution: Approach teaching as we do science

Good Refs.:NAS Press “How people learn” , "How students learn"Mayer, “Learning and Instruction” (ed. psych. applied)Redish, “Teaching Physics” (Phys. Ed. Res.)Wieman and Perkins, Physics Today (Nov. 2005)

CLASS belief survey: CLASS.colorado.eduphet simulations: phet.colorado.edu

•Practices based on good data

•Utilize research on how people learn

•Disseminate results & copy what works

•Utilize modern technology and teaching is more fun!

Data 2. Conceptual understanding in traditional course (cont.)

electricity Eric Mazur

70% can calculate currents and voltages in this circuit.

40% correctly predict change in brightness of bulbs when switch closed! How can this be?

Solving test problems, butnot thinking like expert!

8 V

12 V

1

2

1

AB

Good data Traditional approaches not successfulResearch based approaches much better learning.

•Practices based on good data

•Utilize research on how people learn

•Disseminate results & copy what works

•Utilize modern technology

Works!

How to make it the norm for every teacher?(Next hundred years of Carnegie Foundation A. T.)

V. Issues in structural change (my assertions)

Necessary requirement--become part of culture in major research university science departments

set the science education norms produce the college teachers, who teach the k-12 teachers.

Challenges in changing science department cultures--•no coupling between support/incentivesand student learning.•very few authentic assessments of student learning•investment required for development of assessment tools, pedagogically effective materials, supporting technology, training• no $$$ (not considered important)