Teaching and Learning Physics: Week 2

1. Teaching and Learning Physics: Week 2 Objective: By the end of this class you should be able to describe the importance of teacher/student dialogue to the process of learning. Special attention should be given to the concept of convergent vs. divergent questions and its influence on student learning. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

2. 20 minute conversation with Jim • Go to your Cornell Google calendar and schedule in a 20 minute slot to sit and have a chat with me. The conversation may include the following topics: • What do you think of the seminar so far? • What is your level of interest in teaching Physics? • How is your TA experience going? • Tell me a bit about a teacher that was an important influence in your life. • What led you to Cornell? • From the floor… • Enter your name in the time slot when you schedule so I know who I will be talking to. • This conversation will not affect your grade in the seminar. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

3. Thought Ignition 20th Century & 21st Century Teachers.avi J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

4. The Socratic Method of Learning "Just what is the Socratic Method, why should we use it, how does it work?" Just like that! J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

5. Fred and Betty are found dead. On the floor is broken glass and water.What happened? J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

6. Thus, the Socratic Method is a conversation, a discussion, a time of questioning wherein two or more people assist one another in finding the answers to difficult questions. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

7. Let’s focus on the questions. In groups of 2-4 come up with a list of questions that you could ask someone about the rock that is given to you. Try to come up with 10-15 solid questions you could ask a student and record them on a piece of paper or in your journal. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

8. Teaching by asking not telling J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

9. Teaching/Learning benefits of Socratic questioning method • Ref. www.garlikov.com/Soc_Meth.html • Utilizes students innate curiosity and arouses their thinking • Makes teaching more interesting • Gives constant feedback on student’s understanding • No need for tests or quizzes to determine understanding • “…..a quiz whose point is teaching, not grading.” • Teaching by pulling ideas out of the students instead of pushing ideas in. • Immediate correction to misunderstandings • Learning environment takes on a “live” nature and not one with passive inefficiency. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

10. Teaching from their questions. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

11. “You can forget facts, but you can’t forget understanding.” - Prof Eric Mazur J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

12. Challenges to teaching through questioning • Very out-of-the-ordinary approach (must train the students). • Need to design and think through appropriate probing questions. • Must think about the logic of the topic being taught. • Need to know students prior knowledge and experiences. • Need to put student learning ahead of teacher presentation. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

13. Logically vs Psychologically LEading questions Logically: Require understanding of the concepts and principles involved in order to be answered correctly. Psychologically: Can be answered by students’ keying in on clues other than the logic of the content. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

14. Convergent Problem solving (Closed response) • Student brings information from a variety of experiences to get the “correct” answer. • By definition, the students here are trying to answer the question, “What is…?”. • eg. • What is Newton’s first Law? • What is the the mass of a proton? • What is the speed of light? What is the speed of dark? J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

15. Divergent Problem solving (Open response) • Characterized by having no one correct answer. The question is open to various responses. • Students are asked, “What do you think…?” questions. • eg. • “How do you think scientists discovered the speed of light?” J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

16. Knuth and Peressini(Assigned article) In defining discourse:(Ref. Lotmans. 1988. Text Within Text. Soviet Psychology 24 (1988): 32-51) (Closed question) Univocal – characterized by communication win which the listener receives the “exact” message that the speaker intends for the listener to receive. (Open question) Dialogic – generates meaning by using dialogue as a “thinking device”. This is the same thing as convergent and divergent questions. Right? J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

17. TASK: Develop a set of questions that can help students understand that acceleration due to gravity is 9.81 m/s2 at the top of projectile motion even though the vertical velocity = 0 m/s. ***Remember, you are not trying to get them to say that acceleration never changes. You are trying to get them to understand a very important concept relative to gravity. J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

18. Watch the following video……. Zero Gravity J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University

19. What happens if I drop this cup while water is pouring from the hole in the bottom? What happens if I toss this cup upward while water is pouring from the hole in the bottom? Problem 1: Problem 2: J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University