Flexible Physics Instruction in an Integrated Lecture/Lab Environment

1. Flexible Physics Instruction in an Integrated Lecture/Lab Environment Phil Young*, Marlann Patterson*, Todd Zimmerman† *University of Wisconsin - Platteville †Madison Area Technical College Funded in part by NSF DUE Grant # 0633583

2. History • Platteville Engineering Physics department moving to new building • MATC holds lectures and labs in same room • Faculty-Flexible Lecture-Lab Instruction in Physics (FLIP)

3. Goals of FLIP • Implement a department-wide shift towards more active learning • Provide better education for students • Ensure changes will stick • Faculty given freedom to choose how much active learning to include

4. Implementing Changes • Little evidence that PER based material used • Schools report difficulty maintaining PER based curriculum

5. Past approach to problem • Many schools try but can’t maintain active learning methods • Assumptions: • Need to convince instructors of need to change • Instructors only need knowledge of techniques to change • Many instructors have ideas more in line with PER but use more traditional techniques in the class* *C. Henderson and M. H. Dancy , Barriers to the use of research-based instructional strategies: The influence of both individual and situational characteristics , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 3, 020102 2007.

6. Obstacles to change • Expectation of content coverage • Department norms • Extra prep time • Student resistance • Class size • Room layout • Cost of materials

7. Platteville overcomes these obstacles • Department Norms • Cost of materials Young Patterson

8. Platteville overcomes these obstacles • Room Layout • Class Size Two Rows of 7 Stations 120° Projector Screen Projector Screen Whiteboard

9. Curriculum will address these obstacles • Expectation of content coverage • Student resistance • Prep time • Use already existing PER-based Material(PERM)

10. Assessment Tools Used • Student attitude • Colorado Attitude Student Survey • Physic I • Force Concept Inventory • Physics II • Conceptual Survey on Electricity and Magnetism • Light and Optics Conceptual Evaluation • Lab skills • Measurement Uncertainty Quiz

11. Faculty Ideas and Practices • Develop assessment of faculty beliefs and practices1 • Help choose PERM best suited to their teaching strengths and style 1 M. H. Dancy and C. Henderson, Framework for Articulating Instructional Practices and Conceptions, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 3, 010103 2007.

12. Where do we go from here? • Test PERM at Platteville and MATC • Assess effectiveness of material • Other institutions can use assessments, make changes, using FLIP site

13. Faculty-Flexible Lecture-Lab Instruction in Physics (FLIP) Website: http://www.uwplatt.edu/~patterma/flip.html Funded in part by NSF DUE Grant # 0633583