Logistics of a secondary implementation of the Washington Tutorials

University of Colorado at Boulder per.colorado.edu

For the last four semesters, we have been using the Washington Tutorials in our 1st or 2 nd-semester Calc-based introductory physics courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The Tutorials replace traditional TA-lead recitation sections with group-work exercises that emphasize sense-making, model-building, and oral/written articulation of concepts.

At CU, successful implementation required:• Dedicated space with appropriate furniture• Moderate investment in equipment• Increased personnel• Proper training of staff

Introduction Increased Personnel Training of Staff and Students

Battlefield ConditionsSpace and Equipment

AcknowledgementsSpecial thanks to the MaryAnn Shea and the University of Colorado’s Faculty Teaching Excellence Program (FTEP), PhysTEC (APS/AIP/NSF), NSF STEM-TP, NSF CCLI (DUE #0410744), the CU Physics Dep't, the entire Physics Education Research at Colorado group, and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington.

References

1. Physics Education Technology Project, http://phet.colorado.edu.

2. L.C. McDermott, P.S. Schaffer. “Tutorials in Introductory Physics.” Prentice Hall, New Jersey. 2002.

Tutorials work best when the teacher:student ratio is 1:10. The Physics Department provides only 1 graduate TA per 30-student recitation section. To increase staff, we use undergraduate “Learning Assistants” (LAs) recruited from the students who have recently taken the course. Each LA teaches in 3 or 4 recitations, so that each Tutorial section has 1 TA and 1 or 2 LAs.

Funds for LAs come from an NSF-funded STEM-TP grant. Due to limited funds and space, we can only run Tutorials for one course at a time. Plans are on-going to sustain the program once the STEM-TP grant expires.

Michael Dubson, Steven Pollock, and Noah Finkelstein

In Tutorials, the TA/LAs do not lecture or simply "tell" answers; rather, their job is to guide students with the Socratic method, to probe student understanding with provocative questions, and to keep students on-task, allowing them to construct their own understanding.

Often, both staff and students are uncomfortable with this format. A weekly 1-hour staff meeting is necessary to provide continuing pedagogical and content training. During the training session, TAs and LAs work through the upcoming Tutorial lesson and role-play teacher/student interactions.

In Lecture, our instructors explicitly address student suspicions and communicate the philosophy of Tutorials.

Traditional classroom arrangement (left) discourages group work. Tutorials space (right) requires appropriate furniture: small tables for groups of four. Movable partitions were built to separate Tutorial areas from surrounding lab areas.

WRONG: Students working alone or off-task. More skillful staff presence needed.

RIGHT: Students engaged, interactive, working in groups. Staff keeps students on-task with gentle interventions.

Desirable Teacher/Student Ratio: 2 undergraduate LA’s and 1 graduate TA in this class of 28 students.

Outcomes

We have seen significant learning gains, as measured by pre/post-tests and by standardized exam questions.

Rechargeable batteries – a must.

Some Tutorial experiments: RC circuits, currents and B-fields, galvanometer, electric motor. Note spring-switches in circuits to preserve battery life. Much equipment is purchased, but some is hand-made. In PhysicsII, about 80% of Tutorials involve mini-labs. All experiments are taken directly from the Tutorial Instructor's Manual, with some local adaptations.

Start-up Costs for a 500-student Physics II class: •Furniture (15 tables, cabinets, partitions): $10K•Mini-lab equipment: $8K•Faculty time to purchase/design/build: 60 hrs

BEMA pre/ post scoresFa04 and Sp05 PhysicsI I with Tutorials

normalized gain = 0.44

0

5

10

15

20

0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97

Score (% ) (CU scoring)

% o

f stu

den

ts

PreF04 PreS05 PostF04 PostS05

Conclusions

Tutorials work, if you take them seriously. For us, this meant:Dedicated space / appropriate furniturePurchase/construction of mini-labsIncreased staff to approach optimum teacher:student ratio of 1:10Weekly training sessions for staffOngoing enculturation of faculty/staff/students.

Tutorials work… ...but are often viewed with suspicion

•Some vocal student complaints initially, but these died away after 3rd semester of use.

•Student “approval rating” consistently ~ 50%.

•Some faculty refuse to use Tutorials because they don't perceive their value, yet freshmen using Tutorials haves post-test scores that are higher than post-test scores for our Junior-level E&M students.

To learn more…

Poster DI10 Tues 2:15pm, "Assessing Multiple Transformations in 2nd Semester Physics", Steven Pollock

Talk FF01 Weds 3:30pm, "Characterizing a Successful Secondary Implementation of Washington Tutorials", Steven Pollock and Noah Finklestein