Strategies for Effective Learning in Physics

Mike Mikhaiel

Science Department

Passaic County Community College

Paterson, New Jersey

Passaic County Community College

Sound vs. Quiet

Warm vs. Cool Temperature

Soft vs. Bright Lightining

Formal vs. Casual Seating

Auditory

Visual

Tactile

Kinesthetic

Perceptual Strenghts

Time of Day Energy

Genetically Imposed

Learning Alone

vs.

Learning with Friends

Learning with Authoritative Teacher

vs.

Learning with Collegial Teacher

Learning with Patterns and Routines

vs.

Learning with a Variety of Instructional Resources.

Sosiologically Imposed

Learning Styles

Individual Strength or Individual Weakness

One of the theorist wrestle with the question of whether we should teach an individual’s strength or try to help the individual develop his weakness. The best answer may be both.

Individual Learning

Everyone has a learning style, but each person’s is different-like our fingerprints which come from each person’s five fingers and look similar in many ways.

Individual’s learning style can be compared to her/his ability and is therefore not engraved in stone at birth.

Each person’s style can change over time as a result of maturation.

How Can We Best Design Instruction to Incorporate Learning Styles Research?

The key is NOT to change the style of the presenter or the audience, but to design the lesson/presentation to provide the broadest possible number of styles.

Four Learning Styles

1. Visual/Verbal Preferences

2. Tactile/Kinesthetic

3. Visual/nonverbal

4. Auditory/Verbal

1. Visual/Verbal Preferences

� Written language-textbook, notes

� Classroom whiteboard, lecture outlines, PowerPoint

� Tend to study alone

2. Tactile/Kinesthetic

� Hands-On (Labs, materials, creative play)

� Learner is physically active during learning

� In-class demonstrations, field experiences

3. Visual/Nonverbal

� Information presented visually in a picture or design form (film & video, maps, charts, graphic organizers in text, handouts and presentations)

� Generally do not work best in study groups.

� Can visualize information and often put it in a visual design format

4. Auditory/ Verbal

� Oral language preference-lecture and group discussion

� Books on tape, CD of lectures

� Can often “hear” or mimic learned information

� Interact well in group & listening/speaking exchanges.

� Most people will show some of each style but a distinct preference towards one or two.

Learning Styles and Selecting Appropriate Technology

1. Visual/Verbal Learners- online, discussion group, and CD-ROM environments are very appropriate for these learners, because text is such a prominent component.

2. Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners- 3 dimensional graphic simulations/demonstrations, outside fieldwork and experimentation can be incorporated into the course too.

3. Visual/Non-verbal Learners- info can be presented in charts, tables, graphs, and images, as well as streaming video and animations.

4. Auditory/Verbal Learners- streaming audio and voice-over PowerPoint, demo’s with audio.

This study is based on:

� A 3-credit course and consists of a lecture and a laboratory component.

� Students meet twice a week for class sessions that are 75 minutes long.

� On alternate weeks students meet for a two-hour laboratory.

Students Population

� Students enrolled in the course are from different diversity and backgrounds.

� 26.5% of students are Caucasian

� 36.0% of students are Hispanic

� 25.0% of students are black

� 12.5% of students are from the Middle East.

Students Population

Nearly 40% of the class is made up of international students

Evaluation of Interactive Learning at PCCC

� 40 Introductory physics students

� 2 algebra-based classes

-1 “Advanced” team

-1 “Regular” team

Course material

Mechanics, motion in one dimension, vectors & two-dimensional motion, Laws of motion, Energy, Momentum and collisions, rotational dynamics (College Physics textbook by Serway and Faughn chapters 1-8)

Interactive Lecture Demonstrations

� Use computers in lectures to log and display data in various representations,

� Use PowerPoint Presentation,

� Create an on-line discussion group,

� Rely on carefully controlled teacher-class interactions.

Projectile Motion

� Projectile Motion

Momentum Problem

Questions 1, 2 and 3 refer to collisions between a car and a truck. For each description of a of a collision below, choose the one answer from the possibilities. A through g that best describes the forces between the car and the truck.

a. The truck exerts a greater amount of force on the car than the car exerts on the truck

b. The car exerts a greater amount of force on the truck than the truck exerts on the car.

c. Neither exerts a force on the other, the car gets smashed simply because it is in the way of the truck.

d. The truck exerts a force on the car but the car doesn’t exerts a force on the truck.

e. The truck exerts the same amount of force on the car as the car exerts on the truck.

f. Not enough information is given to pick one of the answers above.

g. None of the answers above describes the situation correctly.

________ 1. They are both moving at the same speed when they collide. Which choice describes the forces?

________ 2. The car is moving much faster than the heavier truck when they collide. Which choice describes the forces?

________ 3. The heavier truck is standing still when the car hits it. Which choice describes the forces?

Momentum answer

___a_____1. They are both moving at the same speed when they collide. Which choice describes the forces?

__f & g__ 2. The car is moving much faster than the heavier truck when they collide. Which choice describes the forces?

__f & g__ 3. The heavier truck is standing still when the car hits it. Which choice describes the forces?

On-line discussion group

� Use an on-line discussion group. The on-line discussion group is useful way of allowing for peer, rather than instructor-given feedback. The on-line discussion group has also proven to help students bring out and confront their misconceptions.

� The on-line discussion group used with the introductory physics students is peer-led and instructor-moderated. The most common use of the discussion group by the students is for discussion of homework questions. A student may post a specific question to the group, describe their confusion, and ask for assistance. Other members of the class are then free to jump in and offer the student help and advice. If the students fall off course with their discussion, the instructor will offersome guidance and attempt to steer the discussion back on the track.

Advantage of on-line discussion group

� An on-line discussion group may offer some students a more “comfortable”environment in which to interact than the traditional large lecture class.

� It may also appeal to students with diverse learning styles.

Correct responses: Traditional

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Correct responses: Non-Traditional

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Correct responses comparison: Traditional and Non-Traditional

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Exam results: Traditional and Non Traditional

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This research has

� Helped in improving classroom teaching effectiveness.

� Facilitated students’ understanding of basic concepts.

� Combined the Traditional teaching method with the Non-Traditional teaching techniques.

Interesting web sites

http://webphysics.ph.msstate.edu/jc/library/http://www.myphysicslab.com/

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/index.htmlhttp://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/

http://library.thinkquest.org/19537/java/Doppler.htmlhttp://physics.nad.ru/Physics/English/index.htm

The road of different teaching techniques can continue for ever and ever.