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Since coming to IUPUI in 1995, I have devoted a great deal of effort to improving the way I and others teach undergraduate physics. The results of this effort are a pedagogical system known as "Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT)". This effort, taken in collaboration with Dr. Gregor Novak (also of IUPUI), Dr. Evelyn Patterson (of the US Air Force Academy), and Dr. Wolfgang Christian (of Davidson College) has been highly successful by several measures. Below, I include an overview of the JiTT method (adapted from a recent grant proposal). For further details, please follow the JiTT link at left, or obtain a copy of our recently published book Just-in-Time Teaching: Blending Active Learning With Web Technologyby G. Novak, E. T. Patterson, A. Gavrin, and W. Christian (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1999).
OverviewRecent years have seen many calls for reform in science and mathematics education. These calls have addressed several goals, including economic competitive-ness, an informed electorate, and the elimination of longstanding economic disparities. The results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) have focused this concern, particularly in the area of secondary education. It has also been noted that undergraduate education plays a unique role. Teachers carry their knowledge of content and pedagogy from their undergraduate experiences into their classrooms; a better pre-service experience for teachers will have a positive impact on the stream of students entering higher education. Perhaps the most common recommendation is to adopt active learning strategies in all levels of education. Many studies show that outcomes improve if students are engaged in the learning process. Collaborative learning environments and the use of technology are often suggested to increase interactivity. Many studies also recommend the integration of communications and teamwork skills into the standard curriculum. These skills are valued by employers, and benefit students as they continue to educate themselves after leaving school. The JiTT method succeeds through a fusion of high-tech and low-tech elements. On the high-tech side, we use the World Wide Web to deliver curricular materials and expand communications among faculty and students. On the low-tech side, we rely on a classroom environment that further stresses interaction among students, faculty and student mentors. The interplay between these elements engages students and promotes learning. The underlying method is to use feedback between the Web and the classroom to increase interactivity, and to allow faculty to make rapid adjustments to address students problems. We have reversed the common notion that information technology should be used to replace or expedite classroom methods. Rather, we use information technology to improve the classroom activities themselves. The JiTT methods and electronic resources have been developed and tested over a three year period at IUPUI and the USAFA. The primary goals of this system are:
The Interactive lectureThe core of the JiTT system is the interactive lecture. This session focuses on student answers to questions known as "WarmUp Exercises," which students receive and answer on the World Wide Web. These exercises are due two hours before each lecture, and pertain to that lecture's material. During the intervening period, faculty adjust and organize the classroom lesson in response to the students' submissions "Just-in-Time." Thus, a feedback loop between the classroom and the Web is established. The WarmUps encourage students to keep up in the textbook, and are designed to challenge students' preconceptions about the subject. To use the WarmUps, we read the students' electronic submissions and present excerpts from them during class, weaving them into the lesson as appropriate. Thus, the students take part in a guided discussion that begins with their own preliminary understanding of the material. We do not simply "go over" the student responses in an isolated section of the lecture; rather, we frame our lecture in terms of an analysis of various student responses. The faculty member need not read all of the student's responses for this purpose. Reading a few dozen responses provides adequate material for the lecture, and grading may be done later, possibly by a TA or student mentor. Building the lecture around students' responses has numerous benefits. It is far easier to elicit students' thoughts on a subject if the discussion is grounded in their own work. The WarmUps encourage students to prepare for the lecture, and help them develop a "need to know." If many of the students have not understood the reading, the faculty member is forewarned, and a lesson receives more attention when preceded by the phrase "Many of you seem to have misunderstood...." We have also found that using the WarmUps helps students to improve their study habits. Because WarmUps are due on lecture days (and homework on recitation days) our students have assignments due on every day of class. This encourages them to organize their studying around manageable sessions, through which they can remain alert and effective.
The recitation sectionIn addition to the interactive lecture, we use a collaborative environment stressing problem solving exercises in our recitation sections. After a brief (10-15 minute) overview of the homework, students form groups of 2-4 at white boards installed around the classroom. The students spend the remainder of the class working on a new set of problems (of which the students have no foreknowledge). As the students work, faculty and student mentors circulate throughout the room answering questions, providing instruction as needed, and observing the students' work. This format has several advantages in teaching introductory classes. Because students must tackle unfamiliar problems, faculty may address problem solving skills that beginning students often lack. Students must attempt explanations of their work to their peers, which also increases learning. Further, a faculty member may observe that a student or group has a basic misconception, step in, and provide one-on-one or small group instruction. There are also several indirect advantages. Students and faculty get to know one another and to discuss physics in an informal setting. This familiarity spills over into the lecture, and enhances the interactivity generated by the WarmUps. The recitation also helps students meet one another and creates a natural opportunity to form study groups. This is particularly important on a commuter campus. Finally, this format encourages students to practice oral communication and teamwork skills.
The World Wide WebOne of the elements of IUPUI's mission is to be a leader in the use of technology in education. Thus, the university provides its students with a wide range of means to access the Web from campus and from their homes. It is important to understand that we do not use the web to reduce demands on instructors' time, nor do we use it to increase the number of students that we can handle. Rather, we use the course web site to encourage student-student and student-faculty interaction. The use of the WarmUp exercises is one example. Our course web sites are extensive, and we will focus this discussion on only two features: communications tools and enrichment materials. However, the sites are open to the public. The web creates new communication channels among students and faculty. On one page, students can find faculty phone numbers, a course bulletin board, faculty e-mail addresses, and an anonymous electronic "suggestion box." Each has particular advantages. The most widely used are the bulletin board and faculty e-mail. The bulletin board helps students discuss problems, share concerns, and arrange meetings. This is particularly crucial at IUPUI, where many students do not know one another. E-mail exchanges with faculty are also important. They can include more details than voice-mail messages, and are far easier to arrange than an office visit. In addition to the WarmUp exercises, another key element is "What is Physics Good For?" which has addressed such diverse topics as auto racing, lightning, and the genesis of the Web at CERN. The text always includes several links to further information. We stress the physics of commonplace devices and phenomena, with the goal that students begin to "see" physics at every turn. Several times each semester, we cover modern research topics, stressing the process of discovery and the excitement of research.
DisseminationThe results of the JiTT effort in physics have been disseminated through numerous invited talks, workshops, and papers . In particular, a book about the JiTT method has been published as part of Prentice Hall's "Series in Educational Innovation." Since 1996, we have presented 20 workshops under the sponsorship of NSF (new faculty workshops, TYC21), AAPT, Project Kaleidoscope, and several universities. We have also presented over 40 invited talks at individual institutions and national meetings. Including IUPUI and USAFA, faculty members in over 12 colleges and universities are using JiTT in one or more courses; the list includes faculty at Auburn University, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Davidson College, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of San Francisco. Eric Mazur has informed us that he has adopted significant portions of JiTT in his courses at Harvard. A complete set of JiTT electronic resources for physics (WarmUps, Puzzles, and "What is Physics Good For? ") have been licensed to Prentice Hall, Inc. These resources have been integrated into the companion website for an introductory physics text ( "Physics: Principles with Applications" by Douglas Giancoli) and may be used by students and faculty nationwide (see http://www.prenhall.com/giancoli). Extensive JiTT resources and information have been made available on the JiTT Web site.
AssessmentWe have made several efforts to assess the results of JiTT methods in physics. First, we have studied student attrition in two introductory courses at IUPUI. As the data in the table shows, the attrition rate in our introductory calculus-based mechanics class, Phys 152, has declined by 38% since the introduction of JiTT. Attrition in the second semester course (taught by a different in-structor) declined by 42% over the same period.
We have also surveyed student attitudes towards many aspects of the courses. Students were asked to rate various elements of the web site on a 10 point scale: the results were 7.99 for the WarmUps, 7.79 for "What is Physics Good For?" and 7.81 for Puzzles. When asked "If you had a choice between two equal instructors except that one used {WarmUps, etc.} which instructor would you pick? Over 90% indicated that they would choose the instructor that used the various elements. Student preference for the collaborative recitation was also over 90%. We have also observed significant increases in the numbers of students declaring physics as a major or minor subject; enrollment in 300- and 400-level physics courses has doubled in the last two years.
To assess student achievement, we have begun administering the Force Concept Inventory as a pre- and post-test in Phys 152. Over two semesters (Fall 1998 and Spring 1999) we have obtained an average improvement |
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