Motivating Students in Introductory Physics

Debora M. Katz

Physics Department

United States Naval Academy

Agenda Student Challenges Motivating Students Using Case Studies Questions/Closing Remarks

Student Challenges

Do you believe your students complete most of the assigned textbook reading & homework?

Why don’t students honestly do the assigned reading and homework?

Lion-taming classFor a moment imagine that

you are a lion-taming instructor. At the end of a 16-week semester, each of your students takes a

final exam, in which each student places his or her own head into the mouth

of a live lion.

Question Why will students in a lion-taming class do all

the work assigned by their instructor?

Characteristics of a Motivated StudentSees relevance of course and wants to learnAnd so completes assignments honestly

Question What do you use to motivate your introductory

physics students? (Describe what you have tried that works and also include things that haven’t worked as well as you would have liked.)

Case StudiesCase studies are traditionally used in medical,

business and law schools.

Case Studies

A student working through a case study is in the role of practitioner. Like a practitioner, the student is motivated to learn and sees the relevance of the subject matter.

Case Studies

Case studies are educational exercises. When a student works on a case study, we expect the highest levels of thinking, reasoning, problem-solving and communication.

Case StudiesA case study makes your physics class relevant

and fun because it connects physics concepts to

students’ interestshistory of scientific discoverypractical applications

How I Use Case Studies1. Short case studies are used in lectures to

motivate students and flush out preconceptionsExample: Train collision

Excerpt from my book.

How I Use Case Studies2. A case study may be used in much the same

way as an in-class group problem or project. However, the students are motivated to solve the problem because the case is part of a story. So I may revisit the train collision in the next lesson…

How I Use Case Studies3. Students in my class write their own case

studies as a term project.

Students are highly motivated to solve these deep Students are highly motivated to solve these deep problems because the problems come from their own problems because the problems come from their own

interest.interest.

Create and solve a problem that comes from the material Create and solve a problem that comes from the material covered in SP212. The problem can include material from covered in SP212. The problem can include material from any part of this semester’s syllabus and that it should be any part of this semester’s syllabus and that it should be

solvable by a typical student in this class. Your project will solvable by a typical student in this class. Your project will be graded on creativity, research, difficulty and solution.be graded on creativity, research, difficulty and solution.

Sample Term Projects1.Hike till it hurts

2.Mom can I go?

3.Skateboarding accident

Student ResponseProfessor Katz,

I am really glad you enjoyed my project! It's one of the few things I did right in the many technical courses here at the Academy lol I really did love doing it and I hope your students have enjoyed working on their projects also! I am sorry you cannot make it but hopefully some people from your department will be able to go. I hope all is well! You are a great teacher and your students are lucky to have you as a Professor!

Very Respectfully,

Michelle

Thank you! Follow-up Survey

Webinar Feedback Development Activities Volume I Class Testing (Spring 2014)

Debora Katz: deborakatz@yahoo.com Nicole (Mollica) Hurst:

nicole.mollica@cengage.com