Student-Produced Videos Demonstrate Student-Produced Videos Demonstrate Practical Physics Learning !Practical Physics Learning !

George MuncasterScottsdale Community College

Agenda

Abstract

Physics 101 = 1-Semester Survey Course

Change Motivator: Current Environment

Video Assignments

Example Videos

Results & Assessment

Lessons Learned

Future Goals/Plans

Abstract Among several SCC Physics trial innovations is substitution of a student-produced video for the traditional pencil-paper LAB Final Exam.Requirement: Short video informing an experiment NOT performed in the course“Under duress”, students form teams. Each chooses an experiment topic & produces a standalone video Initial Results are Highly Encouraging:

Practical Learning Positively Demonstrated Students more actively engaged than before

Plans to continue & enlarge efforts

Physics 101 – Intro. To Physics Introductory & TERMINAL physics courseLAB is a Required, BUT “No Credit” course

Lecture = 4 semester-hr; Lab = 0 semester-hr Lecture & Lab often taught by different Instructors

PHY101 supports several 2-year Certificate & several 2- & 4-year-Degree programsPrerequisite: Introductory Algebra

High School Algebra 1 / 2, or Remedial Intro. to Algebra(e.g., MAT090/91/92)

Competencies & Outline published online: http://www.maricopa.edu/curriculum/M-Z/076phy101.html

Wide diversity in student backgrounds (& impediments)

“Environmental” Issues 10 – 12 Independent Labs each semesterTime-limited exercises also limit understandingMost exercises require new & different equipment to be learned, calibrated, used,(and often then FORGOTTEN)IMHO: “+” & “-” Learning Issues

Many Independent Lab Exercises can capability “Follow-the-Leader” (or copied) student results MAY lead to lack of integrated lecture-lab knowledge

How to balance Inquiry &/vs. Directed LearningDifficult to Assess Take-away Learning in a Terminal CourseStudents ARE Grounded in the Information Age!

Some Physics “Innovations”Lab Classes Twice vs. Once per weekGreater “Less Is More” AssignmentsMore Home (Out-of-Class) workCourse NotebooksEven MORE TechnologyOnline / Hybrid learning components“Guest” InstructorsField Trip in lieu of a standard class meetingFewer, Longer Labs each semesterEtc. (This talk is about one such Etc.)

Lab Video Final ExamAssigned in one PHY101 Section during Summer 2009, Spring 2010, & Summer 2010Students Design, Produce & Edit a Lab Experiment Video in place of Lab Final ExamValue: 25% of Lab (~7% of Course) GradeProduct MUST be a full scientific Experiment NOT a: Demo, Diorama, Recipe, etc.2-Person Team Collaborates & Shares ScoreVideos Screened at Last (Final Exam) Class

GuidelinesCollege equipment available for use on anon-interference basisStudents submit preliminary Plan:

ID Team & Experiment Equipment & tools needed Key Experiment Steps Key Formulas Storyboard (Action Sequences)

Storyboard due at (End of Course - 2 weeks)

Example Videos

Electrical ResistanceRubens’ TubePascal’s PrincipleBaseball EnergyBuoyancyRoller Coaster g-ForceAtmospheric PressureMolecular Weight of Gases on Balloons

Diet Coke-Mentos Physics

Bullet Velocity

Thermal Expansion

Young’s Experiment

Heat Capacity of BBs, Chocolate, Salad Oil

Buoyancy

Roller Coaster g-Forces

ResultsOnly 1 Team failed to submit a Final Exam video in the 3 trial Sections (~45 students)Video Scores Mirror Paper Exam ScoresBUT, NOT Correlated To the Same Students (?!?!?)

Many overall EXCELLENT (A - A+ grade) Videos & Many overall POOR Videos (D grade)

Poorer (lecture) students make BETTER Videos & Raise their Grades, while Better (lecture) students most often produce less effective videos.

This effect raises the course average GPA!

Students rate the Video Final experience as HIGHLY Positive, despite:

MUCH more work MUCH more thinking / preparation required (???): MUCH more takeaway Interest in Science (???)

AssessmentMany Excellent Videos DO NOT USE ANY COLLEGE PHYSICS LAB EQUIPMENT !!Videos production proves the EASY Part !;Applying Proper Physics TECHNIQUE is the hard(er) part !Minor Errors Can Easily Sabotage a Potentially Excellent VideoLittle Instructor Time Needed to Guide Assignment & Assess Results, ( BUT . . .In Practice, watching each video many times is not only inevitable [but (GRRRRRR !)much FUN!)])Instructor intervention is NOT Needed to make Draft Videos Significantly BETTER

Lessons LearnedLoopholes: Students WILL Find Them !Pay Attention to Student “Progress”Hands-On Skill Does NOT == LearningRigor CAN Easily Be Edited OUT, so must insure clear and intelligible:

Graphs Top-Level Introduction (What does video teach?) Explanation of In-Process “Why?s”

DRAFT Video Submittal Can Convert a “C” Product into “A” ProductDon’t Need Much Equipment To Conduct Many Exciting (YES! WOW!) Experiments! ?? Could Some/Much Existing Lab Equipment Now Be OBSOLETE ?

Future Work Goals

Revise Existing PHY101 LabsMove Some Labs OutdoorsSCC to Make & Use a Rubens’ TubeAddress How To Channel Demonstrated Student Interests into the LECTURE Classroom ! ? ! ? Rethink the Utility of Traditional “Modern Technology” Physics Equipment !Develop New Labs to Leverage Modern “Information Technology” Multimedia Capabilities

To Begin… To Begin…