Listening, Experience, and Jerk
At my university, we have a course that prepares grad students to work as TAs and instructors. It's a challenge to get them to move beyond the rote, ritualistic approach -- especially for international students who have only ever learned via lecture. I think one key is to get them to really, really listen to their students. Relatedly Brian Lawler shared this superb paper on Twitter this weekend, "Listening for Differences", in which the author follows a novice teacher through three lessons in which she learns how to listen more constructively to her students.
A fascinating paper on the arXiv from Cal State Chico looks at how student performance on the FCI or FCME depends on (a) the experience of the instructor, and (b) whether the course has learning assistants (ie: TAs). Surprisingly, instructor experience is correlated with a decrease in student score. The presence of LAs seems to mitigate this effect. The authors contrast this with schools, where teachers typically receive more support for ongoing instructional improvement, and where experience is usually correlated with improved outcomes.
McPadden and Brewe have a paper on PhysRev:PER that shows pretty clearly that students who take courses focused on active learning and multiple representations are carrying to subsequent classes the desire to seek out multiple representations. This is a heartening result.
Bryan Gaensler from the Dunlap Observatory in Toronto posted a very good summary of a talk about their efforts to move toward gender equity.
For teachers, Amber Strunk points out a very good summer program at LIGO.
I read that Jon Anderson is taking over the reins of the AAPT Physics Bowl. Jon's a superb educator, and it's good to know that the event is in good hands.
YouTuber Vi Hart is back at it, with an intro calculus-level video about jerk (ie: the rate of change of acceleration). Meanwhile, Tadashi Tokieda is back on NumberPhile with a fascinating toy.
And, seen on the web:
Frances Boreham has a superb demonstration of gravity currents in salt water (and a loooong water tank). Sasha posted a video showing the triple-point of cyclohexane (which may be achievable with your lab's vacuum pump). Bree Barnett-Dreyfuss shared this gif of a ball bearing in soap. Dolores Gende shared a great practical dropping toilet paper rolls. Matt Blackman shows a good device for demoing the electric field around a van de Graaff generator. And Patrick Kaplo's students are using their phones authentically and meaningfully.
A fascinating paper on the arXiv from Cal State Chico looks at how student performance on the FCI or FCME depends on (a) the experience of the instructor, and (b) whether the course has learning assistants (ie: TAs). Surprisingly, instructor experience is correlated with a decrease in student score. The presence of LAs seems to mitigate this effect. The authors contrast this with schools, where teachers typically receive more support for ongoing instructional improvement, and where experience is usually correlated with improved outcomes.
McPadden and Brewe have a paper on PhysRev:PER that shows pretty clearly that students who take courses focused on active learning and multiple representations are carrying to subsequent classes the desire to seek out multiple representations. This is a heartening result.
Bryan Gaensler from the Dunlap Observatory in Toronto posted a very good summary of a talk about their efforts to move toward gender equity.
For teachers, Amber Strunk points out a very good summer program at LIGO.
I read that Jon Anderson is taking over the reins of the AAPT Physics Bowl. Jon's a superb educator, and it's good to know that the event is in good hands.
YouTuber Vi Hart is back at it, with an intro calculus-level video about jerk (ie: the rate of change of acceleration). Meanwhile, Tadashi Tokieda is back on NumberPhile with a fascinating toy.
And, seen on the web:
Frances Boreham has a superb demonstration of gravity currents in salt water (and a loooong water tank). Sasha posted a video showing the triple-point of cyclohexane (which may be achievable with your lab's vacuum pump). Bree Barnett-Dreyfuss shared this gif of a ball bearing in soap. Dolores Gende shared a great practical dropping toilet paper rolls. Matt Blackman shows a good device for demoing the electric field around a van de Graaff generator. And Patrick Kaplo's students are using their phones authentically and meaningfully.