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of working with other researchers to investigate difficult problems of
practice. The model provides opportunities and support for engaging
in collaborative, publishable, discipline-based education research.
These research experience also: (a) provide teachers with the skills
necessary to advocate for themselves regarding the instructional
decisions they make, especially when dealing with parents, administrators,
and colleagues and (b) is a form of scholarly professional
development since teachers induce principles about effective practice
from their research. Since prospective teachers also serve on these
teams, the experience is a progressive model for teacher preparation.
Three Physics Research Teams are currently field-testing the Physics
and Everyday Thinking-High School Curriculum and studying its
implementation and class participation. We are investigating teacher
learning and teacher preparation throughout this process. Our project
will be described and our preliminary results will be discussed.
*This work is partially funded by the Gill Foundation and NSF Grant #1340083,
1240073, 0934921
DE04: 12:30-12:40 p.m. Fifteen Years of Success from the
Exploratorium’s Leadership Program
Contributed – Marc ‘Zeke’ Kossover, Exploratorium, Pier 15/17, Suite
100 San Francisco, CA 94116 zkossover@exploratorium.edu
The Exploratorium’s Beginning Teacher and Leadership Programs
have been training teachers new to the profession since 1998. The program
has several components from three weeks of training for coaches
and mentors, three weeks of pedagogy and content training for new
teachers, mentor meetings during the academic year, observations
from coaches in the classroom of the beginning teachers, an exclusive
email list to get help, and ongoing pedagogy and content workshops
for teachers’ entire careers. We find that this whole teacher approach
helps to decrease attrition, rapidly develop teaching skills, and create
solid content knowledge that is passed on to students. Further, it creates
a corps mentors that help teachers outside our program.
Session DF: Interactive Lecture
Demonstrations – What’s New
ILDs Using Clickers and Video
Analysis
Location: Nautilus Hall 5
Sponsor: Committee on Research in Physics Education
Co-Sponsor: Committee on Educational Technologies
Date: Monday, January 5
Time: 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Presider: Priscilla Laws
DF01: 11-11:30 a.m. Interactive Lecture Demonstrations:
Active Learning in Lecture Including Clickers and Video
Analysis
Invited – David Sokoloff, University of Oregon, Department of Physics,
Eugene, OR 97403-1274; sokoloff@uoregon.edu
Ronald K. Thornton, Tufts University
The results of physics education research and the availability of
microcomputer-based tools have led to the development of the Activity
Based Physics Suite. 1 Most of the Suite materials are designed for
hands-on learning, for example student-oriented laboratory curricula
such as RealTime Physics. One reason for the success of these materials
is that they encourage students to take an active part in their learning.
This interactive session will demonstrate “through active audience
participation” Suite materials designed to promote active learning in
lecture—Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs), 2 including those
using clickers and video analysis.
1. E.F. Redish, Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite (Wiley, Hoboken, NJ,
2004).
2. David R. Sokoloff and Ronald K. Thornton, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations
(Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2004).
January 3–6, 2015
DF02:
11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Interactive Lecture Demonstrations:
Effectiveness in Teaching Concepts
Invited – Ronald K. Thornton, Tufts University, 4 Colby St., Medford, MA
02155; ronald.thornton@tufts.edu
David R. Sokoloff. University of Oregon
The effectiveness of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) in
teaching physics concepts has been studied using physics education
research based, multiple-choice conceptual evaluations. 1 Results of
such studies will be presented, including studies with clicker ILDs.
These results should be encouraging to those who wish to improve
conceptual learning in their introductory physics course. 1. David R.
Sokoloff and Ronald K. Thornton, “Using Interactive Lecture Demonstrations
to Create an Active Learning Environment,” Phys. Teach. 35,
340 (1997).
1. David R. Sokoloff and Ronald K. Thornton, “Using Interactive Lecture
Demonstrations to Create an Active Learning Environment,” Phys. Teach. 35,
340 (1997).
Session DG: Writing in Physics
Location: Seabreeze 1-2
Sponsor: Committee on Laboratories
Co-Sponsor: Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education
Date: Monday, January 5
Time: 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Presider: Andy Dawes
DG01: 11-11:30 a.m. Discourse Communities as a Framework
for Writing in Physics
Invited – Heather M. Whitney, Wheaton College, 501 College Ave.,
Wheaton, IL 60187; heather.whitney@wheaton.edu
James Beitler, Wheaton College
Writing assignments in upper-level physics courses can be a refreshing
way for students to more fully engage with the material, but these
assignments must have careful construction for the greatest efficacy.
Connecting with your institution’s writing program can be a fruitful
partnership that gives students the opportunity to transfer learning
between fields. We present our experience with framing student writing
in an upper-level analytical mechanics course around the framework
of discourse communities, and compare student achievement of
learning outcomes both with and without this framework.
DG02:
11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Writing as a Means to Provide a
Meaningful Classroom Experience
Invited – Calvin S. Kalman, Physics Department, Concordia University,
7141 Sherbrooke St., W. Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada; calvin.
kalman@concordia.ca
Writing can be used before students enter the classroom to enable
them to try and understand the textbook as much as possible. If
students also try problems in addition to writing, the classroom can
become a place of interaction between students and the instructor.
Writing can also be used after the class has taken place. Students can
explore concepts to get a deep understanding. Our research (http://
reflectivewriting.concordia.ca/) has shown that using writing, students
can change their way of learning physics and can do better on
traditional problem-solving examinations.
DG03:
12-12:30 p.m. The Conference Paper as an Alternative
Assessment Tool in Physics
Invited – Teresa L. Larkin, American University, 4400 Massachusetts
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016-8058; tlarkin@american.edu
The pedagogical value of a writing-based approach to learning has
been widely documented. This presentation will describe a writingintensive
alternative model for assessment of student learning in
introductory physics. A second-level course at American University
provides the setting for this work. Students are exposed to all aspects
of preparing a professional conference paper that they present at the
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Monday morning