Interactive Teaching Techniques: Are they transferable across cultures?

There is a substantial body of evidence to suggest that: traditional lecturing is not an effective way of producing learning or understanding in students.

Physics education research (1980–2000)  has identified many common misconceptions  has led to the construction of standardized diagnostic tests

Mathematics and Physics Conceptual Evaluation Thornton & Sokoloff, Am. J. Phys, 66(4), 1998, p 338

Physics education research (1980–2007)  has identified many common misconceptions  has led to the construction of standardized diagnostic tests  has prompted development of targeted teaching strategies.

For example: Interactive Lecture Demonstrations  use computers in lectures to log and display data in various representations,  rely on carefully controlled teacher-class interactions,  claim very substantial gains in student learning.

1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre- and post-traditional instruction

1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre- and post-ILD

Normalized gains: different institutions and teaching methods 20%40%60%80%100%0% (% normalized gain)

Evaluation of ILDs at Sydney University

 First semester 1999, 1 Regular class (130 students) taught with ILDs  Advanced stream and other 2 Regular streams (320 students) as controls  Module chosen was MECHANICS, (HRW chapters 1–12 )

Logistics  Control classes had 15 1-hour lectures (5 weeks)  Experimental class had 11 1-hour lectures plus 4 1-hour ILD sessions  All tested during first lecture period, and again in middle of the semester.

Pre-test scores: all Introductory classes Percentage of students understansing 1st & 2nd, graphical 1st & 2nd, natural language 50 3rd law, collisions 3rd law, contact

Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre-instruction

Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre- and post-instruction

Average gain: all Introductory classes Average gain (%) Advanced Regular (ILD) Regular (standard) 50

Experiment repeated in 2000  Same class numbers (roughly), same logistics  Only the 3 regular streams were given the pre-test  All 3 regular and 1 advanced streams given the post-test (compulsory).

Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Correct (%) Correct responses: pre- and post-instruction (2000)

Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Gain (%) Relative gain: experimental classes 1999 and

Average gain: all Introductory classes: 1999 and Average gain (%) Advanced Regular (ILD) Regular (standard) 50

Experiment done again in 2001  Same class numbers and same logistics again.  Different lecturer.

Velocity Acceleration Coin Acc 1st & 2nd (nl) 1st & 2nd (g) Coin toss 3rd contact Energy 3rd collision Cart ramp Gain (%) Normalized gains: post-ILD instruction (1999, 2000, 2001)

Gain (%) Normalized gains: post-ILD instruction (1999, 2000, 2001) Average gains = 36%, 48%, 38%

Same experiment started in a Thai university in 2002  Mahidol University, Bangkok.  1300 first year physics, medical science and engineering students.  Only results from first stage of the experiment available so far.

Correct (%) Correct responses: post traditional instruction (Thailand) Natural language GraphicalCoin tossCart on ramp

Gain (%) Normalized gains: post traditional instruction (Thailand) Natural language GraphicalCoin tossCart on ramp

Same experiment started again in Sydney in 2007  90 first year physics students.  All in the Fundamental stream.  Four different lecturers involved.

Correct (%) Correct responses (Fundamentals 2007) pre- and post ILD

Correct (%) Correct responses (Fundamentals 2007) pre- and post ILD Average gain = 33%

Correct responses: pre- and post-instruction 20%40%60%80%100%0% (% normalized gain)

Conclusions?  This teaching technique seems to achieve what it claims (to a degree)  This teaching technique requires practice and commitment to be used successfully  There seems to be a small fraction of students who cannot be reached

47 Questions Individual questions answered incorrectly 79 Students