Add Interactivity to Your Lecture Using a Classroom Response System February 24, 2006 Paul Williams

Physics Department Project ► Funded by ACC Innovation Grant (IG45) ► Turnkey system for use by science and math faculty at NRG ► Collaborators – Jeff Bechtold and Paul Nacozy

Outline ► What is a Classroom Response System (CRS)? ► How can a CRS be used to promote interactivity in the classroom? ► How can a CRS be implemented at ACC? ► Is a CRS effective? Some measures?

My principal teaching area is Math 2. Developmental Math 3. Statistics 4. Other

1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree I am familiar with Classroom Response Systems (CRS) 12345

I have previously used CRS in my teaching 1. Yes 2. No 12345

Classroom Response Systems Components 1. Instructor poses question to entire class with computer/projector/receiver 2. Students have input device to answer questions 3. Immediate Feedback can be Given to Students

Classroom Response Systems Instructor 1. Instructor Develops Questions in same software environment that questions are administered 2. Learn Software 3. Writes/Adapts Questions – Can spend a lot of time doing this! 4. Manages Data and Class Roster

Classroom Response Systems Student ► Typically Learns to Use Input Devices in matter of seconds ► Depending on Purchase Model may need to register devices over the web

Classroom Response Systems Advantages 1. Answers are recorded and immediate feedback can be given to students 2. Gives students anonymity while answering questions 3. Typically all students answer every question 4. Can collect data for Research or Participation Grade 5. Pedagogically very versatile

Strategies for Using CRS in the Classroom

I am familiar with election day exit polls 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 12345

I believe results of exit polls can influence the outcome of elections 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 12345

Polling ► Typically an opinion question ► Students answer anonymously ► Good tool for promoting class discussion

A rectangular flower bed has dimensions 2.0 m x 3.00 m. Its area is 1. 6 m m m m 2 5. All of the above 6. Some other answer 12345

What is the y-intercept of y = 3x (0,3) 4. (3,0) 5. (0,4) 6. (4,0) 7. Some other Answer

Which of the following is a graph of y = |x – 2|

Which is true about the following function on the interval (0,π2) 1. f’(x) > 0 2. f’(x) < 0 3. f’’(x) > 0 4. f’’(x) < and and 4 7. None of the above 12345

Concept Tests ► Typically Brief Questions to test student understanding of concepts ► Can be used to see if additional time needs to be devoted to topic

A plane’s instruments indicate the landing gear is not working. The pilot thinks the indication is wrong and attempts to land, crashing the plane The pilot made a Type I Error 2. The pilot made a Type II Error 3. The pilot committed some other type of error

Consult with your neighbors. See if you can reach consensus and answer again.

A plane’s instruments indicate the landing gear is not working. The pilot thinks the indication is wrong and attempts to land, crashing the plane The pilot made a Type I Error 2. The pilot made a Type II Error 3. The pilot committed some other type of error

Think Pair Share Questions ► Goal – Students learn from each other (Peer Instruction) ► Same Question is asked twice ► First time students answer on their own ► Small group discussion about the question is held and then students answer again ► Question choice is important – need a question that you expect 30-50% of the students to initially know the correct answer

A large dump truck rear ends a Yugo. During the collision, the force exerted on the Yugo by the truck is 1. Larger in magnitude than the force exerted on the truck by the Yugo 2. Equal in magnitude to the force exerted on the truck by the Yugo 3. Less in magnitude than the force exerted on the truck by the Yugo 4. Cannot be determined 12345

Eliciting Common Misconceptions ► Physics Education Research has shown that students strongly and persistently hold non- Newtonian beliefs about force and motion ► An effective strategy to change those beliefs is to elicit them and confront them

An apparatus will simultaneously release two balls from the same height. One will be dropped from rest and the other kicked horizontally. Which ball will hit the ground first? The ball dropped from rest 2. The ball kicked sideways 3. They will land at the same time 4. It depends on the height 5. It depends on the speed of the ball

Consult with your neighbors. Try and reach a consensus opinion. Then answer again.

An apparatus will simultaneously release two balls from the same height. One will be dropped from rest and the other kicked horizontally. Which ball will hit the ground first? The ball dropped from rest 2. The ball kicked sideways 3. They will land at the same time 4. It depends on the height 5. It depends on the speed of the ball

Interactive Lecture Demonstrations ► Students predict outcome of demonstration both on their own and after discussing with their neighbors ► Makes demonstrations much more effective teaching tools

Task ► Break into groups of 3 – 4 ► Introduce yourself to the members of your group ► Brainstorm other ways you could use a CRS in the classroom ► You have three minutes

Uses of CRS in the Classroom 1. Polling 2. Concept Tests 3. Think/Pair/Share Questions 4. Eliciting Common Misconceptions 5. Interactive Lecture Demonstrations 6. Others …

Implementation of CRS ► Purchase Model ► Available Resources at ACC

Purchase Model ► College-owned Classroom Sets 1. College bears cost 2. Instructor manages roster ► Bundled with Text 1. Cost is included in Text (Instructor equipment is typically included as part of adoption) 2. Student manages roster (typically over web) ► Student Purchases Clicker at Bookstore 1. Student buys clicker (college may have to buy instructor equipment) 2. Student manages roster (typically over web)

The campus at which I primarily teach is 1. CYP 2. EVC 3. NRG 4. PIN 5. RGC 6. RVS 7. Other 12345

Class Sets ► ACC currently owns 5 sets ► Software is free and can be downloaded from the website of the different vendors ► Three are TurningPoint (NRG, EVC, RVS)  ► Two are eInstruction (RGC, NRG) – Herb Coleman 

TurningPoint vs. CPS TurningPoint ► Tool bar in PowerPoint ► Exports data to Excel ► Supports large number of question types ► Supports input devices from different vendors ► Has IR and RF ► RF can be used for testing ► Buggy CPS (eInstruction) ► Stand alone Program – easier to learn ► Built in Gradebook ► Fewer Question Types ► Only CPS input devices ► IR and RF ► Can be used for testing ► More Stable

Innovation Grant ► Goal – Turnkey portable system for use by science faculty at NRG ► Lives in Physics prep room – NRG 2229 ► Develop slide sets of TurningPoint questions to share with other Physics Instructors (It’s easier to edit than create from scratch) ► Conducting a number of Measures of efficacy

Efficacy Measures ► Data Collection is a “Work in Progress”  FCI Pre/Post Test  Success Rates  Attendance Rates  Attitudinal Survey

FCI Pre/Post Test ► Widely used (Hestenes 1985) ► Controversial ► Identical 30 question 5 item MC test given before and after instruction on force and motion ► Measure: Hake gain (Hake, 1992)  g= (#questions improved)/(# questions missed)

FCI Pre/Post Test ► Typical Chalk/Talk lecture g =.2 ► Typical Active Engagement g =.4

FCI Pre/Post Test ► Without Clickers  Bechtold Summer, 2005 ► PHYS 2425 g =.25  Nacozy Fall, 2005 ► PHYS 1401 g =.20 ► With Clickers  Williams Fall, 2005 ► PHYS 1401 g =.40 ► PHYS 2425 g =.40  Bechtold Fall, 2005 ► PHYS 2425 g =.41

Success Rates Without Clickers With Clickers PHYS 1401 FA04.57 SP05.73 PHYS 1401 FA05.83 PHYS 1402 SP05.92 PHYS 1402 SU05.95 PHYS 2425 FA04.71 PHYS 2425 FA05.65

Attendance, Fall 05

Attendance, Spring 06

Student Attitude ► Published Results – Students tend to like using clickers (See Clickers in the Classroom by Duncan) ► Attitudinal Survey conducted by Herb Coleman at ACC – Students very Positive about use ► Anecdotal with my own students – Very positive about use ► Attitudinal Survey for our project – To be conducted this spring

Contact Us ► Paul Williams, NRG 2153, , ► Jeff Bechtold, NRG 2216, , ► Paul Nacozy, NRG 4226, ,

Evaluation Please feel free to trade clickers to answer the evaluation questions anonymously

The material presented was interesting 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 12345

The material presented was clear 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 12345

My knowledge about using CRS increased because of the presentation 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 12345

My interest in using CRS increased because of the presentation 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 12345

I would attend a future workshop about using TurningPoint software 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 12345