American Association of Physics Teachers Alabama Section April 5, 2014 University of South Alabama Mobile, Alabama Are they Learning What we Teach? (Closing the loop on student learning) Ali Yazdi, Jefferson State Community College

SACS 2.5 (Part of Core Requirements) The institution engages in ongoing, integrated and institution- wide researched based planning and evaluation processes that: (3) Demonstrate the institution is effectively accomplishing its mission.

 Institutional Effectiveness is the extent to which an institution achieves its mission and goals. Definition of Institutional Effectiveness

 The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in each of the following areas:  Educational programs to include student learning outcomes. SACS 3.3 Institutional Effectiveness

 The focus of Institutional effectiveness has changed from Instructor-focused teaching To Student-focused Learning

 What is student learning outcome?

The knowledge, skills and abilities a student has attained at the end (or as a result) of his or her engagement in a particular set of higher education experiences. Learning Outcomes defined

Outcomes are expressed in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes or values.

Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic and Results-Oriented Timely SMART SLOs

1.Learner-centered 2.Key to the course/program mission 3.Meaningful (to students and faculty) 4.Measurable 5.All of the above Good learning outcomes are:

Turns colleges from being teacher-centered to be student- and learning centered Assessment

1. Create written statements of measurable SLOs. 2. Choose the evaluation tool. 3. Set standards for levels of performance on each objective (Rubrics) 4. Identify observable factors that provide the basis for assessing which level of performance has been achieved. 5. Evaluate student performance, assemble data, and report results. 6. Use results to improve student learning. Process for measuring SLOs

Heidi Andrade Rubrics have become popular with teachers as a means of communicating expectations for an assignment, providing focused feedback on works in progress, and grading final products. Although educators tend to define the word “rubric” in slightly different ways, Heidi Andrade’s commonly accepted definition is a document that articulates the expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria, or what counts, and describing levels of quality from excellent to poor. Rubrics are often used to grade student work but they can serve another, more important, role as well: Rubrics can teach as well as evaluate. When used as part of a formative, student-centered approach to assessment, rubrics have the potential to help students develop understanding and skill, as well as make dependable judgments about the quality of their own work. Students should be able to use rubrics in many of the same ways that teachers use them—to clarify the standards for a quality performance, and to guide ongoing feedback about progress toward those standards. What is a Rubric?

Rubrics consist of a collection of steps that initiated by the student to take her/him from a Real World problem to a sensible, correct solution. (It is sort of an ALGORITHM) PHYSICS Problem Solving (Example of Rubrics)

Oral and written communication skills Critical thinking skills Mathematical problem-solving Information literacy Technological literacy Social and interpersonal skills Cultural/global/diversity studies General Education outcomes

If it is not documented then it did not happen. Documentation Rule

Learning Outcomes Assessment Implement Rubrics Examining the results Making Adjustment Closing the loop

PHY 213S Assessment Rubric Description of Assessed Objective 3210 Physics approach The physics approach is appropriate and complete The physics approach contains minor omissions or errors Some concepts and principles of the physics approach are missing/or inappropriate Most physics approach is missing and/or inappropriate Specific Applicatio n of physics The specific application of physics is appropriate and complete The specific application of physics contains minor omissions or errors Parts of the specific application of physics are missing and/or contain errors Most of the specific application of physics is missing and/or contains errors Mathematic al procedure The mathematic al procedures are appropriate and complete Appropriate mathematic al procedures are used with minor omissions or errors Parts of the mathematical procedures are missing and/or contains errors Most of the mathematical procedures are missing and/or contain errors Logical progress The entire solution is clear, focused and logically connected The solution is clear and focused with minor inconsistenci es Parts of the solution are unclear, unfocused, and/or inconsistent Most of the solution parts are unclear, unfocused, and/or inconsistent Totals Instructor analysis: Sample Rubric For Cal-Based PHYSICS I

y Learning Outcome Number 1 Solving Projectile Motion Problems 1.Projectile Motion Question 53 A ball is projected from the origin with initial velocity v o, as shown at the right. The initial speed of the ball is 50 m/s. Assume that. g =10 m/s 2. (a) Determine the x component of the initial velocity? (b) Determine the y component of the initial velocity? (c) Determine the acceleration in the x direction. Ignore air resistance. (d) Determine the acceleration in the y, direction. Ignore air resistance. (e) Complete the table below indicating the position components and the velocity components at one-second time intervals beginning at time zero when the ball leaves the ground. time (s)x velocity (m/s)x position (m)y velocity (m/s)y position (m) (f)Determine the ball's velocity (magnitude and direction) at position A. (g)Determine the ball's velocity (magnitude and direction) at position B just before it hits the ground. A B

Student learning Outcome #1 Solve projectile motion problems Physics approach The physics approach is appropriate and complete The physics approach contains minor omissions or errors Some concepts and principles of the physics approach are missing/or inappropriate Most physics approach is missing and/or inappropriate Specific Application of physics The specific application of physics is appropriate and complete The specific application of physics contains minor omissions or errors Parts of the specific application of physics are missing and/or contain errors Most of the specific application of physics is missing and/or contains errors Mathematical procedure The mathematical procedures are appropriate and complete Appropriate mathematical procedures are used with minor omissions or errors Parts of the mathematical procedures are missing and/or contains errors Most of the mathematical procedures are missing and/or contain errors Logical progress The entire solution is clear, focused and logically connected The solution is clear and focused with minor inconsistencies Parts of the solution are unclear, unfocused, and/or inconsistent Most of the solution parts are unclear, unfocused, and/or inconsistent Number of students at each level by responses to the questions Question # Instructor analysis: Even if 73% of responses are at levels 3 & 2, more examples of Projectile Motion should be worked out.

2. If α=30 and β=70, and M=5kg, determine the tension in string 2.  αβ M 1.A 5-kg hanging object is connected by a light, inextensible cord over a light, frictionless pulley to a 2.00-kg block that is sliding on a flat table. Taking the coefficient of kinetic friction as 0.3, find the tension in the string. learning Outcome Number 2 State and apply Newton’s 2 nd Law

Student learning Outcome #2 State and apply Newton's second law Physics approach The physics approach is appropriate and complete The physics approach contains minor omissions or errors Some concepts and principles of the physics approach are missing/or inappropriate Most physics approach is missing and/or inappropriate Specific Application of physics The specific application of physics is appropriate and complete The specific application of physics contains minor omissions or errors Parts of the specific application of physics are missing and/or contain errors Most of the specific application of physics is missing and/or contains errors Mathematical procedure The mathematical procedures are appropriate and complete Appropriate mathematical procedures are used with minor omissions or errors Parts of the mathematical procedures are missing and/or contains errors Most of the mathematical procedures are missing and/or contain errors Logical progressThe entire solution is clear, focused and logically connected The solution is clear and focused with minor inconsistencies Parts of the solution are unclear, unfocused, and/or inconsistent Most of the solution parts are unclear, unfocused, and/or inconsistent Number of students at each level by responses to the questions Question # Question # Instructor analysis: Solving problems of higher degree of difficulty should be more emphasized.

 1. A one-dimensional force is given as follows:  Find the Potential Energy Function for this force.   2. A one-dimensional Potential Energy Function is given as:   Find the magnitude of the force related to this Potential at x=2.  Learning OUTCOME 3 Calculate Potential Energy and Force

Student learning Outcome #3 Calculate potential energy and force Physics approach The physics approach is appropriate and complete The physics approach contains minor omissions or errors Some concepts and principles of the physics approach are missing/or inappropriate Most physics approach is missing and/or inappropriate Specific Application of physics The specific application of physics is appropriate and complete The specific application of physics contains minor omissions or errors Parts of the specific application of physics are missing and/or contain errors Most of the specific application of physics is missing and/or contains errors Mathematical procedure The mathematical procedures are appropriate and complete Appropriate mathematical procedures are used with minor omissions or errors Parts of the mathematical procedures are missing and/or contains errors Most of the mathematical procedures are missing and/or contain errors Logical progress The entire solution is clear, focused and logically connected The solution is clear and focused with minor inconsistencies Parts of the solution are unclear, unfocused, and/or inconsistent Most of the solution parts are unclear, unfocused, and/or inconsistent Number of students at each level by responses to the questions Question # Question # Instructor analysis: Relationship between Potential Energy Function and Force is well understood.