UBC Study Supports Interactive Learning

A study recently published in Science (click here to go directly to the full article) concludes that learning in an introductory university physics class can be significantly improved through the use of interactive methods compared to traditional lecture methodology.

The university press release provides an overview of the key features of conclusions of the study. The study, which took place at the University of British Columbia, matched two classes in second term of introductory physics, during an electromagnetism unit.  Both classes had experienced traditional lectures for the first portion of the year, and standardized tests showed that they were well matched in terms of attitudes to physics and physics achievement.

For one week (3 hr of instruction time) one class (each had about 270 students) was taught traditionally by a highly rated senior professor.  The other class were taught by a trained but not experienced young scholar (the lead author of the paper) assisted by a graduate student teaching assistant.   The press release describes the experimental group this way "During the experimental week, Deslauriers and Schelew gave no formal lecturing but guided students through a series of activities that had previously been shown to enhance learning, such as paired and small-group discussions and active learning tasks, which included the use of remote-control “clickers” to provide feedback for in-class questions. Pre-class reading assignments and quizzes were also given to ensure students were prepared to discuss course material upon arrival in class."

Results on the same test for experimental and control group (from the cited paper).

The results were truly impressive, particularly considering the short term nature of the experiment.  The figure shows the mark distribution (on the same test) for the experimental and the traditional groups.   The average test score was 74% for the experimental group versus 41% for the control group.  There was also a significant (20%) improvement in class attendance and engagement.

While the results are not surprising to those familiar with the PER literature, the relatively straightforward approach and dramatic differences are sure to help convince skeptics.  Interactive methods really do lead to better learning in physics classrooms.

Women in Physics: A Surprising Study

The Nov. 26, 2010 issue of the journal Science published an article by Akira Miyake and collaborators from the University of Colorado at Boulder that suggested a relatively simple intervention can have a profound influence on the attitudes and success in physics by women students. The paper entitled "Reducing the gender achievement gap in college science: A classroom study of values affirmation" (Science,2010, 330, 1234-1237) is one that every scholar in physics education research should read.

Physics (along with Computer Science and some areas of Engineering) has remained one of the few disciplines in which, at least at the graduate and faculty level, women are still seriously under-represented. This is true in North America, although the situation is very different, and has been for decades, in a number of other cultures. A recent study by Eric Brewe and collaborators (Phys. Rev. ST Phsics Ed. Research, 6, 1, 010106) finds, based on five years of Force Concept Inventory (FCI) testing, that there was a gender gap between male and female introductory physics students' conceptual understanding of physics, and that the gap was present upon entrance to university, and in fact increased during the university physics course. The reasons for the under representation of women in physics have proved elusive to identify, although some types of learning approaches have been shown to narrow the gap.

The Colorado experiment involved 399 students (283 men and 116 women) from an introductory physics class at the university. Some students were given a values affirmation activity, twice, early in the term, while the control group were not. All other aspects of the educational experience were the same for the two groups. It was a randomized double blind experiment, so that the faculty and teaching assistants did not know which students were in the experimental group.

The values affirmation intervention was a simple one. Twice, once at the beginning and once just prior to a midterm test, students were asked to write about values. Both students in the experimental and control groups were presented with 12 possible values , for example relationships with friends and family, or the importance of learning or gaining knowledge. The experimental group were asked to select the value of most important to them, and to write an essay on that value. In the control group the students were asked to write an essay on the value that was least important to them, and why that value might be important to other people. There was no direct link to the physics course content, or encouragement to link the two. Nevertheless, female students who had written about a value important to them performed significantly better in physics at the end of the course (approximately one grade point higher), and also performed better in physics concept testing with the FCI. Interestingly, the difference for male students was not significant (and in fact slightly negative). Particularly encouraging was that the intervention seemed to have the biggest effect on students who had entering negative stereotypes about the role of women in science.

Even the authors found the results surprising. As lead author Akira Miyake, who is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Colorado Univesity in Boulder, stated in the university press release "I just wasn't expecting these results.... it still amazes me how this writing exercise has such positive influences." The theory behind the intervention is recent psychological research on identity threat, when entering stereotypes provide a threat to success.

Co-author in the study physicist Noah Finkelstein, well known in the PER community, expressed the following view in the university press release: "This is a really exciting finding. It bears further exploration. These results hold significant promise for addressing differential performance and the significant disparity of recruitment and retention of women in STEM disciplines."

It will be interesting to see the results as the experiment is replicated in other environments. At least in many Canadian institutions women are not under-represented in introductory physics classes, and it would be interesting to see if the results were affirmed in environments in which women were not the minority. One idea which came to mind, was is it possible that the values affirmation activity, done within the context of a physics course, helps students to perceive physics itself in a more personal and positive fashion. As teachers we all know that students respond better when they feel that the learning environment is personal (teachers know them as individuals and express concern for their success, their views are valued by the class, etc.).

I hope that those who read this blog (people do read these posts?) will post in the comments section their view of the study, and what it might be telling us.