Session K8: The Cutting Edge of Physics Education Research

Collaborative Assessment Tool (CAT) -- Assessing scientific practices in introductory physics

An important learning goal of Projects and Practices in Physics (P$^{\mathrm{3}})$, the transformed introductory mechanics course at Michigan State University, is the development of scientific practices. The design team, as part of the P$^{\mathrm{3\thinspace }}$course construction, made clear attempts to assess learning goals that can often be perceived as being a part of the hidden curriculum or considered difficult to assess (e.g., learning to work productively in a group) by developing a collaborative assessment tool (CAT). The CAT is a formative assessment tool that provides students with a numerical grade for how they participated in their learning group on a weekly basis while also providing feedback in the form of written commentary and suggestions on how they might improve at a particular collaborative practice. In this presentation, we demonstrate the CAT tool from two perspectives: 1) how the CAT tool is used within the P$^{\mathrm{3}}$ context and 2) how the formative feedback has affected changes in student interactions in class. We will present the case studies of 3 students who had differing reactions to the feedback they received. We will explore the role the feedback had in their interactions over a four-week period from an in-class perspective and a reflected perspective through interviews and observations. The analysis will also be presented from a tutor and group perspective, which will highlight the affordances the CAT can have in creating a productive learning group. The research on the CAT shows promise in encouraging growth in students' collaborative skills, but this research is still in its infancy and needs to be expanded to include different contexts.   

Big Data Meets Physics Education Research: From MOOCs to University-Led High School Programs

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) movement has catalyzed discussions of digital learning on campuses around the world and highlighted the increasingly large, complex datasets related to learning. Physics Education Research can and should play a key role in measuring outcomes of this most recent wave of digital education. In this talk, I will discuss big data and learning analytics through multiple modes of teaching and learning enabled by the open-source edX platform: open-online, flipped, and blended. \textit{Open-Online} learning will be described through analysis of MOOC offerings from Harvard and MIT, where 2.5 million unique users have led to 9 million enrollments across nearly 300 courses. \textit{Flipped} instruction will be discussed through an Advanced Placement program at Davidson College that empowers high school teachers to use AP aligned, MOOC content directly in their classrooms with only their students. Analysis of this program will be highlighted, including results from a pilot study showing a positive correlation between content usage and externally validated AP exam scores. Lastly, blended learning will be discussed through specific residential use cases at Davidson College and MIT, highlighting unique course models that blend open-online and residential experiences. My hope for this talk is that listeners will better understand the current wave of digital education and the opportunities it provides for data-driven teaching and learning.   

Applied Physics Education: PER focused on Physics-Intensive Careers

Physics education research is moving beyond classroom learning to study the application of physics education within STEM jobs and PhD-level research. Workforce-related PER is vital to supporting physics departments as they educate students for a diverse range of careers. Results from an on-going study involving interviews with entry-level employees, academic researchers, and supervisors in STEM jobs describe the ways that mathematics, physics, and communication are needed for workplace success. Math and physics are often used for solving ill-structured problems that involve data analysis, computational modeling, or hands-on work. Communication and collaboration are utilized in leadership, sales, and as way to transfer information capital throughout the organization through documentation, emails, memos, and face-to-face discussions. While managers and advisors think a physics degree typically establishes technical competency, communication skills are vetted through interviews and developed on the job. Significant learning continues after graduation, showing the importance of cultivating self-directed learning habits and the critical role of employers as educators of specialized technical abilities through on-the-job training.