| Course | Learning goals | New Assessments | Improved Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTR 310: Exploring the Universe I: The Solar System (Summer ’08 start) Faculty: B. Gladman, H. Richer STLF: Peter Newbury Grad Student: M. Milkeratis, S. Lawler, M. Gendre, S. Vafaei 
Poster: Exploring the Solar System with a Human Orrery Poster: A Timeline for Transforming ASTR 310 Poster: Interactive Tutorial Activities in ASTR 310: Exploring the Solar System |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Improved midterm and final exam questions based on assessing learning goals.
|
Created 6 activities for tutorials including guidelines for TAs for facilitating the activities. Using MasteringAstronomy for Just-in-time teaching (Gladman). Aligning lecture material with learning goals. Peer instruction using clickers (Richer) Using Lecture-Tutorial workbooks (Richer).
|
| ASTR 311: Exploring the Universe II: Stars and Galaxies (Summer ’09 start) Faculty: I. Stairs, J. Heyl, L. Van Waerbeke, J. Zibin |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Developed pre/post concept test for tutorial activities Improved final exam based on learning goals. Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI) pre- and post-test (Stairs) Pre-, Post-testing with the Test of Astronomy Standard |
Developed 7 50-minute activities for tutorial sessions including guidelines for TAs for facilitating the activities
Intense focus on learner-centered instruction: peer-instruction with clickers, lecture-tutorial workbook, in-class worksheets (Stairs) |
| PHYS 100: Introductory Physics
(Sept ’07 start) Faculty: G. Rieger, A. Kotlicki STLF: Ido Roll (current), Jim Carolan, Louis Deslauriers Grad Student: S. Martinuk Poster: Student framing and real-world connections in physics Poster: Development of a course-specific skills and content survey
Poster: Making Physics Relevant in Physics 100 |
Course-level goals: complete
Topic-level goals: complete Lab goals revised towards skills development |
Conducted study on impact of learning goals on student self assessment of understanding |
Provided feedback for clicker question improvement and more student engagement in lectures. Lab write-ups revised for ‘09 and again for ‘10 Revised the labs - they now include a homework component in which students do the actual experiments prior to coming to the lab for data analysis. The labs and homework build on top of each other so that each component is required for the subsequent task. |
| PHYS 101: Energy and Waves (Sept ’07 start) Faculty: F. Bates, G. Rieger, C. Heiner, J. Iqbal, A. Mackay STLF: Cynthia Heiner (current), Peter Newbury |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Conducted survey targeting students approach to and learning from pre-readings, clickers, and in-class worksheets. | Developed new lab experiments on measurement/uncertainty and interference. Developing in-class activities and worksheets (Rieger). |
| PHYS 102: Electricity, Light and Radiation (Sept ’09 start) Faculty: F. Bates STLF: Peter Newbury |
Creating pre-lab exercises using PhET simulations. | Revising lab experiments. | |
| PHYS 107 & 109: Physics 1 lab and Intro to Experimental Physics
(Sept ’07 start) Faculty: D. Bonn STLF: James Day, Ido Roll Grad Student: N. Holmes
Poster: Physics Lab Diagnostic & Teaching by Building from Student Invention |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Developed & validated physics lab pre-post diagnostic. Conducted study on the impact of invention activities completed preceding versus following a lesson. End-of-term survey Conducting study on the impact of structure in invention activities. Conducting study on how students practice their scientific reasoning skills during invention activities and whether these skills improve over the term. Statistics diagnostics added to gauge cumulative effect of state-focused invention activities. |
Developed 15 invention activities on data interpretation and analysis. Developed marking rubrics for all labs and for formal reports. Incorporated classroom discussion of pros and cons of novel student solutions to invention activity problems. Invention activities and associated instruction now delivered by computer (the Invention Support Environment). |
| PHYS 107: Enriched Physics I (Sept '10 start) Faculty: I. Affleck STLF: Jim Carolan |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: under development |
Pre and post concept surveys completed ('10 and '11). Lecture observations Student post course interviews completed for '10 and in progress for '11. Pre and post problem solving skills surveys completed for '11. |
Clicker use – developed Online pre reading quizzes – developed In-class activities - worksheets developed |
| PHYS 153: Elements of Physics (Sept '10 start) Faculty: S. Burke, D. Witt, A. Kotlicki, K. Schleich, M. Hasinoff STLF: Cynthia Heiner (current), Louis Deslaurier, |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Compared student performance on exams in transformed course vs. earlier traditional version. | Bank of clicker questions In-class activities for entire term Peer instruction Learning goals were referred to throughout the course for aligning material and for creating exams. |
| PHYS 153: Elements of Physics (LAB) (Nov '11 start) Faculty: J. Young, M. Hasinoff, B. McCutcheon, D. Witt, B. Unruh, E. Koster STLF: James Day |
Course-level goals: complete | Two final lab exams created, closely aligned with course-level learning goals. | Three tutorials created to provide students with basic skills needed for the rest of course (i.e. use of spreadsheets and basic stats, uncertainty analysis, and linear regression). Rubrics created for individual labs. Brief pre-lab exercises created. Implementation of online post-lab submission. |
| PHYS 200: Relativity and Quanta (Sept ’08 start) Faculty: M. Van Raamsdonk STLF: Louis Deslauriers |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Lecture observations Final exam questions Analyze Mid-term Midterm & end-of-term survey Observe HW sessions |
Weekly interactive tutorials developed. Improved clicker questions. |
| PHYS 250: Introduction to Modern Physics (Jan ’09 start) Faculty: L. Deslauriers, C. Wieman STLF: Louis Deslauriers  click here to view course materials. |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Development of an extended Quantum Mechanical Conceptual Survey Lecture observations Final exam questions Dual individual/group exam (we filmed them in Sum 2010) Analyze Mid-term Midterm & end-of-term survey Observe HW sessions Measuring long term retention of quantum concepts |
Weekly tutorials developed Bank of clicker questions In-class activities for entire term Measurement of long term retention for the quantum part of course Demonstrated a successful intervention with lower performing students |
| PHYS 304: Quantum Mechanics (Jan ’10 start) Faculty: K. Madison STLF: Louis Deslauriers |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: 80% complete |
Lecture observations Observe HW sessions Measured effect of BONUS clicker questions on student engagement during voting period. Compared student performance to previous terms – transformed course scores are consistently higher. Measured student engagement in general - compared it to other course the Eng Phys cohorts were taking at the same time. |
Creating a bank of clicker questions Designing in- class activities for every lecture Improved engagement during clicker questions by adding BONUS questions. |
| PHYS 315: Physics of Materials (Sept ’11 start) Faculty: V. Hinkov STLF:James Day |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Homework assignments closely aligned to learning goals. | New clicker questions drafted and older clicker questions improved. Training on delivery of clicker questions and subsequent results. In-class group activities Implementation of pre-reading One lecture video taped so that instructor can associate objective feedback on style with actual footage. Formative midterm and year-end feedback form created. |
| PHYS 401: Electromagnetic Theory (Sept ’11 start) Faculty: D. Bryman STLF: Peter Newbury |
Course-level goals: draft Topic-level goals: drafted for 1 of 3 topics |
Creating in-class worksheets and clicker questions aligned with learning goals. Focus on moving from instructor-centred to student-centred instruction. |
|
| PHYS 408: Optics (Sept ’09 start) Faculty: D. Jones STLF: Louis Deslauriers |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Development of a Optics Conceptual Survey Lecture observations Final exam questions Analyze Mid-term Observe HW sessions Compared student performance to previous terms – transformed course scores are consistently higher. Measured student engagement in general. compared it to other course the Eng Phys cohorts were taking at the same time |
Created a bank of clicker questions. In-class activities for entire term. Developed a remedial tutorial for students lacking pre-requisite in signal processing (Fourier Transforms). |
| PHYS 450: Quantum Mechanics (Jan ’09 start) Faculty: J. Folk STLF: Louis Deslauriers |
Course and Topic level learning goals: 95% complete |
Lecture observations Analyze Mid-term Observe HW sessions Conducting study on impact of student peer discussions vs. classic instruction on students’ knowledge retention. |
Created a bank of clicker questions (including isomorphic questions to test longer-term retention). |
| PHYS 170 & 270– Mechanics diagnostic surveys are being administered annually to monitor conceptual learning gains and aid future course development. Clicker usage is being encouraged in the large multi-section engineering course, PHYS 170, with lecture observation and advice from STLF Jim Carolan. PHYS 101 & 108 - clicker usage is being developed and improved in these large freshman courses with extensive observation and advice from STLF Jim Carolan. Electricity & Magnetism Concept Survey - Extensive testing of first and upper year students using an electricity and magnetism concept survey (BEMA) is providing information on learning gains and retention. The results from the survey are being used in decisions about merging the Engineering Physics and Honours Physics streams of E&M. These results will also feed into upcoming decisions about the freshman treatment of E&M concepts. Jim Carolan's poster (April 2009): Electricity and Magnetism Concepts: Learning Gains and Retention |
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