Journal of Physics: Conference Series, May 1, 2021
In a plenary talk “Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE): helping students learn phys... more In a plenary talk “Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE): helping students learn physics by practicing it and be empowered in the process” at the SEA-STEM 2020 conference I (Eugenia Etkina) described the ISLE approach to learning and teaching physics, shared examples of activities and presented evidence of student learning. In this paper I, with my collaborators David T. Brookes and Gorazd Planinsic will briefly summarize my presentation and provide a list of resources for those who wish to learn more about the ISLE approach and to implement it in their physics courses.
Interactive engagement curricula are successful in helping students develop conceptual understand... more Interactive engagement curricula are successful in helping students develop conceptual understanding of physics principles and solve problems. However, another benefit of actively engaging students in the construction of their physics knowledge is providing them with an opportunity to engage in habitual “thinking like physicists”. Some examples of such thinking are: drawing a sketch before solving any physics problem, subjecting normative statements to experimental testing, evaluating assumptions, or treating each experimental results as an interval. We can help students develop these “habits of mind” if we purposefully and systematically engage them in the processes that mirror the processes in which physicists engage when they construct and apply knowledge. For such engagement to occur, we need to deeply re-conceptualize the role of experiments in physics instruction and their interaction with the theory. However, most importantly, we need to rethink the role of the instructor in...
Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) is a learning system, developed based on the hi... more Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) is a learning system, developed based on the history and philosophy of physics and observations of the work of scientists constructing new knowledge. It engages students in learning physics through processes that physicists use in their work. The processes form the so-called ISLE cycle-a logical progression of different steps from observation to testing. Research in this thesis investigates whether the physicists do indeed use the elements of ISLE while solving problems and also follow the logic of the ISLE cycle. We approached this issue with an experimental problem that was sufficiently novel to the experts so that they could employ the reasoning that they commonly use in their work. This research project is a comparison of four different case studies. Three case studies were conducted with pairs of expert scientists and one was conducted with students, who were videotaped while solving the same problem from geometrical optics. With the help of different graphical representations of the problem solving processes of the subjects we showed that not only scientists, but also students follow the transitions of the steps present in the ISLE cycle, although the experts were considerably stronger than the students. In addition, we observed that the students' problem solving approach in time became more similar to the one of scientists. It is possible that the logic of the ISLE cycle does not only come from the practice of scientists, but is a natural, inner way to approach this type of problems which easily transfers to solving similar problems.
Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Mar 12, 2016
Scientists, and especially physicists, have their own, unique ways of developing new knowledge, s... more Scientists, and especially physicists, have their own, unique ways of developing new knowledge, solving new problems, and communicating about what they do. These form a set of cultural norms, practices, and products that we call physics. Can students become enculturated into physics in a one-year introductory course, or does doing physics remain the exclusive purview of professionals who have acquired their skills through years of training? Development of the Next Generation Science Standards and revisions to AP courses suggest that these aspects of physics (and other sciences) are as valuable as the final product of scientific laborconcepts and mathematical representationsthat traditionally have been the sole focus of science courses. Science practices are the central elements of all these innovations. How do we prepare physics teachers who can help their students develop these physics-specific practices? In my talk I will describe Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE)-an instructional philosophy that not only allows us to make these practices a centerpiece of learning physics without losing conceptual and mathematical focus but can also serve as a framework for teacher preparation.
Most of the research surrounding development of scientific abilities among introductory physics s... more Most of the research surrounding development of scientific abilities among introductory physics students has been conducted at the college level. A shift in the high school science culture encouraged by NGSS has changed the focus of K-12 physics education making similar work necessary at the K-12 level This paper describes how high school students in a first-year physics course developed assumptionassociated abilities during the six months they studied mechanics. Using their written laboratory reports, we found that repeated exposure helped students gain competence identifying and evaluating assumptions. While it took high school students longer to demonstrate proficiency than college students, by the end of the mechanics portion of the curriculum, 90-95% of students achieved proficiency or partial proficiency.
Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Jan 30, 2017
This talk will describe a conceptual framework aimed at providing a better understanding of the p... more This talk will describe a conceptual framework aimed at providing a better understanding of the process of physics teacher formation. Literature on teacher preparation suggests that pre-service teachers (PSTs) learn best when they are immersed in a community, which shares a common vision of good teaching and helps PSTs develop requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions consistent with that vision. However, often due to the time pressures and complexities of classroom environment a teacher cannot afford multiple considerations and deliberations with oneself before every decision. We therefore suggest that good teacher preparation programs should, in addition to the knowledge, skills and dispositions, strive to develop in PSTs productive habits. We group these habits into habits of mind, habits of practice and habits of maintenance and improvement. I will present examples of those and provide suggestions on how to structure physics teacher preparation program to help future physics teachers develop these habits.
The Extended Physics program at Rutgers University provides a successful alternative to the tradi... more The Extended Physics program at Rutgers University provides a successful alternative to the traditional introductory courses for students at risk of failure. We discuss methods for addressing problems that students at-risk face in introductory physics with special emphasis on the social aspects of learning. We share our experience in creating an effective program within the structure of a research university.
We use the framework of cognitive resources to investigate how students construct understanding o... more We use the framework of cognitive resources to investigate how students construct understanding of a complex physics topic, namely, a photovoltaic cell. By observing students as they learn about how a solar cell functions, we identified over 60 distinct resources that learners may activate while thinking about photovoltaic cells. We classify these resources into three main types: phenomenological primitives, conceptual resources, and epistemological resources. Furthermore, we found a pattern that suggests that when students make conceptual breakthroughs they may be more likely to activate combinations of resources of different types in concert, especially if a resource from each of the three categories is used. This pattern suggests that physics instructors should encourage students to activate multiple types of prior knowledge during the learning process. This can result from instructors deliberately and explicitly connecting new knowledge to students' prior experience both in and outside the formal physics classroom, as well as allowing students to reflect metacognitively on how the new knowledge fits into their existing understanding of the natural world.
Much of the attention on the crosscutting concepts within the Next-Generation Science Standards (... more Much of the attention on the crosscutting concepts within the Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSSs) have gone to their coherence across different STEM disciplines. In this paper, we raise the question of the coherence of the energy concept within the teaching and learning of physics itself. Our investigations of teachers’ and students’ approach to solving problems, where both mechanical and thermal energy play equally important roles, indicate that the separation of energy studies in different units (mechanics, thermodynamics, etc.) leads to a cognitive disconnect of the understanding of different energy types and the inability to explain processes that involve both mechanical and internal energy, especially when the internal energy of the living organisms that are associated with a process is involved. We also find that when students gain experience analyzing scenarios where thermal energy plays a subtle yet critical role in addition to mechanical energy, they are able to apply...
This paper presents a study comparing physics students experimenting with physical apparatus (the... more This paper presents a study comparing physics students experimenting with physical apparatus (the apparatus group) versus students conducting the same experiments using videos of those experiments in place of the physical apparatus (the video group). In our study, we compare the results of an attitudinal survey designed to examine students’ mental states and sense of engagement with the material. In terms of the eight-channel flow model, we found that students who conduct design labs structured according to the Investigative Science Learning Environment mostly found themselves located in the productive learning zones of arousal, flow and control. We also found a small but consistent difference between the apparatus and video groups: in the video group there were slightly more students who were in the less productive zones of worry and anxiety, reflective of feelings of low skillfulness combined with a sense that the task was very challenging. We discuss the implications of these fin...
In this talk, a multi-institutional, ongoing effort (supported in part by National Science Founda... more In this talk, a multi-institutional, ongoing effort (supported in part by National Science Foundation grant 1222732) to pursue these questions will be described, the project framework will be shared, sample assessments items will be illustrated, and preliminary results from a pilot study involving 222 high school physics teachers will be discussed. Implications for teacher education programs will be highlighted.
Journal of Physics: Conference Series, May 1, 2021
In a plenary talk “Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE): helping students learn phys... more In a plenary talk “Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE): helping students learn physics by practicing it and be empowered in the process” at the SEA-STEM 2020 conference I (Eugenia Etkina) described the ISLE approach to learning and teaching physics, shared examples of activities and presented evidence of student learning. In this paper I, with my collaborators David T. Brookes and Gorazd Planinsic will briefly summarize my presentation and provide a list of resources for those who wish to learn more about the ISLE approach and to implement it in their physics courses.
Interactive engagement curricula are successful in helping students develop conceptual understand... more Interactive engagement curricula are successful in helping students develop conceptual understanding of physics principles and solve problems. However, another benefit of actively engaging students in the construction of their physics knowledge is providing them with an opportunity to engage in habitual “thinking like physicists”. Some examples of such thinking are: drawing a sketch before solving any physics problem, subjecting normative statements to experimental testing, evaluating assumptions, or treating each experimental results as an interval. We can help students develop these “habits of mind” if we purposefully and systematically engage them in the processes that mirror the processes in which physicists engage when they construct and apply knowledge. For such engagement to occur, we need to deeply re-conceptualize the role of experiments in physics instruction and their interaction with the theory. However, most importantly, we need to rethink the role of the instructor in...
Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) is a learning system, developed based on the hi... more Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) is a learning system, developed based on the history and philosophy of physics and observations of the work of scientists constructing new knowledge. It engages students in learning physics through processes that physicists use in their work. The processes form the so-called ISLE cycle-a logical progression of different steps from observation to testing. Research in this thesis investigates whether the physicists do indeed use the elements of ISLE while solving problems and also follow the logic of the ISLE cycle. We approached this issue with an experimental problem that was sufficiently novel to the experts so that they could employ the reasoning that they commonly use in their work. This research project is a comparison of four different case studies. Three case studies were conducted with pairs of expert scientists and one was conducted with students, who were videotaped while solving the same problem from geometrical optics. With the help of different graphical representations of the problem solving processes of the subjects we showed that not only scientists, but also students follow the transitions of the steps present in the ISLE cycle, although the experts were considerably stronger than the students. In addition, we observed that the students' problem solving approach in time became more similar to the one of scientists. It is possible that the logic of the ISLE cycle does not only come from the practice of scientists, but is a natural, inner way to approach this type of problems which easily transfers to solving similar problems.
Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Mar 12, 2016
Scientists, and especially physicists, have their own, unique ways of developing new knowledge, s... more Scientists, and especially physicists, have their own, unique ways of developing new knowledge, solving new problems, and communicating about what they do. These form a set of cultural norms, practices, and products that we call physics. Can students become enculturated into physics in a one-year introductory course, or does doing physics remain the exclusive purview of professionals who have acquired their skills through years of training? Development of the Next Generation Science Standards and revisions to AP courses suggest that these aspects of physics (and other sciences) are as valuable as the final product of scientific laborconcepts and mathematical representationsthat traditionally have been the sole focus of science courses. Science practices are the central elements of all these innovations. How do we prepare physics teachers who can help their students develop these physics-specific practices? In my talk I will describe Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE)-an instructional philosophy that not only allows us to make these practices a centerpiece of learning physics without losing conceptual and mathematical focus but can also serve as a framework for teacher preparation.
Most of the research surrounding development of scientific abilities among introductory physics s... more Most of the research surrounding development of scientific abilities among introductory physics students has been conducted at the college level. A shift in the high school science culture encouraged by NGSS has changed the focus of K-12 physics education making similar work necessary at the K-12 level This paper describes how high school students in a first-year physics course developed assumptionassociated abilities during the six months they studied mechanics. Using their written laboratory reports, we found that repeated exposure helped students gain competence identifying and evaluating assumptions. While it took high school students longer to demonstrate proficiency than college students, by the end of the mechanics portion of the curriculum, 90-95% of students achieved proficiency or partial proficiency.
Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Jan 30, 2017
This talk will describe a conceptual framework aimed at providing a better understanding of the p... more This talk will describe a conceptual framework aimed at providing a better understanding of the process of physics teacher formation. Literature on teacher preparation suggests that pre-service teachers (PSTs) learn best when they are immersed in a community, which shares a common vision of good teaching and helps PSTs develop requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions consistent with that vision. However, often due to the time pressures and complexities of classroom environment a teacher cannot afford multiple considerations and deliberations with oneself before every decision. We therefore suggest that good teacher preparation programs should, in addition to the knowledge, skills and dispositions, strive to develop in PSTs productive habits. We group these habits into habits of mind, habits of practice and habits of maintenance and improvement. I will present examples of those and provide suggestions on how to structure physics teacher preparation program to help future physics teachers develop these habits.
The Extended Physics program at Rutgers University provides a successful alternative to the tradi... more The Extended Physics program at Rutgers University provides a successful alternative to the traditional introductory courses for students at risk of failure. We discuss methods for addressing problems that students at-risk face in introductory physics with special emphasis on the social aspects of learning. We share our experience in creating an effective program within the structure of a research university.
We use the framework of cognitive resources to investigate how students construct understanding o... more We use the framework of cognitive resources to investigate how students construct understanding of a complex physics topic, namely, a photovoltaic cell. By observing students as they learn about how a solar cell functions, we identified over 60 distinct resources that learners may activate while thinking about photovoltaic cells. We classify these resources into three main types: phenomenological primitives, conceptual resources, and epistemological resources. Furthermore, we found a pattern that suggests that when students make conceptual breakthroughs they may be more likely to activate combinations of resources of different types in concert, especially if a resource from each of the three categories is used. This pattern suggests that physics instructors should encourage students to activate multiple types of prior knowledge during the learning process. This can result from instructors deliberately and explicitly connecting new knowledge to students' prior experience both in and outside the formal physics classroom, as well as allowing students to reflect metacognitively on how the new knowledge fits into their existing understanding of the natural world.
Much of the attention on the crosscutting concepts within the Next-Generation Science Standards (... more Much of the attention on the crosscutting concepts within the Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSSs) have gone to their coherence across different STEM disciplines. In this paper, we raise the question of the coherence of the energy concept within the teaching and learning of physics itself. Our investigations of teachers’ and students’ approach to solving problems, where both mechanical and thermal energy play equally important roles, indicate that the separation of energy studies in different units (mechanics, thermodynamics, etc.) leads to a cognitive disconnect of the understanding of different energy types and the inability to explain processes that involve both mechanical and internal energy, especially when the internal energy of the living organisms that are associated with a process is involved. We also find that when students gain experience analyzing scenarios where thermal energy plays a subtle yet critical role in addition to mechanical energy, they are able to apply...
This paper presents a study comparing physics students experimenting with physical apparatus (the... more This paper presents a study comparing physics students experimenting with physical apparatus (the apparatus group) versus students conducting the same experiments using videos of those experiments in place of the physical apparatus (the video group). In our study, we compare the results of an attitudinal survey designed to examine students’ mental states and sense of engagement with the material. In terms of the eight-channel flow model, we found that students who conduct design labs structured according to the Investigative Science Learning Environment mostly found themselves located in the productive learning zones of arousal, flow and control. We also found a small but consistent difference between the apparatus and video groups: in the video group there were slightly more students who were in the less productive zones of worry and anxiety, reflective of feelings of low skillfulness combined with a sense that the task was very challenging. We discuss the implications of these fin...
In this talk, a multi-institutional, ongoing effort (supported in part by National Science Founda... more In this talk, a multi-institutional, ongoing effort (supported in part by National Science Foundation grant 1222732) to pursue these questions will be described, the project framework will be shared, sample assessments items will be illustrated, and preliminary results from a pilot study involving 222 high school physics teachers will be discussed. Implications for teacher education programs will be highlighted.
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