Peer Instruction: A Way for InClass Interactions

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Peer Instruction A Way for In-Class Interactions

• by
• Adham Ramadan
• Department of Chemistry

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What is Peer Instruction?

• Learning from peers student-student interactions
  leading to learning.
• Examples include
• In-class group work for case studies (Chem 104)
• In-class group activities for problem analysis
  and numerical solutions (Chem 105)
• Peer evaluation (Chem 104, 206, 304, 414)
• Concept tests (Chem 106)

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Why Peer Instruction?

• Students who have just acquired an understanding
  of a concept are better aware of the challenges
  in understanding it, and are therefore better
  equipped to explain it.
• Explaining a concept improves understanding it.
• Support of communication skills, interpersonal
  skills, critical thinking skills, team work, etc

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Concept tests a structured peer instruction
method

• In-class interactions

Concept Tests
Student student discussion
Concept question
Time for individual thinking answer
Answer again
Record answer
Record answer
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Personal experience with CTs

• Chem 106 a General Chemistry course covering
  fundamentals of Physical Chemistry, for science
  majors.
• Sci 150L a General Science laboratory covering
  various basic concepts in Chemistry and Physics,
  for non-science/engineering majors.

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Are Concept Tests effective?

• No. of correct answers
• Increase in no. of correct answers after
  student-student discussions
• Level of confidence
• Improvement in level of confidence

BEFORE
Perceived Effectiveness
II
AFTER
CTs identified by students as helping them learn
in class, more so than other learning tools.
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Commonly-cited challenges

• This takes too much class time.
• This takes too much time for preparation and
  marking.
• Students would not be confident enough to do it.
• It cannot be used for non-science courses.
• Analysis of results.

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Peer Instruction promoting active learning

• Reading assignments
• Reading quizzes
• Concept tests

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Concept Test Example 1A certain amount n of
air is used to inflate a balloon located in a
chamber where the pressure is 1 atmospheric
pressure. This results in a volume of the balloon
1 m3.If another balloon located in another
chamber, where the pressure is 2 atmospheric
pressure, is to be inflated to the same volume of
1 m3
air
1 m3

• n needed for balloon 2 will be the same as that
  used for balloon 1
• n needed for balloon 2 will be the double that
  used for balloon 1
• n needed for balloon 2 will be half that used
  for balloon 1
• Balloon 2 cannot be inflated to 1 m3

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Concept Test Example 2Two bodies are moving
from left to right.Snapshots are taken of their
positions at 2 second intervals, and are numbered
sequentially. Which of the following statements
is correct

• They are both moving with the same speed
• The red body is moving with a constant speed
• After 10 seconds the two bodies have covered the
  same distance
• The white body is moving with a constant speed