Measuring Student Success in Mastering Physics

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Measuring Student Success in Mastering Physics
AstronomyTips Techniques to Consider

• Scott Hildreth - Chabot College

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A bit about me

• Teaching Physics Astronomy since 1989
• Chabot College, CSU East Bay, UC Berkeley
• Astro sections 50 students (3 hours/week)
• Physics sections 30 45 students (7
  hours/week)

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Ways I used Mastering initially

• In Physics for automated grading of traditional
  Homework problems in a once-a-week assignment
• In Astronomy for tracking student access and
  time using animated tutorials

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Why did you decide to measure student data?
External Influences

• Rich History in Physics Education Research
  Assessments (FCI, MBT, CSEM)
• Improve results w/ Mastering?
• Retention/Success Comparisons
• Can I justify use/time/effort?

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Why did you decide to measure student data?
Internal Influences

• Expanding opportunity to use new resources
• Web, YouTube, Simulations
• But What works? For Whom?
• How did learning preferences impact resource
  use/success?

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An Aha moment
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Mastering Captures Data
Quickly see who is working
Cannon, Annie Chandrasekhar Einstein,
Albert Feynman, RichardHawking,
StephenHerschel, CarolKlumpke-Roberts,
Lightman, AlanPerlmutter, Saul Rubin, Vera
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Mastering Captures Data
Quickly see what they miss why
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Mastering Captures Data
Quickly what they miss why
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How I got started

• Using Diagnostic Data from HW
• Changed Lectures
• Tuned delivery to key problems
• Focused on Common Errors
• Changed Class Format
• More peer learning with group work
• Correlated Group Work to Retention

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Another AHA momentMeasuring and Correlating Data
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Mastering Enables RAPID Data Analysis
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Retrieving and Using Mastering Data

• Download Grade Book to Excel
• Create total columns for various assignment types
• Graph totals against one another
• Now I spend my time looking at data and coming
  up with new ways to try things

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Fall 2012 Astro Data from Excel
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Fall 2012 Astro Data from Excel
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Does HW improve Quiz Scores?
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Does Homework SuccessCorrelate to Exam Success?
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Does Homework SuccessCorrelate to Exam Success?
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Homework Quizzes DO Correlate better with Exams
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Ways I Use Mastering Now Calculus-based Physics

• Homework
• Introductory prelecture assignments for each
  chapter
• Weekly homework assignments
• HW Quiz in class to ensure students working
  authentically
• In-class collaborative group work (teams)
• Lecture doing problems together
• Exam Review
• In-class competition (teams)
• Outside of class preparation
• Extra Credit Remedial Help

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Ways I Use Mastering Now Introductory Astronomy

• Homework
• Weekly homework assignments with ranking tasks
• Reading quizzes
• Links to additional reading, videos, and
  resources
• Lecture doing online simulations together
• Exam Review
• Outside of class preparation
• Extra Credit Remedial Help

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A quick caveat

• You dont have to do all of these at once! Try
  one new thing a termbut measure it!!

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Long Term Benefit Data!
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Mastering Enables Data Analysis Learning Outcomes
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Personal Goals

• Track student usage easily
• Take earlier, positive action
• Students obviously struggling
• Those working hard, and
• Those hardly working.

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Current Data Analysis Projects

• Identify most-missed problems with diagnostic
  data
• Add messages, hints, YouTube to suggest and
  target student thinking
• online office hour nudges
• See if students do better

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Questions? Discussion?

• Check out the resource list and current research
• http//www.chabotcollege.edu/faculty/shildreth/mas
  tering
• Login to my classes to look around
• Email me with questions!
• Images reprinted in the online presentation and
  available online were borrowed with permission
  from "e-mail.this.book", The Cartoon Bank, Alfred
  A. Knopf, NY, 1996. The Far Side comics by Gary
  Larson cannot be distributed online.