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Re: 14 Modeling Workshops, 13 CPU Workshops/openings



If you're wondering what Modeling Instruction is all about, below is a summary.

(Note: Yesterday Dan MacIsaac posted two emails from me, describing US-wide
workshops for secondary teachers in learning to teach physics/physical
science/mathematics using the modeling method, and calling for teacher
participants in the CPU workshops being run nationwide. Copies can be found
from the PHYS-L archives at http://mailgate.nau.edu for this month, or
search this month under Dan MacIsaac's name.)

Cheers,
Jane Jackson
******************************

Features of the Modeling Method of Instruction:

Instruction is organized into modeling cycles that engage students in model
development, evaluation and application in concrete situations -- thus
promoting an integrated understanding of modeling processes and acquisition
of modeling skills. The teacher sets the stage for student activities,
typically with a demonstration and class discussion to establish common
understanding of a question to be asked of nature. Then, in small groups,
students collaborate in planning and conducting experiments to answer or
clarify the question. Students present and justify their conclusions in
oral and/or written form, including a formulation of models for the
phenomena in question and evaluation of the models by comparison with data.

The teacher is prepared with a definite agenda for student progress and
guides student inquiry and discussion with "Socratic" questioning and
remarks. The teacher is equipped with a taxonomy of typical student
misconceptions to be addressed as students are induced to articulate,
analyze and justify their personal beliefs.

For example, in one experiment students are asked to develop principles of
motion for a pendulum. With the teacher as recorder, students brainstorm
about properties of the pendulum which might affect its period. After
compiling the list, teacher and students decide which properties should be
investigated. In this case they decide to investigate how changes in mass
of bob, length of string and amplitude of motion affect the period.
Students then work in teams and determine their own procedure for
collecting data. After collecting data, they plot it to look for relations
among variables and then relate it to equations of motion. Then, in a
technique called "whiteboarding", each group presents results of their
experiment to the class. At the end of this process, the class reaches
consensus on an appropriate model to describe the behavior of the pendulum.
They do this without being given the answer from a text or a teacher.

Infusion of technology into the classroom is a key component of this
project, but it is secondary to pedagogical reform. With the exception of
computers, lab interfaces and probes, most equipment called for is already
found in any reasonably well-equipped high school physics lab. (Classroom
technology is not crucial for implementation but is highly advisable.)

The Modeling Method is a curriculum design, rather than a fixed curriculum;
thus the instructor can flexibly adapt the conceptual development
strategies of research-informed curricula to best suit their own course
level and student ability. Instructional materials have been developed for
the regular physics course. These instructional materials have a proven
track record, as they have been used by physics teachers all over the
country since 1995. A set of materials (excluding evaluation instruments)
is freely available at the Modeling Workshop Project website
<http://modeling.la.asu.edu/modeling.html>. While the labs were designed
for use with microcomputer-based lab (MBL) techniques, an appendix provides
an alternative approach using CBL and graphing calculators.

The effectiveness of Modeling Instruction has been evaluated with
well-established standardized instruments, chief among them being the Force
Concept Inventory (FCI). (For details, see the document entitled "How
effective is modeling instruction?" on our web site) Our FCI data for more
than 15,000 high school students reveal that student normalized gains in
understanding under Modeling Instruction are typically double those under
traditional instruction. Student FCI gains for "ordinary" Arizona teachers,
80% of whom were not physics majors, are almost as high as those for
leading teachers nationwide. Teachers who implement the Modeling Method
most fully have the highest student posttest FCI mean scores.

In sum, spectacular success has followed this project. The modeling
approach has proven success with students who have not traditionally done
well in physics, while enhancing the performance of all students.
Consequently, enrollments are increasing in classes of teachers employing
the Modeling Method.
*******************************

Jane Jackson, Dir., Modeling Workshop Project
Box 871504, Dept.of Physics, ASU, Tempe, AZ 85287
480-965-8438/fax:965-7331. http://modeling.la.asu.edu

"In the matter of physics, the first lessons should
contain nothing but what is experimental and interesting
to see. A pretty experiment is in itself often more
valuable than twenty formulae extracted from our minds."
- Albert Einstein