Developed by: Rachel E. Scherr and Andrew Elby
middle schoolhigh schoolintro collegeinter-mediateupper levelgrad school other
calc based
alg based
conceptual
Overview
What? Guided-inquiry worksheets for small groups in recitation section of intro algebra-based physics. Instructors engage groups in Socratic dialogue. Tutorials refine students' productive intuitions and develop metacognitive thinking. Includes resources to help instructors modify tutorials and train TAs.
Why? Focus on building students' productive ideas rather than confronting misconceptions, which can help build confidence and enjoyment. Free and open source. Can be adapted to your environment. Include interactive lecture demonstrations, test questions, instructor guides, and TA training lessons.
Why not? These tutorials are designed for algebra-based physics courses, and may not work as well with other populations. The research base is not as strong as for Tutorials in Introductory Physics.
Example materials
Topic outline
Suite I:
01 Position and Velocity
02 Velocity and Acceleration
03 Newton Two
04 Newton Three
05 Free Body Diagrams
06 Momentum
07 Work and Energy
08 Pressure
Suite II:
01 Torque
02 Pulses
03 Electrostatics
04 Electric Fields
05 Electric Potential
Student skills developed
- Conceptual understanding
- Making real-world connections
- Using multiple representations
- Building models
- Metacognition
Instructor effort required
- Medium
Resources required
- TAs / LAs
Resources
Teaching Materials
You can download the full set of tutorials, tutorial homework, accompanying interactive lecture demonstrations, test questions, instructor's guides for free from the PhysPort Open Source Tutorial curriculum page. You can find materials for TA training workshops using the Open Source Tutorials from Periscope.
Research
Silver ValidationThis is the second highest level of research validation, corresponding to:
- at least 1 of the "based on" categories
- at least 2 of the "demonstrated to improve" categories
- at least 4 of the "studied using" categories
Research Validation Summary
Based on Research Into:
- theories of how students learn
- student ideas about specific topics
Demonstrated to Improve:
- conceptual understanding
- problem-solving skills
- lab skills
- beliefs and attitudes
- attendance
- retention of students
- success of underrepresented groups
- performance in subsequent classes
Studied using:
- cycle of research and redevelopment
- student interviews
- classroom observations
- analysis of written work
- research at multiple institutions
- research by multiple groups
- peer-reviewed publication
References
- A. Boudreaux and A. Elby, How curriculum developers’ cognitive theories influence curriculum development, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 16 (2), 020144 (2020).
- R. Scherr and A. Elby, Enabling Informed Adaptation of Reformed Instructional Materials, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2006, Syracuse, New York, 2006.
- T. Smith and M. Wittmann, Comparing three methods for teaching Newton’s third law, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 3 (2), 020105 (2007).
- L. Wells, R. Valenzuela, E. Brewe, L. Kramer, G. O'Brien, and E. Zamalloa, Impact of the FIU PhysTEC Reform of Introductory Physics Labs, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2008, Edmonton, Canada, 2008.
- M. Wittmann and M. Anderson, Comparing Three Methods for Teaching Newton’s Second Law, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009.
