Students are often threatened with "Academic Integrity" violations. As a professor, I encounter students who have violated the Academic Integrity policy more often than people realize. In many situations, students do not realize they are exhibiting a lack of academic/personal integrity. So, this blog will attempt to highlight some of the ways that these violations occur AND why it is important to safeguard your personal integrity.
One of the best ways to learn is by working with a small group. As group members discuss various approaches and ideas, each person gets to figure out what they do and do not know. However, even though a group may come up with a joint solution to a problem, it is the responsibility of each member to solve the problem on their own. This ensures that mistakes are minimized AND that each person understands the way to solve the problem. Too often in science, some group members assume that the group solution (or the solution of one person) is correct. Part of what makes science unique is that scientists verify what they and others do at every opportunity.
This was observed on the Take-Home portion of the exam. For example, many people used the same tangent line for #5. From our class example, the odds are small that each person will draw the tangent line the same way. This means each person's slope should be slightly different from everyone else's. This is true for any experiment. Even though the equipment and procedure may be the same, the exact measurements may not. This ensures that when the results match from group to group, the procedure is valid.
A real-world example occurred with the Hubble Space Telescope when it was first in space. Scientists could not get Hubble to focus on various stars. It was eventually discovered that there was a discrepancy between two different quality assurance checks on how the mirror was machined. Instead of verifying the results of the two checks, someone decided to pick one and everyone followed this decision. It turns out that they selected the incorrect quality assurance check. This led to extra expense and lost experimental time, not mention the people who lost their jobs because of this oversight and the company that went out of business because of their damaged reputation. That is why it is important to agree on a solution, then have each person in the group verify the results on their own. Otherwise, that person is not showing personal (and professional) integrity. Yes, it is easier to follow a "group" result. But, to safeguard the science process, each person is to question everyone's results, especially their own.
Another common example of academic integrity involve plagiarism. This is related to the above "copying a solution" example. Whenever scientists (and everyone in a science class is considered a scientist) present information to others, it is assumed that the work is theirs. In fact, it is each scientists duty to report (via citations) any work that they used in developing their presentation. However, simply copying another's work and re-presenting as their own is a lie. Scientists are expected to do their own work and to build on the work of others, while acknowledging the efforts of others. That is why it is important to cite any and all resources that do not come from an individual's own efforts and mind. And, each scientist is to be every vigilant to instances of plagiarism. There have been numerous occasions where people have lost their jobs and careers because they have presented the work of others as their own.
So, what does that mean in an introductory physics class? It means the same thing as every aspect of your life, or it should. Are you lying to yourself or others by copying the work of others? Are you taking the easy way out by not verifying the solution on your own? Are you letting "grades"/grants seduce you into unethical behavior? And, are you more afraid of failing than actually taking the risk to learn the material outright? (This last one can be quite scary because it may tell you that you are not as good in an area that you need/want it to be.) These are all questions that each student/scientist needs to ask and answer themselves. As your instructor, I can try to educate you about personal/academic integrity. I can even threaten to apply the Academic Integrity policy for each and every violation. However, it is up to each person to decide if they will live an ethical life. My hope is that each person routinely evaluates their behavior to follow a life-path that exhibits personal and professional integrity.
As with any post, feel free to comment on this post.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Practice makes perfect?
We've all heard this expression before. The question is, what do you practice to become "perfect?" Following up on my previous blog, the trick is to figure out what needs improvement and how to make the improvements. To do that requires the ability to constructively evaluate one's performance, seek out additional feedback, determine appropriate activities to help, and then, as the Nike ads say, "Just Do It!" Sounds simple, right?
In learning to play hockey, I spend a lot time reading about certain skills and drills that can help those skills. For instance, making the transition from forward to backward skating without losing any speed is an important skill, especially if one wants to seriously play defense, which is what I am working toward. I've read about various things to help make that 180 degree turn without losing speed. I've talked with coaches and players about how they learned it. And, I've spent many hours on the ice trying various things. After four and a half years, I can turn 180 degrees, but I lose a lot of speed in the process and I can only turn in one direction. (It's important to be able to turn both ways because the action may be on the other side and I would need to see it to be able to defend against it.)
So, what do I do to go from here to improve? Well, one of the things I did this summer was go to summer camp (hockey class) and listen to instructors first tell me what was wrong, then provide some new ideas how to improve. After that, I had a lesson with a skating coach. Together, I found out that my backwards skating was weak (I am not putting enough weight on the glide leg). Because of this, I often feel off-balance and increase the odds of falling. The recommendation: until I can glide backwards on one leg, I am not to try too many of the other backwards or turning drills. Without that balance, I will end up developing bad habits and possibly scaring myself more than I already am about falling. So, before my surgery, I was spending much of my skate time working on the simple (yet very scary) task of gliding on one skate. I still suck at skating backwards and the 180 degree turns, but it is slowly improving.
I find physics to be similar. You have to first figure out the problem areas before you can work on tasks to improve. That is where your group, others in the course, physics majors (as tutors or staffing the Help Room), and the instructor can help. While you might not see what areas are causing you trouble, the "outsiders" may be able to spot something. In fact, this is one of the reasons why I ask students to stop by so often. I can more easily spot issues a student is having in the course than most people because I have been doing this for over 20 years. Then, once we figure out the issue(s), we can develop a course of action to make improvements.
And, before those of you who are not having issues think it's safe to relax, you also have to practice. As with any activity (like music or sports), each time you learn something new, you have to practice it to reinforce what you learn. Practice helps to overcome problem areas and practice helps to keep what you've learned. So, continue to practice (via the various worksheets and online activities) to learn from your mistakes and to improve.
As always, should you have a comment you would like to share, please feel free to add your two cents worth. In the meantime, practice, practice, practice!
In learning to play hockey, I spend a lot time reading about certain skills and drills that can help those skills. For instance, making the transition from forward to backward skating without losing any speed is an important skill, especially if one wants to seriously play defense, which is what I am working toward. I've read about various things to help make that 180 degree turn without losing speed. I've talked with coaches and players about how they learned it. And, I've spent many hours on the ice trying various things. After four and a half years, I can turn 180 degrees, but I lose a lot of speed in the process and I can only turn in one direction. (It's important to be able to turn both ways because the action may be on the other side and I would need to see it to be able to defend against it.)
So, what do I do to go from here to improve? Well, one of the things I did this summer was go to summer camp (hockey class) and listen to instructors first tell me what was wrong, then provide some new ideas how to improve. After that, I had a lesson with a skating coach. Together, I found out that my backwards skating was weak (I am not putting enough weight on the glide leg). Because of this, I often feel off-balance and increase the odds of falling. The recommendation: until I can glide backwards on one leg, I am not to try too many of the other backwards or turning drills. Without that balance, I will end up developing bad habits and possibly scaring myself more than I already am about falling. So, before my surgery, I was spending much of my skate time working on the simple (yet very scary) task of gliding on one skate. I still suck at skating backwards and the 180 degree turns, but it is slowly improving.
I find physics to be similar. You have to first figure out the problem areas before you can work on tasks to improve. That is where your group, others in the course, physics majors (as tutors or staffing the Help Room), and the instructor can help. While you might not see what areas are causing you trouble, the "outsiders" may be able to spot something. In fact, this is one of the reasons why I ask students to stop by so often. I can more easily spot issues a student is having in the course than most people because I have been doing this for over 20 years. Then, once we figure out the issue(s), we can develop a course of action to make improvements.
And, before those of you who are not having issues think it's safe to relax, you also have to practice. As with any activity (like music or sports), each time you learn something new, you have to practice it to reinforce what you learn. Practice helps to overcome problem areas and practice helps to keep what you've learned. So, continue to practice (via the various worksheets and online activities) to learn from your mistakes and to improve.
As always, should you have a comment you would like to share, please feel free to add your two cents worth. In the meantime, practice, practice, practice!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Evaluation versus Grading
When I was in school (grade school through college), it seemed like grades were everything. If I received an A, life was terrific and when I received an F (yes, I did receive an F, well, 2 Fs during college), then life wasn't as much fun. Even then, I realized something was weird about grades. I had excellent teachers of a subject where I worked hard and ended up with a B, if I was lucky. And, there were teachers who gave me an A and I remembered nothing about the course once the final exam was over. So, even though everyone told me grades were important, there often was little relationship between learning and grades.
During graduate school, grades were important, but only if you maintained a B-average. It didn't matter what your GPA was, as long as you were above a B. That's when I began to see a difference between being evaluated and being graded. Grades were numbers or scores to rank students in some fashion, and most of the time, the relationship between grades and future success was not evident. Evaluations are ways to indicate if you are on track with the material. This is where if I received a grade lower than a B, that meant I was not conversant in a particular area and that I would have to work harder in that area to succeed in grad school.
This philosophy is important in almost every aspect of the "real world." You are evaluated on your attitudes, your performance, your attire, and your ability to handle new challenges when you work, interact with others, and among friends and family. In our class, I evaluate student work on a variety of fronts in order to learn as much as possible able each student and the class. In this way, I can put together class activities or adjust class instruction to make the most of the 50 minutes we have every other day. So, I need to know how students are doing before, during, and after instruction. This tells me how much work we have to do to cover a topic. I want to know the preferred learning styles of the class so that I decide if worksheets or online simulations or hands-on activities will drive a point home better that another method.
This is why 46% of your total grade comes from various evaluations: homework = what you know at any point in the coverage; quizzes = group practice (plus attendance); online work = independent and/or alternate "testing"; and participation = how do you contribute to your learning in a course with no textbook and using a different teaching philosophy/approach.
When all is said and done, the evaluation of a class will be turned into a grade. This is done by looking at the average number of points earned by the class AND by determining the status of the class. Then, that average point number is turned in a letter grade. For example, let us say that at the end of the semester, the average number of points earned in Homework = 1234. Next, based on my 20-plus years of teaching experience, I determine if the class is a typical (or average) class. If so, 1234 is average or a C. Anyone with a score close to 1234 receives a C. Those with scores above/below 1234 receive a B/D. Those well above/below 1234 receive an A/F. Now, this letter grade can be combined with other grades (exams, final exam, and lab) for a course grade. [Keep in mind, if the class does all the assignments, participates in other ways to improve their learning of physics, etc., then the class would be considered "above average." 1234 would then become a C+ or B- or whatever letter grade best describes the class overall. In 20-plus years of teaching, it has been a rare occurrence when the class was below average.]
So, what do you do with this information? For now, nothing except work hard. However, what you can do with each assignment is to see how you are doing compared to the class, based on where we are in the topic coverage (beginning, middle, or end), AND on your own evaluation of your own performance. A score of 3 out of 30 might mean you are average because everyone had close to this score at the beginning of a topic and you put down everything you knew. However, a 3 out of 30 might also mean that at the end of a topic the class average was 24/30 and you had other obligations. So, your 3/30 tells you have a lot of work to do to catch up OR it might mean that you are struggling in this area and you need to do other things to get back on track (visit instructor, use the Help Room, work with classmates, etc.).
I realize my approach is different. But, it also is important to spend time each assignment to reflect on your own performance to determine what you have to do next. At the end of each and every class I teach, I reflect on what was good or bad about the class, my approach, the activities I used, etc. In this way, I hope to improve my teaching and the materials with which I teach.
Grading is "easy" because someone gives you a number that may or may not indicate actual learning. Evaluation is more tricky because each person has to think about their individual performance AND to compare that with what others are doing. One has to be honest and critical in a constructive manner. Feel free to comment on evaluations versus grading, especially about the emphasis on personal responsibility in a course.
During graduate school, grades were important, but only if you maintained a B-average. It didn't matter what your GPA was, as long as you were above a B. That's when I began to see a difference between being evaluated and being graded. Grades were numbers or scores to rank students in some fashion, and most of the time, the relationship between grades and future success was not evident. Evaluations are ways to indicate if you are on track with the material. This is where if I received a grade lower than a B, that meant I was not conversant in a particular area and that I would have to work harder in that area to succeed in grad school.
This philosophy is important in almost every aspect of the "real world." You are evaluated on your attitudes, your performance, your attire, and your ability to handle new challenges when you work, interact with others, and among friends and family. In our class, I evaluate student work on a variety of fronts in order to learn as much as possible able each student and the class. In this way, I can put together class activities or adjust class instruction to make the most of the 50 minutes we have every other day. So, I need to know how students are doing before, during, and after instruction. This tells me how much work we have to do to cover a topic. I want to know the preferred learning styles of the class so that I decide if worksheets or online simulations or hands-on activities will drive a point home better that another method.
This is why 46% of your total grade comes from various evaluations: homework = what you know at any point in the coverage; quizzes = group practice (plus attendance); online work = independent and/or alternate "testing"; and participation = how do you contribute to your learning in a course with no textbook and using a different teaching philosophy/approach.
When all is said and done, the evaluation of a class will be turned into a grade. This is done by looking at the average number of points earned by the class AND by determining the status of the class. Then, that average point number is turned in a letter grade. For example, let us say that at the end of the semester, the average number of points earned in Homework = 1234. Next, based on my 20-plus years of teaching experience, I determine if the class is a typical (or average) class. If so, 1234 is average or a C. Anyone with a score close to 1234 receives a C. Those with scores above/below 1234 receive a B/D. Those well above/below 1234 receive an A/F. Now, this letter grade can be combined with other grades (exams, final exam, and lab) for a course grade. [Keep in mind, if the class does all the assignments, participates in other ways to improve their learning of physics, etc., then the class would be considered "above average." 1234 would then become a C+ or B- or whatever letter grade best describes the class overall. In 20-plus years of teaching, it has been a rare occurrence when the class was below average.]
So, what do you do with this information? For now, nothing except work hard. However, what you can do with each assignment is to see how you are doing compared to the class, based on where we are in the topic coverage (beginning, middle, or end), AND on your own evaluation of your own performance. A score of 3 out of 30 might mean you are average because everyone had close to this score at the beginning of a topic and you put down everything you knew. However, a 3 out of 30 might also mean that at the end of a topic the class average was 24/30 and you had other obligations. So, your 3/30 tells you have a lot of work to do to catch up OR it might mean that you are struggling in this area and you need to do other things to get back on track (visit instructor, use the Help Room, work with classmates, etc.).
I realize my approach is different. But, it also is important to spend time each assignment to reflect on your own performance to determine what you have to do next. At the end of each and every class I teach, I reflect on what was good or bad about the class, my approach, the activities I used, etc. In this way, I hope to improve my teaching and the materials with which I teach.
Grading is "easy" because someone gives you a number that may or may not indicate actual learning. Evaluation is more tricky because each person has to think about their individual performance AND to compare that with what others are doing. One has to be honest and critical in a constructive manner. Feel free to comment on evaluations versus grading, especially about the emphasis on personal responsibility in a course.
Monday, September 6, 2010
The start of this course: Graphing
Most of what we have been doing the first couple of weeks is to make sure everyone understands the rules for graphing. And, making sure everyone can interpret the graphs. This is important because so much information in the sciences, and more, now comes in the form of visual representation. The preferred mode for this is a graph.
So, it is important to title the graph to let people know what the activity involved. The labels for the axes, including units, tell the reader what was changed and what was measured. The trendcurve (which includes a straight line) indicates any trends the data display. And, the trendcurve equation gives the reader a way to predict future values based on the data. All in all, the graph provides a way for you to communicate to the reader what you did and what the results indicate.
As we progress through the course, we will see how much information we can obtain from a graph. Also, we will be able to infer other properties of the system just by looking at the graph. The next time you generate a graph, keep in mind what you are trying to tell the reader about yourself (how credible a scientist you are) and your experiment (what do the results mean and how reliable they are).
If you are so inclined, feel free to offer ideas and suggestions to the class about graphing (how to, why important, etc.) by posting a Comment to this entry (you'll need to use your university email address). Until next time, keep practicing your graphing skills.
So, it is important to title the graph to let people know what the activity involved. The labels for the axes, including units, tell the reader what was changed and what was measured. The trendcurve (which includes a straight line) indicates any trends the data display. And, the trendcurve equation gives the reader a way to predict future values based on the data. All in all, the graph provides a way for you to communicate to the reader what you did and what the results indicate.
As we progress through the course, we will see how much information we can obtain from a graph. Also, we will be able to infer other properties of the system just by looking at the graph. The next time you generate a graph, keep in mind what you are trying to tell the reader about yourself (how credible a scientist you are) and your experiment (what do the results mean and how reliable they are).
If you are so inclined, feel free to offer ideas and suggestions to the class about graphing (how to, why important, etc.) by posting a Comment to this entry (you'll need to use your university email address). Until next time, keep practicing your graphing skills.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Ways of learning
One of the issues confronting students when faced with a new instructional approach in the classroom is fear of the unknown. To help deal with this fear, it is important to know the ways that you learn best. During the first day of class, I asked everyone to write a short description of one time when you remember learning something. For me, there have been numerous times when I remember learning something. For instance, I remember taking apart a 10-speed bicycle when I was in grade school. It took me only a few minutes to dismantle everything, but many hours to put it back together. It was challenging to put the spokes back in the tire so that the wheel was not twisted and rotated smoothly. Sometimes, I had to take something apart because I had not put in a key part first. But, as long as I took my time and tried different ways of putting things together, the bike was rebuilt. Along the way, I learned a lot from the experience.
The most important thing I learned was that I like taking things apart and putting them back together. That is, I like to work with my hands. And I learned it by struggling with the tools and bicycle parts. Now I know that I as long as I am patient, I can build, or rebuild many things. While this experience now helps with household projects, it also has helped reduce the fear I might experience when faced with a new learning experience.
To help the class understand about different ways of learning, please take a few minutes to describe a time in your life when you remember learning something, including how you learned it. When done, please take a few minutes to read some of the other posts to see how similarities and differences between how you and others learn.
The most important thing I learned was that I like taking things apart and putting them back together. That is, I like to work with my hands. And I learned it by struggling with the tools and bicycle parts. Now I know that I as long as I am patient, I can build, or rebuild many things. While this experience now helps with household projects, it also has helped reduce the fear I might experience when faced with a new learning experience.
To help the class understand about different ways of learning, please take a few minutes to describe a time in your life when you remember learning something, including how you learned it. When done, please take a few minutes to read some of the other posts to see how similarities and differences between how you and others learn.
Welcome to PHY1103
General Physics is an introductory course for students to become familiar with basic physical phenomena using algebra-level math. In the lecture section of the course that I am responsible for, students will be taught using the Modeling Instruction (MI) approach. In education-speech, Modeling is a constructivist approach that uses inquiry to help students build on their experiences in a social setting. In “English,” all this means is that we will all use what we know, as a group, to “do” science in the classroom and to learn what we can from the experiences.
We will spend a lot of time in the classroom “playing” with toys and equipment to explore physical phenomena. And, we’ll spend time discussing the results as a class to develop a “model” of the phenomena that we can use in new ways. When a particular model no longer works, we’ll either modify it or start a new one.
So, get ready to explore the world in a new way. Just remember, you’re not in this alone. You will have your classmates, the instructors, and online resources. These resources can be found via ASULearn under General Physics. Make sure to check ASULearn often as new resources will be added often during each week. If you need to contact your instructor, the best way is to email me at allenpe@appstate.edu. And, take time to get to know your classmates so you find others to work with both in and out of class.
Along the way to learning physics, make sure to have fun!
We will spend a lot of time in the classroom “playing” with toys and equipment to explore physical phenomena. And, we’ll spend time discussing the results as a class to develop a “model” of the phenomena that we can use in new ways. When a particular model no longer works, we’ll either modify it or start a new one.
So, get ready to explore the world in a new way. Just remember, you’re not in this alone. You will have your classmates, the instructors, and online resources. These resources can be found via ASULearn under General Physics. Make sure to check ASULearn often as new resources will be added often during each week. If you need to contact your instructor, the best way is to email me at allenpe@appstate.edu. And, take time to get to know your classmates so you find others to work with both in and out of class.
Along the way to learning physics, make sure to have fun!
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