Amy Weber
Physics 209/210 is the algebra and trigonometry-based course that many students outside of physics and mathematics are required to take. This year Dr. Lynn Cominsky decided to try an innovative teaching style; a physics class where the students are encouraged to think for themselves rather than memorize lectures. The new text emphasizes an experimental approach to learning. Very little time is spent lecturing; instead the students work in small groups performing small experiments and working through exercises.
Since the students work in small groups, a low student-teacher ratio is needed. The class was limited to 22 students, considerably fewer than in the traditional section, which, because it covers more material, is recommended for students preparing for the health professions. In addition, I was able to be a teaching assistant to Dr. Cominsky. I attended all class meetings, and during class I worked from group to group, answering questions and participating in discussions.
As a T.A. I have learned a great deal about myself and about teaching. The students helped me gain confidence in myself by realizing that I have something to offer: my knowledge and my willingness to help.
I also gained an increase in my appreciation for teachers. After grading and returning homework, I was responsible for discussions of the topics missed. I also led study sessions prior to exams. These sessions required me to prepare and deliver organized lectures. Teaching requires a great deal of practice and prepara tion. This was a tremendous learning experience for me and I enjoyed every day of it.
There are many things about this class that made it so innovative and exciting. The text, the teaching style, and the structure of the class were all new to me.
The text is broken into modules with each section containing experiments,
examples, exercises, and prob lems. Students work in small groups as they do the experiments and exercises in each part of the module. For example, sections within the Electric Circuits module include "A Model for Electric Current," "Series and Parallel Networks," and "Multiple Batteries."
The arrangement of the text and the small groups allow the students to work at a comfortable pace. Experiments, demonstrations and small group discussions replace traditional lectures. I observed this approach to be successful in getting the students to think about the topics they were presented. For example, one of the first sections covered in the fall semester was "Principle of Balance," within the Properties of Matter module.
Here the students experimented with hanging masses from a peg board. They were led through a series of questions and experiments which would help them discover the principle of torque. A student had worked diligently throughout class. It was obvious how hard he was thinking about his experiments. When he discovered that torque equals force times distance he couldn't contain his excitement; he was proud of his accomplish ment. He learned more by discovering it on his own than he would have if he had just read a chapter in a book.
My observation is that teaching is all about making a difference in someone's education. Many of the students began the semester fearful of physics, but they were very successful due to the hands-on, visual style of the class. This class is an excellent way of teaching physics so that students spend their time learning and not being frustrated. This class and Dr. Cominsky have allowed me to make a positive impact on the education of these students.
