US Physics Education Research webpage-soooooooo much awesome!

Hattip to Scott Daniel for the links:

"Two resources which you might know already, but I thought might be worth adding to the aipeg blog are: http://www.compadre.org/per/ and http://perusersguide.org/"

Strong evidence in favour of Active Learning and 'Flipped' learning.

Theo Hughes (see earlier post) just gave an awesome (and disarmingly frank) talk about the active learning spaces in Monash Physics. Below are some of the references he used:

Hi David,
 I mentioned in my talk a meta-review of active learning. Perhaps everyone is very familiar with this article... but just in case, here is the link that might be useful to pass around PEG/PEN?
 http://www.pnas.org/content/111/23/8410.full.pdf+html Also, the PhysRev article about an attempt to implement active learning in new learning spaces is here:
 http://www.researchgate.net/publication/258098063_Exploring_the_context_of_change_Understanding_the_kinetics_of_a_studio_physics_implementation_effort Theo

Awards case study: Patrick Keleher

Getting recognition for your work through awards is essential for career advancement. The keywords are peer-recognition and impact. I'll be posting examples of various people whose careers are at different stages, so that we can get a sense of how our peers are using this. Email me if there is someone you would like to see mentioned (e.g. yourself).

First up is Patrick's Keleher; his staff page is here. He's been doing some interesting things in 'flipped' learning, and has been successful in getting internal recognition from his university:

" .....I have rejigged two undergraduate first year Engineering Physics courses for our undergraduate/co-operative degree Engineering degree. These courses are conducted for internal and distance/flexible study modes.
 We have a 'flipped classroom approach/element/focus' for both courses. For the second term course - we are in review week at the moment and their examination is on Friday ! I have created videos to support the course delivery and I will be doing so, in readiness, for the term 1 course  over the Christmas break. I was on Long Service Leave in term 1 this year so I have delayed extending the videos to the term 1 course.
 I have been fortunate to be awarded a Vice-Chancellor's Tier 1 award last year for both courses....... I am going to apply in 2015 for a national teaching award for the work I have done and for what I plan to do for the term 1 course."

Michael Drinkwater, Joel Corney, Margaret Wegener and the team from UoQ have had some success with a 'just-in-time'  approach:

 I enclose our paper which was published this month describing our ‘integrated’ approach. Basically we have set up an approach to facilitate good in-class discussion based on very fast analysis of pre-reading quiz the students have to submit before every lecture. We use algorithms to extract themes from short-answer text responses. This lets us walk in to class already knowing what they are finding difficult… expressed in their own words not those of experts. 

ACSME discipline day 2013/4

Dear PEN Folk,

the wrap-up from last year's ACSME discipline day 2013 can be found here.

Tomorrow's session will be seeking to share your:

• experiences of flipped learning;
• plans for implementing flipped learning;
• concerns you or your colleagues have about flipped learning  

See you there.