Abstract:

Introductory physics courses and labs PHYS 241/251 PHYS 242/252 (calculus-based General Physics I and II and associated labs) and PHYS225/235, PHYS 226/236 (Algebra-based College Physics I and II and labs) at North Carolina A&T State University are gateway Physics courses which affect every STEM student on campus. Each year, these four courses enroll close to 1300 students from the Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Agriculture, and Mathematics. Student performance in the class sections that use the traditional teaching methods is unsatisfactory with passing rates not exceeding 60%. This project’s goal is to transform course delivery in the above-mentioned gateway courses by adapting and implementing the Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside down Pedagogies (SCALE-UP) model. The SCALE-UP format is a student-centered active learning method that promotes active learning and integrates lecture and laboratory work into one. Students sit in three groups of three around tables equipped with lab instruments and computers with simulations and virtual experiments. The instructor introduces the physics concepts or some assigned homework problems and engages the students in active and collaborative inquiry-based learning. The presented concepts are explained and reinforced by immediate hands-on laboratory or simulation experiences. We piloted several versions of the SCALE-UP model including a full SCALE-UP and a hybrid form of SCALE-UP which include all the interactivity and engagement of the SCALE-UP method with the exception that the labs are not integrated into the lecture. Student performance and attitude toward learning were measured through gains on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) standardized tests, analysis of the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science (CLASS) survey data, student class attendance, and student overall grades. This paper describes the methods used and the preliminary results of the SCALE-UP project implementation.

Keywords:

Student-centered active learning, SCALE-UP, Physics, STEM education.