Astronomy current events question: Martian double-layer craters

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Kevin Stacey, "Big Ice May Explain Mars' Double-Layer Craters," August 5, 2013
http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2013/08/craters

Geologists from Brown University developed a possible explanation for double-layered ejecta craters (DLEs) on Mars, which may have been caused by impacts:
(A) into dormant volcanoes.
(B) while its poles were flipping.
(C) that triggered small marsquakes.
(D) of soft binary asteroids.
(E) onto thick glaciers.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 6 students
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 20 student
(E) : 34 students

Astronomy current events question: exoplanet HD 189733b

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Ray Villard and Frederic Pont, "NASA's Hubble Finds a True Blue Planet," July 11, 2013
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/26/full/

Exoplanet HD 189733b may have a deep blue color based on observations from the Hubble Space Telescope of:
(A) hydrogen emissions from water vapor.
(B) temperatures just above absolute zero.
(C) methane- and ethane-rich composition.
(D) molten glass rain in its atmosphere.
(E) light absorbed as it passed in front of its star.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 13 students
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 9 students
(D) : 25 student
(E) : 15 students

Astronomy current events question: fragile asteroids?

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Mark Zastrow, "Under Stress, Asteroids May Be Fragile," August 7, 2013
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/Under-Stress-Asteroids-May-Be-Fragile-218731091.html

A European research team has proposed that surfaces of asteroids may be extremely unstable, based on:
(A) the moon's polar ice caps.
(B) rubble piles on Mars.
(C) Mojave desert sand dunes.
(D) experiments on airplanes.
(E) melting glaciers in Antarctica.

Correct answer: (D)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 19 students
(B) : 24 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 18 student
(E) : 2 students

Tweet: North County campus telescope shelter

#CuestaAstr210 students: new North County campus telescope shelter will be fully operational soon. pic.twitter.com/MPK9u51LgN

— Patrick M. Len (@Patrick_M_Len) August 29, 2013

Tweet: Delta IV Heavy NROL-65 launch

#CuestaPhys205A students: anyone else have pics of the Delta IV Heavy NROL-65 launch from Vandenberg AFB? pic.twitter.com/PfRG3JYbeA

— Patrick M. Len (@Patrick_M_Len) August 28, 2013

Flashcard question: potential spring semester 2014 enrollment

Physics 205A, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students in college physics at Cuesta College were polled in order to facilitate scheduling of classes for the next semester.

Planning on taking Physics 205B next semester?

Yes.	******************** [40]
Maybe.	************ [12]
No.	************* [13]
Undecided.	*** [3]

Online reading assignment: motion

Physics 205A, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on the reading textbook chapters (Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 2/e, Chs. 2.2-2.5) and previewing a flipped class presentation on (constant acceleration) motion.

Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.

"I thought the chain of pain was pretty interesting, because you really do experience it everyday, and I like the 'learn it, know it, live it' quote you put along with it."

"The calculus chain of pain was interesting to me because I feel like the calculus approach to physics is a little easier to understand than the non-calculus chain of pain. That one legitimately hurt my brain."

"How the connection between this part of physics and calculus are so closely related."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"The calculus relations, I'm sure if it was explained I would understand, but I haven't seen too much calculus."

"Knowing exactly what scenarios require what plan of attack--as in when to go for the area, slope, etc. I'm just having a difficult time picturing scenarios in my head."

"The constant acceleration equations are a bit confusing. But in time, after applying them to problems, I think they might make more sense."

Briefly describe the difference(s) between a chord slope and a tangent slope on a graph.

"A chord slope goes through two different points through a line on a graph, while a tangent slope only goes through one."

"Chord slope gives you an average over time and a tangent slope give you an instantaneous value."

The __________ gives the displacement of an object.

chord slope of an x(t) graph.	***** [5]
tangent slope of an x(t) graph.	**** [4]
chord slope of a vx(t) graph.	***** [5]
tangent slope of a vx(t) graph.	******** [8]
area under a vx(t) graph.	*************************** [27]
area under an ax(t) graph.	[0]
(None of the above choices.)	[1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	***** [6]

The chord slope of a v_x(t) graph gives the __________ of an object.

displacement.	** [2]
position.	** [2]
change in (instantaneous) velocity.	**** [4]
(instantaneous) velocity.	**** [4]
average velocity.	************************ [24]
(instantaneous) acceleration.	** [2]
average acceleration.	************ [12]
(None of the above choices.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	****** [6]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"I'd like more clarification on tangent and chord slopes." (I'll make sure to bring up that point in class. Or set of two points, that is.)

"Can we do some problems--please, all the subtle differences in the equations get confusing." (Sure. But be careful of what you ask for.)

"Please go over the (calculus) equations in this section. For those of us who haven't taken calculus, or at least for me, it looks like gibberish. Thanks!" (Even after taking calculus, those equations still looks like gibberish to me.)

"Is there a better way to find the displacement of ∆x than counting the amount of boxes underneath the line on a graph?" (You could directly integrate the functional equation of the graph, or you could break up and calculate the area underneath as rectangles and/or triangles. Maybe counting boxes is not so bad, after all.)

"Do you have to answer all of the questions? Even the ones without stars next to them?" (The starred questions are mandatory; as long as you answer substantively for most of the unstarred questions, you'll get most or all of the credit for completing the assignment.)

"Is there any good way besides memorization to go about learning all these slopes and what they provide?" (Uh, yes. It's called calculus.)

Online reading assignment: flipped classroom, motions and cycles (NC campus)

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and previewing presentations on Earth's rotation/precession/revolution/tilt, the moon's motions and cycles, and watching two video presentations on the flipped class: "What Is the Flipped Class?" and "How the Flipped Classroom Works."

Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.

"The flipped classroom was interesting. It seems like a really good idea and would be cool to experience."

"It was really interesting that the word "month" and the word "moonth" are cleverly similar because it takes the moon a month (here on Earth) to completely go around."

"I found the flipped classroom videos interesting. I've always hated having to sit through a lecture on a topic I've already read about and am familiar with. I'm looking forward to trying this out."

"The moon phases were quite interesting. I have always known that the moon changes phases but I never learned about how long it takes for the moon to go from new to full and then back."

"The section about the seasons was really interesting because no one ever really thinks about how the seasons change. The fact that they don't change due to the sun's distance but rather by the solar energy of the northern and southern hemispheres is really kind of weird."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"The presentations didn't really explain the moon phases the way that I had hoped."

"I found the part about 'sun-sign' astrology most confusing. I understand how the sun lines up to each zodiac constellation at different times of the year, but I am confused as to why that is relevant and important to learn."

"I found that the textbook was not nearly as clear as the presentations in describing the orbits, rotations, and precession of the earth and moon. The animated GIFs presentations were especially useful."

"Precession."

Match these cycles with their approximate duration. (Only correct responses shown.)

Earth's rotation: 24 hours [100%]
Earth's revolution: one year [89%]
Earth's precession: 26,000 years [100%]
The moon's revolution: one month [89%]

Place these moon phases in chronological order in their cycle (starting with new moon). (Only correct responses shown, in unscrambled order.)

New moon: first [89%]
Waxing crescent: second [78%]
First quarter: third [78%]
Waxing gibbous: fourth [78%]
Full moon: fifth [89%]
Waning gibbous: sixth [72%]
Third quarter: seventh [78%]
Waning crescent: eighth [72%]

Explain what is different about homework in a flipped class.

"I think homework would actually be a little easier and more of a review because you have already gone over the material twice."

"Homework allows for time to check on the concepts learned and practiced during class, which makes it easier to complete and absorb as a student."

"In a flipped class, we the students take the initiative of learning and we try the activities ourselves. in the next class meeting, we will be familiarized with the activities and will have some prior knowledge, and with the help of our instructor, clarify the concepts we didn't understand."

"It is defiantly not like traditional homework. One way to look at homework would be before class when a student watches the video. They might consider that the homework. The other way to look at homework would be when the student goes to class and is working with their peers and teachers."

"Instead of having to listen to a lecture in class that goes too fast or too slow depending on the person, you have time to ask questions during the next class after going through the lecture online at your own pace. That way, you can feel more comfortable doing homework."

Describe where/when most student learning occurs in a flipped class.

"I feel in a flipped classroom most learning occurs at each stage. If the student prepares for the next day's lesson they know what is to be expected and they won't feel behind. Students learn during class time because they are applying concepts that they reviewed the previous day, with the additional help of their teacher and peers. Students still continue to learn after that class session is over because they now what they understand and they also know what concepts they need to better understand and study more."

"In class, one-on-one with the teacher after they have already previewed the days lesson and have questions."

"Most learning occurs at home. The resources are provided and that allows the student to learn at the speed that suits them most."

"I think the most learning would occur in the class when students talk with their peers and teacher about the topic."

"Well, I think it's even. By doing the work before going to class, it will help you have a greater understanding of the applications in class. According to the diagram the learning occurs mostly at home doing a pre-study and post-study session."

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"Do we have to put anything in this box if we don't have a question or can we just leave it blank?" (This section is optional, as long as you have completed most of the rest of the assignment.)

"I really like the idea of a flipped class. I'd much rather do something in the classroom that I can't do by reading a book. Looking forward to it!"

"What made you decide to teach a 'flipped class' rather than the average way an instructor would teach?" (I think it's a more constructive use of student and instructor time, and more importantly, I think it'd be more spontaneous and enjoyable.)

"You, my good sir, are too legit. Well-played."

Online reading assignment: speed and velocity

Physics 205A, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on the reading textbook chapters (Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 2/e, Chs. 2.1-2.2) and previewing a presentation on displacement, distance traveled, and average/instantaneous speed/velocity.

Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.

"I found it interesting that distance traveled can only be a positive number. I never thought of moving backwards as distance traveled."

"Displacement, velocity, and average speed all seem to be very similair equations that build upon each other. This could be tricky if you do not know how each separate equation works."

"I'm kind of interested in how you intend to implement the 'flipped the classroom.' A lot of my teachers go about the generic way of teaching so this form of teaching would be new."

"The difference in cell phone opinions the further back the people were in the class."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"At first I didn't understand the average velocity equations, but after looking through the textbook and re-reading the presentation preview I began to understand it."

"The average speed and the average velocity--it's still confusing because they are similar."

"I've never been introduced to velocity so I think it's so confusing to me because there weren't very many examples explaining the concepts and I haven't listened to a lecture on it. I usually don't gain much from reading the textbook--I'm more of a lecture-based learner so once I have it thoroughly explained to me I'm hoping to better understand it."

"Conversions will be the death of me!"

Mark the level of your exposure to (basic calculus) concepts of derivatives/integrals.

None at all.	*************** [15]
Slight.	************** [13]
Some.	********* [9]
A fair amount.	************** [14]
A lot.	******** [8]

Briefly describe how you would walk along a straight, level road such that your distance traveled would be longer than your displacement.

"Not walking in a perfectly straight line, or walking forward and backtracking can cause the distance traveled to be greater than the displacement."

"I would walk straight for half the total distance I planned to travel, then turn around and walk back the other half of the total distance. My distance would be much greater than my displacement (which would be zero)."

"I would walk, then pause for a little mid-walk, then continue walking."

In general, average speed will be __________ the magnitude of average velocity.

less than.	** [2]
equal.	***************** [17]
greater.	****************** [18]
(More than one of the above choices.)	********* [9]
(None of the above choices.)	** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	********** [10]

An odometer measures an object's:

displacement.	***** [5]
distance traveled.	************************************************** [52]
(instantaneous) velocity.	[0]
(instantaneous) speed.	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	* [1]

A speedometer measures an object's:

displacement.	* [1]
distance traveled.	* [1]
(instantaneous) velocity.	************ [12]
(instantaneous) speed.	******************************************** [44]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	[0]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"This course has challenging material, but it's helpful with this 'flipped class' approach. I always see 'read this before the next lecture' in class syllabi, but this course actually takes advantage of this approach. I get motivated to do the reading."

"I think that I get this material pretty well so far but I just wish that we had more of a lecture during class."

"I would like to go over physics in class. These last couple days I feel like the instructor assumes we know more than we actually do." (Well, inform me via this online reading assignment how much you comprehended (or did not comprehend) from the textbook and presentation, so I can take it from there.)

"Are these questions graded for credit, or simply for your knowledge on how we're understanding concepts? Do I lose points if I leave this blank?" (Yes, yes, and no, if you filled out the most of the rest of the assignment.)

"Can you give more examples on the board?" (Sure, if the assigned homework report reflects massive difficulties for the class as a whole.)

"Is there a copy of the textbook on reserve in the library?" (Yes, along with a student solutions manual. Unless someone steals this year's reserve copy, again. You know that person? Don't be that person.)

"How worried should I be about the amount of calculus we will be using?" (Don't worry, I will teach you a method of doing calculus...without knowing that you're doing calculus.)

"If we know about derivatives and integrals, are we allowed to use that on exams?" (Sure, if you want to be a show-off.)

Online reading assignment: flipped classroom, motions and cycles (SLO campus)

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and previewing presentations on Earth's rotation/precession/revolution/tilt, the moon's motions and cycles, and watching two video presentations on the flipped class: "What Is the Flipped Class?" and "How the Flipped Classroom Works."

Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.

"Having student responses posted on your blog. I like to know what my fellow peers are thinking and what questions they come up with."

"How the seasons work--I didn't think that astronomy had that much to do with the seasons."

"Zodiac signs and astrology--I wasn't quite sure it was before and now I know it actually is actual science!"

"How astrology is linked to astronomy and how the zodiac signs are evenly spaced around earth. I thought that they were randomly everywhere."

"If sunlight was fainter during the day, we'd be able to see the sun moving eastward relative to the stars in the background."

"The videos on the flipped classroom were extremely interesting, because it is true that everyone has different learning styles, and not one teacher can accommodate to all of those very different ones. It's personally interesting to me, because I am an audio and visual learner so when teachers assign just reading homework or in-class assignments, I don't retain the information as well."

"I enjoyed finding things on the starwheel. It was fun to find out the time of things without using a watch."

"The cycle of seasons was very interesting, because most of the astronomy that I ever learned didn't fully explain it, the book did a good job of explaining to me."

"The moon has always been a mystery to me and it was just cool learning to judge what phase the moon is in by the light that it visibly reflects."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"Just as everything is interesting it is also confusing. It is nice that our book has so many diagrams that show what the book is explaining, but it is still hard to visualize it at times."

"Where the zodiac calendar come from, and how was it used to track the motion of the sun."

"The phases of the moon. I understood it most of the time, but then I'd lose it and be completely confused about it. I had a hard time visualizing everything."

"I found the idea of precession somewhat difficult. The example given of the top spinning was confusing only because at a 'normal' speed, a top will stay relatively stable--it is only when it slows down that it starts to wobble."

Match these cycles with their approximate duration. (Only correct responses shown.)

Earth's rotation: 24 hours [97%]
Earth's revolution: one year [78%]
Earth's precession: 26,000 years [97%]
The moon's revolution: one month [82%]

Place these moon phases in chronological order in their cycle (starting with new moon). (Only correct responses shown, in unscrambled order.)

New moon: first [95%]
Waxing crescent: second [75%]
First quarter: third [80%]
Waxing gibbous: fourth [65%]
Full moon: fifth [90%]
Waning gibbous: sixth [65%]
Third quarter: seventh [70%]
Waning crescent: eighth [60%]

Explain what is different about homework in a flipped class.

"Students have a better understanding of the content because they were able to review the lecture before they get to class. This give the instructor the power to teach the concepts through demonstrations and activities. The student leaves the class with a better understanding of the information and is able to apply this to their homework."

"Homework in a flipped class is different because you have already had time to learn the material and ask questions and or ask for help from the teacher. Opposed to learning everything new then going home and having to do homework right away."

"I feel like students are more prepared for homework in a flipped class because they are well informed about the lesson before class. During class they are able to ask questions before returning home, and then realizing they have problems which by then its too late."

Describe where/when most student learning occurs in a flipped class.

"Most of the learning is done before each class, so during the class your knowledge is strengthened instead of learning the basic concepts."

"In class we do most of the learning, while out of class we get the general idea of what we will be learning in class."

"The student does a lot of the learning on his own watching videos but then also in class applies his knowledge... I don't really know the exact answer to the question."

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"This assignment wasn't too difficult but still made me think out side of the box."

"Please make this class fun! I have trouble learning as it is."

"Will the flipped class be your method of teaching this semester? Will you explain the text even when questions might not be asked?" (Um, yes, and yes.)

"What are the majority of the questions of the quizzes/test from, the book or the lectures, or is it an equal mix?" (The flashcard question packets.)

"Wow, I love the idea of a flipped classroom! I'd be curious to know how its results compare to traditional teaching methods." (So am I.)

"why can we still see the moon when there is sun light out?" (You can always see the moon when the sun is out (except for the new moon); the moon does reflect enough sunlight to be brighter than the daylight sky.)

Flashcard question: texting/social networking in class (fall semester 2013)

Astronomy 210, Physics 205A, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

At the start of the semester, after a class think-pair-share activity using flashcards to answer syllabus quiz questions, students in introductory astronomy and college physics courses at Cuesta College were asked a subjective question regarding their attitudes towards texting and social networking smartphone use in class.

Texting/social networking is acceptable behavior in class.
(A) Strongly disagree.
(B) Disagree.
(C) Neutral.
(D) Agree.
(E) Strongly agree.

Student responses
Astronomy 210
Section 70158
(A) : 6 students
(B) : 10 students
(C) : 20 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 0 students

Astronomy 210
Section 70160
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 6 students
(C) : 19 students
(D) : 3 students
(E) : 0 students

Physics 205A
Sections 70854, 70855, 73320
(A) : 20 students
(B) : 13 students
(C) : 25 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 0 students

Students were asked to explain their responses during the following whole-class discussion. Most responses were along the lines of texting/social networking being "distracting," "inappropriate," and "disrespectful," but some students remarked that emergency contact purposes (or similar circumstances) or looking up information pertinent to lecture might be considered acceptable uses of smartphones. While indiscriminate use of smartphones during instruction would be detrimental to learning, the social norm seems to be that they would be tolerated as long as smartphone use was not disruptive to other students.

These responses and student opinions were then used to set the policy, via consensus, regarding texting and social networking during class time.

Previous post:

Flashcard question: texting/social networking in class (fall semester 2011).

FCI pre-test comparison: Cuesta College versus UC-Davis (fall semester 2013)

Students at both Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo, CA) and the University of California at Davis were administered the 30-question Force Concept Inventory (Doug Hestenes, et al.) during the first week of instruction.

	Cuesta College Physics 205A Fall semester 2013	UC-Davis Physics 7B Summer session II 2002
N	74 students*	76 students*
low	0	2
mean	9.4 +/- 5.5	9.1 +/- 4.3
high	26	27

*Excludes students with negative informed consent forms (*.pdf)

Student's t-test of the null hypothesis results in p = 0.64 (t = -0.473, sdev = 4.91, degrees of freedom = 148), thus there is no significant difference between Cuesta College and UC-Davis FCI pre-test scores.

Later this semester (fall 2013), a comparison will be made between Cuesta College and UC-Davis FCI post-tests, along with their pre- to post-test gains.

D. Hestenes, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer, Arizona State University, "Force Concept Inventory," Phys. Teach. 30, 141-158 (1992).
Development of the FCI, a 30-question survey of basic Newtonian mechanics concepts.

Previous FCI results:

• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2012 pre-tests and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2011 pre-tests and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2009 pre-tests and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, spring semester 2009 pre-tests and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2008 pre-tests and post-tests.
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, spring semester 2008 pre-tests and post-tests.
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2007 pre-tests and post-tests.

Online reading assignment: syllabus quiz, flipped classroom

Physics 205A, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading through the course syllabus, and watching two video presentations on the flipped class: "What Is the Flipped Class?" and "How the Flipped Classroom Works."

Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the syllabus, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.

"If we miss three labs, we automatically fail both the lab and lecture."

"I found it interesting that we could miss two labs and still be in the class."

"The fact that three lowest quiz scores are dropped is interesting because usually only the lowest quiz score is dropped in a class. This method is forgiving if you have to miss a quiz and don't do well on one or two."

"I really like how the class is laid out and straightforward. If I have any concerns about exams, grades or anything about my teacher I can turn to by syllabus."

"I've never been quizzed on a syllabus before, so I thought that was an interesting approach in forcing us to read it, because most students will take a glance at their syllabi and then forget about it, and here one is somewhat forced to remember these policies."

Describe something you found confusing from the syllabus, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"I didn't find anything confusing because the syllabus itself was very straightforward."

"At first I found the way question endings were condensed into brackets with multiple options confusing. This was at first confusing for me because there are only one set of answers for multiple questions."

"Using brackets in questions to avoid being redundant was different at first, but easy to sort out."

"I did not find any part of the syllabus confusing at this point. I believe I understand the syllabus."

Explain what is different about homework in a flipped class.

"The flipped classroom allows students to receive the lecture and material ahead of time for homework, and allows time for questions or explanations during lecture instead of lecturing about the material all of lecture time."

"The homework [problem-solving] is done in class where the instructor is available to assist."

Describe where/when most student learning occurs in a flipped class.

"At home, or where ever homework is done."

"I would say that the majority of learning still occurs in the classroom since more individual attention is given and specific questions are addressed."

"Flipped format is supposed to make both home and lecture more efficient. More learning occurs at home while watching lectures online. If you are a hands-on person, then you learn more in class."

Mark the level of your exposure to units and dimensional analysis.

None at all.	***** [5]
Slight.	********** [10]
Some.	***************** [17]
A fair amount.	************** [14]
A lot.	*********** [11]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"How do we show you that our reading assignments are completed for credit? And homework problems are assigned but not directly graded--do I turn them in, or should I just do them at home and keep them for my own reference." (For the reading assignments, I go through and skim all of your responses, as long as you have made some response or serious constructive attempt for most of the assignment, you'll receive full credit. For homework, keep your work for reference, I just want feedback on which problems you're having difficulty with, or haven't attempted yet.)

"Partial credit on exams/quizzes? I understand that multiple-choice is either right or wrong, but what if you have work written out for that question?" (You can only received credit (or not) for the answer you circle for a multiple-choice question on a quiz. There will be partial credit possible for essay questions and worked-out problems on exams.)

"No plus or minus grades? I have not had a collegiate class that did not include the plus or minus in grading." (Actually, at Cuesta College plus/minus grades are optional, at the discretion of each instructor.)

"During the class questions, I missed hearing an answer and explanation by a student, so I asked my neighbors and they said they didn't catch it either. Some of the student answers are difficult to hear." (I will be sure to remind students to project their voices when asking or answering questions. At the same time I will be sure to remind the rest of the class to keep their voices down.)

"How do you get your mustache so tightly curled?" (Clubman mustache wax, by Pinaud.)

"I typically don't like to interact in a class, but I will try to put that aside for this class." (I'm the same way. But if I think I'm right while other people are wrong, I'm not going to hold back.)

"(a) Do the online reading materials, blog posts; and other presentations, make this class a flipped one? (b) Do you use the flipped classroom method or are you considering using it? Have you seen the flipped classroom work in person?" ((a) Yes, as long as what would typically be "transmitted" by the instructor to the students in class, and problem-solving homework done at home are instead done at home and in class, respectively. (b) Yes, you and I are going to experience a fully flipped classroom first-hand this semester (although I've used some preliminary flipping in previous semesters.)

"P-dog can you show us your dance moves, please!" (You show me your dance moves. Bring it next time I DJ swing dance music at Madonna Inn on Monday nights.)

"Honest-to-god Hawaii food is awesome. What's your favorite?" (SPAM™ musubi.)

"What was your dissertation topic?" (Computationally reconstructing holographic images of atoms using x-ray photons emitted by electrons making transitions from higher to lower energy orbitals. Good times. (Not.))

"You are the only instructor I have had that practices a flipped class method. I am already very excited to be in your class (even just the first day was interesting and interactive). So far I really appreciate your teaching style and positive energy." (You're welcome.)

"I went to UC-Davis last year and agree that the students are weird. That's why I am at Cuesta now." (Word.)