P. Sears: Physlets and Peer Teaching 1/14/19 3:24 PM p 1Using Online Java Simulations (Physlets) and Student Peer Teaching toReview for the NYSED Regents Physics ExaminationPatrick H. Sears, SUNY Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Ave Buffalo NY 14222. <[email protected]>AbstractAs an end of course review activity, 43 suburban HS NY Regents Physics students were divided into groups and assigned specific of NYS Regents content standards. Each group of students wasrequired to find a web-based computer simulation that demonstrated the principles of the assigned content standards. Students then used the simulation as the center of a peer-teaching session for the rest of the class. Justification for the project is given based on references from the literature that support both peer teaching and the use of web-based computer simulations in the classroom. The results of the projects were largely affective and motivational. Conclusions are presented that suggest modifications to the assignment that would make it more practical from the standpoint of the teacher.AcknowledgementsThis manuscript addressed requirements for PHY690 at Buffalo State College. Thank you to Dan MacIsaac and Dave Abbott for their efforts in supporting this project and my teaching. Thanks also to my colleagues in PHY620 and PHY622 for broadening my perspective on the subject of physics.P. Sears: Physlets and Peer Teaching 1/14/19 3:24 PM p 2IntroductionOne aspect in which physics education technology is developed beyond that of other subjects is software simulation. Years ago, programs like Interactive PhysicsTM gave teachers the ability to show interactions that would have been otherwise difficult to show in the classroom. With the advance of the internet and the wide use of applets, small programs that run within the control of a web browser (Wiktionary, 2008), simulations have been written and shared by many authors across the physics education community. Wolfgang Christian and Mario Belloni have dubbed these applet based physics simulations, Physlets (2001).With the wide variety of Physlets on the web today, they are a resource that begs to be taken advantage of. While it is important not to substitute computer simulation for hands on experience, guided Socratic explorations using Physlets must walk the line between strict direction and cognitive roadblocks hidden in overly un-defined or open-ended tasks. In order to avoid this complication associated with guided Internet based activities, I have developed a project that asks students to use Physlets as a peer-teaching tool.In a classroom where Physlets have been integrated into lectures and demonstrations, students have seen the integration of computer simulation into effective teaching modeled for them many times by the end of the year. The students’ experience can be drawn upon in a review project that allows them to choose a Physlet and use it to teach the fundamental concept it portrays to a small group of their peers. In the pre-existing divisions of curriculum that exist in the New York State Regents content standards (NYSED, 2006) there exists a complete list of concepts for the students to investigate.Once students are assigned individual content standards, they are sent to the computer labto search out a Physlet that will help them effectively explain the concept behind the standard they have been assigned. The self-guided nature of their investigation avoids a closed ended experience, while the context, a topical review session, avoids the confusion that might surround a topic to which the students have had little or no previous exposure to.P. Sears: Physlets and Peer Teaching 1/14/19 3:24 PM p 3JustificationThe idea for this project came up when I was considering my options for 3 days of school in April when I was anticipating low attendance. My colleagues in the science department at Williamsville South were expecting between 50% and 70% of our normal classroom numbers because these days were during the week originally scheduled as “spring break”. Due to an unforeseen week of “snow days” in October, our break was shortened. I was considering a review project that would be meaningful, yet easily transferred to students who were not present. I had already wanted to use Physlets as the basis for the project, but it was only as Wednesday was upon me that I realized it would be an excellent opportunity to use the recent Electromagnetic phenomena test as a pre-assessment for all students, allowing a pseudo-scientificresearch project to be conducted on the effectiveness of the review project. As I considered the options, I looked to the professional literature for support of the use of peer teaching and Physletsin the classroom.Peer teaching is a strategy that has been documented as successful. As an example of cooperative learning, it can be correlated with both academic and social gains for high achievers in science education settings. (Johnson et al., 1994) Peer teaching has specifically been correlated with students of all levels in introductory college biology classrooms (Tessier, 2004) and physics classrooms (Mazur et al., 2001). In addition to these science specific references, peer teaching has been claimed effective in dozens of studies that have focused on different subject matter and structures of peer teaching. (Menall 1975) In addition to specific research on peer teaching, the potential for having students teach each other can be traced back to basic educational psychology. If we start with the assumption that the goal of our classroom is to invoke higher levels of thinking as described in Bloom’s Taxonomy (Bloom, 1956), teaching of skills and knowledge requires a level of comprehension or analysis of those skills and knowledge. This ensures that a student who successfully completes a peer-teaching task has reached a level of thinking beyond basic knowledge.P. Sears: Physlets and Peer Teaching 1/14/19 3:24 PM p 4A third perspective from which to justify a peer teaching review project that uses Physletsas their central tool is the growing documentation of the successful use of Physlets in science andmathematics classrooms. First and foremost is the extensive work done by Wolfgang Christian and Mario Belloni (2001). Their work has presented both Physlets and techniques to use them effectively, drawing on years of experience. Others have championed the uses of Physlets as well.A
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