Interactive Teaching Model Transforms Undergraduate Physics at GW

By Julia Parmley

A class with virtually no lectures might sound too good to be true to many students. But some GW undergraduates get just that with a new hands-on approach to learning introductory physics. SCALE-UP—student-centered activities for large enrollment undergraduate programs—is a new interactive way of teaching physics to larger classes that replaces the traditional lecture format with a variety of lab and interactive exercises. The concept originated with Robert J. Beichner, a professor at North Carolina State University, and was brought to GW last spring by Associate Professor of Physics Gerald Feldman.

“The class structure with SCALE-UP involves much more than just lectures,” says Dr. Feldman. “I believe instruction should be more about coaching and facilitating. Guiding and motivating students is far more effective than just delivering information.”

Dr. Feldman says academia started to rethink physics education in the 1990s when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute launched its interactive “studio physics” teaching model. Structured to function like an art studio, the classroom was designed to provide students with more activities and to integrate lab work into class time. In the late 1990s, Dr. Beichner decided to “scale up” this studio physics model for classes of 100 students or more. Now, more than 50 institutions across the country have adopted the model.

In 2007, Dr. Feldman presented the SCALE-UP idea to Donald R. Lehman, executive vice president for academic affairs, as a way to enhance undergraduate science at GW. In fall 2007, Dr. Feldman used University funding to purchase six round tables, 54 rolling chairs, and lab equipment for a room in Monroe Hall at 2115 G St., NW. The room is outfitted with audio visual equipment including SMART boards, screens on all four walls, and 18 laptops for in-class use.

In spring 2008, two SCALE-UP sections for University Physics 21 began including a special section that emphasizes biological applications and is team-taught by biology and computer science faculty members. This semester, it has been expanded to three sections consisting of two two-hour classes and one hour-long session, all with lab work integrated into class time. Nine students sit at each table in groups of three with a maximum of 54 students per section.

“Students come to class ready to work,” Dr. Feldman says. “They read the book and complete Web-based ‘warm-ups’ before class that prepare them for the lesson. I really have a sense that the students know what they are doing and are ready to roll at each class.”

Each SCALE-UP lesson is divided into three parts: “ponderables,” or conceptual questions that the students discuss in their groups; “tangibles,” or hands-on experiments to answer a question; and computer simulations for lab work. “When all groups have answers, we write them on the SMART board and discuss them,” says Dr. Feldman. “They see they can receive actual results during the tangible exercises that are linked to the ponderable exercises.”

Group incentives also encourage students to help each other. “Students sign contracts at the beginning of the semester to hold each other accountable,” says Dr. Feldman. “If a group’s exam average is above 80, its members all get five extra points, so the students who are doing well are motivated to help their group members.”

Early results comparing SCALE-UP with the other physics sections show the new model has been a success. “We looked at exams and national tests, and the data showed students in the SCALE-UP class scored higher than their peers in the regular sections,” says Dr. Feldman, adding that the University Physics 21 SCALE-UP class continued in fall 2008 and a University Physics 22 section was launched for this semester. Professors in other departments also use the Monroe Hall classroom, which is now reserved for nearly the entire semester.

Dr. Feldman believes students learn more with the SCALE-UP model because they are constantly exploring new ideas and concepts. “In my classes, the groups really gel,” he says. “They like having the class time to work on problems, and they seem to absorb more because they are constantly active. The overall learning experience just gets better.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu