Organizing physics knowledge around core concepts Organizational Patterns

Organizing physics knowledge around core concepts: Organizational Patterns Mental Models Helping students bridge the gaps Carl J. Wenning, Coordinator Physics Teacher Education Illinois State University

Organizational Patterns w For teachers: w Epistemology w Pedagogy w Assisting Students w For students: w Structured Problem Solving w Generic Experimental Design w Advance Organizers

For Teachers 1: w Epistemology - ways of knowing w w w w Personal experience Artificial inference Natural inference Definition Universal consent Perfect credibility Credible authority Scientific experimentation

For Teachers 2: w Pedagogy w Assisting Students w Academic problem analysis w Behaviors associated with grades

For Students 1: w Structured problem solving w Focus the problem w Describe the physics w Plan the solution w Execute the solution w Evaluate the solution

For Students 2: w Generic Experimental Design w w w w Identify problem to be solved Identify the system Identify & distinguish system vars. Identify the general procedure Identify the model if possible Choose range for the variables Collect and interpret data Consider precision of experiment

For Students 3: w Advance Organizers w Relational graphics w Relational networks

Mental Models: A Definition w Mental models are any organized pattern (often a visual representation) consisting of both structure and process (a flow chart of sorts) that helps a student comprehend content knowledge and/or solve problems relative to the principle being taught. Advance organizers are often thought of as mental models.

Mental Models: Usefulness w Mental models (often known as advance organizers) can help teachers to plan with the end in mind: teachers must clarify the big ideas students will be exploring, identify what students already know, and develop links between the two. Additionally, mental models can help students to organize their thinking in a way that is more consistent with how expert problem solvers organize their knowledge. Students who have been taught with the use of mental models in mind, or learn on the basis of advance organizers, have demonstrate much better understanding and comprehension.