Using a disciplinary discourse lens to explore how representations afford meaning making in a typical wave physics course

We carried out a case study in a wave physics course at a Swedish university in order to investigate the relations between the representations used in the lessons and the experience of meaning making in interview–discussions. The grounding of these interview–discussions also included obtaining a rich description of the lesson environment in terms of the communicative approaches used and the students’ preferences for modes of representations that best enable meaning making. The background for this grounding was the first two lessons of a 5-week course on wave physics (70 students). The data collection for both the grounding and the principal research questions consisted of video recordings from the first two lessons: a student questionnaire of student preferences for representations (given before and after the course) and video-recorded interview–discussions with students (seven pairs and one on their own). The results characterize the use of communicative approaches, what modes of representation were used in the lectures, and the trend in what representations students’ preferred for meaning making, all in order to illustrate how students engage with these representations with respect to their experienced meaning making. Interesting aspects that emerged from the study are discussed in terms of how representations do not, in themselves, necessarily enable a range of meaning making; that meaning making from representations is critically related to how the representations get situated in the learning environment; and how constellations of modes of disciplinary discourse may be necessary but not always sufficient. Finally, pedagogical comments and further research possibilities are presented.Web of Scienc

Choosy Moral Punishers

The punishment of social misconduct is a powerful mechanism for stabilizing high levels of cooperation among unrelated individuals. It is regularly assumed that humans have a universal disposition to punish social norm violators, which is sometimes labelled “universal structure of human morality” or “pure aversion to social betrayal”. Here we present evidence that, contrary to this hypothesis, the propensity to punish a moral norm violator varies among participants with different career trajectories. In anonymous real-life conditions, future teachers punished a talented but immoral young violinist: they voted against her in an important music competition when they had been informed of her previous blatant misconduct toward fellow violin students. In contrast, future police officers and high school students did not punish. This variation among socio-professional categories indicates that the punishment of norm violators is not entirely explained by an aversion to social betrayal. We suggest that context specificity plays an important role in normative behaviour; people seem inclined to enforce social norms only in situations that are familiar, relevant for their social category, and possibly strategically advantageous

The importance of context: an exploration of factors influencing the adoption of student-centered teaching among chemistry, biology, and physics faculty

Background: Research at the secondary and postsecondary levels has clearly demonstrated the critical role that individual and contextual characteristics play in instructors’ decision to adopt educational innovations. Although recent research has shed light on factors influencing the teaching practices of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty, it is still not well understood how unique departmental environments impact faculty adoption of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) within the context of a single institution. In this study, we sought to characterize the communication channels utilized by STEM faculty, as well as the contextual and individual factors that influence the teaching practices of STEM faculty at the departmental level. Accordingly, we collected survey and observational data from the chemistry, biology, and physics faculty at a single large research-intensive university in the USA. We then compared the influencing factors experienced by faculty in these different departments to their instructional practices. Results: Analyses of the survey data reveal disciplinary differences in the factors influencing adoption of EBIPs. In particular, the physics faculty (n = 15) had primarily student-centered views about teaching and experienced the most positive contextual factors toward adoption of EBIPs. At the other end of the spectrum, the chemistry faculty (n = 20) had primarily teacher-centered views and experienced contextual factors that hindered the adoption of student-centered practices. Biology faculty (n = 25) fell between these two groups. Classroom observational data reflected these differences: The physics classrooms were significantly more student-centered than the chemistry classrooms. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that disciplinary differences exist in the contextual factors teaching conceptions that STEM faculty experience and hold, even among faculty within the same institution. Moreover, it shows that these differences are associated to the level of adoption of student-centered teaching practices. This work has thus identified the critical need to carefully characterize STEM faculty’s departmental environment and conceptions about teaching before engaging in instructional reform efforts, and to adapt reform activities to account for these factors. The results of this study also caution the over generalization of findings from a study focused on one type of STEM faculty in one environment to all STEM faculty in any environment

Methodological Considerations in the Analysis of Classroom Interaction in Community College Trigonometry

We report analyses of classroom interaction in trigonometry classes taught at an American community college focusing on two dimensions: the mathematical novelty of questions that instructors and students ask and the interactional moves that the instructors use to encourage student involvement in the lesson. The analyzed lessons were particularly challenging because existing frameworks that analyze classrooms did not account for the cases in which the delivery mode was lecture. We discuss the analytical strategies we used and show data to illustrate how they help us in capturing the complexity of classroom interaction and differences between instructors when lecture is the primary mode of instructional delivery. We conclude with suggestions for further work.National Science Foundation CAREER award DRL-0745474 to the first authorPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96961/1/Mesa_Lande_MetConsClassInt_DEEPBLUE.pd

Pilot study implementing mixed media and animation into the Preclinical Dental Anesthesia Course

Purpose/Objectives: During 2019, the perfect intersection of collaboration and innovative education using live video merged with animation was launched in the preclinical local anesthesia curriculum at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. This article includes the audible video created and describes the software used to blend dynamic animation for content delivery. This mixed-media approach merges animation with live video resulting with innovative teaching and student learning. Further, outcomes are discussed from voluntary postassessment surveys regarding how students perceived this innovation when introduced into preclinical local anesthesia curriculum. Within the advancements for the preclinical local anesthesia curriculum, development of short videos is introduced to students reviewing armamentarium and injection delivery to address patients’ pain management. Design: Within the advancements for this preclinical local anesthesia curriculum, short video development was introduced to students through online assessments. Afterward, students were given a voluntary postassessment survey. The 2017 results served as the genesis for the 2019 pilot study implementing mixed media and animation into assessments. Results/Conclusion: Results determined 78.6% agreed they would like to see more assessments made with integrated animation and mixed media. Additionally, 77% agreed they would like to see other courses use mixed media assessments. The pilot study implementing mixed media and animation into the preclinical dental anesthesia course was a unique addition to the curriculum engaging students for assessments