HP Mobile Science Lab for Science and Engineering StudentsHP Mobile Science Lab for Science and Engineering Students

Ryerson University, Department of PhysicsToronto, ON CanadaDr. M.Milner-Bolotin, Dr. T.Antimirovahttp://web.physics.ryerson.ca/mmilner/

PROJECT ABSTRACT: We use HP Mobile Science Lab to improve physics learning in our undergraduate Medical Physics Program. Our goal is to create a student-centered learning environment, where students, while working in small collaborative groups, use tablet computers, relevant physics simulations and available resources to investigate physics phenomena, acquire problem solving skills and encourage their interest in science.

Keywords: Science teaching, physics education, interactive teaching, collaborative groups, attitudes towards science, student cognitive and affective outcomes, meta-cognitive skills.

Impact on Student LearningReplace this paragraph with a brief description of the specific measurable outcomes you anticipate relative to improvements in student achievement. A variety of measures are possible, but the goal is to be able to tell a story:One Year Ago – Most of the undergraduate science courses were taught in a teacher-centered format (lecturing) which was ineffective in promoting student learning and positive attitudes toward science. As a result, the drop out rates in the sciences were high, especially for at risk students.Today – We are working on developing interactive student centered collaborative group activities that utilize modern technology and focus on critical thinking skills.One Year From Now – We hope to have integrated hands-on and heads-on courses where student active learning is promoted via appropriate technology use.The effectiveness of the new pedagogy will be measured by content tests as well as by the levels of student interest in science and their retention in the program.

Impact on Teaching

The course where we are planning to use the HP Mobile Science Lab are relatively new. The teachers are already using peer response system (clickers) but up until now there were limited opportunities for truly interactive hands-on teaching as very few students had laptops and nobody had tablets. We hope that the tablets will help us promote student higher order thinking, curiosity and excitement about science. We also hope that via promoting student creativity and interest in science, we will be able to retain more students in the sciences.

Technology Implementation

The HP Mobile Science Lab enhanced by clickers will help: a)Promote active learning and collaborative work.b)Document results of in-class collaborative problem solving and stimulate further online problem-solving discussion outside of class.c)Model physics phenomena in and outside of class, via the use of interactive computer simulations, such as PhET. d)Enhance student meta-cognitive strategies via teaching them smart note taking and information analysis during the in-class discussion.

Department of Physics

“I think physicists are the Peter Pans of the human race. They never grow up and

they keep their curiosity.”

Isidor Isaac Rabi