major course revision for mlgn593: bonding, structure ... · mlgn593: bonding, structure, &...
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MajorCourseRevisionforMLGN593:Bonding,Structure,&Crystallography
BACKGROUND WHATISCHANGING EXPECTEDRESULTS PerspectivesonTrefny CenterSummerIntensiveCourseRevisionProgram:• TheIntensiveCourse
Revisionprogramhelpedmenarrowandfocusmylearningobjectivessothattheyareusefulforthestudents
• Agreatopportunitytoworkwithotherfacultyfromacrosscampuswitharangeofteachingexperiences
• Teachingwellisnevereasy,butlearningeffectiveinstructiontechniquesshouldmakeyoumoreefficientatpreparingforclass.
• Welldefinedlearningobjectiveshelpaligntestsandhomeworkandgivesstudentsclearexpectations,improvingattitudes.
JeramyD.Zimmerman,AssistantProfessor,PhysicsDepartment&MaterialsScienceProgramPhotovoltaic,LightEmittingDevices,MaterialsforEnergyApplicationsSummer2017Cohort
MaterialsScienceGraduateCoreprogram:• MLGN591:MaterialsThermodynamics• MLGN592AdvancedMaterialsKineticsandTransport• MLGN593:Bonding,Structure,&Crystallography• Widevarietyofbackgrounds
• 1/3MaterialsScienceorrelatedDegree• 1/3NOMatSci background
• Norequired materialsscienceprerequisites• Musthaveenoughknowledgeofmaterialsscienceto
performresearchandnotembarrassthemselvesatconferences.
X
LearningOutcomes:• Clear&conciselearningoutcomesdefined
forstudents• Additionofprerequisitelow-levelknowledge
addedtoprerequisiteknowledge(withresourcesforfindinganswers)
Expectedimprovements:• Studentsabletoidentify
whyeachhomeworkisassignedandhowexamproblemsdoindeedbuildonhomework
• Lessofa“firehose”feelingformanystudents
Previousapproach:• Justintimeteaching(JiTT)onreadingsandonlinequizzes• StudentswithweakmaterialsBackgrounds• Ihadtocovermaterialinreadings,eliminatingany
possibletimesavings.Videos&targetedreadings:• Videosbeingcreatedtocoverdifficult
concepts• Pre-classquizzesfocusingonspecificclosed-
endinformation(low-leveldepthofknowledge)andgeneralcuriositiesaboutwhattoexploredeeper
• Materialinreadingsnotrepeatedinclass!• Moretimetoapplyideasinclass
Whychange?• Largeamountofmaterialtocover• Studentsstruggletomastertopicscovered
andstruggletoseehowdifferenttopicsareconnected
Emphasisonmetacognition:• Studentsoftenfocusonmechanicsofsolving
problemandmissthegeneralconcept.• Additionalhomeworkaddedtobuild
connectionstolearningobjectivesandmajorconcepts.
Metacognition:• Assessmentsaddedon
identifyinggeneralconceptslearnedandconnectionstolearningobjectives
• Assignmentsincludingdescriptionsofconceptswithextendedwrittenportions
Classtime:• Slowerpaceforin-class
coverageofmaterial• Timeforrealexamplesand
constructingcomplexideas• Morecomputersimulations
andvisualizationsoftware• Activeparticipationby
studentsinsmallgroupdiscussions