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How well can you link physics equations to the theory they describe?

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How well can you link physics equations to the theory they describe?

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I use a rehearsed method to solve mathematical problems every time...

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I use a rehearsed method to solve mathematical problems every time...

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I usually draw my own diagram to help me visualise a physics problem

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I usually draw my own diagram to help me visualise a physics problem

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If I can't see how to approach a problem straight away I tend to move on

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If I can't see how to approach a problem straight away I tend to move on

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I can apply my maths skills to solve unfamiliar problems

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I can apply my maths skills to solve unfamiliar problems

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I enjoy the challenge of goal-free problems in physics

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I enjoy the challenge of goal-free problems in physics

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In previous posts, I have been writing about teaching problem solving ( here, here and here). This post describes a strategy that appears counter-intuitive, until you think about what you really want your students to learn.

When you use this question in class, which of the following learning goals is most important to you:

A: learning how to solve this type of problem

B: finding out how much vertical supporting force the rock really supplies.

I'm assuming that you don't really care about the answer to the question.

When you set this question, any student who can't solve it is actually less likely to solve it or a similar one next time (Hattie and Yates. 2011 - Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn. p151). Your student is so caught up in the goal (solving the problem) that she has no working memory left to reflect on learning the strategy.

This blog describes the strategy that prompted John Sweller to develop Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) - the Goal-Free strategy (read more about its history here).

Reducing the cognitive load allows the learner to learn. In the question above, simply cut off the bottom line. You then have a situation to explore with your students - the boy on the plank.

I like to go cooperative at this stage, asking students to discuss the situation in turns. I use a strategy I learned from Jakob Werdelin, a cooperative learning specialist, called Word-Round. In groups of four, students have 20 seconds to talk about the situation in the question. After 20s, the next team member speaks. The teacher listens in to pick up any useful and interesting points to share with the class after the Word-Round is finished. (Another cooperative strategy that works well in this situation is Think-Pair-Share).

A considerable amount of learning has happened by this stage, especially if your learners recognise the situation as a familiar one involving beams with two supports. It is possible that your students are now ready to tackle the problem. You may wish to demonstrate the working yourself or you might prefer to give a partial solution and allow your students to complete it.

Going Goal-Free might sound directionless, but it is the fast route to problem solving.

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Going Goal-Free to Learn How to Solve Physics Problems

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In previous posts, I have been writing about teaching problem solving (here, here and here). This post describes a strategy that appears counter-intuitive, until you think about what you really want your students to learn. When you use this question in class, which of the following learning goals is most important to you: A: learning...

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What have you learned from 'this question'? Where have you used these strategies before and where can you use them in the future?

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What have you learned from 'this question'? Where have you used these strategies before and where can you use them in the future?

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I often check my answers to physics problems by comparing the final answer to an order of magnitude estimate

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I often check my answers to physics problems by comparing the final answer to an order of magnitude estimate

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When I’m solving physics problems, I often don’t really understand what I am doing

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When I’m solving physics problems, I often don’t really understand what I am doing

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I use a wider variety of approaches after seeing what other students do.

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I use a wider variety of approaches after seeing what other students do.

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When I see a formula in physics, I try to imagine how the quantities are related to each other

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When I see a formula in physics, I try to imagine how the quantities are related to each other

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How physics works does not usually make sense to me, I just memorize and apply formulae

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How physics works does not usually make sense to me, I just memorize and apply formulae

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How often do you look at the units of a physical quantity to understand how to solve a problem?

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How often do you look at the units of a physical quantity to understand how to solve a problem?

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This could go in column 4 too?!?

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How confident would you be to answer questions about..

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How confident would you be to answer questions about..

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I am confident that I have the necessary mathematical skills to attempt physics problems

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I am confident that I have the necessary mathematical skills to attempt physics problems

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To understand a physics problem, I need to think about the equations involved

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To understand a physics problem, I need to think about the equations involved