ABP Tutorials Implementation of Computer Tutorials at the University of Maryland

Context

Introductory calculus-based physics course:
- three weekly 50-minute lectures (50 < N < 200)
- one weekly 50-minute small group session (N < 28)

Typical Large Lecture Classroom

Components (click on images to view video-clips)
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Based on the instructional model developed by Lillian C. McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington

Pretest  Pretests are qualitative questions given to students before tutorial (but typically after traditional instruction)


(password "force")

TA Training Each week, all TA's (as well as other classroom facilitators) prepare for the week.

Click for video of
TA's discussing student pretest responses: TAs discussing student pretests (lo-memory video)
(1.0 MB), (2.3MB)

Click for video of
TA's discussing student difficulties with force: TAs discussing possible student difficulties (lo-memory video)
(2.3 MB), (4.0MB)

Tutorials  Tutorials are worksheets guided by the findings of physics education research that students follow in class. 


(password "force") 

classroom  interactions: 

In class, students working in groups are led to build an understanding for themselves

Video of student-student interaction during tutorial Typical student-student interaction without a facilitator during tutorial (lo-memory video)
(740K), (1.2 MB)

Video of student-facilitator interaction during tutorial Student-facilitator interaction during tutorial (lo-memory video)
(2.1 MB), (4.5 MB)

Tutorial 
Homework  		Each tutorial comes with a homework. Students extend ideas covered in tutorial and make connections between concepts stressed in tutorial and quantitative skills stressed in tradtional textbook problems. 

 
(password "force")

Examination Question  On each examination, one question comes directly from material emphasized in tutorial.

 



For a complete list of ABP Tutorials, click here.
To return to the PERG ABP page, click here.
To return to the the ABP Tutorial page, click here.