Documenting the conversion from traditional to Studio Physics formats at the Colorado School of Mines: Process and early results

Introduction of studio physics teaching in Panama

“…Studio teaching, although it did not result in gains as high as it has been reported elsewhere [10][11][12][13], showed that positive conceptual understanding gains can be achieved as instructors review and develop more consistent and integrated active-learning strategies and materials. Studio teaching has shown to be one promising option to help improve conceptual knowledge of students entering university physics for slowly emerging economies like Panama.…”

“…From these results, the FCI normalized gain of all traditional courses was compared to that of all Studio courses; this comparison is shown in Figure 2. If one compares this overall result with gains measured elsewhere for Studio vs. traditional teaching, the normalized gains are still in the lower side of related normalized gains reported elsewhere [10][11][12][13].…”

“…It certainly took more time and more effort than elsewhere [10][11][12][13]. The visit to the Studio teaching model originators [2] to see first-hand the pros and cons of its implementation helped us to start this transformation.…”

A Problem-Solving Template for Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Physics Instruction

“…Students, parents, administrators, and governing bodies expect ever more detailed tracking of student progress, and there is an across-the-board call for action plans to improve student success. However, evidence suggests that even after large expenditures of time and eff ort in transitioning to new methods, only marginal gains in student achievement are obtained (Cummings, Marx, Th ornton, & Kuhl, 1999;Hoellwarth, Moelter, & Knight, 2005;Kohl, Kuo, & Ruskell, 2008). Moreover, there seems to be a divide between those who support increased conceptual understanding and those who strive to develop increased problem-solving skills.…”

Evaluation of a Tertiary Studio Physics Implementation in Abu Dhabi

“…Although each of the above mentioned innovations has its own pedagogy and curriculum, the physical environment itself can be successfully adopted in a variety of contexts to match the level and goal of the curricula. [7,8] The Colorado School of Mines (CSM) was an early developer of a hybrid-Studio environment in its introductory physics courses. [4] Continued study of our Studio courses led to the development and dissemination of a model for adapting this learning environment to a traditional course in a manageable, reproducible manner.…”