“[Science] in My Life” - Encouraging connections between classroom learning and the “real world”.
Session Type
Presentation
Room
Physics and Astronomy, room 117
Start Date
16-7-2025 2:00 PM
End Date
16-7-2025 2:30 PM
Keywords
student motivation; real-world connection; individualized assignment; knowing our students.
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Many introductory science students see their courses as separate from the “real world” even though science is all around them. This siloing can have a negative impact on their motivation. To help our Introductory Physics I students make the connections between their course learning and the world around them, my co-instructor and I introduced a small assignment called Physics in My Life, which involved sharing a photo and analyzing some aspect of it based on course learning. A similar assignment could be used in any introductory science course.
We were pleased with the results of this small addition. During this presentation, I will discuss what we saw as benefits, which went beyond the primary goal of the project. As well, I will share logistical information about setting up this type of task, including the rubric that we used to make grading manageable in a large class.
Elements of Engagement
Throughout the presentation, participants will be encouraged to reflect on how an assignment of this nature could fit their teaching context. There will be polls and opportunities for discussion. By the end of the session, each participant will have chosen one of their courses and sketched out how this type of project could be implemented in that context.
“[Science] in My Life” - Encouraging connections between classroom learning and the “real world”.
Physics and Astronomy, room 117
Many introductory science students see their courses as separate from the “real world” even though science is all around them. This siloing can have a negative impact on their motivation. To help our Introductory Physics I students make the connections between their course learning and the world around them, my co-instructor and I introduced a small assignment called Physics in My Life, which involved sharing a photo and analyzing some aspect of it based on course learning. A similar assignment could be used in any introductory science course.
We were pleased with the results of this small addition. During this presentation, I will discuss what we saw as benefits, which went beyond the primary goal of the project. As well, I will share logistical information about setting up this type of task, including the rubric that we used to make grading manageable in a large class.