Name: Layering Collaborative Learning on Lecture: Adaptive Group Problem Solving (GPS) Sessions in a Large Introductory Mechanics Course
Start: 2024-05-14T14:15:00-0400
End: 2024-05-14T14:45:00-0400

The 2024 Upper Peninsula Teaching and Learning Conference (UPTLC) will be hosted by Bay College in Escanaba, Michigan, May 13-14, 2024. This year’s theme is Embracing Change: Meeting the Needs of Modern Learners. This theme captures the ongoing challenges wrought by the pandemic, the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and increased awareness of the diverse academic and mental health needs of today’s learners. This conference will create a community of educators invested in honing human and technological skills for successful, sustainable teaching and learning.

The conference includes pre-conference interactive workshops, optional social activities, and a full conference day of concurrent sessions, poster sessions, and “Birds of a Feather” gathering time. We’re excited to share four timely conference tracks:

Teaching techniques for online, hybrid, or virtual learning
Teaching and learning in the age of AI
Engaging modern learners
Self-care for college students and/or college employees

The UPTLC is a regional conference focused on the practice and scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education and K-12 education. The UPTLC creates a space for educators to connect, learn, share, and continue growing skills for teaching and learning. We invite educators and educational staff/administration to submit presentation proposals and/ or attend this conference.

5/7 - Registration is now closed; we can’t wait to see you at UPTLC 2024!

**schedule subject to change**

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Layering Collaborative Learning on Lecture: Adaptive Group Problem Solving (GPS) Sessions in a Large Introductory Mechanics Course

The calculus-based introduction to classical mechanics course, University Physics-I (PH2100), at Michigan Technological University is currently scheduled for 3 large class meetings per week (~300 students per section in Spring 2024 and Fall 2023). The efficacy of active learning, especially in physics, has been well documented. (Ruell, 2019) So has the advantage of learning in an established community (Virtue, Maddox and Pfaff, 2019). These are very difficult to implement in the current large class format, as are many inclusive teaching practices. (CRLT - UMich)
Aligning with the UPTLC 2024 theme, "Embracing Change: Meeting the Needs of Modern Learners”, we have implemented optional Group Problem Solving (GPS) sessions to supplement the lecture while we work to improve the overall course. Students meet weekly to participate in guided small group discussions, forming communities, increasing retention, promoting deeper comprehension, improving problem-solving skills, and learning how to collaborate.
The poster will describe participant survey results regarding confidence, self-assessment of learning, and statistics regarding exam performance and retention. In addition, the poster will describe how GPS sessions have evolved due to student feedback, expanding student agency, using multiple tables with diverse problem types, having groups work together, and helping students learn to self-assess.
Finally, future directions of the sessions and curriculum will be discussed. The goal is to encourage discussion/implementation of adaptation of this method in other disciplines using existing content (as has been done here). This makes the target audience virtually anyone looking for ways to encourage collaboration and active learning in any discipline.

Speakers

UPTLC 2024

Primat Mandal

Tong Gao

Casey Aldrich

Michael R. Meyer

Attendees (10)