Science Guides: Student Assistants Support ‘Active Learning’ in Physics Classes

On a recent Friday afternoon, students in Joyce Palmer-Fortune’s introductory physics class were trying to calculate the kinetic energy of a swinging pendulum.

“So now the math!” said Palmer-Fortune, a lecturer at Smith, as she gave a bowling ball suspended from a ceiling rope a push to demonstrate the motion the class was analyzing.

As groups of students began to discuss the problem and write equations on nearby white boards, learning assistants Darby Bates ’18 and Gemma Regan-Mochrie ’15 circulated among them, listening and asking questions.

“How are you all doing?” Regan-Mochrie asked a group that appeared stumped by the calculations. “Why don’t you write out the equation and see if you’re close?”

At another table, Bates asked a student how she had come up with the answer to the problem. After hearing the explanation, Bates responded with a smile and a thumbs-up.

Bates and Regan-Mochrie are among a dozen students who signed up to be learning assistants in Smith introductory physics classes this semester. The students, who have completed basic coursework in the subject, are there to help facilitate “active learning” in the classroom, said Palmer-Fortune, who coordinates the program for the department.

That can mean leading small-group discussions, troubleshooting difficulties with lab equipment or “helping students get unstuck during a long problem at the board,” Palmer-Fortune said.

Facilitating is a learned skill, one that involves asking pointed questions more than offering explanations. The learning assistants are not expected to be experts so much as guides.

Students selected for the program are paid for their time in the classroom and also receive special-studies credit for two hours they spend each week reviewing course materials and discussing teaching strategies with faculty.

The training they receive in classroom teaching is one of the key ways that learning assistants differ from traditional teaching assistants, Palmer-Fortune said.

The role the assistants play in the classroom also varies from the conventional model, said Gary Felder, associate professor in physics and an early supporter of the assistants program.

“The learning assistants are not there to make our lives easier as teachers but to help make our classes more effective,” Felder said. “Facilitating is a learned skill, one that involves asking pointed questions more than offering explanations. The learning assistants are not expected to be experts so much as guides.”

The learning assistants program is part of a broader shift in the teaching of physics at Smith. In recent years, the department has moved away from the traditional separation of labs and lectures to a more integrated format that emphasizes hands-on and group learning.

At a National Science Conference she attended a few years ago, Palmer-Fortune learned that classroom assistants are crucial to the success of such integrated teaching approaches. After researching models in use at other colleges, she helped launch the Smith physics department’s learning assistants program in 2012.

During the first year of the program, faculty members took on the role of classroom helpers, Palmer-Fortune said. By the second year, students were the ones being trained to assist in introductory classes.

Palmer-Fortune, who is in her 12^th year of teaching at Smith, said having experienced students as classroom assistants means she can spend more time meeting individual student needs.

“I’m able to do a little better at differentiated instruction,” she said. “For example, the other day when we did things at the board, one group needed a few extra minutes from me. I can do that knowing the LAs are there.”

Felder said learning assistants have also helped make physics less intimidating for students taking introductory courses.

“The LAs are often better able to understand the confusion that an introductory student might experience, since it was not so long ago that they were experiencing the same thing,” he said. “As fellow Smithies, the LAs can provide role models for those just getting started in the sciences.”

Regan-Mochrie, who is majoring in biochemistry, said being a learning assistant has sharpened her own command of physics, as well as her communications skills.

I think students respond well to help from their peers when they might not ask for help otherwise.

“Having to explain your ideas to people and your thinking is a great way to learn science,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in science education. But I think this class will help me no matter what I end up doing.”

Fellow learning assistant Darby Bates said being part of the program has taught her that “students retain the information much better when they draw conclusions for themselves.

“I enjoy coming up with questions to help students decide for themselves whether their solution or idea makes sense,” Bates said.  “I think students respond well to help from their peers when they might not ask for help otherwise.”

Stephanie Acevedo ’15, one of the students in Palmer-Fortune’s class this semester, agreed that peer assistants are a valuable resource in the classroom.

“These students have been where you are now,” said Acevedo, who is majoring in biological sciences. “Especially with large classes, I really like having them here.”

Alex Widstrand ’17, another student in Physics 118, said learning assistants can offer additional approaches to solving problems.

“Just having that second or third perspective can be really helpful,” said Widstrand, who plans to major in engineering.

The physics department is currently evaluating the assistants program to measure its effect on hands-on learning in introductory classes. Patricia DiBartolo, professor of psychology and faculty director of the sciences at Smith, said she hopes the model can be expanded across the sciences.

“The program provides a powerful example of the way our faculty members constantly innovate to position us on the vanguard of science teaching and learning,” DiBartolo said. “Everyone gains from this program, with learning assistants and introductory students alike becoming more engaged and accomplished learners.”

Felder believes the impact of the learning assistant model will be felt even beyond the campus.

“As we graduate more science students with good experiences teaching in our classrooms, we expect to have more of our students interested in teaching science,” he said. “The learning assistant program is one important part of making the face of science look a little more female.”

Joyce Palmer-Fortune. Photo Credit Jim Gipe.