written down. Some degree of discipline is required on the part of the student to not skip steps if self-explanation is done silently to oneself. Humans tend to ignore what they don’t understand so prior practice with developing questions is useful. Thus, a self-explanation will encourage reflection by identifying the phenomenon, establishing a context for the phenomenon, finding a means of predicting the phenomenon and, possibly, codifying the circumstances under which the means of prediction is valid. Mechanics application In this section, I present one instructor tool for use in a specific mechanics topic to reinforce a reflective learning environment. The instructor tool I present is small group collaboration. The specific mechanics topic, in which small group collaboration takes place, is graphing position versus clock reading, presented in a rectilinear kinematics unit. I include what prior knowledge I expect students to have, expected difficulties related to reflection, instructional strategies to overcome these difficulties, and also the relation of graphing position versus clock reading to NYS Core Curriculum. Small group collaboration is described on pages 10-11. In the context of graphing position versus clock reading, students are given the task to create graphs of position with respect to time and to explain the results as a group, to the class as a whole. Range finders and a clock are made available, or, alternatively, either tape measures and watches are made available, or a computerized range finder and some data collection and analysis program (e.g. Logger Pro©) is provided to each group. If a computerized range finder and some data collection and analysis program is provided to each group and white boards (2’ X 3’ size) are available, a kinesthetic approach is seen. One student holds the white board toward the range finder to provide a good signal and walks toward and away from it while another student is collecting data. The observed
written down. Some degree of discipline is required on the part of the student to not skip steps if self-explanation is done silently to oneself. Humans tend to ignore what they don’t understand so prior practice with developing questions is useful. Thus, a self-explanation will encourage reflection by identifying the phenomenon, establishing a context for the phenomenon, finding a means of predicting the phenomenon and, possibly, codifying the circumstances under which the means of prediction is valid. Mechanics application In this section, I present one instructor tool for use in a specific mechanics topic to reinforce a reflective learning environment. The instructor tool I present is small group collaboration. The specific mechanics topic, in which small group collaboration takes place, is graphing position versus clock reading, presented in a rectilinear kinematics unit. I include what prior knowledge I expect students to have, expected difficulties related to reflection, instructional strategies to overcome these difficulties, and also the relation of graphing position versus clock reading to NYS Core Curriculum. Small group collaboration is described on pages 10-11. In the context of graphing position versus clock reading, students are given the task to create graphs of position with respect to time and to explain the results as a group, to the class as a whole. Range finders and a clock are made available, or, alternatively, either tape measures and watches are made available, or a computerized range finder and some data collection and analysis program (e.g. Logger Pro©) is provided to each group. If a computerized range finder and some data collection and analysis program is provided to each group and white boards (2’ X 3’ size) are available, a kinesthetic approach is seen. One student holds the white board toward the range finder to provide a good signal and walks toward and away from it while another student is collecting data. The observed
ReflectionJan21.docx