Physics Professor Encourages Students to Take Responsibility for Learning

UC Blue Ash Professor Krista Wood used technology to bring pre-pharmacy, pre-med, health science, mechanical engineering technology and construction management students together in her General Physics I and II courses.

This was done through a flipped classroom approach, which emphasizes both team learning and individual learning. 

“I use technology to move content out of the class and to help students learn on their own first, and then that gives us the opportunity to interact and scaffold their learning more in class,” Wood said.

Students watched videos of short lectures and sample problems outside of class time, then came to class ready to work through more difficult problems in groups. The groups then came together in a board meeting to present their work, discuss how they represented their thinking on a whiteboard, ask questions, and provide suggestions for improvement. 

While this teaching method facilitates student engagement, Wood has also noted student success increase, as they are now responsible for their own learning and cannot passively sit in class.

“Taking responsibility for your learning means you’re going to be doing the work ahead of time before class so you’re coming to class prepared,” Wood said. “You can actually participate in the class instead of just sitting there passively.”

While a lecture-style class format may work for a few students, Wood said it is more effective for students to be actively learning in a classroom. Student engagement gives students a reason to be there.

Bringing technology into the classroom has also helped Wood improve her teaching methods to best fit the students’ needs, as it has given her more insight into their learning processes.

“When students are thinking through the content, it’s really hard to see what they’re thinking,” Wood said. “Technology can help me make their thinking visible.”