Using demonstrations as a contextual road map: enhancing course continuity and promoting active engagement in introductory college physics

We present a series of standard demonstrations as examples of activities that can be used to introduce multiple concepts and tie different sections of the introductory physics course together. These demonstrations can serve as the context through which concepts for a section of the course can be discussed. The demonstrations are simple enough that student volunteers from the class can do them. Students are asked to predict the outcome of parts of the demonstration and participate in discussion of the demonstration as it is being presented. This interactive approach helps to promote active engagement. The first semester introductory physics course is divided into 6 sections and a demonstration is presented which is used to introduce most of the new concepts of that section. Understanding of the demonstration is used as a goal in studying the chapters during that section of the course. At the end of the section the demonstration is repeated to review the concepts learned and then to introduce some of the concepts of the new section. A new demonstration is then used to further introduce the concepts of the new section. This activity is repeated for each new section of the course. This work is part of an NSF sponsored program where we sought to change the classroom environment for women and minorities and to attempt to more actively engage all students. Through these as well as other classroom changes we attempt to raise students' confidence levels and improve attitudes about science through increased engagement. Our overall approach is to change the structure of the course by introducing a few activities at a time and not disrupt the lecture format significantly. Our project was evaluated by in-class observation of student interaction and the results were compared to observations in conventionally taught introductory physics courses. Our demonstration approach contributes to changes in classroom dynamics by stimulating student engagement and encouraging inclusivity.