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Abstract:We asked students in two second-semester introductory college physics courses to report on a weekly basis who they worked with on physics outside of class time. One course was a lecture-based course while the second was a studio-based student-centered course implementing the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE). We used social network analysis to visualize and quantify each student's position and engagement in the informal learning community that formed outside of class. Our study analyzed the relationship between students' network positions as they worked together in groups outside the classroom with their performance in the course. We interpreted our results through a participationist viewpoint on learning. Comparisons between the two courses revealed interesting similarities and differences. While the learning communities in these two distinct settings may look very different, our results showed the overarching importance of informal learning communities irrespective of course type.

Abstract. In the participationist perspective, learning is viewed in terms of how students transform their participation. However, many of the seminal papers discussing the participationist framework are vague on specific details about what student participation really looks like on a more fine-grained scale. As part of a larger project to understand the role of student participation in learning, we are trying to characterize the ways in which physics students participate in group activities and discussions while they are constructing new knowledge. The context for our study is a student-centered introductory calculus-based physics class structured around the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) philosophy. In this paper we will discuss some of the patterns of participation we have found and some of the challenges we have encountered in trying to code and quantify student participation from analyzing video data.

Abstract:The context of our study is a calculus-based, studio-format introductory college physics course implementing the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE). We have gathered data that allows us to quantify students' participation in three broad areas of the physics class: In-class learning activities, class review session that happened at the beginning of every class, and the informal learning community that formed outside of class time. Using video data, classroom observations, and students' self-reports, we quantified students' participation in these three aspects of the class throughout a single semester. We investigated the relationship between students' participation and their success in the course as measured by their FCI gain, exam scores, and scores on out-of-class assignments. Our results reveal that different aspects of the class play distinct roles in learning. Students who participated more in class review sessions ended up with better conceptual understanding. Self-reported hours of study outside of class was significantly correlated with success on out-of-class assignments.

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