{ "cells": [ { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "# Virtual demonstrations - Using digital artefacts to illustrate explanations\n", "\n", "Classroom demonstrations, i.e. showing phenomena in class, make great illustrations that stimulate students’ interest and motivation. \n", "Jupyter Notebooks allow you to design very easily *virtual demonstrations* to show students *things that you could not demonstrate in real life*.\n", "\n", "But how to make sure that your demonstrations are **more than just entertainment**?\n", "\n", "A few simple ingredients can transform your virtual demonstrations into *powerful teaching and learning tools*. On this page, we summarize briefly some of the [ideas from research on the impact of demonstrations on students learning](#Ingredients-for-effective-virtual-demonstrations-in-class) and share with you [example notebooks](#Examples) which implement these ideas in practice.\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "## Ingredients for effective virtual demonstrations in class\n", "\n", "### Questions\n", "\n", "Questions can really help students engage actively with your demonstration: \n", "* Catherine Crouch and her colleagues from Harvard University have shown that having students **predict the outcome of a demonstration before observing it** makes an essential difference in terms of what students remember and understand from a demonstration [(Crouch et al., 2004)](https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/1.1707018). This result has been reproduced in a number of other studies, and the reason why this technique works so well seems to be fundamentally linked to how our brain works, according to relatively recent models [(Dehaene, 2011)](https://www.college-de-france.fr/site/en-stanislas-dehaene/course-2011-2012.htm). \n", "* When observing a demonstration, it can be hard for students to focus their attention at the right place at the right time. Asking them **questions that drive them to observe specific features** of what you are showing can greatly help them see what you want them to see. \n", "* Very often, students have a hard time identifying what they need to remember from a demonstration. Asking them **questions at the end of a demonstration to reflect on the important points** which have been illustrated is a very effective way to draw their attention to the right elements.\n", "\n", "
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"Key points:
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" For a maximized impact on learning, ask students questions before (prediction questions), during (observation questions) and after (reflection questions) your demonstrations with notebooks.\n",
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"Key points:
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" Virtual demonstrations can serve as a bridge to develop problem solving skills if you design your notebooks with multiple connected representations, which match the representations you want students to use when solving problems.\n",
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"Key points:
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" To help students develop their reasoning, have them discuss \"why\" things happen this way in the virtual demonstration with their peers before presenting your own explanation.\n",
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\n", " | What is involved? | \n", "Show me an example | \n", "
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\"Low tech\" | \n", "Ask students questions which they have to answer on a piece of paper. Show visualizations that you want students to use when they solve problems. | \n",
" Have a look at the falling objects demo | \n", "
Interactive questions | \n", "Use the notebook to poll students using interactive questions where students vote for the answer of their choice. Combine and synchronize interactively a diagram and different function plots. | \n",
" [WORK IN PROGRESS] Have a look at the suspended objects demo | \n",
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