Mini-Grants

Use of Student Dry-erase Boards in the Physics Classroom

Caroline Viger (John Abbott College)

2015 Mini-grant Project

In the Winter 2014 the physics department installed ‘illegal’ whiteboards around its classroom: we bought dry-erase sheets from Home Depot and used double faced tape to secure them to the walls of the classroom. This was done without permission from the school’s administration. Teachers now make students use these boards regularly during lessons. We are applying for this grant to replace the poor quality boards with sturdier boards and to have them properly installed. Getting new boards is an opportunity to document how we use them and to reflect on how to improve or change things.

Reflections on the 2015 Mini-grant experience

At John Abbott College’s Physics department, we used our mini grant to buy student whiteboards. Our goal was to make students model proper learning behaviour for other students. We had begun experimenting with Masonite boards taped to the walls, and getting real boards was a great opportunity to get my colleagues to share their ideas and activities: problems, mind-mapping, mini-competitions… When my colleagues saw the new boards proudly installed on the walls of the classroom, the question they asked is “Why aren’t there more?”

The lesson is: once your colleagues begin active learning, they do not turn back. One of the best things about getting a SALTISE grant was participating at the SALTISE conference on June 2nd. With colleagues from Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology we presented different activities that dry-erase student whiteboards. We played a curve sketching game, had a resistor combination competition, completed a jigsaw activity for multi-step chemistry problems, and assembled the phases of mitosis.

I had heard of the neat activities my colleagues had developed, but trying them out first hand, and seeing others try the activities was eye opening. The conference participants were enthusiastic about trying activities outside their comfort zone. I think a good time was had by all. In fact, I plan to try a jigsaw activity when I teach Electricity and Magnetism in the fall. I’d like to thank Alice McLeod, Sean Hughes and Roxane Millette for a great session, and I’d like to thank Saltise for making participation in the conference a condition of the mini-grant.

Description and Context

The dry-erase boards that we wish to install are similar to the ones installed in John Abbott’s chemistry department with the help of Saltise and we have experimented with adapting this to physics classrooms.

The first goal is to get students to actively solve problems and to master the diagrams used in physics class (free body diagrams, field lines) but I think that these boards can also be used for other activities such as mind mapping.

Implementation and Outcomes

Writing blog entries for the Saltise website will be a great opportunity to document how teachers in the department are using the classroom boards, and how they orchestrate lessons around them. We can survey teachers on frequency of use and type of activity. It will also be useful to document the Chemistry Department’s practices and to steal their good ideas.

We can survey students on how they like the boards. Our department is testing a new way of evaluating courses and teachers through online surveys, and we can easily add a question about the use of the student whiteboards in class:

Do students enjoy class when they are asked to stand to solve a problem?
Do more students buy into the idea of making mind maps when they see their peers making them?

I hope that through documenting what we do and how students respond to it, we can convince our colleagues to try new things. It will be especially appropriate to present a workshop at the Saltise conference which will take place at John Abbott College. We would certainly hold the workshop in our newly equipped classroom.

I am very happy by the response I got from my colleagues when I suggested that the Physics Department apply for this grant: Bruce Tracy, Nanouk Pare, Greg Mulcair, Michael Dugdale have all agreed to taking pictures, filming and documenting their activities in the classroom. Phoebe Jackson (on maternity leave this semester) has agreed to help organize the June workshop. Using our new equipment, documenting our practices and finding ways to move forward will truly be a team effort.

Estimated Costs

Four (4) 96”x48” dry-erase boards (4×325$) plus tax plus delivery $1750

One (1) gallon of heavy duty paint, to paint a border around the boards.100$

We would like to equip both physics classrooms with similar boards. We are applying for capital expense from John Abbott College to equip the second classroom.

Project Leader

Caroline Viger

John Abbott College, Montreal, QC