Should I help students solve problems efficiently?

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Episode 316: Bouncy ball Seattle Pacific University

A goal of active learning is for students to understand conceptual problems deeply. At the same time, instructors often need to move students through the material efficiently. Are there benefits to inefficient problem-solving?

June 24, 2024

Pedagogy Content
Developing student ideas
Physics Content
Momentum
Instructor Interaction ✓

Lesson Contents (3 MB)Student Handout
Transcript, discussion questions, and problem
(1 MB)Specific Lesson Guide
Facilitator's guide for this lesson
(1 MB)General Facilitator's Guide
Background and best practices
(49 MB)Video
Captioned video
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Sample Discussion Prompts

  1. What did you notice in this episode? Discuss with a partner what stood out to you.
  2. Mark in the transcript all the physics concepts that Drew utilizes to analyze the collision (e.g., energy conservation, impulse).
  3. Explain Drew’s idea in line 5 about energy conservation.
  4. What might Drew mean by “in an inelastic equation, the mass is combined…so the velocity changes”? What question could you ask Drew to better understand what he means?
  5. Explain what Drew and Ben work out about the impulse in lines 11-27. Do you agree with their analysis?
  6. Lou is in a common situation, in which he has to choose between helping students analyze a problem efficiently and picking up on the students’ own solution path. Which way do you see him going here? What are the benefits and risks of each choice?
  7. What does this episode suggest about whether instructors should help students solve problems efficiently?