Section 2.3 Increasing communication and coordination among paradigms faculty by assigning the same faculty member to incorporate just-in-time mathematics in every junior-level paradigms in physics course
¶While reflecting upon what went well, several faculty members commented upon positive aspects of having the same faculty member teach Math Bits in every junior-level paradigms in physics courses. One noted:
The Math Bits I think went well in the sense that it has led to conversation and coordination between paradigms (courses), which I think is really important and that results in at least one person knowing what's going on in all the paradigms (courses)…and I've been involved in some of those discussions and I felt like they were very productive in ensuring that the faculty involved think about and articulate what their goals are.
Another faculty member commented:
Another thing I think has gone well with the changes is the Math Bits. Having a single faculty member have contact with the students in every course has two benefits I think; one is that the students experience continuity with the same instructor, which is a benefit we anticipated, but also having a faculty member be in contact with the other faculty members has increased the communication among the faculty quite a bit.
The Math Bits person and the other faculty member have to communicate with each other what needs to be covered in the course and so the Math Bits person becomes like the center of a wagon wheel…for all the people teaching the paradigms courses; so, for example, I think (two faculty members) didn't have much idea of what each other was teaching in the courses and (the Math Bits person)…has been able to communicate with both of them about each other's courses.
While reflecting upon what had gone well, the PI also noted this coordinating aspect of teaching briefly in all of the junior-level paradigms in physics courses:
I think that the Math Bits, that my being involved in everybody's course with the Math Bits is going as I intended, which is not necessarily that everybody likes it, but it is giving me that window into everything.
Also noted was a successful change in who was teaching one of the courses:
I think we've now asked (a faculty member) to take over (one of the paradigm courses) which went fantastically well; (this faculty member) is all excited about active engagement and excited about teaching (a paradigms course) again and I think is going to be a real natural.
In addition, faculty were collaborating in good ways:
There's been an interesting collaboration between (two faculty members), which has arisen because the department head took the new course that (an experienced faculty member) was developing and had only taught for one year and handed it to (a new faculty member) because (this faculty member needed to teach) a junior-level paradigms class before coming up for tenure, so that was only a partially developed course, and I think they have formed a really productive relationship talking about the course, which I hope will continue.
Even the most radical instructional change had gone well:
We took three 3-week courses (taught during one 10 week term)…and combined them into two (5-week courses taught during one 10 week term). We pretty radically restructured the flow of content through those 10 weeks, so (one faculty member) got 5 (weeks) and (another faculty member) got 5 (weeks). I'm always looking to fix problems but basically we've got great faculty here, who handled the 0th order stuff really well.
This even occurred with two less-experienced faculty members who happened to be involved in making this most extensive instructional change.