Student sharing - “Physics Teaching Package” for Secondary School Physics Teachers
Perseverance for the Benefit of Students
So Chin Long, Joseph
Postgraduate Diploma in Education in Physics
Understanding that teachers need additional support in preparing online teaching during the coronavirus pandemic, some of our student teachers have been preparing Physics teaching packages for secondary school Physics teachers, under the supervision of Ms Promail Leung, Senior Lecturer, Academic Unit of Teacher Education and Learning Leadership of the Faculty.
So Chin Long, Joseph, a Physics Major from the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme, was one of the contributors. Together with another classmate, he prepared a package called See the Unseen: Ray Diagram Visualising Model. It was the first time he had worked on something which would directly influence teachers’ teaching and students’ learning: indeed, it was before he had even experienced teaching practice.
Reflecting upon his participation, he says it has brought him closer to student-centred teaching and learning. When preparing the package, the most challenging part was not identifying or picking a topic which students find difficult to learn, but rather working out a mode of delivery in which learning would be optimised. As a teacher-to-be, he realised he should strike a balance between teaching and piquing students’ interest in learning. The project gave him the opportunity to rethink the usual practices in teaching thorny topics, and encouraged him to put himself in the students’ position by even attending to the most minor details and understanding what was crucial for easier learning. This was all because he regarded students’ motivation as the top priority.
Before publication, Ms Leung advised on the drafts. Based on Ms Leung’s advice, Joseph and his classmate refined their materials multiple times to facilitate better teaching and learning. Everything was thoroughly reviewed: from the design of the worksheets to the uses of the model and the demonstration video. That was why Joseph was so grateful for Ms Leung’s patience and guidance throughout the project.
The design process was undoubtedly tough, given the number of back and forth revisions, but that was for the sake of teachers’ ease in using the materials, and ultimately students’ easier acquisition of knowledge. Joseph feels that he has learnt a great deal from this project: not only that the aim for perfection is beneficial to students’ learning, but also that perseverance is essential for a teacher. Although the design of the package took considerable time and effort, Joseph was able to observe his own improvement and, the whole experience of participation was very rewarding.
Creativity, Practicality and Collaboration are the Keys to Success
Leung Pui Fong, Jacqueline
Chui Man Hin, Eric
Postgraduate Diploma in Education in Physics
“Is a teacher born to be innovative? Or is it possible to nurture an innovative teacher?” These were the questions asked by Ms Promail Leung, Senior Lecturer, Academic Unit of Teacher Education and Learning Leadership of the Faculty, who also served as lecturer of Teaching and Learning of Physics, a course in the Postgraduate Diploma in Education in Physics programme. Student teachers were asked to design their own models to clarify any misconceptions students may have when studying Physics. Later, it evolved into a whole teaching package and a lesson plan. The project provided student teachers an opportunity to boost their creativity, which would be later integrated into their profession.
Chui Man Hin, Eric teamed up with his classmate, Leung Pui Fong, Jacqueline to work on the teaching package of 3D Magnetic Flux Model. They first studied students’ difficulties in grasping the concept. Then, they designed a model printable by a 3D printer, and with other materials easily found in daily life. Moreover, they prepared bilingual worksheets to help students visualise the concepts through hands-on experience, trying to motivate them by the method of inquiry-based learning. They also prepared a teacher’s manual and a video to support teachers. To finish so many tasks within a short period of time was demanding. It became more difficult as face-to-face teaching was suspended during preparation. Yet, they had great determination to put their plan into action.
After a period of hard work, Eric and Jacqueline have taken with them many memorable experiences from this project. First, they have learnt the true meaning of thinking from students’ perspective. During the design process, they realised that fundamental questions, such as how to indicate the angle between the magnetic field lines and the normal of the area, and how to change the cardboard in a more friendly way, do matter for more effective learning. Eric said that when designing his course materials and gadgets in the future, he would remember this experience and keep in mind to think from the students’ perspective.
Apart from designing the model, they have also learnt much about how to articulate their ideas in ways that are easily understood. Explaining how the model worked clearly in just three minutes was quite a challenge. With the help from Ms Leung, Faculty staff and their classmates, they wrote the script, drew the storyboard and compiled the video nicely. The final output was satisfying, and they are glad that their hard work has paid off.
Jacqueline thinks that creativity allows them to think of the alternatives, yet being sophisticatedly practical is equally important in enhancing students’ learning experience. Without either of the qualities, the teaching package could not have become stimulating or effective. She was also convinced that a creative teacher can help students to learn better and inspire them to become innovative. The whole process was undoubtedly challenging, but she appreciates their determination and their willingness to try. She is thankful to their instructors, peers and technicians for always providing kind help and advice. It proves that collaboration is a key to success and she looks forward to working with different people in the future.
Eric would also like to thank Ms Leung for her insightful advice and support; his teammate Jacqueline for her relentless effort and contribution; the Faculty lab technician Tommy for his assistance in the production of the model and filming of the video; also his classmates for their kind and honest opinions. Without any of them, the project would not have been made possible.
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| The 3D magnetic flux model designed by Jacqueline and Eric | A prototype they made to experiment with how to design the model. |
Discover the Fun of Learning from Daily Observation
Chow Chin Long, Lincoln
Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science
What are your thoughts about Physics? For Chow Chin Long, Lincoln, a final-year student of the Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science programme, Physics is fun and is everywhere in our daily lives. He hopes that, by sharing his experience in preparing teaching packages for secondary school Physics teachers, he can inspire our readers to have a similar enthusiasm for Physics.
In the packages, the concepts are illustrated and explained using objects commonly found in our daily lives. Lincoln and his teammates created a package on electromagnetic induction, while he designed another one on his own on moments of force.
Lincoln believes that a lot can be learnt from daily observation. That was why he and his teammates came up with the idea of illustrating Lenz’s Law and Faraday’s Law by using a fidget spinner, a toy that enjoyed considerable popularity among teenagers. By focusing on such a familiar device, Lincoln and his team felt that students could be more easily encouraged and motivated to learn, and ultimately to discover the fun of learning.
The team encountered some difficulties when producing the video, but it was their creativity and knowledge that helped them resolve the problems. In one of the demonstrations, they tried to use a hair dryer to make a fidget spinner spin, so that it could accelerate steadily. Although the set-up did not run as expected at the beginning, the team reacted quickly by covering part of the opening of the hair dryer to increase the air pressure. It was a demonstration of their ability to improvise, which is so crucial in classroom teaching.
Under the guidance of Ms Promail Leung, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty’s Academic Unit of Teacher Education and Learning Leadership, Lincoln realised what could be improved in the initial drafts of the teaching materials and he learnt more about how to teach a class smoothly.
When asked how he felt about his experience, he said, “It was a unique experience in lesson design, and I appreciate all the support from experienced supervisors and fellow classmates, not to mention the learning opportunities available at the Faculty.
“To conclude, I learnt a lot about lesson planning, teaching material design and gained skills of producing videos. I would like to thank Ms Leung and the Faculty’s lab technicians for their support to this project. Without their help, I would not be able to develop these high-quality teaching packages. This was definitely a fun and a fruitful experience on my learning journey.”