How to promote and sustain active-learning pedagogical reforms in University Physics through instructor apprenticeship

Abstract

We describe a pedagogical reform at George Washington University and the means by which this innovation has been sustained over 14 years. We present the SCALE-UP collaborative group-learning approach and show data on student learning gains that confirm the effectiveness of this pedagogical methodology. By pairing experienced instructors with new instructors unfamiliar with the pedagogical approach, the new instructors can see the pedagogy in action and learn the techniques so they can conduct their own classes in later semesters. Over this period, we have involved 24 separate physics instructors (and also 8 astronomy instructors) who have taught class sections in this collaborative group-learning mode.