DSCC | Physics 172 | Jensen Mikkel | Biological Physics | interdisciplinary • scaffolding • rubrics

Physics 172: Biological Physics | interdisciplinary, scaffolding, rubrics

Reflection on Instructional Change:

Physics 172 (Biological Physics) brings together students from across the College of Natural Science and Mathematics. This new course, created by me and offered for the first time in Fall 2022, focuses on cellular and subcellular biophysics. The course is highly interdisciplinary and draws on physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. In addition to more traditional homework sets, students also read primary literature, prepare and give presentations to their peers, and write both paper summaries and a semester term paper. Through this ACUE, I implemented scaffolding using rubrics and newly written learning outcomes.

The structure and the interdisciplinary nature of the course, combined with the range of assignment types, made scaffolding essential. The interdisciplinary nature inevitably made some aspects new to all students, who entered the course with a wide range of skills in biology, chemistry, and physics. There was not a suitable textbook in biological physics at the appropriate math level, making the need to communicate learning outcomes crucial. To accomplish sufficient scaffolding, all assignments had written rubrics, and the course was structured into Modules, which followed the same structure: individual reading and summary of a journal article, synthesis of the summaries with their teams, preparing and giving an oral team presentation on a portion of the article, and a summary lecture by me followed by a homework set. I also prepared modules on scientific literature reading and convergence of science for the beginning of the course. All materials were made specifically for this course.

I found the ACUE demonstration videos on implementing rubrics and learning outcomes most influential, and a student survey suggested the scaffolding was effective for the students. When polled anonymously, students reported seeing an increased connection between physics and biology (2.5 to 4.8/5), an increase in their comfort level interacting with scientific literature (2.6 to 4.6/5), an increase in their ability to write technical abstracts (2.1 to 4.5/5), and an increase in their confidence in giving oral presentations (2.5 to 4.3/5).

Evidence of Instructional Change

A rubric with 12 total items was developed for the students' term papers, with detailed categories for each. Students performed multiple self- and peer-grading rounds to refine their paper drafts using the rubric.	Two students working together during the in-class team paper summary of a Module. Teams mixed students from different majors and different expertise to support interdisciplinary, collaborative work.	"I used them to make sure I didn't miss anything that was required. I found them very useful because I followed them and [received] good marks accordingly." "I found the rubrics to be useful due to the fact that they were written very clearly." "I would make sure to read the rubric before starting an assignment and then re-read the rubric before submitting the assignment in order to make sure I included all aspects." "Super helpful! Made the learning and submission expectations were clear on both ends." Quotes from students about rubrics provided for assignments in the course.

Changes in Course Syllabus and Schedules:

Pre FLC - Syllabus and Schedule Download Pre FLC - Syllabus and Schedule

Post FLC - Syllabus and Schedule Download Post FLC - Syllabus and Schedule

Faculty Bio

I'm a physicist working in the area of biological physics and soft condensed matter. My research focuses on understanding the physical driving forces governing complex systems, such as living cells or reconstituted biological systems, and characterizing the physical properties of biological systems to understand their relation to physiological functioning, health, and disease. I teach both theoretical and experimental courses, ranging from lower-division introductory physics to advanced upper-division courses. Most recently I designed the new interdisciplinary course, Physics 172 (Biological Physics), which I'm teaching for the first time Fall 2022. In all my classes, I focus on engaging students through active learning, and on and creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment.

 

Program Sponsors

	This work was supported by: National Science Foundation Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM Zone DUE 1832335 US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project Degree with a Purpose P031S210061 US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.