Friday, 19 August 11:00am – 12:00pm

This seminar will be delivered in Chemistry Lecture Theatre 4 and Online Zoom. Please email chemistry.researchsupport@sydney.edu.au for zoom link and password.

Speaker: A/Prof. Elizabeth Angstmann; UNSW

Host: Dr Reyne Pullen

Title: Engaging students online

Abstract: In this talk, I will describe different approaches I have used to engage students online and how I measure the effectiveness of these approaches. I have found Self-Determination Theory [1] a useful framework for accounting for students’ needs when designing courses: students need autonomy, mastery, and a sense of belonging. There are different ways to approach these needs in different contexts; I will be discussing large first year courses in this talk. In these courses, I have measured students’ learning gains and emotional engagement, using an adaptation Pekrun’s of the Achievement Emotion Questionnaire [2,3]. One of the courses, Physics 1A, has had an online lecture option since 2017. Before and during the pandemic, we measured students’ emotional engagement when they took the course in blended mode (online lectures with face-to-face labs and problem-solving workshops); face-to-face (face-to-face lectures, labs, and problem-solving workshops); and online (labs, problem-solving workshops, and lectures online).

Reference:

[1] Niemiec, C. P., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). Autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the classroom: Applying self-determination theory to educational practice. Theory and research in Education, 7(2), 133-144.

[2] A. Bhansali, E. Angstmann, M. Sharma (2020). AEQ-Physics: A Valid and Reliable tool to Measure Emotions in Physics. In Proceedings of The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics, 93-98. ISBN Number 978-0-9871834-9-1.

[3] Pekrun, R., Goetz, T., Frenzel, A., Barchfeld, P., & Perry, R. (2011). Measuring emotions in students’ learning and performance: The Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ). Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36, 36–48.

Biography: Elizabeth Angstmann is an Associate Professor and First Year Director in the School of Physics at the University of New South Wales. Liz obtained her PhD in theoretical atomic physics before deciding to focus on teaching. She has made significant changes to first year physics courses at UNSW through the development of online and face-to-face materials and experiences for students that encourage active learning and problem solving. Liz also created an online Graduate Certificate in Physics for Science Teachers. Liz is the current Chair of the Physics Education Group of the Australian Institute of Physics. Her work has been recognised through the award of an Australian Award for University Teaching citation in 2018 and the prestigious Australian Institute of Physics Education Medal in 2020.