Presented at the 2022 APS April Meeting, session Z05.00009 Abstract: We present a novel approach for student assessment in large physics lecture courses on student-recorded videos. Students record 5-minute videos teaching how to solve a problem to other students and are partially graded based on peer reviews from other students. After piloting this method during COVID-19 remote teaching over the last year and a half, we have found encouraging indications that it (1) promotes student self-efficacy and metacognition, (2) builds in a deeper engagement with the material, (3) encourages student creativity, (4) develops technical and critical communication ability, and (5) avoids long-standing issues with digital plagiarism. Though the method was developed during pandemic teaching, we propose that aspects can be readily applied to in-person teaching and scales with class size. We comment on the potential to support diverse student retention in physics and outline potential pedagogical trade-offs of this method.

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Explainer Videos
Flip Tanedo
12 April 2022
scalable, inclusive, and metacognitive assessment
for remote and in-person teaching

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As seen in a syllabus
sites.google.com/ucr.edu/physics017 (Syllabus, UCR Physics 17, Spring ’22)
This talk focuses on motivation, for practical implementation, please see:
tinyurl.com/bdcn57jw (Tanedo, June 2020; slightly outdated)
Explainer Video Assessment

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CDC Public Health Image Library #23312; theverge.com (Apr 29, 2020)
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Why: practical

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Why: ideological
• Large lecture classes
students lost in the shu
ffl
e?
• Teaching to the exam?
academic integrity arms race?
• Skills developed?
“test taking ability”
• How am I spending my time?
trying to out-smart Chegg?
• Am I empowering students?
belonging in physics?
• Role of classroom micro-community?
what value am I adding vs. MOOC?
UCR Physics 2000

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Suggested reading: “Connecting High School Physics Experiences…,” Hazari
et al. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 47 8 (2010), “Developing physics
identities,” Irvine and Sayre, Physics Today 69, 5, 46 (2016), “Critical look at
physics identity,” Hyater-Adams et al. Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 14, 010132.
physics identity, n.
(also: self ef
fi
cacy, agency)
belief in one’s ability to “do physics,” that one belongs in the
group of physics students
from social cognitive theory (Banduras)
A theoretical framework for retention in physics

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Overlapping Identities
as a source of potential barriers to entry
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Adapted: Hazari et al. J. of Research in Science Teaching 47 no. 8, (2010)
Physics
Identity
Am I “smart enough”
to be a physicist?
Is doing physics acting white?
Can women be physicists?

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Role of assessment in developing identity
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Adapted: Hazari et al. J. of Research in Science Teaching 47 no. 8, (2010)
Physics
Identity
I am good at physics because
my grades are high.
Men tend to answer questions in
class before women. Men must be
natural physicists.
How courses affect physics identity

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Are there ways to assess learning that
encourage belonging in physics?
Conus: can assessment encourage creativity, metacognition,
and ability to communicate?

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Principle: Explainer videos
• Self e
ffi
cacy: student placed in the
position of the expert
• Physics is the process, not the answer
• Creative versus rote. There is no single
right answer for the part that matters.
• Metacognition: what part is challenging?
Why did I
fi
nd it challenging? What do
others need to know to do it?
Photo via Wikipedia, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
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When you’re doing something
where you didn’t have role
models who look like you
growing up, take a picture.
Sometimes we have to be our own
role models to show ourselves that
we’re doing it.
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
@IBJIYONGI

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Principle: Peer Review
Student-centered assessment
• Peer audience = peer assessment
The goal of assessment is not to impress me, the teacher.
• Strict rubric to avoid implicit bias
• Feedback as growth opportunity: How to do better next time.
What is the value of this class versus watching a free recording on YouTube?
• Metacognition and identity: if a video make sense, what was wrong with
the video? (Not “what’s wrong with me?”) Students see their peers in
positions of expertise.
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https://www.k9ofmine.com/the-best-biodegradable-poop-bags-planet-protecting-poop-patrol/

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Case Studies: includes remote and in person
100+ student service courses, lower-div, upper-div, graduate, non-major
https://sites.google.com/ucr.edu/physics40b/home; other pages linked on my website
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+ intermediate E&M @ U. Oregon
+ classes at North Hollywood High School

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Some lessons from 2 years
Remote and in-person classes, including 100+ student non-major remote class
• Encourages creative engagement, downplays memorization
• Sidesteps “arms race” with academic integrity (e.g. Chegg)
• Value of being part of a class of peers (vs. MOOC)
• Practical implementation matters
e.g. using Google Form for homework submission, Google
Sheets to automatically assign peer reviews, coordination with TA
team and connection to lecture time; see tinyurl.com/bdcn57jw for
some older notes
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By Alyina Ferrancullo
Physics 40B, W21

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Practical: assigned 2-3 explainer problems/week

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I feel confident that I can tutor a friend
(On a problem that was completed for an explainer video)

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This is not “the answer”
I’m just showing my work
• Explainer videos + peer review: creative, meaningful engagement with
material beyond rote responses. Activates agency, physics identity.
• Promotes high-level scienti
fi
c learning (vs. rote memorization)
• But challenge to grade
• Currently: adapting into in-person classes. Practical implementation will likely
be a blend with traditional assessment. Soon: science communication in
advanced laboratory course for majors.
• Future: PER evaluation (collaborators welcome)
• I would love to hear your insights;
fl
ip.tanedo@ucr.edu
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