Development of Active Learning Tools for a Course on Physics and Music

Heather M. Whitney, Ph.D.Wheaton College (IL)

Course Profile: PHYS205, Physics of Music

• PHYS *205. Physics of Music. Basic concepts of sound and acoustics; vibrations, waves, fundamentals and overtones, musical scales, harmony, noise, physical and physiological production, and detection of sound waves; acoustical properties of materials and enclosures. (2)

• Half-semester course• Has been taught since at least 1994, avg of 30

students• Fulfills gen ed requirement for conservatory students

(and others)

Student Profile: PHYS205, Physics of Music

Learning ObjectivesAfter completing the course, you should have• An understanding of the nature and production

of sound in terms of basic physical principles.• Developed problem-solving skills and the ability

to think/reason critically and quantitatively.• Greater knowledge of how physical principles

are used in the design and use of musical instruments and spaces.

Personal Goals for the Course

• Support active learning through course elements that utilize the best of PER (that has been developed primarily for intro courses)

• Appeal to the students’ wide variety of interest, backgrounds, and training• Middle 50% scored between 1230 and 1400 on the Critical

Reasoning and Math portions of the SAT, and between 26 and 32 on the ACT

Logistical Supports

• Muddiest points• Reading quizzes• Summary before class of previous class

Lab Activities: 1D Motion and Measuring the Speed of Sound

• Vernier Motion Detector + Logger Pro

“Classic” Clicker Questions and Peer Instruction (many topics)

Student feedback: “The clicker questions were very helpful as well. It was nice to know we weren't going to move on from a problem until we actually understood it. It also allowed for stimulating conversation and the interesting opportunity to learn from my peers. “

Materials from Knight, Jones, Field, College Physics

Clicker Interactive Lecture Demonstration: Simple Harmonic Motion

Adapted from Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Active Learning in Introductory Physics by David R. Sokoloff and Ronald K. Thornton (Wiley, 2004)

Scaffolded Context-rich problems

Why do many people find that they sound better when they sing in the shower?– What is a shower made of?

How large is it? What structure does this approximate?

– What types of standing waves will be observed?

– What possible frequencies of standing waves will be observed?

– How do these frequencies relate to voice production?

Image Creative Commons licensed / Flickr user Miss Shari

Collaborative Problems (Quantitative)

Collaborative Problems (Qualitative) Adapt a performance space

Criteria Bluegrass Musicals Progressive Metal

Beyonce Unplugged

Chamber Music Jazz 1 Jazz (big band)

Filmscore

Liveness + - - + | ~ ~ +

Intimacy + + +/~ - + ++ - -

Fullness 60 - 30 + - - - +

Clarity 40 + 70 + + + + -

Warmth +????? + +/- + + ~- - +

Brilliance - - +/- + - + + +

Texture - - + | - | +

Blend - + amp - + ~- + +

Ensemble + +/- amp + + + + +

Image credit: Nashville Symphony

Student Feedback• Dr. Whitney made class sessions very interactive,

helping us to learn the material in formats other than pure direct instruction.

• She was great about doing experiments and using different methods to relate to different learning styles.

• Dr. Whitney made physics seem so accessible. I came to class, understood what was going on, and felt as though I could contribute. This was the first T-Th class I've taken where the 2 hrs actually seemed to go by quickly.

Recommendations• Know your audience• Don’t reinvent the wheel: maintain familiarity

with PER developments (especially for intro courses)

Next Steps• Get more quantitative in analysis of learning• Work with a music theorist on campus• Is a better text needed?

Resources http://heathermwhitney.com/resources/Your Voice: An Inside View by Scott McCoy

Contact me!Heather.whitney@wheaton.edu

@drhmw