Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
_General:
- What does "Ergopedia" mean? Our company's name is Greek for learning ("pedia") by doing ("ergo"). This motto is also at the core of our company's instructional philosophy.
- What is the meaning of the Greek symbols in Ergopedia's logo? The
Ergopedia logo contains two Greek symbols: ε, the Greek letter
"epsilon," which stands for "ergo"; and π, the Greek letter "pi," which
stands for "pedia."
- How is Ergopedia related to CPO Science? Ergopedia's co-founder, Dr. Thomas Hsu, founded the company CPO Science in ____. He sold CPO Science in ____, although he has actively worked with CPO Science since then in developing a number of textbooks and videos for middle and secondary school science instruction.
- How is Lab-Aids related to Ergopedia? Lab-Aids is the licensed publisher of the chemistry curriculum, A Natural Approach to Chemistry, written by Ergopedia.
- Do you have a mailing list? How can I get on it? We do not currently have a mailing list or email list. Please check back later for updates.
_Instructional Approach:
- What is meant by "inquiry" in your instructional philosophy? Alan Colburn, professor of science education at California State University Long Beach, defines inquiry learning as "“the creation of a classroom where students are engaged in essentially open-ended, student-centered, hands-on activities.” Science education uses inquiry as a method of bringing hands-on investigations more frequently into the classroom setting. One observable difference between traditional and inquiry-based learning is that in the latter students will often learn a physical principle through experience or discovery prior to receiving knowledge about it through a "lecture" format.
- What does guided inquiry look like in a classroom setting? When
students initially learn about electricity and circuits, they are first
presented with a few circuit components, such as wires, light bulbs,
batteries, and a switch. They connect the materials in as many
different configurations as they can, and record the results of each
(such as whether the light bulbs light up and how brightly). The
students will have developed a conceptual understanding of closed,
series, and parallel circuits prior to the teacher leading a more formal
discussion of the physical concepts.
- When will I have time to do so many investigations when I have must cover all that material in my state's standards? Every
teacher is constantly juggling what appear to be competing constraints
of covering content versus engaging in hands-on activities. The basic
principle of inquiry-based learning is that students will learn the content of a topic
more effectively through inquiry, which then lessens the need for
teachers to engage in lecture-style instructional methods. Ergopedia designs the curricula to cover fully
the science content standards through the systems-based approach of
text, multimedia, investigations, and assessments.
- How will I be able to do your chemistry or physics investigations? Won't they require expensive equipment that my school doesn't have? The chemistry and physics investigations are designed to be performed using affordable and integrated equipment kits. The anticipated pricing for the systems package will allow schools that adopt the program fully to receive a combined package of textbook, e-book, investigations equipment (including netbook computers!), and teacher's support materials--all for a price lower than that of a traditional textbook alone.
- Are your curricula appropriate for students who are Limited English Proficient?
One problem with traditional, lecture-based instructional methods is
that English Language Learners can be intimidated by the terminology of science.
Inquiry-based methods of instruction, however, offer students the
opportunity to understand a concept intuitively
before they are confronted with the scientific terminology. Advanced language skills are not needed for most investigations. Group-centered investigations also provide students with language supports through informal student-to-student interactions. Students who have discovered the physical concepts first through inquiry are better prepared to receive the content when it is discussed subsequently in a more formal context.
- Are your curricula appropriate for students from low-income or other traditionally under-served populations? The curricula have been designed to be effective instructional tools for student populations that are traditionally under-served--such as students from low-income families, students who are English Language Learners, or students at urban schools. The focus on integrating the STEM disciplines into Essential Physics, for example, provides a real-world context that reinforces mathematics learning for students who have struggled in math. The pricing structure the systems-based curricula will allow schools with limited resources to purchase textbooks, integrated laboratory equipment, and even in-class netbook computers (for Essential Physics) within the standard budgets that cash-strapped schools would normally allot to textbooks alone.
_A Natural Approach to Chemistry:
- Where can I submit suggestions about A Natural Approach to Chemistry? You may submit comments, suggestions, and corrections through the Lab-Aids website.
- What grade levels are appropriate for A Natural Approach to Chemistry? The
chemistry curriculum is designed as a full-year, high school chemistry
course for grade ten and up, although it can be taught at the ninth
grade level for suitably prepared students. Students who have not taken Algebra may take it concurrently with A Natural Approach to Chemistry.
- What is included in the full A Natural Approach to Chemistry curriculum? The curriculum includes: student book; student book (Teacher's edition); laboratory investigations manual; laboratory investigations manual (Teacher's edition); complete laboratory equipment, including molecular model set, dimensional analysis cards, and Lab-Master system; and curriculum resources, including presentations in PowerPoint format, pacing guide, and videos for all investigations.
- How does A Natural Approach to Chemistry correlate with my state's standards? See the correlation at the Lab-Aids website.
- How can I cover 21 chapters in a typical 34-week period? A Natural Approach to Chemistry was designed so that you only need to cover the first 14 chapters to meet all your chemistry standards. Chapters 15 through 21 are optional chapters that highlight interesting chemistry applications in real life. A pacing guide offers suggestions on how to budget your instructional time week by week.
- With so many activities, are students really learning the chemistry concepts they need to know? Yes. Each investigation is a lesson with a context for students to explore new chemistry concepts. Students don't just mix hot and cold water; through guided-inquiry they discover for themselves the difference between heat and temperature.
- Can I make changes to the PowerPoint presentation slides? Yes. The PowerPoint presentation slides include more than just the graphics from the text and laboratory investigations manual. They also include key questions, a detailed breakdown of calculations as well as teaching tips. You can customize any presentation, however, to make it work for you.
- How do I get consumables or parts of the laboratory equipment? You may place your order through the Lab-Aids website. They offer materials and chemistry packages, as well as replacement items and consumable refills.
- Is there a master list of chemicals and their correlation to the corresponding labs? Yes. You will find this information on the Lab-Aids website.
_Essential Physics:
- When will Essential Physics be available? The curriculum is currently undergoing development and field testing in SY 2011-2012 and SY 2012-2013. Visit this site periodically to learn more about its release date.
- What grade levels are appropriate for Essential Physics? The physics curriculum is designed as a full-year, high school physics course for grades 11-12.
- What are the prerequisites for students to take Essential Physics? Students generally have taken algebra and have covered the basic concepts of geometry and trigonometry (Pythagorean Theorem, sine, cosine, and tangent) prior to taking high school physics. These mathematical topics are re-introduced, however, in the text of Essential Physics in order to reinforce the instruction of the other STEM disciplines.
- Will Essential Physics work for both my standard physics and honors physics classes? Yes! There are two key features in the design of the Essential Physics curriculum that will allow you to tailor the content to the level of your physics classes. First, the spiral content structure of the book means that the first six chapters span most of the content standards, but at a conceptual level. Standard stream physics classes may spend extra time on these chapters, while honors classes may skim through them in six weeks and then start into the main section of the text. Second, the expandable paragraphs feature of the e-book allows the teacher to expand the curriculum for the honors students, thereby providing a deeper and more challenging course.
- Will Essential Physics work as an Advanced Placement Physics B text? While we have not designed the Essential Physics
curriculum explicitly to match the AP Physics B standards, we expect it will cover
all the major topics, much of it at a similar depth. Some more advanced material will be available to
teachers in the expanded paragraphs feature, where interested students
and educators can access additional text, mathematics, and multimedia
features in the e-book. We anticipate future titles from Ergopedia that
will more closely target the AP content standards.
- What will be included in the full Essential Physics curriculum? Essential Physics will be sold with a student text, laboratory investigations manual, teacher's guide, e-book, netbook computer, and an equipment kit with apparatus to conduct the investigations. The netbook and equipment kit are normally shared in the classroom among a small group of students working collaboratively.
- What equipment will be included in the laboratory investigations kit? The
list of equipment has not yet been finalized and will depend on
feedback received during the field testing phase of curriculum
development. We expect it to include: ErgoBot robot for understanding
the equations of motion; ErgOscillator for understanding wave phenomena
and simple harmonic motion; temperature probe; ErgoDAQ as an interface
with the equipment and acquiring data; and a netbook computer for
students to use to run the investigations.
- Do netbook computers really come with the laboratory equipment package? Yes.
The primary purpose of the netbooks is to run the student
investigations in the classroom, such as by commanding the ErgoBot to
move or by collecting data. The netbooks are used to collect and
analyze data using the award-winning LabVIEW software. The netbooks
will come with the e-book and LabVIEW pre-installed; the internet access
will be disabled. The netbooks can also be used in the classroom for
students to view the e-book's rich multimedia content and engage in
interactive simulations.
- How many sets of laboratory equipment will I need for my classroom? Most
teachers plan on having 3-5 students work collaboratively with one set
of laboratory equipment and netbook computer. A typical high school
physics classroom may need approximately six sets of
equipment.
e-Book:
- Do I have to install software to read your e-book on my computer? The e-book requires no additional software to be installed on your computer or mobile device. The e-book is read using a web browser. No internet connection is needed, because the e-book is stored directly on the computer--not browsed over the internet.
- Will your e-book run on my computer or mobile device? The
e-book should run on virtually all computers or mobile devices; all it
needs is a standard browser. No connection to the internet is needed.
The e-book has been designed from the ground up to use HTML5, which has
become the new standard internet programming language for the browsers
on both computers and mobile devices. No software needs to be installed--none!--not even Flash.
- I hate using videos in my classroom because they always take too long to download during class time. Won't your videos have the same problem? All the videos and animations for Essential Physics are integrated directly into the e-book and stored on your computer, so there is no need to access the internet to play the videos or animations. When you press "play" for the video, or mouse-over the animation, they play immediately because the content is already stored on your computer.
- How can I use your videos if I don't have a laptop projector in my classroom? The netbook computers arrive with all the videos embedded into the e-book. Students can watch the videos in small groups, which also allows them to pause and replay the video.
- Won't my students use the classroom netbook computers to surf the internet, read email, or post Facebook updates? No, because the netbook computers arrive with their internet access disabled. Students can then focus on the science and investigations without the distractions of the internet.