TITLE:
Learning Introductory Level Physics with Phys-TikToks
AUTHORS:
Hashini Mohottala, Marcus Santa Maria, Rohan Jacob, Hailey Martinez, Ravindu Karunaratne, Mitchell Hart, Carla Silva, William Downey
KEYWORDS:
TikTok, Phys-TikTok, Physics Pedagogy, Physics Education
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.14 No.11,
November
8,
2023
ABSTRACT: This paper discusses the advantages of integrating
TikTok videos into introductory physics education, leveraging the popularity of
this social media platform among teens and college students. TikTok’s
concise, attention-grab- bing, and engaging video format is demonstrated to enhance information
retention compared to conventional platforms like YouTube. Our experimentation involved introducing videos, known as “Phys-TikToks”, into an introductory-level physics course
focused on the mechanics of the human body. We empowered students to create
these informative TikToks, supported by a dedicated Google page, “Phys-TikTok-com”, housing crucial topics, chapter
summaries, TikTok-friendly problems, and the corresponding videos. Sharing this
resource across the class and other sections ignited collaborative physics discussions and significantly bolstered students’ knowledge. This approach not only injected
enjoyment into learning physics but also proved invaluable in addressing
educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, we aim to
harness TikTok’s addictive allure to enrich students’ learning experiences,
cultivate their enthusiasm for physics, and extend this innovative pedagogical
strategy to diverse academic domains.