View past workshops

January 8-12

AAPT Winter Meeting
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Wiley Commercial Workshops

Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite: Courses Taught with Lecture and Lab Sessions

David Sokoloff, University of Oregon
Ronald Thornton, Tufts University
Priscilla Laws, Dickinson College
Karen Cummings, Southern Connecticut State University

The Physics Suite is a collection of curricular materials created by the Activity Based Physics Group that are all based on the outcomes of physics education research. The materials are designed so that faculty can implement an active learning environment in their introductory course by selecting and combining elements from the Suite appropriate to their local classroom environment. Emphasis in this workshop will be on the use of RealTime Physics labs, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations, and Activity Based Tutorials within the traditional structure of a course with lectures and laboratory sessions. Possible links with the research-based text, Understanding Physics, will also be explored. Participants will have hands-on experience with selected activities, and will receive samples of the curricula and a copy of the book, Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite.

Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite: Courses Taught with Workshop or Studio Approaches

Priscilla Laws, Dickinson College
Patrick Cooney, Millersville State University
Joe Redish, University of Maryland
Karen Cummings, Southern Connecticut State University

The Physics Suite is a collection of curricular materials created by the Activity Based Physics Group that are all based on the outcomes of physics education research. The materials are designed so that faculty can implement an active learning environment in their introductory course by selecting and combining elements from the Suite appropriate to their local classroom environment. Emphasis in this workshop will be on the use of Workshop Physics, Explorations in Physics, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations and Activity Based Tutorials within a workshop or studio course in which lectures are de-emphasized in favor of hands-on activities. Possible links with the research-based text, Understanding Physics, will also be explored. Participants will have hands-on experience with selected activities, and will receive samples of the curricula and a copy of the book, Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite.

June 2-4

Chautauqua I Course at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA

Promoting Active Learning in Introductory Courses Using Materials and Methods from the Physics Suite: I and II

PRISCILLA W. LAWS, Dickinson College, DAVID R. SOKOLOFF, University of Oregon, RONALD K. THORNTON, Tufts University

Note: Course I will be held at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, and Course II will be held at University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. (Participants do not need to have completed Course I to enroll in Course II.)

Course Descriptions:

Widespread physics education research has shown that a majority of students have difficulty learning essential physical concepts in the best of traditional courses. These Chautauqua courses are designed for those interested in making major changes in introductory physics courses or in other introductory science courses. The focus will be on giving participants direct experience with methods for promoting active involvement of students in the learning process through activity-based physics strategies.

Participants will explore activities from several successful curriculum development projects which comprise the Physics Suite. These curricula share common goals and methods. They are based on the outcomes of physics education research and the comprehensive use of microcomputers. (The microcomputer-based tools used are available for Macintosh, and Windows computers.)

The emphasis will be on activity-based learning in laboratory, workshop (studio) and lecture environments, including strategies for better integration of lecture and laboratory sessions, and the delivery of Web-Based active learning materials. Samples of the RealTime Physics, Workshop Physics, Tools for Scientific Thinking and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations curricula will be distributed, along with the new book by E.F. “Joe” Redish, Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite.

We will discuss the design of introductory physics courses using materials and methods from the Suite, adapted to the needs of a range of institutional settings including small colleges and large universities. We will also explore effective methods for evaluation of the learning of physics concepts. Studies have demonstrated substantial and persistent learning by students who have used the materials from this course.

Course I will focus on first semester topics: mechanics, heat and thermodynamics. Use of computers will include data collection and analysis with microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) tools, basic mathematical modeling using MBL software and spreadsheets, and basic interactive video analysis.

Course II will focus on second semester topics: electricity and magnetism, waves and optics. In addition to use of computers for data collection and analysis (using MBL tools) this course will explore more advanced mathematical modeling and more advanced video analysis. (NOTE: Participants do not need to have completed Course I to enroll in Course II.)

Reasonably priced accommodations will be arranged for these courses.

For college teachers of introductory physics and other introductory science and mathematics disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Laws is a Professor of Physics at Dickinson College where she and her colleagues have developed a workshop method for teaching physics without lectures. Students in Workshop Physics courses use several related computer applications including spreadsheets linked dynamically to graphs for modeling, microcomputer interfacing for real-time data collection, and video analysis software. She is also co-author of the new text, Understanding Physics. Dr. Sokoloff is Professor of Physics at the University of Oregon where he integrates classroom testing on research-based curricula with the assessment of conceptual learning in introductory courses with large enrollments. He is the principal author (along with Ronald Thornton and Priscilla Laws) of Real-Time Physics--computer-supported active learning laboratories for use in traditional university settings. He is also co-developer (along with Ronald Thornton) of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) which are used to create an active learning environment in lecture classes. Dr. Thornton is director of the Center for Science and Mathematics Teaching of the Physics and Education Departments at Tufts University where he directs the development of software for microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) tools for real-time collection and analysis of data, for modeling and for vector visualization, and curricula designed to be used with these. The center conducts research on student learning in physics. The MBL software has won awards from EDUCOM, Computers in Physics, and the Dana Foundation. He is currently working (with David Sokoloff) on web-based delivery of ILDs, and the development of ILDs in other science disciplines. (Workshop Physics, Understanding Physics, RealTime Physics and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations are all published by John Wiley and Sons.)

For more information contact:

Prof. David R. Sokoloff
Professor of Physics
Department of Physics
1274 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1274

office phone: (541) 346-4755
fax: (541) 346-5861

June 16-18

Chautauqua II Course

University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

Promoting Active Learning in Introductory Courses Using Materials and Methods from the Physics Suite: I and II

PRISCILLA W. LAWS, Dickinson College, DAVID R. SOKOLOFF, University of Oregon, RONALD K. THORNTON, Tufts University

Note: Course I will be held at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, and Course II will be held at University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. (Participants do not need to have completed Course I to enroll in Course II.)

Course Descriptions:

Widespread physics education research has shown that a majority of students have difficulty learning essential physical concepts in the best of traditional courses. These Chautauqua courses are designed for those interested in making major changes in introductory physics courses or in other introductory science courses. The focus will be on giving participants direct experience with methods for promoting active involvement of students in the learning process through activity-based physics strategies.

Participants will explore activities from several successful curriculum development projects which comprise the Physics Suite. These curricula share common goals and methods. They are based on the outcomes of physics education research and the comprehensive use of microcomputers. (The microcomputer-based tools used are available for Macintosh, and Windows computers.)

The emphasis will be on activity-based learning in laboratory, workshop (studio) and lecture environments, including strategies for better integration of lecture and laboratory sessions, and the delivery of Web-Based active learning materials. Samples of the RealTime Physics, Workshop Physics, Tools for Scientific Thinking and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations curricula will be distributed, along with the new book by E.F. “Joe” Redish, Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite.

We will discuss the design of introductory physics courses using materials and methods from the Suite, adapted to the needs of a range of institutional settings including small colleges and large universities. We will also explore effective methods for evaluation of the learning of physics concepts. Studies have demonstrated substantial and persistent learning by students who have used the materials from this course.

Course I will focus on first semester topics: mechanics, heat and thermodynamics. Use of computers will include data collection and analysis with microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) tools, basic mathematical modeling using MBL software and spreadsheets, and basic interactive video analysis.

Course II will focus on second semester topics: electricity and magnetism, waves and optics. In addition to use of computers for data collection and analysis (using MBL tools) this course will explore more advanced mathematical modeling and more advanced video analysis. (NOTE: Participants do not need to have completed Course I to enroll in Course II.)

Reasonably priced accommodations will be arranged for these courses.

For college teachers of introductory physics and other introductory science and mathematics disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Laws is a Professor of Physics at Dickinson College where she and her colleagues have developed a workshop method for teaching physics without lectures. Students in Workshop Physics courses use several related computer applications including spreadsheets linked dynamically to graphs for modeling, microcomputer interfacing for real-time data collection, and video analysis software. She is also co-author of the new text, Understanding Physics. Dr. Sokoloff is Professor of Physics at the University of Oregon where he integrates classroom testing on research-based curricula with the assessment of conceptual learning in introductory courses with large enrollments. He is the principal author (along with Ronald Thornton and Priscilla Laws) of Real-Time Physics--computer-supported active learning laboratories for use in traditional university settings. He is also co-developer (along with Ronald Thornton) of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) which are used to create an active learning environment in lecture classes. Dr. Thornton is director of the Center for Science and Mathematics Teaching of the Physics and Education Departments at Tufts University where he directs the development of software for microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) tools for real-time collection and analysis of data, for modeling and for vector visualization, and curricula designed to be used with these. The center conducts research on student learning in physics. The MBL software has won awards from EDUCOM, Computers in Physics, and the Dana Foundation. He is currently working (with David Sokoloff) on web-based delivery of ILDs, and the development of ILDs in other science disciplines. (Workshop Physics, Understanding Physics, RealTime Physics and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations are all published by John Wiley and Sons.)

For more information contact:

Prof. David R. Sokoloff
Professor of Physics
Department of Physics
1274 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1274

office phone: (541) 346-4755
fax: (541) 346-5861

June 20-July 1

ABPI Workshop

University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

ACTIVITY BASED PHYSICS FACULTY INSTITUTES

Are you interested in increasing your students’ understanding of the physical world? 2-year college, 4-year college and university faculty are invited to attend one of the NSF-sponsored Activity Based Physics Faculty Institutes to be held at the University of Oregon in summer 2005 and at Dickinson College in Central Pennsylvania in summer 2006. These one week Institutes will encourage faculty to use active learning strategies and teaching methods based on physics education research by 1) giving them hands-on experience with the materials in the Activity Based Physics Suite, 2) assisting them with modifying those materials for use in their own courses, and 3) providing continued follow-up support for the five years of this project. The institutes will be taught by Priscilla Laws (Dickinson College), David Sokoloff (University of Oregon), Ronald Thornton (Tufts University) and Patrick Cooney (Millersville University).

Please visit the following website for more information and an application:

University of Oregon 2005 Sessions:

June 20 – June 24 or June 27 – July 1 (attend either)

Dickinson College 2006 Sessions:

June 19 - 23 or June 26 - June 30 (attend either)

August 6-12

American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT

Active Learning with RealTime Physics, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations and the Physics Suite

This hands-on workshop is designed for those interested in making learning in their introductory courses more active using strategies based on the outcomes of physics education research and involving the comprehensive use of microcomputers for data collection and analysis. Participants will be introduced to RealTime Physics (RTP) laboratory guides and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) in Mechanics, Electric Circuits and Optics. They will also be introduced to the other components of the Activity Based Physics Suite, including Web-Based ILDs. Results of studies on the effectiveness of these curricula will be presented. Those interested in making major changes in their introductory physics programs are especially encouraged to attend. Current versions of the RTP and ILD activity guides, along with Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite by E.F. Redish, will be distributed.