HR: 0800h
AN: ED51B-0023 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Physics Education Research: Increasing Student Success Through Interactive Engagement
AU: * Allbaugh, A R
EM: allbaugh@rit.edu
AF: Rochester Institute of Technology, 1278 Chester F. Carlson Center 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 United States
AB: Over the last several decades the physics community has expanded to include educational research topics specific to the learning of physics - referred to as Physics Education Research (PER). PER includes pure research on student learning of physics as well as applied research leading to the development of curricular reforms. Impressive results have been achieved by curricular reforms that incorporate Interactive Engagement (IE) - involving the students more in their learning. Through validated diagnostic instruments such as the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and Maryland Physics Expectations Survey (MPEX), researchers have shown IE methods to improve both the learning and the attitudes of students in a physics course. Research has also shown these reforms to increase the success of minority and female students. The talk will present how particular curricular changes were successfully implemented and how the success was measured.
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
DE: 0840 Evaluation and assessment
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting