Curricula for Active Learning in the
Introductory Physics Course
Tools for Scientific Thinking
- Designed for use within traditional course structure of
lectures and labs
- Based on physics education research
- Focus on conceptual understanding in the laboratory
- Use of computers limited to MBL tools
- Small number of labs for those desiring to replace some
traditional labs with active learning ones
- Designed to infiltrate the course through the lab
- Force and Motion and Heat and Temperature available from
Vernier Software.
Workshop Physics
- Introductory physics course structure is reorganized with
workshop replacing traditional lectures and labs
- Based on physics education research
- Focus on conceptual and quantitative understanding in entire
course
- Use of computers for MBL tools, data analysis and
simulations
- Complete activities guide contains materials for entire years'
work
- Designed to completely change the structure and outlook on
learning in the introductory course
- Activities guide contains most of the topics traditionally
covered in the introductory course. Published by Wiley.
RealTime Physics
A new series of laboratory guides is under development. The goal
of this project is to design a series of related laboratory
activities that develop both a conceptual understanding and
quantitative laboratory skills for each topic.
Each guide includes a full term of sequenced laboratory
investigations which combine new activities with those already
developed for the Tools for Scientific Thinking and Workshop Physics
programs.
These laboratories are for use at the introductory college level
as part of a college or university physics course. They are
especially designed for those desiring to initiate active learning in
the laboratory without making changes in the overall structure of the
introductory physics course.
- Designed for use within traditional course structure of
lectures and labs
- Based on physics education research
- Focus on conceptual and quantitative learning in the
laboratory
- Use of computers for MBL tools, data analysis and
simulations
- Complete sets of sequenced labs for those desiring to replace
the entire semester or quarter of traditional labs with active
learning labs
- Designed to infiltrate the course through the lab
RealTime Physics Laboratory Guides
Available and Under Development
RealTime Physics Module 1: Mechanics
12 labs--available now from Wiley
RealTime Physics Module 2: Heat and Thermodynamics
6 labs--available now from Wiley
RealTime Physics Electric Circuits
6 labs--available from Vernier
Software
RealTime Physics Light and Optics
6 labs--under development--available 9/99