OAPT C O N F E R E N C E
25 - 27 May 2006		 Perimeter Institute

 

Paula Heron

Improving student learning in physics:
The challenge of identifying effective instructional strategies

It is by now well known that many students leave physics courses expressing essentially the same (incorrect) ideas with which they entered. It is frequently assumed that these prior conceptions can be identified and then addressed through "interactive engagement" strategies such as hands-on activities, the use of "clickers" in the lecture hall, and small-group collaborative work. But is it that simple? In many cases it is difficult to identify specific tasks that will help students overcome serious and persistent conceptual difficulties. I will illustrate the process of identifying effective instructional strategies with a few examples and argue that topic-specific research on student understanding is crucial for improving instruction.

Biography

Paula R.L. Heron is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Washington. She received a B.Sc. in physics from the University of Ottawa and a Ph.D. in theoretical condensed matter physics from the University of Western Ontario (1995). She joined the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington in 1995. Dr. Heron has published a number of papers on her research, which focuses on difficulties that students encounter in applying concepts from introductory university physics in their subsequent studies. She has given invited talks at national meetings and international meetings and in university physics departments. In 2005 she co-organized and co-chaired "Foundations and Frontiers in Physics Education Research," the first major conference devoted to the field in North America. She has extensive experience in designing and conducting special courses for prospective and practicing K-12 teachers. Dr. Heron is currently an elected member of the Executive Committee of the APS Forum on Education and serves on the AAPT Committee on Teacher Preparation.


Perimeter Institute

Innovative Teaching Strategies for Modern Physics

Authentic Inquiry

Submit a paper

Conferences in
Other Years

Sites of all Conferences