Teaching Forces - PER Style!

What does Physics Education Research (PER) have to say about the teaching of forces? An awful lot! In this workshop Chris will lead you through the brave new world of forces, PER style. Chris has synthesized over 30 years of research into a comprehensive approach for the teaching of forces. Follow Chris along the path of constructivism, through student (and teacher!) misconceptions, to multiple representations, new physics lemmas and deeper understanding. Evidence based on the performance of Chris's students on the Force Concept Inventory demonstrates that this approach is extremely successful. You and your students won't think of Newton's Laws the same way again!

Chris Meyer completed a Specialist Degree in Physics at the University of Toronto, but didn’t really get this physics stuff until he began teaching. From his experiences “teaching” physics at A. Y. Jackson (North York), the Ontario Science Centre, Rosedale Heights (Toronto) and now York Mills C. I. (North York) he came to realize that the teaching techniques he was raised with were not adequate. After attending a lecture by Edward Redish at the University of Toronto, and becoming acquainted for the first time with Physics Education Research, things began to change. Now Chris gives presentations across southern Ontario encouraging teachers to stop teaching.