The ability of our students to think scientifically: probably not as great as we think

Underlying our efforts to have our students learn about the STEM disciplines is the assumption that they possess the necessary cognitive structures to think in a scientific way. However, the data show that this is not true for a significant fraction of our students, particular in the earlier grade levels. We will discuss the data, and the implications for both classroom instruction but also for curriculum design.

Biography

David Harrison is a Senior Lecturer (Emeritus) in Physics at the University of Toronto.  Although his PhD was in Elementary Particle Physics, he has devoted most of his professional career to the question of how people in general and students in particular learn. He has won the Canadian Association Physicists gold medal for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Physics, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations award for Outstanding Contributions to University Teaching, and 5 times has received the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts and Science Dean’s Excellence Award. He has had a major role in transforming the Department’s undergraduate program by implementing the results of Physics Education Research in the teaching of our undergraduate courses.

Presentation Slides