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Building Undergraduate Physics Programs for the 21st Century

This article discusses the importance of focusing on undergraduate physics education to prepare students for various careers. It provides statistics, highlights the changing role of physics, and offers suggestions for improving physics education. It also introduces innovative texts and delivery methods being used in physics education.

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Building Undergraduate Physics Programs for the 21st Century

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  1. Building Undergraduate Physics Programs for the 21st Century Robert C. Hilborn Amherst College Support from American Association of Physics Teachers, American Physical Society American Institute of Physics The ExxonMobil Foundation

  2. Why Focus on Undergraduate Physics? Grad School science/tech jobs High School K-12 teaching many other careers Undergraduate Physics

  3. Some Statistics • 25% of high school students take physics • 70-75% of high school students go on to 2-year, 4-year colleges and universities • 350,000 students take college/university intro. physics each year (25-30% in 2-year colleges) • only 3% of those taking calculus-based physics take another physics course

  4. Bachelor’s Degree Production

  5. National Statistics

  6. Darwin? Summary of the New Environment • Changing role for physics in the universe of science • Changing student population • demographics • preparation • interests • Changing National Focus • emphasis on K-12

  7. What Needs To Be Done? • A thorough and rigorous coverage of a limited number of topics is more effective than an encyclopedic and show introduction to a wide range of subject matter. • Physics should be taught as a growing subject and the student should be given illustrations of problems on present frontiers. • Senior and experienced staff members should engage in the teaching of introductory physics courses, in the training of teaching assistants, and in experimentation directed at the improved teaching of physics Carleton Report, Am. J. Phys. 25, 417 (1957).

  8. Innovative Introductory Physics Texts • Joe Amato, Physics Today, Dec. 1996. • R. Knight, Physics: A Contemporary Perspective (Addison-Wesley) • R. Chabay and B. Sherwood, Matter and Interactions, Electric and Magnetic Interactions (Wiley) • Tom Moore, Six-Ideas that Shaped Physics (McGraw-Hill) IUPP • J. Reichert, A Modern Approach to Mechanics (Prentice-Hall) • J. Amato, C. Holbrow, J. Lloyd, Modern Introductory Physics (Springer) • L. McDermott, Physics by Inquiry (Prentice Hall) • Serway and Beichner, Physics (Saunders) • E. Mazur … (Prentice Hall) • Halliday and Resnick - revised - (Wiley)

  9. Innovative Delivery • Workshop Physics - P. Laws et al. • Studio Physics - J. Wilson (RPI) Cal Poly SLO, U. New Hampshire, • Dynamic Physics - P. Sokol (Penn State) • Peer Instruction - E. Mazur (Harvard), J. Mestre, W. Gerace (U. Mass.), Tom Moore (Pomona)

  10. Innovative Delivery - 2 • Overview--Case Study - A. van Heuvelen (Ohio State) • “In-line” text exercises, take-home experiments - R. Chabay and B. Sherwood (Carnegie-Mellon), J. King et al (MIT). • WWW delivery - E. Patterson (Air Force), G. Novak/A. Gavrin (U. Indiana-Purdue) • Tutorials - L. McDermott, J. Redish • Context-Rich Problems -Heller (Minn.) • Computer-Intensive - R. Fuller (U. Nebraska)

  11. The Framework • Melba Phillips: “The problem with physics education problems is that they don’t stay solved.” • John Russell: “All reform is ultimately local.”

  12. National Task Forceon Undergraduate Physics • Sponsored by • American Association of Physics Teachers • American Physical Society • American Institute of Physics • ExxonMobil Foundation

  13. National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics J. D. Garcia (U. Arizona) S. James Gates (U. Maryland) Robert Hilborn (Amherst College), Chair Ruth Howes (Ball State), Co-Chair Ken Krane (Oregon State) Laurie McNeil (U. North Carolina-Chapel Hill) Jose Mestre (U. Massachusetts) Tom O’Kuma (Lee College) Doug Osheroff (Stanford) Carl Wieman (U. Colorado) David Wilkinson (Princeton) Ex Officio: AIP- J. Stith, J. Hehn APS-J. Franz, F. Stein AAPT-B. Khoury, W. Hein PKAL – J. Narum

  14. National Task Forceon Undergraduate Physics Five Main Categories of Efforts 1. Raise Consciousness 2. Provide Models and Analysis of departmental change that works. 3. Coordinate and Publicize departments projects 4. Provide Advice and Ideas to professional organizations funding agencies physics community 5. Work with other disciplines

  15. Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics SPIN-UP Supported by ExxonMobil Foundation American Institute of Physics American Association of Physics Teachers American Physical Society

  16. What is a physics program? • Recruitment, advising, mentoring students. • Engaging students in research. • Providing appropriate and excellent courses for • all students, not just majors. • Talking to and getting feedback from your • students and to faculty in their home departments. • Building a sense of community among physics • students and faculty? • Informing students about and preparing them for • diverse careers.

  17. SPIN-UP Site Visit Departments • Lawrence University • North Carolina State Univ. • North Park University • University of Illinois • Oregon State University • Reed College • Rutgers University • University of Virginia • Whitman College • Angelo State University • University of Arizona • Bethel College • Brigham Young University • Bryn Mawr College • Colorado School of Mines • Cal State San Luis Obispo • Carleton College • Grove City College • Harvard University • University of Illinois • University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse

  18. Trial Site Visit 2000 PhysTEC Site Visit 2000 SPIN-UP Site Visit 2001-02

  19. Conclusions from the Task Force Site Visits • strong and sustained departmental leadership • well-defined sense of mission • recruit and retain students • career information - alumni • introductory courses • prof. development and mentoring • multiple-tracks/options • emphasis on the entire program of the department, including interactions with other departments

  20. Take Home Messages • A physics program is more than the courses. • The department is the critical unit for change. • All reform is ultimately local. One size does not fit all. • “Revitalization” is never finished.

  21. Recent Actions • AAPT “Physics at the Crossroads” Conference, Sept. 1996.* • New Faculty Workshops, 1996-98+ • Physics Department Chairs Conference: May, 1997 AAPT/APS/NSF - 190 • “Revitalizing Undergraduate Physics - Phase 2,” Bob Hilborn, Ruth Howes, Jim Stith* • Building Undergraduate Physics Programs for the 21st Century *, October 2-4, 1998. AAPT, APS, AIP, PKAL, NSF • Special session: AAPT summer meeting, August, 1999 • Fall, 1999 - National Task Force on UPR *Reports available from AAPT

  22. Recent Actions • SPIN-UP Site Visits and Survey – 2000-2002 • “Top 25” Research Dept. Chairs – November, 2001 • organized by Carl Wieman • Two-Year College SPIN-UP – 2002-4 • Continue New Physics and Astronomy Faculty Workshops • Presentations at • Summer AAPT 8/3/02 - Boise • Mid-west Physics Department Chairs – 11/02 • March APS 2003 – with workshop • April APS 2003 • Conference on Calculus-Based Introductory Physics • Date to be set

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