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Curriculum S

Please excuse this cross-posting to PHYSHARE(1a), PHYSLRNR(1b), Phys-L(1c).

In my opinion, it might be worthwhile for the "Task Force on
Undergraduate Education,"(2) (chaired by Ruth Howes and Robert
Hilborn), and physicists generally to consider steps to implement
"Curriculum S."(3,4)

Curriculum S (for Synthesis) was proposed in 1962 to, in the words of
Ken Ford(3) "serve students who wanted to study physics as background
for something other than physics research: business, law, medicine,
teaching, some other scientific study, or just informed citizenship."

Thus far there are evidently NO Curricula S in the U.S., even though
many Curricula MP - Multiple Paths exist. I list 36 such in ref. 5.

For more information on Curriculum S see ref. 5.

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
<rrhake@earthlink.net>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>


REFERENCES

1a. PHYSHARE is a discussion forum for sharing resources among about
550 high-school physics teachers. The archives are at
<http://lists.psu.edu/archives/physhare.html>.

1b. PHYSLRNR is a discussion forum with about 475 subscribers
interested in physics education research. The archives are at
<http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/physlrnr.html>.

1c. Phys-L is a discussion forum with about 650 subscribers
interested in physics education. The archives are at
<http://mailgate.nau.edu/archives/phys-l.html>.


2. R.H. Howes & R.C. Hilborn, "Winds of Change," Am. J. Phys. 68(5),
401-402 (2000).

3. K. Ford, "Whatever Happened to Curriculum S?" Phys. Teach. 25,
138-139 (1987).

4. E.L. Jossem, "Undergraduate Curricula in Physics: A Report on the
Princeton Conference on Curriculum S," Am. J. Phys. 32(6), 491-497
(1964).

5. R.R. Hake, "Is it Finally Time to Implement Curriculum S?" AAPT
Announcer 30(4), 103 (2000); on the web as ref. 13 at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake> [CurriculumS.pdf., 3/15/01,
1200K] (400 references & footnotes, 390 hot-linked URL's).