There are still openings for the NSF Chautauqua Short Course #29 on May
11-13 in Pittsburgh. The course, led by Alan Van Heuvelen of Ohio State and
Eugenia Etkina of Rutgers, is for physics professors and introduces a
constructivist approach for teaching and learning physics in large and in
small classes. The approach replicates the process of doing real science
and helps students develop better qualitative and quantitative reasoning
skills. Participants will learn to integrate inexpensive demonstrations,
minilabs, experiment problems, Jeopardy Problems, paper-and-pencil multiple
representation activities and interactive multimedia into a coherent
package. The approach helps students become active and conscious
participants in the learning process as opposed to passive recipients of
transmitted knowledge. No additional funds are needed to implement this
approach. To register, contact Nicholas Eror (eror+@pitt.edu), Chautauqua
Program, 323 Benedum Hall, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.
Applications are available online at www.engrng.pitt.edu/~chautauq/.