Re: [Phys-l] Modeling for Physics Instruction

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@saintmarys.edu>]

To me, what your teacher did was to take the approach that he would  
use with students doing research, and use it in the classroom.   
Instead of telling you what to think, he guided you to develop your  
own solution to the problem.  Of course in research, no one knows the  
answer, so that is the only option.  That form of guided instruction,  
or guided inquiry puts the student at the center of the learning  
process and should be done at all grade levels, K-20.  There are many  
examples of how powerful the learning can be for the students.
Thanks for sharing your experience.

joe

Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556

On Aug 3, 2007, at 11:48 PM, Mary Hing-Hickman wrote:

> Hi Don,
>
> When I was a graduate student, I had to take an upper level  
> elective course.
> I chose Atomic physics because that was my area of research at the  
> time. The
> professor of the course was well known for being tough but fair.
>
> He decided to do something different the year I took the course.   
> He gave us
> several papers published on topics in Atomic Physics.  He then told  
> us there
> was something wrong with the papers.  As a group, we had to figure  
> out what
> was wrong and then correct them.
>
> He guided us with helpful hints such as, "Look at the curve.  What  
> do you
> think could produce that curve?"  Sometimes he would then leave the  
> room
> with a comment to come and get him when we figured it out.  Other  
> times he
> would help us with questions to guide us.  I learned more in that  
> class than
> any other course I had taken in graduate school.  It was applicable  
> to my
> field and it was practical.  I saw a purpose for studying quantum  
> mechanics
> and electrodynamics.   It was also the most rewarding because we  
> DID figure
> it out.
>
> We didn't have equipment given to us to play with, but we were  
> given a paper
> to read.  We could look at references and we had our textbooks.  We  
> also had
> each other and that was our greatest strength.
>
> I can see how modeling could work in upper level and even graduate  
> level
> courses.
>
> Mary E Hing-Hickman
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Polvani, Donald G." <donald.polvani@ngc.com>
> To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 11:53 AM
> Subject: [Phys-l] Modeling for Physics Instruction
>
>
> > My education in physics occurred 40 years ago, so the simple article
> > below on the value of modeling as an instruction technique was new  
> > and
> > of interest to me.  I can see where it would be of value in  
> > introductory
> > courses, but have any of you used this technique in advanced
> > undergraduate/graduate courses on classical mechanics, quantum  
> > theory,
> > relativity, etc.  It's great to discover things by yourself, but is
> > there really time to do this with the great number of advanced topics
> > which have to be covered, not to mention the practicality of modeling
> > advanced concepts?
> >
> > See:
> >
> > http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/ 
> > 20070803_Masters_of_
> > spring_theory.html
> >
> > Don Polvani
> > Northrop Grumman Corp.
> > Undersea Systems
> > Annapolis, MD
> > _______________________________________________
> > Forum for Physics Educators
> > Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> > https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
>
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