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ABSTRACT: Bob Beichner, in his "An Introduction to Physics Education
Research" wrote: "The physics education group at the University of
Washington essentially started the Physics Education Research field
when McDermott, initially hired by Arnold Arons as an instructor in
courses for teacher education, branched out into studies of student
difficulties with many of the central concepts in physics." But I
think Arons played a much more important role in the history of PER.
In a rejected AJP paper I wrote: "Arnold Arons, along with Robert
Karplus, can fairly be called one of the founding fathers of U.S.
Physics Education Research, a field that has emerged as a viable
sub-discipline of physics in the last two decades."
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Charles Henderson (2009), in his PhysLrnR post "Announcing Getting
Started in PER," wrote:
"The Getting Started in PER volume. . . . [Henderson & Harper
(2009)]. . . of Reviews in PER is designed to provide accessible
overviews of important areas of PER."
An important area of PER is its history. Bob Beichner (2009), in his
contribution to Henderson & Harper (2009) titled "An Introduction to
Physics Education Research," wrote:
"The physics education group at the University of Washington
essentially started the PER field when McDermott, initially hired by
Arnold Arons as an instructor in courses for teacher education,
branched out into studies of student difficulties with many of the
central concepts in physics. . . . . These and other groups - along
with many individuals - are exploring a wide range of subjects, but
all PER specialists are basically continuing the legacy started by
McDermott."
Beichner credits the late Arnold Arons only with helping to start
McDermott's group which, according to Beichner, "started the PER
field."
But I think Arons' played a much more important role in the history of PER.
In a paper "The Arons Advocated Method" [Hake (2004)], rejected :-(
by the editor of the American Journal of Physics - see the signature
quotes -, I wrote:
"Arnold Arons, along with Robert Karplus, can fairly be called one of
the founding fathers of U.S. Physics Education Research, a field that
has emerged as a viable sub-discipline of physics in the last two
decades."
A referee contested the above, writing:
"The claim made in the abstract that Arons 'can fairly be called one
of the founding fathers of U.S. physics education research'
misrepresents his role in the development of this field. This is not
to try to downplay his contributions. Arons has certainly influenced
the thinking of many members of the PER community, and his early
support for Lillian McDermott was (as she attests) important in her
establishment of a research group in the Physics Department at the
University of Washington. However, his activities did not
constitute systematic investigations, nor did he claim that they
were. Therefore this claim should be removed."
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In a vain attempt to outdo Dewey Dykstra's gargantuan signature:
"Thanks for the opportunity to let off a bit of steam."
Economics Nobelist Paul Krugman when asked to describe instances in which
journals had rejected his papers - see Gans & Shepherd (1994). Anyone for doing
a Gans/Shepherd-type study for the Physics Education Research field?
"EDITOR: A person employed on a newspaper. . . [or journal]. . . ,
whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see
to it that the chaff is printed. . . . .[see e.g. Klein (2007)]. . .
."
Elbert Hubbard <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbert_Hubbard>
"EDITOR, n. A person who combines the judicial functions of Minos,
Rhadamanthus and Aeacus, but is placable with an obolus; a severely
virtuous censor, but so charitable withal that he tolerates the
virtues of others and the vices of himself; who flings about him the
splintering lightning and sturdy thunders of admonition till he
resembles a bunch of firecrackers petulantly uttering his mind at the
tail of a dog; then straightway murmurs a mild, melodious lay, soft
as the cooing of a donkey intoning its prayer to the evening star.
Master of mysteries and lord of law, high-pinnacled upon the throne
of thought, his face suffused with the dim splendors of the
Transfiguration, his legs intertwisted and his tongue a-cheek, the
editor spills his will along the paper and cuts it off in lengths to
suit. And at intervals from behind the veil of the temple is heard
the voice of the foreman demanding three inches of wit and six lines
of religious meditation, or bidding him turn off the wisdom and whack
up some pathos."
Ambrose Bierce in "The Devil's Dictionary" online at
<http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/972> and
<http://www.ambrosebierce.org/dictionary.htm>. I thank Len Jossem for
this quote and its online sources. According to Len an obolus is "A
Greek silver coin worth 1/6 drachma that was used to pay the ferryman
Charon to row the dead body across the River Styx."
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REFERENCES
Beichner, R. 2009. "An Introduction to Physics Education Research,"
in Henderson & Harper (2009).
Gans, J.S. & G.B. Shepherd. 1994. "How Are the Mighty Fallen:
Rejected Classic Articles by Leading Economists," The Journal of
Economic Perspectives 8(1): 165-179; online as a 1.6 MB pdf at
<http://tinyurl.com/8xewj7>. Anyone for doing a Gans/Shepherd -type
study for PER?
Klein, D. 2007. "School math books, nonsense, and the National
Science Foundation," Am. J. Phys. 75(2): 101-102; online at
<http://www.csun.edu/~vcmth00m/nsf.html>.