Alternately, you can read the nitty gritty details in my proposal for NSF CAREER Fellowship (running 2005-2010).
1 page summary of research interests and direction of research (from summer 2004).
Supporting the development of a Physics Education Research Group at Colorado (PER@C)
The Physics Education Technology
Project (PhET) - University of Colorado Boulder
with the support of the Kavli Foundation, the University of Colorado, and the NSF (CCLI grant Aug 2005).
A project designed to support individuals' interests and abilities in physics through the use of interactive computer simulations.We create and test interactive simulations of physical phenomena and supporting resources aimed at improving the learning and appreciation of physics for a wide range of students, teachers, and the general public. These simulations allow you to explore phenomena and gain visual and conceptual models of the underlying physics principles and their connections to the world around you.
Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) - UC Boulder (starting Fall '04)
with the support of the AIP, AAPT, and APS, grant from APS PhysTEC (2004-2008)
Building on local resources, networks, and projects, the Colorado PhysTEC will: support the (re)vitalization of an undergraduate major track in physics and teaching through reforms in undergraduate introductory courses, and increased access into teaching for physics majors; support efforts to more thoroughly mix reformed pedagogy into departmental practice; partner with the School of Education, the STEM-TP collaborative, the CPU-II PET Project, and local schools to create and maintain a continuum of K-12 teacher preparation that begins in the college of Arts and Sciences; partner with other CU initiatives and local schools to create opportunities for school teachers to collaborate in educational at the university and in the schools, and conduct research studies within and evaluations of these coordinated activity systems.
1 page writeup of Colorado PhysTEC (2007).
Learning Assistant and STEM-Colorado program:
with the support of the National Science Foundations, STEM-TP program
a multi-disciplinary program to support the development of science teachers and reform the undergraduate curriculum.
read about the Colorado Learning Assistant Program in a short article in Science magazine, an article by Science editor Jeffery Mervis (2007) or another article by our research team (2006).
Research on Models of Institutional Change and Sustainable Reform in Physics (and Science) Education
Recently funded grants to help synthesize a variety of research perspectives on sustainable institutional change in STEM higher education. Two main products will be a research-based review and analysis of the models of change in STEM education and a conference to be held summer 2008.
FACILITATING CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE STEM: An Invitational Symposium Integrating Multiple Perspectives
Conference to be held June 16-19, 2008 at Brook Lodge in SW Michigan. This is conceived as a working conference. The conference goal is to clearly articulate models for promoting fundamental changes in STEM instructional practices in higher education that are consistent with available empirical and historical evidence as well as theoretical perspectives about human and organizational change. Participants from different backgrounds will engage in substantive discussions focused on improving change models and theories. The conference will build on a multi-disciplinary literature review completed by the organizers.
Implementing Tutorials Sustainably: Restructuring Undergraduate Recitations and Laboratories in Introductory Physics
Modification and study of the intro physics sequence for majors / engineers:
with the support of the NSF CCLI (Aug 2004 - Aug 2007).
The problem: This comprehensive effort focuses on improving the traditional recitation sections and laboratories in an introductory calculus-based physics sequence. Such laboratories and recitations are demonstrably ineffective at developing students' conceptual mastery of physics and expectations of learning physics However, proven solutions, in the form of Tutorials require demands of the university that cannot immediately be provided -- particularly, the number and training of adequately prepared instructors or TA's.Objective: This adaptation and implementation effort will create a long-term solution by institutionalizing a unified, transformed course experience that ultimately demands no more resources of the university than presently allotted. The assembled research team will implement Tutorials in Introductory Physics,4which are among the most deeply-researched, and widely-used, effective reforms of traditional physics recitation sections. These reforms will be coupled with a revised laboratory sequence that emphasizes sense-making and experimentation, with the goal of marked improvement in students' conceptual mastery of physics and in students' expectations of what it means to learn physics. Significantly, these transformations will be supported and sustained by a new advanced course in teaching and learning physics.
Read our final report .
Informal Science Education Efforts: CU STOMP:
In partnership with the Physics Frontier Center at JILA, the CEEO of Tufts, the Colorado Learning Assistant program, and Colorado PhysTEC we implement a variety of after-school and summer school programs to engage children in science, increase undergrad / grad student awareness of education, and promote sustainable community partnerships.
Preparing Future Physicists (formerly Preparing Future Physics Faculty):
with the support of the NSF, and CU Programs: LEAP, the GTP, and FTEP.
The Preparing Future Physics Faculty (PFPF) program augments traditional CU physics grad and postdoctoral student preparation. Typically, grad students / postdocs finish their programs with excellent research skills, but little idea how to teach a class, write a grant, or apply for a job
Look for the writeup in Am J. of Physics by E. Price and N. Finkelstein (to appear 2007).
Reforming the laboratories for algebra based physics sequence.
Recent transformation of the labs in the algebra based 2nd semester Physics 2: as part of the FTEP summer funding (2005)
Prior work on: Physics 2010 and 2020 revised labs and studies. with Chris Keller. full piece (warning -- this is 4MB)
Physics Department Brownbags in Education:
departmental discussions in education.:
Partner Efforts
Physics consultant. Science Media Group, Havard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Essential Science program - Graduate course in elementary school instruction.
Partner in reforms developed at the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) at Tufts University.
including the STOMP program and the
Stop Action Motion (SAM) animation program for kids
A semi-complete list of grants:
PI: NSF CAREER: Faculty Early Career Development Award: PER and Contexts of Student Learning, 2005-2010.
Co-PI: NSF: DRL REESE: STEM Educational Change in Higher Ed, (recommended) 2007- 2009.
PI: American Physical Society: Colorado PhysTEC: Physics Teacher Education Coalition, 2004- 2008.
Co-PI: NSF: DUE CCLI, Physics Education Technology Project, 2005-2008.
Co-PI: NSF: SBE HSD, Facilitating Change in Higher Education, 2006- 2008
PI: NSF: DUE, CCLI, Implementing Tutorials Sustainably, 2004- 2007.
PI: University of Colorado, Outreach Committee, Science Explorers, 2006-2007.
PI: University of Colorado, Council on Research and Creative Work, Physics Education Research, 2004.
PI: University of Colorado, Service Learning Program: Teaching and Learning Physics, 2004.
PI: Univ. of Colorado, Cntr for Leadership Education for Advancement and Promotion, 2003-2004.Senior Personnel / Co-Author: NSF CCLI #0613426 The CIRTL Network: Shaping, Connecting, and Supporting the Future National STEM Faculty, 2008-2011.
Senior Personnel / Co-Author: NSF ESI: Teacher Professional Continuum, ESI: 0554616, LA-TEST: Learning Assistant Model of Teacher Education in Science and Technology, 2006-2011.
Senior Personnel / Co-Author: NSF IIS # 0511965, Collaborative Research: Telling the Story - Learning Math, Science and Engineering Through Animation, 2006-2009.
I have a host of projects with which I stay affiliated at UCSD. Please check out my last website for more details.
Preparing Future Physics Faculty - UCSD Department of Physics and Center for Teaching Development
A training program for graduate students in the physics department at UCSD. Supported by the American Association of Physics Teachers and the National Science Foundation. Graduate students receive instruction in teaching, educational practice, grant writing, and supervision. Students are mentored in teaching in the college and university environments and given the opportunity to become instructors of record at local partnering institutions of higher education.
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