What influences teachers' modifications of curriculum?
An NSF (ESI) supported project (2005-2008). Teachers get objectives and materials from schools for their courses, but they very often make modifications. These can be little adjustments such as spending some extra time on a topic or skipping an activity, or they can be substantial changes, such as substituting a different activity or switching to another textbook. We're interested to understand what influences them in making these modifications, and especially what goes into their making effective modifications.
An NSF supported project (2000-2005) to study student learning in algebra-based physics. The population studied is dominantly bioscience majors and pre-health-care professionals. The focus of the study is on meta-learning issues including basic research on student resources, student difficulties with mathematics in physics, and student difficulties with conceptual issues of measurement In addition, we modified existing best-practice materials for introductory university physics and developed a new survey probing student expectations. (A. Elby, D. Hammer, E. F. Redish, & R. E. Scherr, PIs)
In this NSF (DUE/CCLI) supported project (2004-2006), we refine and class test open-source tutorials (worksheets intended to guide collaborative active learning) that instructors can customize to the needs of their students and curricula. To help instructors make productive modifications and implement the tutorials effectively, we hyperlink the worksheets themselves to instructors' guides and annotated video clips of students using the worksheets.
An NSF supported project (2000-2004) to develop a series of written and video case studies of elementary student thinking in physical science. The case studies we publish at the end of the project will contribute to teachers' and researchers' understanding of student learning in science.
A project supported by FIPSE and the NSF (1997-2000). An understanding of quantum physics is becoming increasingly important for research scientists in many other fields than physics, including electrical and materials engineering, biology, and computer science. In this project, the UMd PERG is researching conceptual difficulties upper division engineers have in understanding quantum physics. Supplementary instructional materials have been developed on the basis of this research and are available here.
An NSF supported project (1995-1998). ABP is a multi-university consortium to develop coordinated active-learning materials for introductory physics. The materials developed for this project are research-based and carefully evaluated for effectiveness. They integrate microcomputer-based laboratories and video data collection and analysis.
An NSF supported project (1994-1998). An important part of what students should learn from physics courses is how we know what we know. Some of the difficulties students have in making sense of introductory physics arise from mistaken ideas about how science knows what it knows. Student expectations on what they should do to learn physics and what it means to understand it can also lead to problems. The UMd PERG has been studying how to understand and measure these critical factors, and how to use the understanding we develop to improve instruction. Click here to go directly to the Maryland Physics Expectations (MPEX) survey page.
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