Programme
The conference programme will consist of plenary lectures
and contributions via oral presentations, oral bytes, workshops, and (new for
2015) flipped sessions.
Conference Programme
‘Is “interactive” teaching sufficient to
promote conceptual development in physics?’
Over the past few
decades, systematic research has shown that many physics students express
essentially the same (incorrect) ideas both before and after instruction. It is frequently assumed that these ideas can
be identified by research and then addressed through “interactive” teaching
approaches such as hands-on activities and small-group collaborative work. In many classrooms, incorrect ideas are
elicited, their inadequacy is exposed, and students are guided in reconciling
their prior knowledge with the formal concepts of the discipline. Variations of this strategy have proven
fruitful in science instruction at all levels from elementary through graduate
school. However, this summary greatly
over-simplifies the use of students’ ideas as the basis for effective
instructional strategies. Examining what
students have actually learned after using research-based curriculum is essential
for improving the curriculum and validating its effectiveness. I will illustrate the process with examples
from introductory physics.
Professor Paula Heron,
Department of Physics, University of Washington
‘Ecopedagogy: Teaching
Sustainability Topics in the Physical Science Curriculum’
Ecopedagogy invites us
to teach about the world in a way that neither assumes that the interests of
humans are privileged over other species, nor accepts that a particular group
of humans has a privileged view on what should be taught. Ecopedagogy therefore
is an interesting framework in which to teach sustainability topics. There is
an increasing demand from students, employers and other stakeholders for topics
on economic, social and environmental sustainability to be more prominent in HE
curricula. In this session, we will discuss what this might mean for the
Physical Sciences and, with an Ecopedagogy framework in mind, explore how
participants’ own geographical roots and the environment in which they learn
can inform their understanding. The session will make use of the indoors and
outdoors environments of the “eco” Jubilee Campus and will be accessible to
all.
Professor Paul C
Taylor, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds