Laser Applications in Science Education (Lase): Phase 2

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The LASE project is centered on an innovative "do-it- yourself" optics laboratory course based on the principles of manipulating and modulating laser beams, and designed to make physics more attractive to high school students by introducing them to every-day laser applications. To facilitate implementation of these ideas, 2 two-week Summer workshops will be provided during 1991 to train forty high school physics teachers to teach the course, with in- service help, the following academic year. The project concentrates on three strong pedagogical ideas developed during the first phase of the project: 1. providing each participant with an optical system designed to be easily reproduced or modified in any modestly equipped workshop, and incorporating many "off-the-shelf" hardware-store items (A prototype has already been competed), 2. providing a series of station-by-station instructions beforehand for the participants as they all work on the same activity at the same time. This is the advantage of having a common optical system, 3. involving all participants as peer teachers during the 1991-92 academic year in-service phase of the program. Groups of five teachers will take charge of each of the monthly meetings scheduled for that period. Students will help them. Ten teachers from Phase 1 will provide instruction during the Summer workshops, along with faculty from San Jose State University. Assistance will be provided by a full-time technician and SJSU physics majors. The forty participants will bring along at least one guest teacher to at least one in-service meeting during the year. This will be formally required. By year's end close to seventy teachers will have been actively involved. Cost sharing equals 48% of the NSF award.