Materials for Active Engagement in the Modern Physics Course

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Physics (13) This project is developing a set of materials for use in enhancing instruction in the intermediate Modern Physics course. This course normally follows the calculus-based introductory course and serves as a transitional experience between the relatively low level of rigor of the introductory survey course and the more advanced and specialized upper-division courses taken by science and engineering students. Based on experience in a pilot project begun in the spring of 2002, this project is developing, testing, and assessing materials for interactive teaching, especially those that contribute to methodologies shown by physics education research to enhance instruction in the introductory course. These materials include in-class discussion questions, case studies, and group activities that are being carefully evaluated and correlated with criteria that assess student learning. The materials are to be commercially published and also included in a digital library. The broader impact of these developments include better student performance in the Modern Physics class as well as increased understanding of concepts of Modern Physics. By offering packages of materials to instructors, the project enhances faculty development through the adoption of classroom techniques that have been repeatedly shown to be superior to traditional teaching methods. Experience shows that this course plays a significant role attracting and exciting students who are thinking about careers in physics teaching, and thus a more effective course could have an impact on K-12 teaching. Finally, test sites include institutions with a large population of minority physics majors.