Collaborative Research: Modeling Physics in an Integrated Physics Course for Biologists

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Physics (13) This project is developing, pilot-testing, and assessing a full-year algebra-based introductory physics course for life science majors, integrating advances in physics education research with a deeply interdisciplinary life science focus. In addition, the course is designed to reinforce basic mathematical concepts to strengthen students' quantitative skills. Intellectual Merit: The U.S. faces a critical need for better and more innovative STEM education. One major challenge is preparing students to learn, work, and collaborate across traditional disciplines; another is ensuring that they have the necessary conceptual and mathematical competencies to do so. A team of PIs from physics, mathematics and biology is collaborating closely to develop a new course to meet these challenges. The PIs are building on proven approaches in physics instruction such as Modeling Instruction (Arizona State University) and Learning How to Learn Science (University of Maryland). They are combining these pedagogical strategies with their own experience in teaching integrative courses that bridge physics, mathematics, and biology. Through a combination of proven pedagogy and biologically-motivated content, they are developing a course that better addresses the needs of students at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and the University of New England (UNE), and also serves as a model for similar collaborative efforts at other institutions. Broader Impacts: Curricular materials (labs, concept tests, interactive lecture demonstrations, homework, and test questions) are being developed, based on best practices, for the algebra-based introductory physics course for life scientists. These materials will be shared at national conferences in physics, biology and mathematics and will be available on the web. The course is also a model for transforming a traditional, single-discipline course to a broader, interdisciplinary course. This approach provides opportunities for genuine innovation without requiring simultaneous reorganization of curricula (such as changing major requirements). This project provides life science majors with a strong and thoroughly integrated background in physics through a course designed to fit their needs. At the same time, it serves the broader student population taking it as a general education requirement. In particular, the emphasis on learning how to learn and on synthesizing qualitative and quantitative approaches is of value to all students.