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

本项目为生命科学专业学生开发、试点和评估一整年的基于代数的物理入门课程，将物理教育研究的进展与跨学科的生命科学重点相结合。此外，本课程旨在强化基本的数学概念，以加强学生的定量分析能力。智力优势：美国迫切需要更好、更创新的STEM教育。一个主要的挑战是让学生做好跨传统学科学习、工作和合作的准备；另一个是确保他们具备必要的概念和数学能力。一个由物理、数学和生物学专业的pi组成的团队正在密切合作，开发一门新的课程来应对这些挑战。pi正在建立在物理教学中已被证实的方法上，如建模教学（亚利桑那州立大学）和学习如何学习科学（马里兰大学）。他们将这些教学策略与自己的经验结合起来，教授物理、数学和生物的综合课程。通过将经过验证的教学法和以生物学为动机的内容相结合，他们正在开发一门课程，更好地满足新罕布什尔大学（UNH）和新英格兰大学（UNE）学生的需求，并为其他机构的类似合作努力提供了榜样。更广泛的影响：课程材料（实验，概念测试，互动讲座演示，家庭作业和测试问题）正在开发中，基于最佳实践，为生命科学家提供基于代数的物理入门课程。这些材料将在物理学、生物学和数学的全国会议上分享，并将在网上提供。该课程也是将传统的单一学科课程转变为更广泛的跨学科课程的典范。这种方法为真正的创新提供了机会，而不需要同时重组课程（例如改变专业要求）。本项目为生命科学专业的学生提供了一个强大而全面的物理背景，通过课程设计来满足他们的需求。同时，它服务于更广泛的学生群体，将其作为通识教育的要求。特别是，强调学习如何学习和综合定性和定量方法对所有学生都有价值。

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.