Creating Innovative Physics Learning Environments in the Urban Classroom

物理学（13）该项目的目标是：（1）提高城市大学和邻近社区学院所有学生在代数基础和微积分基础物理学入门课程以及天文学课程中的学习，（2）让本科理科专业参与创新教材的实施、评估和创作，及（3）记录实施过程中透过使用多种评估工具促进学生学习的成效，并向物理教师及教育研究人员公布有关结果。该项目正在改编Kanim，Loverude和Ortiz目前正在开发的材料，作为NSF资助的入门物理学研究实验室项目的一部分。这些材料将概念理解与实验室实验和观察仔细地结合起来。该项目正在批判性地审视第一学期和第二学期物理课程中使用的材料，并对其进行修订。不同机构的其他物理学家被邀请对这些材料进行试点测试。该项目还在第三学期微积分物理课程以及普通教育天文学课程中开发和试点测试一些活动。 此外，该项目正在与该地区为类似学生群体服务的社区学院合作。目前，这一学科领域的研究型教材很少，而且还没有被城市学生广泛使用。该项目是基于完善的，久经考验的课程。PI是建立在他们的经验调查学生对物理的理解。这项工作得到了精心设计的评估的支持，以查明学生仍然存在的困难，以便进一步完善课程。该项目的目标是在大学和当地社区学院学习物理学和天文学入门课程的学生，其中大部分学生来自科学领域没有很好代表性的人群。正在记录和传播执行工作的成效。项目完成后，将有一套经过充分测试的材料，包括实验室，迷你实验室，互动式PowerPoint讲座，以及已被证明可以促进对这一学生群体的理解的教学策略。

Physics (13) The goals of the project are: (1) to improve learning for all students in the introductory algebra-based and calculus-based physics and in the astronomy classes at an urban university and neighboring community colleges, (2) to involve undergraduate science majors in the implementation, assessment, and creation of innovative teaching materials, and (3) to document the effectiveness of the implementation in promoting student learning through the use of multiple assessment instruments and to disseminate these results to the community of physics teachers and education researchers. The project is adapting materials currently being developed by Kanim, Loverude, and Ortiz as part of the Research-based Laboratories in Introductory Physics project funded by NSF. These materials carefully integrate conceptual understanding with laboratory experiments and observations. The project is looking critically at the materials being used in the semester I and semester II physics courses and revising them. Other physicists at different institutions are being invited to pilot test the materials. The project is also developing and pilot testing a number of activities in the semester III calculus-based physics course as well as in the general education astronomy course. In addition, the project is collaborating with community colleges in the area that serve a similar population of students. Currently, there are few research-based instructional materials in this subject area, and these have not been widely used with urban students. Intellectual Merit The project is based on well-established, well-tested curricula. The PIs are building on their experience investigating student understanding of physics. The work is supported by a carefully designed assessment in order to pinpoint areas in which student difficulties still exist so that the curriculum can be further refined. Broader Impact This project targets students in introductory physics and astronomy courses at the university and the local community colleges, mostly students from populations not well-represented in the sciences. The effectiveness of the implementation is being documented and disseminated. Upon completion of the project there will be a set of well-tested materials including laboratories, mini-labs, interactive PowerPoint Lectures, and pedagogical strategies that have been shown to promote understanding for this student population.