When Learning Physics Mirrors Doing Physics
Date: Saturday, June 19, 2021, 11:10am to 12:00pm EST
SPEAKER: Eugenia Etkina, Rutgers University
DESCRIPTION
If you ever observed a child exploring the world, you probably noticed that their behaviors exhibit many features of the behaviors of practicing physicists: they observe, find patterns, come up with explanations, and test them right away. When children get older, they demonstrate the determination and perseverance of physicists as they spend hours solving problems and developing new skills. They fall and get up when learning new tricks on skateboards, they repeat the same shot into a basket until they can do it from any distance, they put together a LEGO castle out of a 3 million pieces. How can we build on these features and skills to help our students learn physics and be empowered during this process? In my talk I will share an approach to learning and teaching physics that helps us achieve these two goals.
SPEAKER BIO
Eugenia Etkina is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers, the State University Of New Jersey. She holds a PhD in physics education from Moscow State Pedagogical University and has more than 39 years of experience teaching physics at high school and university levels. She is a Recipient of the 2014 Millikan Medal of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), awarded to educators who have made significant contributions to teaching physics, and is a fellow of the AAPT.
Professor Etkina designed and now coordinates one of the largest programs in physics teacher preparation in the United States, conducts professional development for high school and university physics instructors, and participates in reforms to the undergraduate physics courses.
In 1993 she developed a system in which students learn physics using processes that mirror scientific practice which was later enriched by her collaboration with A. Van Heuvelen. That system, called the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach, can be used in a physics course of any level (from middle school to graduate coursework). It engages students in learning physics by practicing it, and improves their well-being. The ISLE approach serves as the basis for the textbook “College Physics: Explore and Apply” and supporting Active Learning Guide and Instructor Guide that are used in many universities and high schools for teaching algebra-based physics courses, especially Advance Placement Physics course.
Since 2000, Professor Etkina has conducted over 140 workshops for physics instructors. She is an active researcher who has published over 100 peer-refereed articles.
Speaker Contact: Eugenia Etkina, Rutgers University
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