University of Cambridge: Improving Physics Teaching, Cavendish Laboratory
Aim
To improve physics teaching by exploring how students understand physical ideas.
Background
A programme at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge is exploring ways of improving physics teaching. The focus is on examining students’ intuitive conceptions, and why it seems that the usual methods of teaching results in developing skills in solving examination problems in a way which is often detached from an understanding of everyday physics.
Using ‘order of magnitude’ physics students are taught to estimate e.g. the amount of oil that the United States imports, the world-record cycling speed (by running up stairs), the size of raindrops (by boiling a kettle), and much else - using simple physics to understand the world around them and involving students in solving and discussing problems during lecture.
Evaluation results have shown that the course is one of the students’ favourites. The most common comment was that “it rekindled enjoyment of physics.”
The approximate, everyday-physics approach and the interactive, conceptual teaching methods have become a key part of the curriculum at the new African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cape Town.
Contact
Dr Sanjoy MahajanEmail: sanjoy@mrao.cam.ac.uk