Ewa Dębowska

The macroscopic model of an atomic force microscope in the students' laboratory

This paper presents a macroscopic model of an atomic force microscope. The tool is designed for an advanced physics experiment to be carried out in Physics Laboratory II at the Institute of Experimental Physics, Wroclaw University. We discuss the process of setting up the experiment and the results of measurements of the models characteristics. The image of a model surface topography realized with the apparatus is also presented. The advantages and disadvantages of the apparatus are discussed along with descriptions of its possible future uses.

Role of Key Competences in Physics Teaching and Learning

The paper’s aim is to portrait an interpretation of Key Competences in physics education context through some key characteristics of physics teaching and learning processes basing on presentations delivered during the conference of International Research Group on Physics Teaching and European Physical Society—Physics Education Division—GIREP-EPEC Wroclaw 2015. The general conference topic was Key Competences in Physics Teaching and Learning. The paper presents the basic roles of Key Competences in science education and technology in the framework of creation of knowledge, gaining skills and developing attitudes, basing on conference presentations and literature review. We have suggested our proposals after careful and critical view on selected findings concerning Key Competences already published (e.g. Rychen and Salganik 2003). The final proposals are presented in a form of statements that might be of interest to both physics education researchers and teachers and serve as an introduction to the entire book.

Key Competences in Physics Teaching and Learning

After a research on teaching Physics in the world and the achievements of the last decades in this field, this article treats an approach based on the experiences of the Department of Physics and Information of the University of Korce. As part of this Faculty I felt it necessary to review the classical methods of teaching physics in our faculty, where the teacher’s role is mainly descriptive, dominant, and not collaborative. We tried to apply the interactive method of teaching physics where the teacher’s role is mainly consultative and/or advisory. Comparison of the results of the two methods indicate the primacy of interactive method. Nowadays, the Theory of Cognitive Processes, in progress, and the Teaching of Physics, are based on welldefined scientific regulations and laws. The reality presents the need for studies, reconsidering the methods of teaching, through tracing and applying new models, aiming the final goal, the Expertise. Besides, other methods, the methods of interactive work in group improve the efficiency in teaching much more than the methods of explanation, narration, school lecture, instruction, etc., already known as parts of classical methods. So, the main instruction of contemporary didactics is focused on the solution of problems in Physics. Complex problems, term papers and/or tests, serve as yhe means for the estimation of conceptual learning, so that the students’ concepts become practical and useful. Scientifically, the methods of solving complex problems are based on well-known experimented strategies. After the theoretical treatment at the end of this article, you will see the surprising results we obtained, after applying the methods of interactive teaching.