Fred Goldberg

Making the invisible visible: A teaching/learning environment that builds on a new view of the physics learner

We briefly describe a new view of the science learner that has emerged from recent research and then discuss how we have built on this view to design a physics course for prospective elementary teachers. The main goals are to help students develop robust conceptual models in various physics domains and to help them become more aware of, and more responsible for, their own learning. The integrated set of course activities to help promote these goals includes the use of highly interactive multimedia computer programs and the writing and collaborative peer evaluations of comprehensive explanations of novel phenomena. Evidence is provided to suggest that the total course environment has helped accomplish our goals.

Constructing physics understanding in a computer-supported learning environment

The Constructing Physics Understanding project is developing a pedagogy, curriculum materials and powerful software to support an environment where students, individually, in small groups, and as a whole class, can construct robust and valid knowledge in physics. Project materials are being trial tested in a college physics course for prospective elementary teachers. This paper outlines the goals and make-up of the class and provides some examples of the CPU pedagogy, materials and software from the unit on Light and Color.

Design principles for effective physics instruction: A case from physics and everyday thinking

Although several successful inquiry-based physics and physical science curricula have been developed, little has been published that describes the development of these curricula in terms of their basic design principles. We describe the research-based design principles used in the development of one such curriculum and how these principles are reflected in its pedagogical structure. A case study drawn from an early pilot implementation illustrates how the design principles play out in a practical classroom setting. Extensive evaluation has shown that this curriculum enhances students’ conceptual understanding and improves students’ attitudes about science.

Using a linear approximation for single‐surface refraction to explain some virtual image phenomena

There are many examples of interesting optical phenomena involving virtual images arising from refraction at the interface(s) between air and some transparent solid or liquid. However, because it is cumbersome to interpret analytical expressions or to sketch diagrams using Snell’s law of refraction, students rarely explore and develop a qualitative understanding of these phenomena. In this paper we introduce a simple‐to‐use linear approximation for single‐surface refraction and show how it leads to qualitatively correct descriptions of some interesting but complex optical phenomena. In particular, we analyze the virtual images formed when looking at objects through both rectangular blocks and triangular prisms. The refraction images observed through a triangular prism are particularly interesting pedagogically and also provide a physical means to distinguish between objects located just outside and just inside, or on, the prism’s surface.

Research about the Use of Information Technology in Science Education

In this paper, we investigate some aspects of effectiveness in two different kinds of learning environments with use of information technology. The first part shows research results related to a web-based integrated science environment (WISE) and its effects on changing the role of the teacher, the curriculum, and the student. In the second part, three different approaches for scaffolding conceptual development in physics by using interactive computer models are analysed. Research results about different aspects of their effectiveness are presented. Both parts together show empirical results in relation to different promising approaches of using information technology in science education.

Integrating physics and the philosophy of science through guided design

The problem of teaching and evaluating decision‐making skills in physics is discussed. What is needed is a system which will teach students both (1) how to utilize the techniques of physics to solve open‐ended problems in a creative and disciplined way and (2) an understanding of the role these skills play in the ongoing process of physics. The ’’guided design’’ method of instruction is described and suggested as a solution to the first problem. An application of guided design to a multidisciplinary course is then discussed that offers a possible solution to the second problem.

How can computer technology be used to promote learning and communication among physics teachers

This paper provides examples of how computer technology serves important roles in promoting learning, assessing student understanding, providing information, delivering instruction, promoting communication, learning about computer technology, and supporting a classroom learning environment. A more detailed description is provided of the Constructing Physics Understanding Project, in which powerful computer software has been developed to support a learning environment where students, individually, in small groups, and as a whole class, can construct robust and valid knowledge in physics.

The Beginnings of Energy in Third Graders’ Reasoning

We present snippets of third‐graders discussing ideas about energy as part of their considering and comparing different ways to make a toy car start moving. This case study illustrates a “responsive curriculum” approach to coordinating inquiry‐ and traditional content‐oriented objectives in early science education.