In March 2020, universities in Norway and many other countries shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The students lost access to classrooms, libraries, study halls, and laboratories. Studying turned digital. Because it is unclear when this pandemic will cease to affect students and because we cannot know whether or when a new pandemic occurs, we…

Research has shown that the objectives for laboratory teaching--just as with other teaching methods--are often not achieved and that many laboratory sessions are ineffective and yet expensive in terms of pupil and teacher time, and facilities. There are several reasons for this, but one reason is that instructions for many lab activities are too…

In this paper a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) introducing pre-service elementary teachers (PET) to weather map reading, with emphasis on wind assignment, is presented. The TLS includes activities about recognition of wind symbols, assignment of wind direction and wind speed on a weather map and identification of wind characteristics in a…

The organization of education in Australia is briefly described. Revisions and development of physics curricula, including British and American projects, are discussed. (TS)

Describes a team teaching procedure in which one instructor plays the role of providing lecture and theory and the other provides questions and appropriate demonstrations. Comments on need for and use of planned demonstrations, interjected comments, interruptions, visual aids, and rehearsals. (DS)

Presented is an assessment of the restructuring of a college freshman physics course. Details of the organization of the lab activities, grouping of the students, and strengths and weaknesses of the arrangements are discussed. (DS)

Presented is the second of a two-part article describing the introductory undergraduate physics course taught at the University of Liverpool, England. This part of the article concentrates upon the laboratory aspect of the course. (SL)

Summarizes different courses available in pure and applied physics in British universities, polytechnics, and colleges. Marked changes in subsidiary subject studies, course structures, and examination procedures are indicated. (CC)

In 2000, the New South Wales Board of Studies introduced new syllabi for Junior Science (years 7-10) and Senior Science subjects (years 11 and 12), i.e. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth and Environmental Science (Geology). The structure of these courses is similar: it is based on a contextual perspective and is underpinned by a number of…

Describes some of the general principles involved in the planning of a teaching sequence. Discusses in more detail one example of a complete syllabus including major concepts and experiments. (Author/TS)

Discusses different kinds of material presentation in the teaching of electromagnetism at the university level, including three "classical" approaches and the Keller personalized proctorial system. Indicates that a general introduction to generators and motors may be useful in an electromagnetism course. (CC)

Describes an optional course in "computational physics" offered at the University of Birmingham. Includes an introduction to numerical methods and presents exercises involving fast-Fourier transforms, non-linear least-squares, Monte Carlo methods, and the three-body problem. Recommends adding laboratory work into the course in the…