An institution-wide focus on deep learning has made significant changes in the biology and physics core course curriculum at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The biology course director has reworked course objectives to reflect the learning-focused approach to teaching, while the physics curriculum has adopted new learning outcomes and ways to…

Three aspects of an introductory course in physics are discussed in this article. They are the texts, the course proper and the laboratory. Together they form an integral part of the entire course. The laboratory, although a subject of much contention, has an important role to play in enhancing and complementing the lectures. The course should be…

Information was requested on course goals, lesson goals, committee goals, instructional methods, question types and purposes, question-objective correlation, class assignments, textbooks, and supplemental teaching materials. (GS)

A description of the physics 3204 course in Newfoundland and Labrador is provided. The description includes: (1) statement of purpose, including general objectives of science education; (2) a list of six course objectives; (3) course content for units on sound, light, optical instruments, electrostatics, current electricity, Michael Faraday and…

Presents some ideas about teaching electromagnetic induction at sixth form level, including educational objectives, learning difficulties, syllabus requirements, selection of unit system, and sequence of material presentation. Suggests the Education Group of the Institute of Physics hold further discussions on these aspects before including the…

Discusses the use of programmed scripts, textbooks, films, and cassette tapes to conduct a self-instruction laboratory course. Indicates the presence of marked positive effects on the development of the students' ability to plan their own experiments. (CC)

A study of the objectives and teaching practices of an introductory college physics course was conducted by personally interviewing 24 instructors in six Oklahoma colleges and universities and audiotaping their 45 classes. The instructors' questions in classes were cross-classified by type and purpose. The question-types included directive,…

In teaching a well-organized college physics course that is understandable to students, teachers should first understand students' conditions and circumstances and be clear on the goals of the course. The goals of physics teaching are commonly defined as understanding the nature of scientific reasoning and the concepts and methods of physics,…

This research conducted at the U.S. Naval Academy as part of a total effort to design a multi-media physics course, collected data on the learning materials used in Fall 1969, investigated the technical characteristics of the criterion-referenced test items used, and studied student preferences for the alternative study approaches. The ultimate…

Advocates using the first day of physics class to discuss some unique aspects of the discipline and the course. Lists examples of appropriate discussion topics. (WRM)

The problem of major concern to the Physics Education Evaluation Project (P.E.E.P.) involved the improvement of university physics teaching and learning. The present paper describes instruments and procedures developed for systematic formative evaluation of physics lectures. The data was drawn from two sections of a first year university physics…

Suggests an application basis for a combined science and technology education. Describes the development of ideas and materials for a course in "physics from its applications and use." Gives a sample activity from the course. Evaluates the program in terms of its requirements and directions. (CW)

This six-chapter guide is designed to help Georgia teachers adopt or adapt various options into the local school's science curriculum. Major areas addressed in the chapters are: (1) secondary school curriculum development (focusing on performance objectives, sequencing the curriculum, evaluation, and scientific literacy); (2) teaching methods…