Scaling Educational Transformation in a Physics Department (part 2 of 2)

ORAL

Abstract

We report on two interrelated research threads, sustaining and scaling of educational innovations. In this second of two talks, we examine the scaling of educational innovations into the upper division. We have begun course transformation of Quantum Mechanics and E\&M, which employ the practices and findings from educational research at the lower division. Related, we examine the spread of clicker-based approaches into the upper division and graduate level courses. We have studied faculty choices about how they come to adopt these reforms, and what choices they make as they adopt new materials and pedagogical approaches. We identify critical components of success: resources (whether undergraduate learning assistants or post-doctoral science teaching fellows), faculty buy-in and inclusion (from the earliest stages), and institutional support.

*Work supported by the Science Education Initiative at Colorado and NSF CCLI.

Authors

  • Steven Pollock

    • University of Colorado, Boulder
    • Department of Physics, University of Colorado
  • Noah Finkelstein

    • University of Colorado, Boulder
    • Department of Physics, University of Colorado
  • Paul Beale

    • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Stephanie Chasteen

    • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Michael Dubson

    • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Steven Goldhaber

    • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Katherine Perkins

    • University of Colorado at Boulder
    • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Chandra Turpen

    • University of Colorado, Boulder