In Search of Newton
Kelly Black
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
July 10-13, 2001
This short course will focus on the combined
calculus and physics curriculum at University of New Hampshire
developed as part of an NSF funded program. Participants will
study updates and changes to both the calculus and physics
curriculum. In addition, they will examine class materials and
the studio format of instruction pioneered at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute.
|
What do our students think about this course? Our students are the
best advocates for this course. Here is what a few have to say:
I believe that [the course] helped me with every math or science course I
encountered afterwards. Not only through pure knowledge but through
learning skills and an increased ability to truly engage myself with the
material.
...the end product is very good, for now I can see equations in
different ways, and I can see things others can't.
I took a calculus and a physics course in high school, but this class
gives me a whole different view of both those subjects. I could never
really make the connection between the two even though I knew they were
related in some way. In physics last year we were just given equations and
all we had to do was to rearrange them and put numbers in. In this class I
actually learn where the equations were coming from and how to derive some
of them.
Tentative Schedule
- Tuesday morning
Overview of calculus/physics at UNH - the
what, where, when, why and how
- Tueday afternoon
Participants work through one or two integrated
calculus/physics activities, such as finding out how an RC circuit behaves
or how to find the electric field due to a bar of uniform charge.
Participants begin work on their own mini-projects. The goal of the
mini-projects is for participants to have time to consider one
implementation issue in detail.
- Wednesday morning
Overview of the assessment of the efficacy of calculus/physics at UNH
Discussion of issues of coverage - did we have to leave out important
topics?
Informal conversation with instructors and students involved in
the course
- Wednesday afternoon
Free time for sightseeing
Participants work on mini-projects
- Thursday morning
Discussion of problem-solving rubric for students; how can we coach
students to be better problem solvers?
Participants solve one or two
real-world calculus/physics problems. For example, when is a spoked
wheel better than an aerodynamic wheel? How do you build an amusement
park ride (one that relies on air resistance) for maximum scariness?
- Thursday afternoon
Discussion of group work, studio format, and active-learning worksheets
Participants work on mini-projects
- Friday morning
Participants present results of mini-project.
Presenters: Prof Kelly Black (Mathematics) and Prof. Dawn Meredith
(Physics)
who developed the course will run the workshop. Guest speakers will include
Dr. Gertrud Kraut and Prof. Mark Leuschner who taught the course but were
not developers, students who were in the class, and Dr. Karen Marrongelle
who helped to assess the course.
Details: Participants will stay in the UNH dorms and eat at the dining
halls. On Thursday evening we will all go to a restaurant with a bit of
local charm.
Costs: All costs are picked up by the MAA, except for transportation to
the workshop. All participants will be given a copy of all the materials
for the course (save some room in your luggage!)
Click here for the workshop
application.
Return to the PREP
front page