PERC 2011 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Teaching Physics to Life Science Students – Examining The Role of Biological Context |
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| Abstract: | In the cognitive apprenticeship model, learning occurs most effectively in an environment of expert practice, in which students can articulate why what they are learning matters to them. Studies of transfer suggest that for students to successfully apply physics to another scientific field, it is important to study applications to that field. Guided by this theoretical framework, we restructured our introductory physics courses for life science and premedical students around biologically rich contexts -- examples in which physics plays a significant role in understanding a biological system -- to make explicit the value of physics to the life sciences, and modified the syllabus to reflect the topics most relevant to these students. In this paper we describe our approaches to this course, summarize preliminary results, and identify future research directions addressing (1) the role of biological context in learning for these students and (2) issues in implementing such a course for physics faculty. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Contributed Poster | |
| Contributed Poster: | Download the Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Catherine H. Crouch Swarthmore College Dept. of Physics & Astronomy 500 College Ave Swarthmore, PA 19081 Phone: 610-328-8386 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Kenneth Heller, University of Minnesota |
