PERC 2018 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Transformative Experience in a Physics Course Designed to Facilitate Connections to Biology |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | We examine the trajectory of a biology student ("Bryn") who entered an Introductory Physics for Life Science (IPLS) course with a negative view about the relevance of physics to her primary interests, and with a strong disciplinary identity as a biologist. After the IPLS course, Bryn's perspective on physics had evolved in profound ways. We leverage the idea of "transformative experience" (Pugh, 2010) to understand Bryn's evolution, and suggest how one might expand Pugh's definition to account for the experiences of students as they move between disciplinary classrooms. We argue that transformation is not just about seeing physics in the everyday world, but about seeing physics in other disciplines. By the end of the IPLS semester, Bryn has a set of "wonderful ideas" not only about physics, but about the relationship of physics to her primary biological interests. |
| Abstract Type: | Juried Talk |
| Parallel Session: | Juried Talks I |
| Parallel Session: | Parallel Sessions Cluster I |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Benjamin Geller Swarthmore College |
