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Conceptual Exercises in Online Physics and Astronomy Courses

posted Oct 16, 2014, 7:14 PM by Kathy Dehshiri   [ updated Oct 16, 2014, 7:33 PM ]
                Matthew Steele - AACR Postdoctoral Research Associate Candidate

Center for Engineering Education Research Seminar

Conceptual Exercises in Online Physics and Astronomy Courses .

When:  Monday, October 20 , 2014 - 11:00am to 12:00pm.
Where1420 Engineering Building

Abstract:
Students' conceptual understanding in introductory physics and astronomy
courses often lags behind their computational problem solving ability.
Numerous research based solutions to this problem have been developed
ranging from pedagogies and frameworks to content specific curricula. It is
a struggle to adapt many of these approaches to online and blended classes
where students engage the course material and each other in a manner
dissimilar to how they would in the traditional classroom environment for
which the methods were originally developed. In this talk I examine the
challenges of the electronic course format for conceptual understanding in
physics and astronomy and how existing research based pedagogies maybe
adapted to meet them.

Bio:
Matthew Steele is a graduate of Michigan State University, earning his PhD
in Astrophysics and Astronomy. Dr Steele's science research is focused on
accreating black holes and the dense stellar environments in which they are
found. While completing a masters degree in Physics at Bowling Green State
University he served as a NSF GK-12 Fellow in a science education program
bringing Inquiry practices to public school classrooms. Most recently Dr
Steele taught at Northern Michigan University where he worked to extend
student centered pedagogies beyond the traditional classroom walls.