Biographical sketches
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These brief biographical sketches, furnished by the
authors, are arranged in alphabetical order
C.
Ferreira-Gauchia
A3 Overcoming the Oblivion of Technology in Physics
Education
CARLOS FERREIRA-GAUCHÍA is a high school science and
technology teacher. At present he is performing his doctoral thesis at the
University of Valencia.
The public dissertation is scheduled for the end of 2008. His research interest
is focused on the analysis of Science-Technology-Society-Environment
relationships from Technology Education point of view.
He has published in journals such as Investigación en la Escuela, Enseñanza de las
Ciencias and Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales y Sociale
Igal Galili
C2 History of Physics as a Tool for Teaching
Igal Galili started his training as a physicist in Russia and graduated in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. His area of research was many-body problems in solid state theoretical physics. Since his post doctorate in the Center of Science Education in 1988-89 at San Diego State University (California) his area of research shifted to physics education. His interests included misconceptions and conceptual knowledge of physics, the structure of the knowledge of physics and of physics itself, for its representation in teaching, the scientific culture. The latter brought him to issues of the history and philosophy of science, as necessary contents of physics curricula of cultural orientation. He is currently Professor in Science Education and the Head of the Science Education Department and Science Teaching Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The results of his studies were implemented in a special physics textbook of "Optics in Cultural Approach" (three parts) for high schools.
Diane Grayson
C3 Disciplinary Knowledge from a Pedagogical Point of View
Diane Grayson did an MSc in Plasma Physics at the
University
of Natal in
South Africa and a PhD in Physics Education at the University of Washington
in the USA.
Since returning to
South Africa in 1990 she has been coordinator of the
Science Foundation Programme at the University
of Natal (for students from
disadvantaged backgrounds),
Academic Vice-Rector of a
college of Education
for maths and science teachers, Professor of Science Education at the University
of South Africa,
and now runs her own consultancy, Andromeda Science Education.
Her interests include teacher development, research,
curriculum development, educational policy and promoting women in Physics.
Paul A. Hatherly
D4 The Virtual Laboratory and Interactive Screen
Experiment
Paul Hatherly graduated in physics at the
University of Reading,
and began a research career in the experimental investigation of molecules in
extreme environments using high energy synchrotron radiation and ultra-intense
lasers. As Senior Lecturer in Experimental Physics and Director of Undergraduate
Studies at the
University
of Reading,
he encouraged innovative approaches to teaching and learning amongst colleagues
and led by example through the development and evaluation of technological
approaches to course content delivery. As an experimental physicist, Paul has a
keen interest in the development and acquisition of practical skills amongst
students. He encouraged this at Reading
by developing a skills-based introductory laboratory course, which resulted in a
massive improvement in retention and ability amongst undergraduates, which fed
through into postgraduate ability. The
University of Reading
recognised Paul’s abilities and innovation through the 2007 Faculty of Science
Award for Innovations in Teaching and Learning. In late 2007, Paul joined
Physics and Astronomy at the Open University as a key member of the HEFCE-funded
Physics Innovations Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (pCETL).
His primary role here is the development, evaluation and dissemination of new
means of delivering practical skills via distance learning, and innovative means
of skills acquisition. Although Paul’s background is in fundamental science, he
has strong cross-disciplinary interests and abilities as exemplified by his
research interests in archaeological and heritage science, and his advisory role
in a course in Heritage Studies currently being developed by the Open
University. Paul is a member of the
Institute
of Physics
and a Chartered Physicist, and is a member of the Higher Education Academy. He
has published extensively in research journals and has delivered many invited
presentations on both research and teaching and learning matters. Paul lives
with his family, a dense dog and a killer cat in the heart of England. He has
a small, but well-equipped, workshop and is currently building a 1:10 scale
coal-fired Burrell agricultural traction engine.
Pratibha Jolly
Preface 1
E.
Leonard Jossem
Preface 2
Dr. E. Leonard
Jossem is Professor of Physics, Emeritus, in the Department of Physics of The
Ohio State University. Born in
Camden,
N.J.
May 19, 1919, he received his B.S. in Physics from C.C.N.Y. in 1938. During
World War II he was a member of the scientific staff at Los
Alamos in the Advanced Developments Division. He received his Ph.D.
in Physics from Cornell
University in
1950, his research field being experimental condensed matter physics. In 1956 he
joined the physics faculty at The Ohio Sate University where he continued his
research in experimental condensed matter physics and was responsible for
building the advanced undergraduate physics laboratories in the department.. He
served as chairman of the Department of Physics there (1967-1980) and became
Professor Emeritus in 1989. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of
the Institute of Physics
(London), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of
Arts (London).
His activities in physics education include service as Staff Physicist and
Executive Secretary of the Commission on College Physics (1963-1965), and as
chairman of the Commission (1966-71). He has served as a member of the Board of
Directors of the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (1967-69), the
U.S. National Advisory Committee on Educations Professions Development
(1967-70), the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (1967-70), and the Physics Survey Committee of the National Academy of
Sciences/National Research Council (1967-1970). He is Past-President of the
American Association of Physics Teachers, which has honored him with its Oersted
Medal and its Phillips Medal. He has been a member of the Physics Education
Research Leadership Organizing Council (PERLOC) which arranged the formation of
the Physics Education Research Topical Group (PER-TG) within the AAPT. He is
Past-Chairman of C-14, the International Commission on Physics Education (ICPE)
of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, In 1995 he was awarded
the International Commission on Physics Education Medal for Excellence. He has
been a member of the Committee on the Teaching of Science of the International
Council of Scientific Unions, and of the UNESCO-Physics Action Council working
Group on University Physics Education. He is the editor of the English edition
of the ICPE book “Connecting the Results of Research in Physics Education with
Teacher Education “(1997-8), and a co-editor, with Paul Black and Gordon Drake,
of the ICPE book “Physics 2000: Physics as it Enters a New Millennium”. He has
been a consultant for UNESCO projects in Thailand,
and a consultant for the World Bank-Chinese University Development Project in China.
He holds Honorary Professorships in Physics at Beijing
Normal
University, at Beijing
Teachers College,
and at Southeast
University in Nanjing, P. R. China.
Robert Lambourne
D3 Physics and Distance Education
Robert Lambourne has spent most of his professional career
working on the challenges of teaching physics at a distance in the Department of
Physics and Astronomy at the
UK's Open University. A former head of that
department, he is now the Director of piCETL - the Physics Innovations CETL -
one of four Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning established at the
Open University with funds from the Higher Education Funding Council for England. A strong advocate of
collaboration and cooperation in physics teaching, he is an active member of the
International Commission on Physics Education and the Physics Education Division
of the European Physical Society, in addition he has recently been elected as
Vice President of the UK Institute of Physics.
Priscilla Laws
Comments on D3 Physics and Distance
Education
Priscilla Laws received a Ph.D. from
Bryn
Mawr College in
1966, where she studied nuclear physics. She joined the faculty at Dickinson in 1965 and began focusing her
efforts on the health effects of radiation that resulted in the publication of
two consumer books on medical x-rays. Since 1986, she has dedicated herself to
the development of activity-based curricular materials and computer software to
enhance student learning in introductory physics courses. This work has resulted
in co-authoring curricular materials published by John Wiley & Sons as part of
the Activity-Based Physics Suite
including the Workshop Physics Activity
Guide, Understanding Physics (a
calculus-based introductory physics text), and
RealTime Physics (a series of
introductory course laboratory modules). She has received several national
awards for educational innovations and software design. These include a Charles
A. Dana award for Pioneering Achievement in Education (1994) and the Robert A.
Millikan Medal for notable and creative contributions to the teaching of physics
from the American Association of Physics Teachers (1996). She is currently
promoting ways to use physics research and education to enhance sustainable
development in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
She received the 2008 Medal from the International Commission on Physics
Education (ICPE in recognition of “distinguished contributions to Physics
Education with far reaching international impact”)
Gabriella Monroy
Comments on C3 Disciplinary Knowledge from a
Pedagogical Point of View
Jon
Ogborn
A1 Science and Commonsense
Jon Ogborn started his career in 1957 as a physics teacher, moving to in-service
training at Worcester College of Education under Ted Wenham, a leader in the
Nuffield Physics Project. From there in 1967 he became, with Paul Black, joint
director of the Nuffield Advanced Physics project, which introduced important
innovations into physics teaching, especially in quantum physics and
thermodynamics, as well as computational modelling. In 1973 he and Paul Black
were awarded the Bragg Medal of the Institute of Physics for this work.
In 1971 he moved first to Chelsea College Centre for Science Education,
and then in 1984 to be Professor of Science Education at the University of
London Institute of Education. His research has focussed on the understanding of
commonsense reasoning about the physical world, and on computational modelling.
In 1997 he became director of the Institute of Physics post-16 Initiative, leading to
the publication in 2000-2001 of a new A-level physics course "Advancing
Physics", revised in 2008. In 2006 he was
awarded the Medal of the International Commission on Physics Education.
Ann-Marie Pendrill
Comments on C1. Communication Skills for
Teaching
Anna Maria Pessoa de Carvalho
C1 Communication Skills for Teaching
Anna Maria Pessoa de Carvalho
is Professor of Physics Education at the
University of Sao Paulo.
After graduating in Nuclear Physics she obtained her Doctorate in Science
Education. She teaches pre-service and in-service courses for Physics teachers,
and has been involved in physics curriculum development for primary school. Her
research interests have been focused mainly on Physics Teacher Education and on
curriculum development. She is the Brasilian representative at the
Inter-American Council for Conferences on Physics Education and is currently
(1998) Secretary of the International Commission on Physics Education.
Daniel Gil-Perez
A3 Overcoming the Oblivion of Technology in Physics
Education
DANIEL GIL-PÉREZ, is a professor of Science Education at
the University
of València, Spain. His researches and
publications deal with different science teaching/learning problems such as
teachers' conceptions about the nature of science, laboratory work, paper and
pencil problem-solving or assessment and evaluation. All these researches are
linked and aim to contribute to the construction of a coherent body of knowledge
in the field of Science Education. Nowadays his main line of research is on
Education for Sustainability. He has directed 19 PhD theses in science education
and he is directing at the present 2 other theses. He is the author of more than
30 books and has published in international journals such as
International
Journal of Science Education, Science Education, Studies in Science Education,
Bulletin de l'Union des Physiciens, Aster,
La Fisica
nella Scuola, Enseñanza de las Ciencias, Science & Education, Revista de
Enseñanza de la Física,
etc.
Maurício Pietrocola
A2 Mathematics as Structural Language of Physical
Thought
Maurício Pietrocola started his professional career as a
physics teacher in high school level. Parallel of this activity, he made his
master degree in Physics Education at the
University of Sao Paulo.
In 1992, he finished his doctor degree in History and Epistemology of Science at
the
University
of Paris
VII (Denis-Diderot). He is now associate professor
at the Faculty of Education at
University of São Paulo.
His interests in development and research have been focused mainly in curriculum
innovation and development and in pre and in-service courses for physics
teachers. He is currently (2008) the vice-chair of the International Commission
on Physics Education.
Elena
Sassi
General Introduction:
Making the results of research in Physics
Education available to teacher educators; D1 Aims and Strategies of Laboratory
Work
Elena Sassi is professor of Physics and Physics Education
at the
University
of Naples
“Federico II”, Department of Physics. She started her career as an
experimentalist in Elementary Particles Physics working for many years at CERN
and Frascati National Laboratory on apparatuses design, data collection and
phenomenological analysis, until her participation to the discovery of the J/Psi
particle. In the early ‘80s, she moved to educational research, starting in the
Physics Department a science/physics education research group that focuses on
conceptual understanding of physics, learning/teaching problems commonly
encountered in secondary school, teacher education programs, contributions by
ICT and Educational Technologies. The main topics are lab-work, both ICT and
low-cost materials based, and modelling activities. She have participated to
many Italian National research projects on physics education and several EU
funded science/physics teacher education programs. She as served, in Naples, as
Chairperson of the Physics Curriculum Board and is currently serving as a member
of the International Commission on Physics Education and of the Physics
Education Division of the European Physics Society. Since 2003 she is working
also at the Science Education Faculty of Gulu University (North
Uganda), to design and implement pre-service and in-service teacher
education programs in sciences. In 2006 she was given the Didactical Award of
the Italian Physics Society.
Vivien M. Talisayon
B2 Development of Scientific Skills and Values in
Physics Education
Vivien M. Talisayon had a bachelor's degree in physics from
the University of the Philippines and a Ph.D in Science Education,
major in physics, from Cornell
University in
New York. After teaching university physics for a number
of years, she became director of the National Institute for Science and
Mathematics Education Development, University of the Philippines.
She is Dean of the
College of Education
of the same university.
She has won national awards, including a research
award from the National Research Council of the
Philippines. She received outstanding
researcher and administrator awards from her university. She has published in
local and international publications. Her areas of research are in physics
education, science education, and education. She became executive secretary of
the Asian Physics Education Network. She served as associate member and
newsletter editor of the International Commission on Physics Education.
Ronald K. Thornton
D2 Effective Learning Environments for Computer Supported
Instruction in the Physics Classroom and Laboratory
Ronald K. Thornton (Tufts
University) holds a Ph.D. from
Brown
University in High
Energy Physics. He is Director of the
Tufts
Center for Science and
Mathematics Teaching and a professor in both Physics and Education. He has been
a visiting professor at the Universities of Sydney, Rome, Naples, and Pavia. He does research on
student learning and has co-authored the RealTime Physics and the Tools for
Scientific Thinking laboratory curricula and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations
(ILDs).
He has led the development of the Tools for Scientific
Thinking Microcomputer-based Laboratory (MBL) software and hardware, and the
LoggerPro, Visualizer, and WebILD software packages.
He has developed student and teacher conceptual
understanding evaluations including the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation
(FMCE). These materials, developed with support from the National Science
Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education, F.I.P.S.E., are used
extensively, in many countries, in universities, colleges and schools.
He has led teaching workshops for physics
professors, K-12 teachers, and teacher educators around the world and is an
author of the Teacher Education Module.
Among his awards, Professor Thornton received the
1993 Dana award for Pioneering Achievement in Education and the 1992
Smithsonian/Computerworld Leadership in Education Award.
He has twice been chair of the National Committee on
Research in Physics Education of the American Association of Physics Teachers
(AAPT). His work in energy (solar, energy design & efficiency, energy
monitoring, energy education) has won two state awards and the National Award
for Energy Innovation from the US Department of Energy.
Gunnar Tibell
B3 Student’s skills Developed by Participation in
International Physics Competitions;
Comments on A1. Science and Commonsense
Gunnar Tibell started his research career focusing on experimental nuclear
physics in accelerator laboratories. Before and after a thesis on proton
scattering at Uppsala University
there were extended stays at CERN in Geneva, both at the
synchrocyclotron and at the antiproton ring LEAR. Other research visits abroad
have included University of Maryland, USA, University of Osaka, Japan
and the accelerator facility at Villigen,
Switzerland. Among other activities are posts
as Department Head at Uppsala University, President of the Swedish Physical
Society, Chair of the IUPAP International Commission on Physics Education and
President of the International Young Physicists' Tournament, as well as
initiatives in physics education in the European Physical Society, and
continuing education for Swedish physics teachers.
Matilde
Vicentini
General Introduction:
Making the results of research in Physics
Education available to teacher educators
;
D1 Aims and Strategies of Laboratory
Work
Matilde Vicentini started her research
doing experimental work on diffusion in liquid
metals. The research continued in the field of superfluid Helium and on the
phenomenological analysis of experimental data in the critical region of fluids
and magnets in the light of the scaling hypothesis. She then shifted to
educational research with a starting interest in primary school curriculum in an
interdisciplinary framework. She did research on the alternative conceptions of
students and teachers. As a full professor at the University
of Messina first
and then at Roma La Sapienza she focused on
the problems of University teaching and on Physics teachers education with a
specific interest on Thermodynamics and on epistemological issues. She retired
in 2004 but continues to collaborate on teachers training courses
.
Laurence Viennot
B1 Learning and Conceptual Understanding: beyond
Simplistic Ideas, what Have we Learned?; Comments on C2 History Of Physics As A
Tool For Teaching
Laurence
Viennot is an emeritus professor at
Denis
Diderot
University. After five
years of research in astrophysics, she moved to didactics of physics in 1971.
Since then until 2007, she has taught physics, and - after her thesis in this
new field (1977) - didactics of physics. She has been a member of the national
committee in charge of preparing new curricula in physics (GTD) for secondary
schools in France
(1990-1995). She has been a member of the first executive board of the European
Science Education research Association, founded in 1995. She founded and headed
a master in Didactics of Scientific Disciplines, while teaching physics in the
physics department. Her professional interest is in the quality of the teaching
learning process, and has led her into research on common ways of reasoning in
physics, design and evaluation of sequences and teachers reaction to innovative
interventions. A large part of this research is synthesised in two books,
Reasoning in Physics (Kluwer 2001) and Teaching Physics (Kluwer 2003). More
recently, students’ intellectual satisfaction became her main topic of research.
Laurence Viennot was awarded the medal of International Commission of Physics
Education in 2003.
Amparo Vilches
A3 Overcoming the Oblivion of Technology in Physics
Education
AMPARO VILCHES is a high school science teacher and is also
responsible for science teachers' training courses at the
University of Valencia.
Her research interests and publications are centred in
Science-Technology-Environment-Society relationships, and more particularly in
Education for Sustainability. She has directed 5 PhD theses in science education
and she is directing 5 other theses. She is the author and co-editor of several
books and has published in international journals such as Science Education,
Science & Education, Science & Technological Education, Educación Química,
Enseñanza de las Ciencias, Revista de Enseñanza de la Física, etc
.
Dean Zollman
Comment on D2 Effective Learning Environments
for Computer Supported Instruction in the Physics Classroom and Laboratory
Dean Zollman is the
William & Joan Porter University Distinguished Professor, Distinguished
University Teaching Scholar, and Head of the Department of Physics at Kansas
State
University.
He has focused his scholarly activities on research and development in physics
education since 1972. He has received three major awards – the National Science
Foundations Director’s Award for Distinguished Teacher Scholars (2004), the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Doctoral University
Professor of the Year (1996), and American Association of Physics Teachers’
Robert A. Millikan Medal (1995).
His present research concentrates on investigating
how students transfer learning while applying physics to new contexts and the
effects of different pedagogies on future teachers..
He also applies technology to the teaching physics
and to providing instructional and pedagogical materials to physics teachers,.
Dr. Zollman earned his PhD in Theoretical Nuclear Physics from the
University
of Maryland –
College Park (1970) and his MS (1965) and BS (1964) from Indiana
University
– Bloomington.
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