Frequently students have difficulty transferring learning.  For example, they may learn about Newton's Laws in mechanics and then have difficulty applying them in situations related to magnetism.  Likewise, a student may understand the basic concepts of thermal physics but not apply them correctly to construction of a home.  In these cases, the students learn the physics in one context and are not able to transfer that learning to another context (Mechanics to E&M; Thermo theory to practical application).  In addition, students learn much of their physics (particularly) mechanics through everyday life experiences -- a context which then can interview with or enhance the classroom context.  Our research is attempting to understand these phenomena better.  Most of the research is conducted using clinical interviews and teaching experiments.  We investigate how students apply their learning resources to a new situation and what teaching environments can enhance or accelerate the transfer.  Our efforts are now focusing primarily on the application of physics to everyday devices (e.g. the blender and battery) and to understanding medical imaging.  A related effort is the transfer from math to physics classes.  We are finding that that transfer can be enhanced or impeded by the order in which learning activities are presented, the staging of the change in the context, etc.

The results of this research is being apply to the creation of new teaching materials.

Recent papers

Recent Talks

Transfer of Learning & Implications for Physics Education Research & Curriculum Development
Sanjay Rebello, University of Maine Colloquium,  Orono, ME (2006)

Modern Miracle Medical Machines: Introducing Contemporary Physics in the Context of Medical Application

Dean Zollman, AAPT Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2005)

A Model for Dynamic Transfer or Learning
N. Sanjay Rebello, NARST (2005)

Investigating Introductory College Students' Knowledge of the Particulate Nature of Matter
Lili Cui, Dean A. Zollman & N. Sanjay Rebello, NARST (2005)

Introductory College Physics Students' Mental Models of Friction and Lubrication at the Microscopic Level
Edgar Corpuz N. Sanjay Rebello, NARST (2005)

Students: Models of the Particulate Nature of Matter Across Cultures*
Lili Cui, Dean Zollman and N. Sanjay Rebello, AAPT Summer Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (2005) 

Movie Physics: Transfer of Learning to the Real -World*
Carina Poltera, Peter R. Fletcher and N. Sanjay Rebello, AAPT Summer Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (2005) 

Dynamics of Students' Modeling of Microscopic Friction*
Edgar Corpuz and N. Sanjay Rebello, AAPT Summer Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (2005) 

Theses & Dissertations

The Effect of Question Order on Student Responses to Multiple Choice Physics Questions,
Kara E. Gray, M.S., 2004

The Problem Context Dependence of Students’ Application of Newton’s Second Law
Alicia Allbaugh, Ph.D., 2003

Identifying Students’ Models of Propagation of Sound
Zdeslav Hrepic, M.S., 2002

See also

Transfer of Learning:  College Mathematics to Physics Courses

Dynamic Transfer in Physics Learning (coming soon)

Other Links

Physik im Kontext English, German

Supported by a National Science Foundation Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars Grant DUE 04-27645 and a National Science Foundation  Faculty Early Development Award (CAREER) Grant  REC-0133621

© 2006, KSU -- Physics Education Group