Proposal Title
Science education in three acts: Act 1-Light, ... (First Day)
Session Type
Ignite Talk
Room
P&A 148
Start Date
6-7-2017 2:05 PM
Keywords
light, multi-disciplinary science, science culture and processes, science way(s) of thinking, first-year undergraduate, learning outcomes
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Light, more generally, electromagnetic radiation. It permeates our universe at many different wavelengths: ultraviolet, radio, X-ray, visible, infrared, gamma and cosmic ray. It permeates our first-year university science course topics, whether in the form of the quantum model, trigonometric functions, seismicity, or biological adaptation. It permeates our language, filling in as a synonym for understanding. It permeates life as one of our senses, perhaps one that we rely on the most to obtain information about and interact with our environment. It even permeates poetry and literature, religion and mythology. This ignite presentation will range across the scientific disciplines and demonstrate how a different perspective on light, the visible wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, arises in each. In particular, the evolution of the visual process will be used as an exemplar scientific model. This metaphor of light will then be applied to the first day class in university sciences and math to set a trajectory of possibility, curiosity and engagement. In the process, hard questions will be asked about alignment between our course goals, curriculum and pedagogy. By seeding non-intuitive questions throughout this presentation, I will give participants new perspectives on light, science, and science education, and demonstrate new ways in which light can be used to give students a deeper understanding of scientific culture, norms, and processes within a first-year university context in any scientific discipline. It will also give instructors a new perspective on the teaching of science.
Elements of Engagement
Rhetorical questions, modeling of the scientific method and safe science demos will all be used to engage the audience during this very short presentation, depending on the availability of materials.
Science education in three acts: Act 1-Light, ... (First Day)
P&A 148
Light, more generally, electromagnetic radiation. It permeates our universe at many different wavelengths: ultraviolet, radio, X-ray, visible, infrared, gamma and cosmic ray. It permeates our first-year university science course topics, whether in the form of the quantum model, trigonometric functions, seismicity, or biological adaptation. It permeates our language, filling in as a synonym for understanding. It permeates life as one of our senses, perhaps one that we rely on the most to obtain information about and interact with our environment. It even permeates poetry and literature, religion and mythology. This ignite presentation will range across the scientific disciplines and demonstrate how a different perspective on light, the visible wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, arises in each. In particular, the evolution of the visual process will be used as an exemplar scientific model. This metaphor of light will then be applied to the first day class in university sciences and math to set a trajectory of possibility, curiosity and engagement. In the process, hard questions will be asked about alignment between our course goals, curriculum and pedagogy. By seeding non-intuitive questions throughout this presentation, I will give participants new perspectives on light, science, and science education, and demonstrate new ways in which light can be used to give students a deeper understanding of scientific culture, norms, and processes within a first-year university context in any scientific discipline. It will also give instructors a new perspective on the teaching of science.