All students in Natasha Holmes’ Physics of the Heavens and the Earth course have at least one thing in common: They chose to major in something other than physics. “Some of them are fascinated by the discipline and very excited to learn more,” said Holmes, the Ann S. Bowers Assistant Professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Some of them disliked physics in high school and are intimidated by the prospect of another physics course.” To introduce non-majors to the field in a way that diminishes students’ apprehension and increases their enthusiasm, Holmes designed a course with an active learning approach informed by her extensive physics education research, and three key projects that tap into students’ non-science areas of study. Holmes introduced the course in spring 2019, taught it in spring 2020, and will offer it again in spring 2021. At the heart of the course are three projects: In addition to the core projects, Holmes implemented active learning techniques, including pre-reading quizzes, clickers, in-lecture worksheet activities, whiteboards for groups and microphones that can be tossed to students for spontaneous in-class responses. “If we were going to do demos, we were going to do Interactive Lecture Demonstrations that had students make predictions first, confer with their neighbors, watch the demo, then explain it to their neighbors,” Holmes said. “If we were going to do tests, we were going to do two-stage tests where students do the test individually and then do it in a group.” When the Ithaca campus closed in March because of COVID-19 and instruction went virtual, Holmes did her best to create demos involving household objects and use breakout rooms to hold group discussions. Holmes hopes that students complete this course with a positive, informed view of physics they can take to careers in other fields. “These students are going to be leaders in all kinds of fields,” she said. “They will all interact with physics in some way. My goal is, whatever these interactions may be, that they do not default to prior assumptions that physics is scary or not something worthy of study or support. Especially when it comes to representation.” Fearful attitudes toward physics can be passed between adults or to children, Holmes said, but “if they’re comfortable with it or excited about the discipline, that enthusiasm will get passed on, too.”
Physics without fear: a course for students across disciplines
By:
Kate Blackwood,
Cornell Chronicle
Sun, 12/20/2020