We report on the development of students' ideas of probability and probability density in a University of Maine laboratory-based general education physics course called "Intuitive Quantum Physics". Students in the course are generally math phobic with unfavorable expectations about the nature of physics and their ability to do it. We describe a…

We introduce resource graphs, a representation of linked ideas used when reasoning about specific contexts in physics. Our model is consistent with previous descriptions of coordination classes and resources. It represents mesoscopic scales that are neither knowledge-in-pieces nor large-scale concepts. We use resource graphs to describe several…

How can one increase the awareness of teachers to the existence and importance of knowledge gained through physics education research (PER) and provide them with capabilities to use it? How can one enrich teachers' physics knowledge and the related pedagogical content knowledge of topics singled out by PER? In this paper we describe a professional…

At the University of Maryland we videotaped several semesters of tutorials as part of a large research project. A particular research task required us to locate examples of students calling the teaching assistants (TAs) over for assistance with a physics question. To our surprise, examples of this kind of interaction were difficult to find. We…

Coordination class theory is used to explain college students' judgments about animated depictions of moving objects. diSessa's coordination class theory models a "concept" as a complex knowledge system that can reliably determine a particular type of information in widely varying situations. In the experiment described here, fifty individually…

If football captures the interest of students, it can be used to teach physics. In this case, a Beckham free-kick can be used to introduce concepts such as drag, the Bernoulli principle, Reynolds number, and the Magnus effect by asking the simple question: How does he curve the ball so much? Introduces basic mechanics along the way. (Author/ASK)

Models the motion of a gymnast around the high bar first as swinging around a rigid rod, then more accurately when the rod is considered to be elastic. Also considers how the gymnast should best move his hips. (Author/ASK)

The subject of biomechanics is growing as athletes turn to science to improve their performance, and biomechanics interests many students and is a good area in which to investigate forces and Newton's laws. Uses force platforms to quantify such studies. (Author/ASK)

Telling stories has been a valuable way of imparting a message for centuries. This approach may be more useful for children who are concrete thinkers than formal methods of teaching physics. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/ASK)

Presents a study of the examination scripts of A-level students in Malta which reveals that a significant number of students lose marks because they fail to express themselves clearly. Suggests practice in writing science. (Author/ASK)

Provides a brief overview of cognitive research findings from the last 25 years pertinent to the teaching and learning of physics. Discusses the implications of this research both for structuring the training of prospective physics instructors and for reforming physics instruction. (Contains 40 references.) (Author/ASK)

Adequate preparation of secondary physics teachers is vital to ensuring good physics teaching in schools. Presents a U.S. case study that describes an on-going program involving close collaboration between university science and education departments and also involving local schools. Introduces a new project, PhysTEC, which extends these ideas…

Describes computed tomography (CT), a medical imaging technique that produces images of transaxial planes through the human body. A CT image is reconstructed mathematically from a large number of one-dimensional projections of a plane. The technique is used in radiological examinations and radiotherapy treatment planning. (Author/MM)

Describes the use of nuclear medicine techniques in diagnosis and therapy. Describes instrumentation in diagnostic nuclear medicine and predicts future trends in nuclear medicine imaging technology. (Author/MM)

Gives an overview of some modern applications of high energy radiation beams in therapeutic medicine and the underlying physics that forms the basis of their curative effects. (Author/MM)