Teaching Introductory Physics, Conservation Laws First:
An NSF Faculty Enhancement Conference
June 15 - 26, 1998, Cambridge, MA

A two-week conference to develop materials for teaching introductory physics with an emphasis on conservation laws will be held June 15 - 26, 1998 on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The goal of the conference, funded by the National Science Foundation and chaired by Prof. Eric Mazur and Dr. Catherine Crouch, is to familiarize faculty interested in excellence in teaching with this new approach, to provide opportunities to work together on materials for this new curriculum, and to develop relationships and share ideas. Faculty from two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and universities will be represented at the conference. Accommodations, meals, and social and recreational activities will be provided free of charge to the participants.

A few years ago Eric Mazur of Harvard University began implementing a curriculum that develops mechanics from conservation principles and also draws on the findings of physics education research. This curriculum and an accompanying textbook manuscript have been class-tested at Harvard for the past three years and will be tested at several other institutions this Spring. Participants in the conference will develop a set of supplementary materials to help teach introductory physics with this approach: lecture plans, suggestions for demonstrations, conceptual questions (ConcepTests), homework and exam problems, and historical background information. These materials will be published on the World Wide Web through Project Galileo and by Prentice Hall.

Afternoons at the conference will be spent developing these materials. Mornings will include discussions of the conservation law-based approach and seminars on recent physics research and physics education research. There will also be a number of social events to foster a community spirit. (A conference schedule is available.)

Participants will be selected from the pool of applicants according to the following criteria:

• interest in teaching
• involvement in teaching introductory courses
• institutional support for and commitment to innovative teaching
• availability for the entire conference

Participants must be faculty with teaching responsibilities at a two- or four-year college or university; women and minorities are encouraged to apply. We are committed to making sure that young faculty at the beginning of their teaching careers are well represented; we are also eager to have more experienced faculty participate. Teams of two faculty from one institution (one senior and one junior person) will be given special consideration. Due to NSF regulations, only a very limited number of participants who teach at institutions outside the US can be included, and those participants will have to cover their own costs.

Click here for a conference checklist

Applications will be considered and decisions made as they arrive; the final deadline for applications is March 31, 1998. All applicants will be notified by April 7, 1998. The number of participants will be limited to thirty-five, so not all applicants will be able to participate.

All participant costs for the 12 days (13 overnights) of the conference will be covered by an NSF grant and costsharing from Harvard University. A limited amount of financial assistance for travel costs to and from the conference is available by separate application. Accommodations will be in graduate student housing at Harvard University; each participant will have a single room and a shared bathroom.

Watch this web page for updated information on the conference. With questions, contact Dr. Catherine Crouch.