Speaker
Description
The introductory physics courses at the University of Virginia Physics Department are undergoing a massive change. A concerted effort has been made in the past several years to implement a more modern approach to teaching, including implementing various active learning practices.
A higher demand on students' focus and attention in the active learning environment requires a higher degree of support, including recognizing and supporting students' development in areas such as pre-calculus math, scientific writing and reasoning, and group work -- all of which were previously assumed to be mastered or implicitly understood by our students.
In my talk I will briefly outline my experience with teaching introductory physics lab and lecture courses and describe how I use ALEKS software to both support and evaluate students throughout their two semesters of physics with us.
