Rockhurst University (RU) and Loyola University Maryland (Loyola) are collaborating to create three multi-week upper-division active learning physics modules in fiber optics and light delivery, nuclear physics and nuclear medicine, and pressure in the human body that relate physics principles to medicine. The modules can enhance student learning through their implementation in a Physics of Medicine (POM) Program currently in place at RU and in development at Loyola. The target audience is students with one year of physics and a minimum of Calculus 1.
Intellectual Merit: The goals of the three year project are the following: (1) Increase student learning in physics content areas that are chosen because there is either a lack of suitable material on the topic or because students exhibit alternate conceptions on the physics; (2) Enhance students' attitudes and beliefs about physics and learning physics and encourage increased enrollment in upper-division physics courses, especially by women; and (3) Increase student understanding of the scientific process through an engaged learning process -- asking questions, analyzing data, drawing conclusions.
Broader Impacts: The project contributes to STEM education through its creation of new learning materials guided by research on teaching and learning in POM and designed to deal with areas in which students need to strengthen their physics understanding. The transformative nature of the project is inherent in the design of the POM Program with active learning and curricula related to students' interests in medicine. This approach enables students to make interdisciplinary connections, enhance conceptual understanding, and analyze quantitatively. Data from the project are contributing to the STEM body of knowledge on the performance of students (content/attitude) in upper division physics courses that apply physics principles to the medical field. This project broadens the participation of underrepresented groups by increasing the number of minors and potential majors in physics, and by increasing the underrepresented female student population in physics. Project modules are designed to be transferable to other universities with complete instructor manuals for easy implementation in different programs. Materials are being disseminated on the web and ComPADRE and through publications and presentations. By implementing well-designed, relevant, and interesting physics courses, the POM program can be sustainable. As a benefit to society, this project can lead to a better prepared generation of healthcare professionals and well-educated scientists.
