Physics education research (PER) is widely recognized as a leader in discipline-based science education research. PER has developed many results and teaching methods that vastly improve student learning of physics in the US and around the world. These results have also been adopted and adapted for education in other science, engineering, and mathematics fields. However, research on faculty change has found that even educators who know about PER and are highly motivated to improve their teaching have trouble finding the information they need to implement PER-based teaching methods effectively.
The PER User's Guide (http://perusersguide.org) is a project designed to address these problems by translating and summarizing the results of PER in an accessible and useful way for busy educators. This project builds on the results of a previous NSF-funded project, which supported preliminary research and the creation of a pilot site, to expand development of this site to make it a more comprehensive resource, and to continue user testing and research into faculty adoption and adaption of PER-based teaching methods. There are nine key components:
1. Editorial Board Review - Support an Editorial Board to review content and ensure that the site contains high quality material that accurately reflects the views of the PER community. 2. Expansion and Refinement of Detailed Implementation Guides and FAQs - Expand and refine detailed implementation guides and FAQs to incorporate the results of user testing, Editorial Board reviews, and continuing interviews with developers and adopters. 3. Reviews of Research for PER-based Teaching Methods - Create comprehensive guides to the research behind half of the 50+ PER-based teaching methods on the site, and a synthesis of these reviews to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. 4. Assessment Instrument Guide Feasibility Study and Design - Conduct a feasibility study to determine the requirements for an assessment instrument guide that includes overviews of research-based assessment instruments and a national database of scores. Produce initial design plan. 5. Video Demonstrations of Popular Teaching Methods - Create high quality, engaging videos demonstrating some of the more popular PER-based teaching methods: PhET Interactive Science Simulations and Tutorials in Introductory Physics (in collaboration with Stephanie Chasteen and the University of Colorado Science Education Initiative). 6. Virtual New Faculty Workshop Library - Create videos of the successful Workshop for New Faculty in Physics and Astronomy (in collaboration with Stephanie Chasteen and Robert Hilborn). 7. Redesign of the Site based on User Testing - Incorporate the results of user testing to expand and restructure the site, maximizing its effectiveness and impact. 8. User Testing of New Features - Conduct user testing interviews to assess the effectiveness of the redesigned site, detailed implementation guides, and reviews of research. 9. Dissemination and Publicity - Launch a national publicity campaign to increase awareness and interest in the site.
Intellectual Merit This project includes continued research on faculty use of the PER User's Guide and PER-based teaching methods, and a comprehensive synthesis of the research behind these methods, which contributes to the research base on faculty change. The PI is the creator of the PER User's Guide and has extensive experience in PER, curriculum development, and design and research of web-based educational resources. The co-PIs are the editor and creator of the ComPADRE digital library and the executive director of the AAPT. The external evaluators are leading researchers on faculty change.
Broader Impacts The ultimate goal of this project is to improve physics education throughout the world by making the results of PER more accessible to educators, and thus improve learning for their students. It also improves work in PER by increasing communication between educators and researchers.
