2003 Calculus Conference Proceedings

Crystal City Marriott — Arlington, VA
October 31–November 2, 2003

Introduction:
The introductory calculus-based physics course is an important course sequence for any undergraduate physics program, whether it is at a two-year or four-year college, or a university. It is a required course sequence for most engineering, pre-med and chemistry programs, as well as the first course taken by students intending to major in physics. The latest Enrollment and Degrees Report from the American Institute of Physics (AIP) Statistical Research Center estimated that there were approximately 153,000 students enrolled in the introductory calculus-based physics course at four-year colleges and universities in academic year 2000-2001 (the complete report is available online at http://www.aip.org/statistics/). From a survey done by AIP in 1997, the number of students taking introductory calculus-based physics at two-year colleges in 1996 was approximately 27,000. Thus the total number of students enrolled in an introductory calculus-based physics course is approximately 180,000. (From the same survey, the total number of students enrolled in an introductory algebra-based physics course is approximately 160,000 and the total number enrolled in a conceptual physics course is approximately 88,000. The total enrollment in all introductory physics courses is approximately 430,000 students.)

Since the number of students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in physics is about 4,000 per year, approximately 2% of the students enrolled in the introductory calculus-based physics course become physics majors. As a required service course, the introductory calculus-based physics course has served as “filter” for engineering programs, and, to a lesser extent, pre-med programs at many institutions. It was (and still is) not uncommon for withdrawal rates from the first course in the sequence to be as high as forty or fifty percent. It is not hard to understand then why physics has a reputation for being a “survival of the fittest course.”

It has become increasingly clear that traditional undergraduate physics instruction, particularly introductory courses, does not significantly impact student thinking about physics on a conceptual level, nor does it result in a level of learning that client departments might consider acceptable. The purpose of this conference was to bring together faculty from physics departments that are seriously thinking about changing the way their introductory calculus-based physics course is taught. Presenters from a variety of different fronts, including accreditation and funding agencies, physics education researchers, and leading instructional innovators, shared information on efforts to revitalize the introductory calculus-based physics course. Conference participants were given research results on how to improve their courses and the opportunity to learn about examples of successful implementation and reform efforts.

Robert Beichner, North Carolina State University, and Ramon Lopez, University of Texas atEl Paso, served as co-chairs for the conference. Funding was received from the National Science Foundation and additional support was provided by the National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics (NTUP), the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the American Institute of Physics (AIP), and the American Physical Society (APS). Arrangements and support for the conference were provided by AAPT’s Programs Department.

Presentations made during the conference are available as either PowerPoint presentations or as Adobe Acrobat pdf files. In many cases a link is provided to a presenter’s website where the presentation and/or more information are available. The presenter’s name serves as a link to their biographical information and the e-mail address of each presenter is provided so they can be contacted directly.

Additional information about the Matter and Interactions curriculum is available at Chabay and Sherwood’s website http://www4.ncsu.edu/∼rwchabay/mi/

Panel Discussion: The Need for Change from an Engineering Standpoint
The calculus-based physics courses are normally required for engineering students at colleges and universities that offer an engineering degree. In addition, these courses are required in three plus two programs or two-year college associate programs for pre-engineering students who plan on transferring to engineering programs. It is important that physics departments that serve these students address the needs and concerns of the engineering programs and have an awareness of changes taking place in the ABET accreditation requirements for these programs. The ABET 2000 criteria has had a significant impact on the basic science requirements of many engineering programs.

The Need for Reform
Students who major in physics as undergraduates and then go on to obtain advanced degrees in physics are generally comfortable with the traditional lecture method of teaching the introductory physics courses. However, only one per cent of those who take the introductory calculus-based physics course ever take another physics course. Studies have shown that traditional pedagogical methods, such as the lecture, are generally not effective for the general population of students taking physics and do not result in a significant level of learning.

Small Group Sessions
Conference participants had the option of participating in two of the small group discussions breakouts that were conducted in repeated parallel sessions. Each of the small group breakouts were led by one or more physics faculty members who are recognized leaders in the reform of introductory physics courses.

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