Dot Physics

In the past couple of weeks, we have had two different publishers ‘pitch’ their online homework system. First, they are fine people and interesting products, but I just don’t think this is going to work.

Online Books

I think the publisher’s plan is to have a textbook, and offer extra stuff to go with it (including [...]

My friend Konrad showed me this awesome toy he made.

I know it doesn’t make sense yet, so let me explain. Basically, you take this marble and roll it down the tray through the pegs. The pegs sort of randomize where the marble rolls through the hidden section. Inside the hidden section, it [...]

The basic idea of the student response system is that each student gets some electronical (or not – see below) device that lets them answer multiple-choice questions. (Science Geek Girl has a good summary of clickers also) A computer then displays the distribution of responses for the class. Simple, no? They [...]

Here is a quick story. A faculty member came to me last week disappointed about the introductory physics students’ lack of understanding with regard to electric potential. Let me call the faculty Beta, because I think that would be a cool name. Beta was disturbed that the students didn’t get potential and [...]

Students are starting to get the flu around here – and that means that it is time to debate. Clearly there are going to be some absences in the coming month. The question is: what to do about it? There are two camps of thought here:

Camp 1: Excuses are bad

This camp of [...]

I re-watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night and my wife and I noticed something about teaching. Of course I mentioned that this would make a good blog post (and she may still post it on her blog, but I can’t help myself). If you have not read the [...]

I found this link on twitter from New Scientist.

‘iTunes university’ better than the real thing

This pretty much sums it up:

“Students have been handed another excuse to skip class from an unusual quarter. New psychological research suggests that university students who download a podcast lecture achieve substantially higher exam results than those who attend the lecture [...]

I wrote two letters (for two different classes). These are letters from the students of the near future to themselves in the present. this first one is for a non-majors lab. In this lab, I let them turn in “informal” lab reports that they can then use on the midterm and the [...]

Two things. First, my wife started blogging. The best thing about this is that she can no longer complain about my blogging. Her blog is over at HyperHomeschool.com. Basically, she is keeping up with her homeschooling stuff online. I see great potential here.

I guess this gets to the second thing. [...]

The fall semester is coming up soon. Some students will be taking physics in college. So, here are some pre-class tips – mainly aimed at college students taking algebra-based physics.

Are you afraid?

If you are reading this, maybe you found it because you were looking for stuff on physics. Maybe you are a [...]