Summarizes the benefits and dangers of using multimedia CD-ROMs in physics teaching. (Author/CCM)

Presents activities that combine astronomy problems with algebra, geometry, trigonometry, data analysis, and physics. Provides experiences for students in making distance measurements themselves by using the method of parallax. (ASK)

Finds that students taught with a constructivist approach had much more increased personal knowledge concerning energy compared to students taught in a traditional manner. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/WRM)

Presents guidelines for equipping physics labs with components from each of four technology-use categories: (1) computer interfacing; (2) modeling; (3) simulations; and (4) research-reference-presentation. Includes references to useful websites discussing educational technology. (WRM)

Describes a study of Taiwanese 14-year-olds' (n=48) cognitive structures derived from the instruction of basic atomic physics. Finds that even academically above-average students tended to use relatively lower-level modes of knowledge construction, focusing on reciting or describing specific factual knowledge in physics. (Contains 27 references.)…

A study involving 547 girls and 641 boys investigated gender-related differences in prior knowledge in physics before the start of initial physics instruction and influence of prior knowledge on future achievement in 8th-grade German physics courses. Girls achieved lower overall scores in the applied test of prior knowledge in physics. (CR)

Discusses a new vision of scientific publishing that is emerging in the Physics community; it is based on three fundamental elements: (1) a preprint server, (2) an electronic peer-reviewed, edited journal, and (3) an electronic archive of past published papers. Relates problems with libraries and the American Physical Society as electronic…

Examines the views of a representative sample of experts in physics, physics education, and history and philosophy of science (HPS) on the incorporation of HPS-based materials in physics instruction. Reports on three areas: (1) the rationale to include HPS; (2) the most appropriate ways of doing so; and (3) anticipated difficulties with such a new…

Presents two projects in which students investigate (1) what things affect how far someone can throw a tennis ball?, and (2) is your mobile phone frying your brain? (YDS)

Examines third year university physics students' use of models when explaining familiar phenomena involving interaction between metals and electromagnetic radiation. Concludes that few students use a single model consistently. (Contains 27 references.) (DDR)

Advocates the need for pupils to practice significant aspects of scientific work such as the making of epistemic (related to the nature and construction of knowledge) and methodological decisions. This requires that they work on problems and activities presented in a more open way than usual. Describes a case study. (Contains 11 references.)…

Explains how to use posters as an alternative assessment method in place of traditional written exams in an integrated chemistry, physics, and mathematics course. Investigates the effectiveness of poster exams on student learning. (YDS)

Examines relations between the features of discovery simulations, the learning processes elicited, the knowledge that results, and the methods used to measure the acquired knowledge. Discusses intuitive knowledge and describes a study of post-secondary students that investigated the instructional effectiveness of discovery simulations in physics.…

Measurement is a foundational topic in secondary school physics that must be taught to all beginning secondary education students in Kenya. The secondary level offers education for students who are aged between 12- and 18-years-old. Physics teachers in the Rift Valley province identified the topic of measurement as an area that is difficult to…

This study investigated how individuals' construction of explanations--a way of ascertaining how well an individual understands a concept--develops from an interactive simulation. Specifically, the purpose was to investigate the effect of interactive computer simulations or science textbook assignments on the nature and quality of postgraduate…