Title: Course-Level Findings from a National Initiative to Transform Introductory Physics Sequences
Speaker: Geraldine Cochran (Ohio State)
Abstract:
Dominant narratives in introductory physics education often center on students' mathematics preparation. Students who fall below a threshold on math placement tests are frequently labeled "underprepared." In this presentation, I challenge this narrative by reframing what it means to be underprepared: many physics departments and instructors are themselves underprepared to support the students their institutions admit. The Transforming Introductory Physics Sequences to Support All Students (TIPSSS) Network is a group of physicists who develop curricular materials, transform courses, and study the effectiveness of these efforts. Its goal is to help departments meet the needs of all their physics students, regardless of prior mathematics preparation. I will give a brief overview of TIPSSS activities and preliminary findings from TIPSSS studies. I will then focus on the course developed at The Ohio State University through the project and share findings from that course.
