Collaborative Project: Physics Teaching Web Advisory (Pathway)--A Digital Video Library for Physics Teaching

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

This is a collaborative project with Kansas State University (Award No. 0226157). The investigators are creating a proof-of-concept demonstration of a new type of digital library for physics teaching. The project brings together several long-standing research projects in digital video libraries, advanced distance learning technologies, and collaboration technologies, and nationally known experts in physics pedagogy and high-quality content. The project builds on Carnegie Mellon University's Informedia Digital Video Library (see NSF Award Nos. 9411299, 9817496, and 0085834), which is addressing the problem of information extraction from video and audio content, and "synthetic interviews" of master physics teachers. Synthetic interview technology creates an anthropomorphic interface into video of a person responding to questions. Synthetic interviews based on videos of several master physics teachers will allow teachers to converse with knowledgeable experts about their classroom techniques and about how those techniques are related to contemporary issues in physics teaching. Teachers will also be able to create personal synthetic interviews, which, in addition to providing a resource for other teachers, can become a virtual, "anytime, anywhere" tutor for students. The project aims to produce a state-of-the-art system through which teachers can interact, both virtually and directly, with experts in physics teaching, cooperate to help each other become more effective teachers of physics, and develop advanced courses for their students.