Improving Introductory Physics for Life-Science Students through a Biomedically Relevant Multimedia Curriculum

Portland State University, Portland OR

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR), this project aims to serve the national interest by improving physics instruction for life science and pre-health students. These physics courses are generally taught by physics departments. As a result, the courses often seem less relevant to these students unless the instructor and curricular materials explicitly connect to themes in the students' chosen majors. This project is a collaborative effort by Portland State University and Rockhurst University to develop a full year of modular, multimedia, biomedically-relevant educational material for use in physics courses. It addresses the important need to improve pre-health and life science physics curricula, with the aim of helping pre-health students appreciate the study of physics as both necessary and relevant to future biomedical careers. Design of the multimedia curricula will be accomplished through collaboration with biomedical professionals. The videos and supplementary materials adopt an active learning model based on real world applications to enhance interdisciplinary efforts and provide significant potential for increasing the learning that occurs in undergraduate physics. The significance of this project lies in addressing the need for future biomedical professionals to be well-versed in fundamental physics principles. These principles are involved in every aspect of analyzing functions of the human body, as well as the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of illnesses. If successful, the project will contribute to a better prepared generation of healthcare professionals. This project aims to transform Introductory Physics for Life Sciences education by filling two main needs. First, it will provide students with a curriculum that stresses the importance of physics as a basic science that is integral to medicine. Second, it will provide faculty with a coherent physics curriculum that can be implemented in multiple educational environments. These materials will be especially valuable to faculty members unfamiliar with biomedically-related interdisciplinary content. Curriculum materials developed in this project will include videos of interviews with biomedical experts, as related to the key ideas covered in an Introductory Physics for Life Sciences course. It will also include a written manuscript that will explicitly integrate videos with physics principles, and provide conceptual and quantitative pre/post class problems as well as formative and summative assessments. To enhance use of the curriculum materials, the project will study their transferability to multiple educational environments. It will also examine the implementation of the curriculum with active learning pedagogies in introductory physics classrooms at both a large public university (Portland State University) and a small, liberal arts university (Rockhurst University). The project is designed to assess student content learning and attitudes toward learning physics. Formative and summative assessment will be conducted through logging clickstream data, pre-post content assessment, attitudinal assessment, and focus group exit interviews. The materials will be available to undergraduate physics teaching and education research communities without cost, for use on different digital learning platforms that enable students to complete assignments online, or in printed form for classroom or lab use. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.