Monthly Archives: January 2015

Do students learn more in a physics MOOC than in a traditional lecture class?  An MIT study says yes (some), but the same study says that “interactive engagement pedagogy” like the SCALE-UP model used for FSU’s studio physics program is … Continue reading →

Even in my inquiry-driven SCALE-UP introductory physics class I often give 5 or 10 minute mini-lectures to get the students oriented before they start hands-on experimental work or group problem-solving exercises.  Next week, my class will be starting the difficult … Continue reading →

The data almost scream an answer to the shortage of teachers in math and certain sciences:  Pay higher salaries to teachers in those subjects! A similar differential pay strategy would probably also be the most effective way to attack the … Continue reading →

Senator Darren Soto has filed a bill to raise starting salaries for teachers in Florida’s K-12 schools to $50,000 (story from State Impact Florida here).  According to the National Education Association, the average starting teacher salary in Florida in 2012-2013 was … Continue reading →

A recent survey of FSU students taking the first-semester algebra-based physics course, which is filled with life and health science majors, showed that about half had taken a physics course in high school. So who had made the right decision? … Continue reading →

This year’s 70% increase in physics enrollment in Leon County’s high schools is a remarkable story.  There is no single factor that is entirely responsible for this phenomenon.  Instead, the surge seems to be the result of a combination of … Continue reading →

In August, Kiplinger released its 2014-2015 list of “Worst College Majors for Your Career”.  For those who think that anything that has the word “science” in its title should be an economic winner, the news might be unsettling – #1 … Continue reading →