Monthly Archives: June 2021

Harvard’s Eric Mazur says his online classes in 2020-21 were so successful that it would be “almost unethical” for him to return to a face-to-face classroom. Here is why I think he is completely wrong.

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Paul Cottle

Harvard Physics Professor Eric Mazur is a teaching celebrity for his work to bring active learning into the lecture hall via his Peer Instruction program. So his comment during a Chronicle of Higher Education panel discussion (later reported in a … Continue reading →

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This summer’s FSU-PC Nuclear Medicine and Science campers are very fortunate to be led by Ms. Newsome and Ms. Johnston. And so am I.

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Paul Cottle

Denise Newsome and Paige Johnston were the heroes of the pandemic-driven 2020 FSU-PC Nuclear Medicine and Science Camp. Even after the disruptions of the spring 2020 semester, they crafted a four-day online (but hands-on!) experience for nineteen campers from the … Continue reading →

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Growing our own scientists and engineers: As the nation prepares to improve its global competitiveness, will Florida be left behind?

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Paul Cottle

Two news developments this week made it clear that Florida should take steps to grow more of its own scientists and engineers. Furthermore, that effort should be led by Florida’s Governor and Commissioner of Education. First of all, the United … Continue reading →

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Student preparation is an important ingredient for success in the first-semester calculus-based introductory college physics course, which is an important milestone for math-intensive STEM majors. What prerequisites do Florida’s public colleges and universities set for this course?

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Paul Cottle

The calculus-based introductory physics course is an important milestone for students majoring in engineering, physical sciences and computing. But several studies (including this one and this one) make it clear that student success in this course is correlated with student … Continue reading →

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Are Florida’s collegiate high schools preparing their students well for bachelor’s degree programs in math-intensive STEM fields? No. But the situation is fixable.

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Paul Cottle

A casual observer of Florida’s education scene might expect that graduates of the state’s eight collegiate high schools associated with institutions in the Florida College System would be superbly prepared to take on math-intensive STEM majors at the state’s public … Continue reading →

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