Author Archives: Paul Cottle

The SCALE-UP instructional model adopted for FSU’s Studio Physics Program is built on a foundation of years of research on teaching and learning at universities around the nation and the culture of respect that exists in my physics department. But … Continue reading →

It’s Monday evening, and your middle or high school student has just decided she or he wants to be an astronomer because of the student’s experience with the solar eclipse. What advice do you give this student? Part of your … Continue reading →

Course enrollment data released by the Florida Department of Education every year show that students who are classified by the state as economically disadvantaged are much less likely to take Advanced Placement courses in chemistry, physics and calculus (and this … Continue reading →

With very few exceptions, I like the students in my class. I have colleagues who would do just about anything to avoid teaching the introductory calculus-based physics classes that I teach. These classes are taken by students majoring in engineering, … Continue reading →

An outside observer might expect that Florida’s aggressive program to dual enroll public high school students in college classes, and in many cases have them awarded A.A. degrees at the same time they receive their high school diplomas, would be … Continue reading →

In a recent Orlando Sentinel column, University of Central Florida (UCF) President Alexander Cartwright declared his intention to “grow our capacity to educate students in technology-related programs, engineering, and computer science by 50% — ultimately educating 25,000 students annually in … Continue reading →

I spoke last week to a live audience of about 700 high school students at John I. Leonard High School in West Palm Beach and (I’m told) many more via a livestream at schools around Palm Beach County about the … Continue reading →

Update (Monday, 2:40 pm): The SAT scores I quoted for Bright Futures eligibility were incorrect. I have updated this post with the proper scores. Only 4.1% of the students enrolled in Florida’s public high schools this past fall were taking … Continue reading →

When it comes to choosing a college major and a career, economic security isn’t everything. But it must be considered. Every February, the New York Fed releases labor market outcome data that zeroes in on the issue of economic security … Continue reading →

I assign homework problems on online courseware to the students in my calculus-based introductory physics classes to give them opportunities to learn. The homework is intended to enrich the learning they gain by doing collaborative lab and problem-solving exercises during … Continue reading →