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About CU Boulder PER

Learn more about PER at CU Boulder!

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Meet the PER group members here!

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The Physics Education Research Group at Colorado (PER@C) is one of largest research programs in physics education research (PER) in the nation. Our research group develops and studies: uses of technology in physics education, assessments (conceptual, epistemological, and belief-oriented), theoretical models of students' learning physics, social and contextual foundations of student learning, examination of successful educational reforms and replication studies of such reforms, and student problem solving in physics. We sponsor a number of educational reforms in physics, which range from pre-college to faculty and institutional change. The research group includes faculty, staff, and students from both the Department of Physics and the School of Education.

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Featured Project: Remote Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) involve students in authentic research by engaging students in inquiries where neither the students nor the instructor know the answer. During the Fall 2020 term, when faced with the challenge of instructing a large (400+ student), introductory physics lab virtually, Heather Lewandowski, Alexandra Werth, and Colin West redesigned the course to create a unique experience for the students in this very unique situation--a CURE. They partnered with Dr. James Mason at Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) to study the relationship between the power of solar flares and their frequency. CU Boulder's Physics 1140 students engaged in a 16-week-long course which allowed them to work and contribute to this research project. Students worked in teams of 3-4 students over Zoom to choose a flare from the Space Weather Data Portal, do a background correction, and report the total power of the flare. The students then pulled all the individual flare data together to determine the relationship between flare power and frequency. The project resulted in a publication in the Astrophysical Journal with all students included as authors. Research on the impacts of this CURE is ongoing, but results so far suggest that the course played a crucial role in helping students develop a sense of community and engage in authentic teamwork.

More info about the project Publication in the Astrophysical Journal CU Boulder Today: How 1,000 undergraduates helped solve an enduring mystery about the sun Popular Science: How hundreds of college students are helping solve a centuries-old mystery about the sun Research article on teamwork in the CURE Research article on experiences with authentic research in the CURE Research article on learning, confidence, and affect in the CURE

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Recent PER News

Teaching labs during a pandemic: Lessons from Spring 2020 and an outlook for the future
Studying the impact of the transition to remote labs: Heather Lewandowski receives grant funded by CARES Act
Mike Bennett receives award for excellence in outreach and engagement!
2019 Excellence in Physics Education Award
Heather Lewandowski receives award for excellence in advanced laboratory instruction
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Physics Education Research

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Boulder, CO 80309-0390

 

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