8 MB - University of Toronto Magazine

Life on Campus
Physics That’s Practically Fun
Students give high marks to a
new kind of science lab
Jason Harlow (fourth from left) with
first-year physics students
Intro to Physics might not be everyone’s idea of a good time,
but a new style of teaching in U of T’s department of physics
is giving students a collegial, hands-on way of understanding
the basics of the physical universe.
Prompted by student feedback over the years and developed
from leading-edge pedagogical research, the Physics
Practicals are the interactive component to U of T’s introductory
courses for non-physics science majors. Based on the
timeless truth that you learn more by doing than by listening,
the Practicals engage some 800 to 1,200 undergraduates per
year in a new kind of lab experience.
“The first step is always play,” says senior lecturer Jason
Harlow, who has taught the Practicals since their inception
in 2008. “That’s our model – just mess around and see what
you can discover.”
As an example, Harlow describes the Practicals’ lesson
on circuits: “Here’s a battery, here are a couple of wires, and
here’s a light bulb. Now, how do you make the light bulb
work” Together, the students figure it out. “Then, we talk
about current and voltage.”
In the past, students attended both labs and tutorials –
mini-lectures in which the teaching assistant would stand at
the front and talk, says Harlow, who graduated from U of T
with a BSc in physics in 1993. Chairs were often bolted to the
ground and they all faced forward. Frequently, lab activities
were not aligned with the formal lectures.
The Physics Practicals’ three rooms have been designed to
include nine work stations, each with four students, who can
either sit or stand around a table as they experiment, discuss
and learn. Two teaching assistants circulate through the
room, and all students work at the same time on the same
activity, which is related to a recent lecture.
Harlow notes that the Practicals often resemble a coffee
shop full of lively conversations. “Except they’re all talking
about physics,” he says. “It’s working fantastically.” Student
satisfaction has risen 22 per cent over the past three years.
The Ontario Association of Physics Teachers has been
following this new pedagogy; some of U of T’s course materials
are now being used by the province’s high schools. And
earlier this year, senior lecturer emeritus David Harrison (PhD
1972), one of the originators of the Practicals, was honoured
by the Canadian Association of Physicists for his longstanding
dedication to transforming physics education.
Funding is now being sought for two more rooms to
accommodate advanced Practicals for the physics majors.
“We want to improve the experience for these students as
well,” says Harlow. – Allyson Rowley
Do the Locomotion
A vibrantly decorated GO train car is raising awareness about the environment
– and giving students in the Collaborative Program at U of T’s Knowledge
Media Design Institute a practical lesson in getting a message out.
Using QR codes inside the coach, riders can download a free Android
app containing video messages on a range of green issues from experts
such as architect Bruce Kuwabara and U of T economics professor
David Foot, plus an invitation to post their reactions to an embedded
Twitter feed.
The project was a challenge, explains Joseph Ferenbok, assistant director
of KMDI, who asked the students to raise awareness of a social issue
through multiple media channels. The students helped brainstorm ideas
for the multi-pronged project, which was then executed by a local artist
group, “No.9.”
The Art Train Conductor No.9 coach rotates between trains on the GTA
and Hamilton GO network until December 1. Not a GO rider Join in anyway
at arttrain.no9.ca. – Janet Rowe
14 WWW.MAGAZINE.UTORONTO.CA
Photo: top. Amanda Keenan; bottom, James Didonato courtesy of No.9: Contemporary Art & the Environment