AAPT.org - American Association of Physics Teachers

What Specific Projects will the Task Force Undertake?

Work with AAPT on plans for continuing and enhancing the New Physics Faculty Workshop program. Extend the New Faculty Program to workshops at APS Division Meetings. Perhaps develop ties with the Pew Preparing Future Faculty program, the PKAL Faculty 21 project and Project NeXT.

  1. Set up an activist editorial board for the undergraduate part of the Physics Sciences Resource Center (on the AAPT web site) to provide a clearinghouse for information on undergraduate physics programs.
  2. Use departmental site visits and other means to develop a catalog of case studies of departments that have undertaken successful undergraduate physics revitalization efforts. Document and analyze these case studies to provide information on "what works" and what is need to produce effective change in undergraduate physics programs.
  3. Articulate departmental responsibilities for K-12 teacher preparation and find good case studies of where that effort has been successful. Build on the efforts of PhysTEC, the proposal submitted by APS, AIP, and AAPT to NSF for promoting physics departments to take more responsibility for K-12 teacher preparation. A small conference on the role of physics departments in pre-service K-12 teacher preparation will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in June, 2000.
  4. Develop a colloquium talk on undergraduate physics programs that can be given by Task Force members to physics departments around the country.
  5. Plan for a proposal to establish a large-scale funding program to provide seen money for departments that have developed detailed plans for revitalizing their undergraduate physics programs. These departments can then serve as case studies and consultants for other departments.