An introduction to the theme issue

Citation: Zollman, D. A., & Brown, D. (2016). An introduction to the theme issue. American Journal of Physics, 84(5), 325-326. doi:10.1119/1.4943960When the topic for the 2016 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on physics research and education was selected in 2012, the timing seemed appropriate. Albert Einstein had explained in 1916 how his general theory of relativity predicted the existence of gravitational waves. Four years ago we could not have imagined that just a few months before this conference the detection of gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes would be announced. Thus, while the physics and education GRC is unique among Gordon Conferences, this one will be even more special in that it will be the first conference to bring together researchers and educators so shortly after a major discovery in the field. The increase in interest in fundamental science generated by this historic announcement is already evident, and the conference will provide a great opportunity to discuss better ways to teach students about relativity and gravitation

Reinventing discovery learning: a field-wide research program

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature. Whereas some educational designers believe that students should learn new concepts through explorative problem solving within dedicated environments that constrain key parameters of their search and then support their progressive appropriation of empowering disciplinary forms, others are critical of the ultimate efficacy of this discovery-based pedagogical philosophy, citing an inherent structural challenge of students constructing historically achieved conceptual structures from their ingenuous notions. This special issue presents six educational research projects that, while adhering to principles of discovery-based learning, are motivated by complementary philosophical stances and theoretical constructs. The editorial introduction frames the set of projects as collectively exemplifying the viability and breadth of discovery-based learning, even as these projects: (a) put to work a span of design heuristics, such as productive failure, surfacing implicit know-how, playing epistemic games, problem posing, or participatory simulation activities; (b) vary in their target content and skills, including building electric circuits, solving algebra problems, driving safely in traffic jams, and performing martial-arts maneuvers; and (c) employ different media, such as interactive computer-based modules for constructing models of scientific phenomena or mathematical problem situations, networked classroom collective “video games,” and intercorporeal master–student training practices. The authors of these papers consider the potential generativity of their design heuristics across domains and contexts

Introduction | Approaching Potent Substances in Medicine and Ritual across Asia

Introduction to themed research articles on Approaching Potent Substances in Medicine and Ritual across Asia