Strategies
I will utilize a constructivist approach in teaching this unit. Constructivism suggests that learners take in knowledge superficially and apply it to their existing framework even if that contains fundamental misconceptions and contradictions known as assimilation, or a learner can actively utilize the knowledge to reframe their world view which is known as accommodation. The goal is for the student to construct as comprehensive and consistent a world view as possible. This approach recognizes that the learner comes with a vast set of preconceptions about their world. In order to have some influence over how the information that we are presenting as educators is processed, we must actively attempt to understand the students' preconceptions and misconceptions. Then we must actively engage the students world view if we are to have a lasting impact on their thinking process. My main emphasis in teaching physics is to address my students' critical think! ing skills. Physics attempts to address the fundamental nature of our reality, but our experiential knowledge is often deceptive or contrary to the "Laws" of physics. Consequently, it is apparent to me as an educator that we must address the learner as a comprehensive being with a tremendous amount of inclination to sustain their current world view. This is natural in human beings. But the scientific pursuit requires that we are open to accepting the experimental evidence about the world around us and to have a more comprehensive understanding of the world we inhabit even when a large part of the knowledge is conceptual.
So how do we begin to affect our students' world vision? Well it is clear that first we must make learning an active process. It is essential that we engage our students as deeply and profoundly in the educational process as possible. How can this be done? It is my belief that we must stimulate their inherent desire to learn. It is only if we activate this passion for learning that students will invest enough of themselves to begin the process of allowing their learning to transform their vision of how the world is constructed. So students must be forced slightly beyond their comfort zone, known by Piaget as the "zone of proximal learning". This is the place where students are emotionally invested in what they are learning and in the space in which learning matters. It is my goal for my students to evaluate their views and to attempt to make their understanding as comprehensive and consistent as possible.
How do we get students to engage at this level? I believe that a constructivist, hands on learning is primary. Students must engage on a multitude of levels including a physical level. They must be presented with problems that are meaningful, relevant and which they are compelled to attempt to resolve. Thus the teacher must act as a facilitator acknowledging the role of prior knowledge to stimulate students to incorporate new learning into altering their world view. The students must be encouraged to construct their new world view and this is strongly based on motivation. It cannot occur passively.
This is where this unit comes in. I believe that students are most motivated by topics that are relevant to them, that stimulate their imagination and enable them to further their understanding of the world around them. I am convinced that the question, Is there intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe? is one such question. I think that it activates an innate curiosity about our relative place in the Universe and it allows me to frame many realms of physics knowledge in terms that are relevant, pertinent and digestible.
I intend to utilize the science in this unit to address the nature of the Universe and our place in it. I hope to consolidate my students' knowledge of physics concepts such as mass, gravity, astronomical scales, light and electromagnetic waves, optical characteristics and current technology, probability and the evolving nature of the scientific endeavor. I want to impress upon my students that the scientific approach is an extremely effective method to approach most issues with the intention of determining or evaluating truth claims. Science is a process, as is learning and our knowledge or understanding of the physical world is constantly evolving. Therefore, a constructivist approach is extremely complementary to the scientific pursuit. The goal is that our students become global citizens with an advanced capacity for discernment and critical thinking and it seems apparent to me that a constructivist approach is the best means to achieve this end. I will achieve! this with challenging mathematical problem sets, laboratory experiences in interferometry and parallax, gravitational analogies to a stars "wobble", spectroscopy, and optics, and guided questioning about the requirements, probabilities, and implications of searching for and potentially discovering intelligent life.
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