AN OUTREACH INITIATIVE AT RYERSON UNIVERSITY

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AN OUTREACH INITIATIVE AT RYERSON UNIVERSITY

• Tetyana Antimirova
• Department of Physics,
• Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science
• Ryerson University, Toronto
• OAPT C O N F E R E N C E
  
• 31 May - 2 June 2007
• Ontario Science Center

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RYERSONS MISSION
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RYERSONS MISSION

• Ryerson is committed to excellence in teaching
• Ryerson offers professionally oriented socially
  relevant education
• Long tradition of serving local community

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DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AT RYERSON
http//www.physics.ryerson.ca/ OUR OWN
PROGRAMS BSc in Medical Physics MSc in
Biomedical Physics
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Physics Education at RyersonUniversity

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WE TEACH

• Introductory physics courses for 750 students
  in Engineering Programs
• Introductory physics courses for 280 students
  and some electives in four streams of Science
  Program (Medical Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
  Contemporary Science)
• Advanced physics courses for our own
  undergraduate BSc program in Medical Physics
• Graduate courses for our graduate MSc program in
  Biomedical Physics
• Some elective courses for Liberal Arts Programs
• Course for Architectural Science Program (new!)

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OUR FACULTY

• 12 faculty members (three more are being hired)
• The majority of recently hired faculty are in
  Medical Physics field
• All our faculty is committed to excellence in
  teaching
• In August 2004 the Department hired a person
  dedicated solely to Physics Education (lucky me!)
• Physics Education is designated as our second
  area of expansion (one more hired, will join the
  Department in July 2007)
• We believe that we are the only Physics
  Department in Canada which hired tenure-track
  faculty for PER

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OUR DREAM

• To create a Centre for Science Education
• Research and Outreach at Ryerson
• Science Education Research (PER in particular)
• Collaboration with school teachers
• Outreach to schools and community

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OUR EDUCATION-RELATED PROJECTS

• Implementation of activity-based physics
• in some of our courses
• Plans for total lab renovations
• Implementation of video-analysis assignments (in
  progress)
• FCI (Force Concept Inventory ) pre-instruction
  and post-instruction testing in some of our
  courses (action research)

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OUR EDUCATION-RELATED PROJECTS

• Common theme the use of new technologies to
  enhance students learning (clickers, Motion Video
  Analysis, Logger Pro, interactive simulations,
  on-line tutoring systems (Mastering Physics))
• Goal to implement activity-based, inquiry
• based learning

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WHY OUTREACH?

• Postsecondary and secondary education
• have similar goals and face similar
  challenges
• Both systems can benefit from sharing
• experiences and exchanging ideas
• Help the students with smooth transition from
  high school to university

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WE HAVE A COMMON GOAL

• to provide successful student-centered teaching
• and learning at both high school and University
• levels

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WHY OUTREACH?

• Division of Physics Education, Canadian
  Association of Physicists is alarmed about
  dropping enrollment in physics courses both at
  the University and High School levels in many
  provinces
• closer interaction between the school teachers
  and university faculty is needed (through CAP
  activities, OAPT and locally)
• Start locally

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OUR ACTIVITIES TO DATE

• We hosted the Physic and Earth and Space Science
  Curriculum Review Day on May 9, 2007
• The event was co-organized by the TDSB and the
  Department of Physics at Ryerson University
• The event was sponsored by our Department

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OUR ACTIVITIES TO DATE

• Several second-year students from our Medical
  Physics Program volunteer at
• Visions of Science Club
• (their own initiative!)

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OUR ACTIVITIES TO DATE

• I participated in the selection and training of
  the Canadian team for the International Physics
  Olympiads in 2006 .
• I taught and co-supervised the Laboratory
  Training Session co-supervised and judged the
  Experimental Competition for Physics Olympiad
  Preparation Week, Physics National Olympiad
  Finals 2006 held at the University of Toronto,
  May 28-June 2, 2006.
• Two members of the Canadian team won medals
  at the 2006 International Physics Olympiad.
• I will participate again this year (at Laval
  University, June 3-10, 2007)

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OUR PLANS

• For the long-term collaboration, we plan to
  hold a series of events jointly with the TDSB on
  pedagogy and teaching resources such as
  interactive teaching, project-based learning,
  hands-on learning, review of available curriculum
  materials (for example Minds on Physics
  curriculum), Interactive Lecture demonstrations,
  Video Analysis, etc.

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WHAT WE CAN OFFER

• To send our Faculty to your class to talk about
  Medical Physics and Biophysics
• To invite your class for a site visit at Ryerson
• Once we get new teaching labs we will be able to
  provide workshops for teachers if needed

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• New ideas from YOU are welcome!

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IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SUGGESTIONS
IDEAS Please feel free to contact us

• Phone [phone] x 7416
• Email antimiro_at_ryerson.ca
• Tetyana Antimirova
• Assistant Professor
• Undergraduate Program
• Coordinator
• Department of Physics
• Ryerson University

• Phone [phone] x 6538
• Email goldman_at_ryerson.ca
• Pedro Goldman
• Professor and Chair
• Department of Physics
• Ryerson University

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2008 OAPT CONFERENCE

• Department of Physics at Ryerson will host next
  OAPT conference
• We look forward to see you at Ryerson!