Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE): Learning physics by practicing it

<!--HTML--><p>Success in the 21st century is determined by one’s ability to pose problems and seek multiple solutions, to evaluate assumptions, and to cope with uncertainty in the answer.</p> <p>Around the world the knowledge of content (conceptual and quantitative) stops being the only goal of education. The engagement in the processes of science emerges as another equally important goal. How do we help our students achieve both? In this talk we describe a learning system for physics courses that naturally and seamlessly engages students in the above practices and helps them develop the 21st century abilities.</p> <p>The learning system, called Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE), helps student learn physics by systematically engaging them in the processes that mirror the practice of physics. It is based on the findings of brain research, history of physics, and physics education research and is supported by a set of comprehensive curriculum materials and numerous studies of student learning. In this talk we will discuss elements of ISLE and show how to use ISLE framework to design curriculum materials with examples from DC circuits and quantum optics.</p>