UMass Amherst SRRI -- PERG

Physics Education Research Group

PERG (a.k.a. UMPERG) is the University of Massachusetts Physics Education Research Group. We are a team of physicists studying knowledge, cognition, learning, and teaching about physics and other sciences. We investigate fundamental questions in the cognitive science of physics learning and expertise; develop pedagogic techniques and curricula; and promote effective instruction within our university and around the world.

UMPERG was founded by Prof. William Gerace, a theoretical nuclear physicist, who began research into physics education in 1976. He was joined in turn by Jose Mestre, Robert Dufresne, and William Leonard, all of whom completed doctoral dissertations in theoretical nuclear physics before joining the educational research effort. Ian Beatty joined later, completing a Physics Ph.D. with a dissertation in physics education research. Over the years, UMPERG has employed and worked with many undergraduate and graduate students.

UMPERG was originally a research group within the UMass Department of Physics as well as a founding element of SRRI; it is now solely affiliated with SRRI. We regret that due to our current personnel situation, we are unable to accept new Physics graduate students for PER doctoral work.

Latest PERG News

Beatty talks about TLT project for STEM Institute
11/25/2007 - 12:23am

Current PERG members:


Beatty, Ian D.	Research Assistant Professor of Physics (and SRRI webmaster)
Dufresne, Robert J.	Research Associate Professor of Physics
Feldman, Allan	Professor, Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, School of Education
Gerace, William J.	Professor of Physics & Director of SRRI
Leonard, William J.	Research Associate Professor, Physics; Lecturer, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Harris, Robby	Ed.D. Student, Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies
Howe, Glenn	M.Ed. Student, Secondary Teacher Education Program
Lee, Hyunju	Ed.D. Student, Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies
Ortiz, Edgardo	Ph.D. Student, Physics
St. Cyr, Karen	Ed.D. Student, Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies
Balabanov, Demitri	Unpaid hanger-on (Physics Major)
Bourdo, Liam	Undergraduate Assistant (Physics Major)
Daughney, India	Undergraduate Assistant (Undecided major)
Kline, Perie	Undergraduate Assistant (Physics Major)
Pace, Anthony	Undergraduate Assistant (Physics Major)
Quirk, John	Undergraduate Assistant (Physics Major)
Schiff, Kristin	Undergraduate Assistant (Physics Major)

PERG publicatons (reprints, preprints, technical reports, etc.):

See PERG’s share of the SRRI publications list.

Current PERG projects:

TLT

Teacher Learning of Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment

TLT is a five-year project studying how secondary science teachers learn to use an electronic “classroom response system” (CRS) to implement continuous real-time formative assessment.

ConMap

Computer-based assessment tools for probing physics students' conceptual knowledge structures

Traditional problem-based exams are not reliable tools for diagnosing students’ knowledge and guiding pedagogical intervention; new tools grounded in cognitive science and educational research are nee

Past PERG projects:

Every Decision Counts (EDC)

Developing and researching the impact of an alternative format for multiple-choice assessment

Standard multiple-choice assessments, for which there are 4 incorrect and exactly one correct choice, are efficient to implement but imprecise and difficult to interpret.

RRA

Researching the Role of Qualitative Analysis

RRA was a research project on the combined impact of qualitative analysis and reasoning activities and formative assessment on the attitudes, conceptual understanding, skills, and problem-solving prof

A2L Project

Assessing-to-Learn: Continuous Formative Assessment for Physics Instruction

There has been considerable interest in assessment, especially in view of the goals set forth in reform documents, such as the NRC’s National Science Education Standards.

Minds*On Physics Project

Developing and field testing a research-based curriculum for high school physics

To learn about the finished Minds·On Physics product, see the MOP entry in our Resources section.

Knowledge Broker

Exploring technology for next-generation classroom response systems

Effective pedagogy — identifying students’ initial understanding and misconceptions, engaging their minds in the activity of learning, continually monitoring their individual progress, and adjusting

Published PERG “products”:

Minds*On Physics

A constructivist, active-learning curriculum for high school physics

MOP is a one-year curriculum for high school physics. It is the result of a materials development project supported by the National Science Foundation, and its design was guided by educational research findings. The curriculum integrates topics traditionally taught at different times of the year, and students are expected to develop conceptual understanding of physics while improving problem-solving proficiency.

Scientific Reasoning Research Institute

PERG