Indicates a research-demonstrated benefit

Matter and Interactions

Overview

A modern calculus-based introductory curriculum with a radical change in content and emphasis, focusing on the power of fundamental principles and guiding students through the process of starting from these principles in analyzing physical systems, on both the macroscopic and the microscopic level. The continual emphasis on the application of fundamental principles and on the atomic nature of matter makes possible the integration of topics that are traditionally taught as disconnected.

	Type of Method	Full curriculum
	Level	Designed for: Intro College Calculus-based, Teacher Professional Development
	Setting	Designed for: Lecture - Large (30+ students), Lecture - Small (<30 students) Can be adapted for: Studio
	Coverage	Many topics with less depth
	Topics	Mechanics, Electricity / Magnetism, Waves / Optics, Thermal / Statistical, Modern / Quantum
	Instructor Effort	Medium
	Resource Needs	Teaching Assistants / Learning Assistants, Projector in class, Computers for student use outside of class, Cost for students
	Skills	Designed for: Conceptual understanding of physics content, Coherent framework for physics, Think like a scientist, Model-building, To see clearly that a small number of fundamental principles can explain a very wide range of phenomena, To apply fundamental principles to new problems, To see the place of classical physics in the larger physics framework, Computational skills Can be adapted for: Problem-solving skills
	Research Validation	Based on research into: how students learn, student ideas about specific topics Demonstrated to improve: scores on multiple choice conceptual tests, scores on written conceptual tests, beliefs about physics Studied using: conceptual pre/post exams, beliefs pre/post exams, student interviews, research conducted at multiple institutions, research conducted by someone other than developers
	Compatible Methods	Peer Instruction, PhET, JiTT, Ranking Tasks, CGPS, Physlets, Context-Rich Problems, TIPERs, SCALE-UP, OSP, Thinking Problems, LA Program, CAE TPS, MBL, CPU, SCL, TEFA, Clickers
	Similar Method	None
	Developer(s)	Ruth Chabay and Bruce Sherwood
	Website	http://www.matterandinteractions.org/