The theme of the 2015 Physics Education Research (PER) Conference was "Critical examination of laboratory-centered instruction and experimental research in physics education." The conference focused on exploring ways PER can investigate and support students' development around skills, abilities, and attitudes that foster success in experimental endeavors.

In particular, for over a century, the physics curriculum has emphasized laboratory-centered instruction, and more recently, undergraduate research experiences are becoming an integral component of the curriculum.  Laboratory classrooms and undergraduate research environments are well-equipped for hands-on learning that involves the practices of scientists and engineers in ways that integrate conceptual and mathematical understanding.  Beyond technical abilities, traditional and reformed laboratory courses often emphasize teamwork and oral and written communication skills.  The breadth and diversity of goals and strategies that can be employed in lab courses is remarkable.  The physics education community needs to better understand the impact of these courses on students' professional development, their identity, their retention in STEM fields, and their development of specific abilities around scientific practices.  Lab-centered classroom instruction and undergraduate research experiences are relatively unexplored by the PER community. There is an expanse of intellectually fascinating and practically significant research questions that would benefit from the breadth of research expertise and methodology represented in the PER community.

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Published December 18, 2015
Last Modified December 27, 2015

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The 2015 PERC Proceedings Front Matter includes its title page, table of contents, preface, and conference overview.

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Published December 18, 2015
Last Modified February 24, 2016

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The preface of the 2015 PERC Proceedings.

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Published December 18, 2015
Last Modified February 24, 2016

This file has previous versions.

The 2015 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings Back Matter contains the author index and conference participant list.

• .pdf file (761 kb Adobe PDF Document)

Published December 18, 2015
Last Modified February 24, 2016

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This file has previous versions.