About ComPADRE

AAPT/ComPADRE is a network of online resource collections and community web sites supporting physics education. The ComPADRE team provides the technical expertise and infrastructure needed for a diverse set of projects and content.

Each AAPT/ComPADRE project or collection contains content, tools, and expert advice that will help physics teachers and students. Much of the development of these collections is in collaboration with partners engaged in physics education development and research.

Examples of resources and tools available in the AAPT/ComPADRE network include:

  • Simulations, animations, and images illustrating physical systems and processes;
  • Student tutorials, activities, problems, and labs designed to enhance student learning;
  • Results of physics education research that describe best practices in science education;
  • Content support for teachers new to physics, or new to a particular topic in physics;
  • Topical collections of resources organized for teaching standard physics concepts;
  • Community collaboration tools and archives for resource development and content sharing;
  • Physics education conference web sites with abstracts, presentations, and papers.

History:

AAPT/ComPADRE started in 1997 with the Physical Sciences Resource Center, an effort lead by Warren Hein, AAPT's Associate Executive Officer. An AAPT working group and survey of members in 2001 recommended expanding this effort to a more general digital library. This library was funded in 2002 by the NSF National Science Digital Library program and branded ComPADRE - Communities for Physics and Astronomy Digital Resources in Education, a joint project of the AAPT, APS, and AIP/SPS.

 

AAPT/ComPADRE was supported by a number of NSF NSDL grants, becoming one of the key "Pathway" projects of the NSDL. These grants include: 0226129, 0532798, 0840768, 0937836

 

AAPT/ComPADRE is also a partner supporting a number of physics education projects: Open Source Physics, PhysPort, PICUP, Living Physics Portal, Energy and Equity Portal, Interactive Video Vignettes