Experimental Physics Curriculum Design For Gifted Student’s Topical Research

[2015 PSROC]
Experimental Physics Curriculum Design For Gifted Student’s Topical Research

Yu Lim Chen(陳育霖)1,2*
1Gifted Class, New Taipei Municipal Yong He Junior High School(新北市立永和國中), New Taipei, Taiwan
2Physics, National Taiwan Univesity, Taipei, Taiwan
* presenting author:陳育霖, email:d00222019@ntu.edu.tw

Topical research is a traditional and important curriculum for gifted classes. We study the course design and current status of implementation of the topical research in physics for gifted students in Yong He Junior High School(YHJHS). After six-year (2008-2014) executive summary and adjustment, the math and science courses of gifted classes are designed for topical research including fundamental science knowledge, learning methodology, career planning and experimental physics technology with background principles in cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains, respectively.

The deduction extensibility of inherent logic in mathematics is greater than in physics, so that the math and science gifted students do not need to possess the same sophistication of knowledge background in studying mathematics and physics. Physics originated in the description of natural phenomena.

Conditions of target problems need to comply with the real situation. It requires a considerable degree of understanding the operation of the real world. Hands-on experiments facilitate learners’ physical intuition in learning physics.

According to a much-quoted article in Science titled “More is Different” in 1972 [1], Philip W. Anderson, Nobel physics laureate, noted that the collective behavior is not only more than but very different from a simple sum of individual behavior. Anderson tried to illustrate his argument about the paradox of reductionist hypothesis citing the theory of “broken symmetry” in his own field of many-body physics, indeed all of science, involve equally fundamental insights. In each level of scale, there are always new and exciting universal principles, which can not be automatically derived from a more basic science. The real experimental results are far more important than the theoretical deduction and beyond the rules of mathematics and particle physics. In addition, Wolfgang Ernst Pauli put it bluntly, “Solid state physics is dirt physics”, which reinforces the importance of hands-on experiments when the learners explore the the real way of all things.

The curriculum of YHJHS gifted class is designed following the learning stages, (1) gifted student’s study strategy and learning map, (2) international education for scientific research, (3) scientific tools, (4) experimental technology of physics thematic studies, (5) physics experiment for special topics, (6) hidden curriculum and future career planning for gifted students. The enhancement of learning efficiency can bring a positive influence for social progress, since the gifted and talent resource is public goods [2]. Stages (4) and (5) are continuous courses in four semesters including physics experimental techniques and knowledges students need to know and the difficulty of the contents depends on the depth of the arrangements [3, 4, 5].

Pre-designed webpages [5], “Cloud Institute of Technology” [6] and math & science experimental classes for gifted channel [4] are utilized, so that students are expected to preview flipped classroom and learn with and from community members. Students' interest and motivation are significantly improved, and the entry wills of science fair and science Olympiad competitions are also promoted [7].

Reference
1. P. W. Anderson, More Is Different, Science, 177, 1972, 393-396.
2. American Association for the Advancement of Science, (1993), “Benchmarks for science literacy” , New York: Oxford University Press.
3. Gifted and talent classroom online, New Taipei Municipal Yong He Junior High School, 新北市立永和國中數理資優班網頁
http://giftedyh.pixnet.net/blog
4. “2014 Magic Hat of Science”(2014魔術師的科學帽), math & science experimental classes for gifted channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/giftedyh
5. Gifted & talent experimental manual, 數理資優班實驗手冊
http://chendaneyl.blogspot.tw/2013/09/blog-post_12.html
6. Cloud Institute of Technology, 雲端理工學院http://chendaneyl.blogspot.tw/2013/09/blog-post_2.html
7. Y. L. Chen et al.,“2013 Magic Hat of Science-Gifted Students’ Physics Demonstration on Campus”, Chinese Physics Education, 15(1), 15-24 (2014)



Keywords: gifted education, flipped classroom, experimental physics , 雲端理工學院, 數理資優班實驗手冊