Meeting Abstract

P2.63  Tuesday, Jan. 5  Creating a Physics Course for Life Science Majors MEREDITH, Dawn; SHUBERT, Christopher; BOLKER, Jessica*; VESENKA, James; KRAUT, Gertrud; Univ. of New Hampshire; Univ. of New Hampshire; Univ. of New Hampshire; Univ. of New England; Univ. of Southern Virginia jbolker@unh.edu

Most undergraduate students in the life sciences are required to take physics; few understand why, or realize much benefit. Some may see the light later on if they take a specialized course on biomechanics or biophysics, but for most, the required physics course is a missed opportunity both to learn physics, and to gain a new perspective on biology. To address this issue, we are transforming a traditional one-year algebra-based college physics course populated primarily by such students, by integrating biological examples that both demonstrate and motivate the physics. We describe several strategies: emphasizing topics of particular importance to biologists; including examples of physics-rich biological research; developing homework and exam problems built around biological phenomena; and designing concept questions that encourage students to think about biology in a physical frame. Transforming an existing course in a physics department from within offers an alternative to stand-alone biophysics and biomechanics classes taught in biology departments. Our approach is useful in programs where faculty time or expertise are not available to support a stand-alone course, and allows significant changes in pedagogy and content without the need to rewrite curriculum requirements. Finally, the collaboration between physicists and biologists that goes into developing a physics course for life science majors offers our students a working demonstration of interdisciplinary teamwork.