FORMAN LECTURE

Steven Pollock, University of Colorado- Boulder

A research-validated approach to transforming upper-division physics courses

Abstract: At most universities, including the University of Colorado, upper-division physics courses are taught using a traditional lecture approach that does not make use of many of the instructional techniques that have been found to improve student learning at the introductory level. We are transforming upper-division courses (E&M, quantum, Classical Mechanics and others) using principles of active engagement and learning theory, guided by the results of observations, interviews, and analysis of student work at CU and elsewhere. I will outline these reforms including consensus learning goals, clicker questions, tutorials, modified homeworks, and more, as an example of what a transformed upper-division course can look like, and as a tool to offer insights into student difficulties in advanced undergraduate topics. We have examined the effectiveness of these reforms relative to traditional courses, based on grades, interviews, and attitudinal and conceptual surveys. Our results suggest that it is valuable to consider how physics is taught at the upper-division, and how education research may be supportive in this context.

Bio:Steven Pollock is a Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His BSc was from MIT (Physics, 1982). His PhD was in theoretical Nuclear Physics from Stanford University (1988), with postdocs in nuclear theory at NIKHEF-K and the Institute for Nuclear Theory. He is an American Physical Society Fellow,  a Pew/Carnegie teaching scholar, a University of Colorado president’s teaching scholar, and the 2013 Pew-Carnegie US Professor of the year. His research is in the field of PER (Physics Education), investigating student learning in physics classes, and the constraints and opportunities involved in replicating “proven” curricular practices, as well as extending educational models to the upper division, with a focus on quantum education.

November 4, 2026 @ 1:00 p.m. (CST) in The Commons Center 235/237

Host: Matthew Day