Distinguished Speaker Series http://events.ucf.edu/?y=2014&m=1&d=30# Jan. 30 and Physics Colloquium http://events.ucf.edu/?y=2014&m=1&d=31# Jan. 31 - Dr. Jack M. Wilson

Distinguished Speaker Series (link) http://events.ucf.edu/?y=2014&m=1&d=30#

Dr. Jack M. Wilson - President-Emeritus, The University of Massachusetts

Date:	Thursday, January 30th
Time:	4:30 pm-6:00 pm
Description:	Universities in an Era of Economic and Technological Challenge Never has more been expected of universities. We are expected to change the world and our communities and create an exciting and successful future for our students. At the same time, we are expected to demonstrate greater accountability and to find ways to meet the raised expectations with much less resource. At one time MOOCs were expected to be the savior of higher education while making education universally available and free. Over time, the flaws in that theory became clear and the pendulum swung to another extreme -with university after university rejecting deployment of MOOCs out of both rational and irrational fears. At the same time, the relentless growth of online education has continued without interruption by great recessions or political upheavals- with over seven million students now participating in online education from very reputable (and somewhat less so) institutions,. Many think that higher education is now in the process of being disrupted by technology in the manner that Clayton Christenson has shown to have occurred in so many other sectors of our economy. He may be right, but may not understand why or how. Additional Public Info: http://www.cos.ucf.edu/dss/wilson/
	Room: Classroom Building 2 (CB2) Room 106, UCF Will Physics lead, follow, or get out of the way? (link) http://events.ucf.edu/?y=2014&m=1&d=31# Dr. Jack M. Wilson - President-Emeritus, The University of Massachusetts Date: Friday, January 31st Time: 4:30 pm-6:00 pm Description: Over two decades ago, physics educators identified the three C’s as forces that were changing Physics and Physics teaching in profound ways. Computers, Communication, and Cognition would change the world, and Physics was taking the lead in all aspects. Computing was in a period in which it was advancing so rapidly that neither researchers nor educators could keep up. The internet was bursting upon the world, changing the way people communicate, and Physics did it first. Even in the cognitive sciences, much of the work was being done in understanding how physics concepts were learned and taught. In early 2011, the National Academy of Sciences formed a Committee on Undergraduate Physics Education Research and Implementation to review the progress in undergraduate physics education and see how well we had adapted to these forces. In 2013, our report, “National Academy of Sciences, Adapting to a Changing World--Challenges and Opportunities in Undergraduate Physics Education” was released. It was fair to say that the committees reaction was mixed. While Physics Education had continued to innovate and many of these innovative programs had been deployed, we were a bit disappointed that the change had not been as pervasive as the committee thought it should. We provided recommendations to the various stakeholders on what we thought could and should be done to allow Physics and Physics education to regain the momentum and prominence that we once had enjoyed. This was an optimistic report that saw how much had been accomplished, but it was also a report that advocated for an increased pace of change. We will discuss some of the issues raised in the report and some of the future opportunities (and challenges) in physics education –from studio or workshop courses, to flipped classrooms, to MOOCs. Location: Room: 161 Physical Sciences (PSB)
Contact:	Pat physics @ ucf . edu