Physics Education Research
What Is Physics Education Research?
Physics Education Research (PER) is research into the learning, understanding and teaching of physics and the application of physics knowledge.
What are we doing in Physics Education at Illinois?
Our group has a broad range of research interests that include differences between physics experts and novices, transfer studies, the design and implementation of web-based instruction, curriculum reform, and the evaluation of educational assessments. Experimental techniques and analyses we use in our research include eye-tracking, video analysis, web-based log data analysis, and exam question analysis. Our current projects include the development and implementation of Mastery-style online homework, studies examining the effects and effectiveness of problem solutions in online homework, and a redesign of the introductory laboratory sequence featuring the Interactive Online Laboratory (IOLab) system.
The i>clicker™, FlipItPhysics, and the IOLab system are products of the research done by the Illinois Physics Education Research group. You can read more about these educational technology tools and the significant advances they have made in the way students learn at per.physics.illinois.edu.