Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Physics of Medicine Program: Development of an Active Learning Curriculum at the Intersection of Physics and Medicine

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Active Learning in College Science

  • 2354 Accesses

Abstract

Over the past 10 years, our physics department has made a concentrated effort toward transformation and growth through the design of courses relevant to students’ career interests in medicine and healthcare. Using an inquiry-based, active learning pedagogy with research-developed curriculum, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number and diversity of our physics students. This chapter outlines the design, development, and pedagogy of a Physics of Medicine major that has revitalized our physics program and excited students about learning physics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • AIP, American Institute of Physics. (2015). Focus on Physics undergraduates enrollment and degrees: The number of bachelor’s-only departments by the average number of bachelor’s conferred, classes of 2012 through 2014 (p. 7). Retrieved December 27, 2018, from Https://Www.Aip.Org/Sites/Default/Files/Statistics/Undergrad/Bachdegrees-P-14.Pdf

  • Bransford, J. D., & Schwartz, D. (1999). Rethinking transfer: A simple proposal with multiple implications. Review of Research in Education, 24, 61–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brewe, E., Pelaez, N. J., & Cooke, T. J. (2013). From vision to change: Educational initiatives and research at the intersection of Physics and Biology. CBE Life Sciences Education, 12(2), 117–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, J. R., Skofronick, J. G., & Grant, R. M. (1999). Physics of the body (2nd ed.). Madison: Medical Physics Publishing. 394 pages.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidovits, P. (2008). Physics in biology and medicine (1st ed.). Amsterdam/Boston: Elsevier. 328 pages.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson, N. (2012). National Science Foundation Grant: TUES: DUE-1140390. Collaborative Research: Physics in Medicine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson, N. (2015). Physics of the respiratory system: The lung-alveoli apparatus. Retrieved December 28, 2018, from http://www.aapt.org/Programs/contests/2015-Apparatus-Contest_Winners.cfm

  • Goldberg, F. (1997). How can computer technology be used to promote learning and communication among physics teachers? In E. F. Redish & J. S. Rigden. (Eds.), The changing role of physics departments in modern universities (pp. 375–392). Proceedings of international conference on undergraduate physics education, College Park, Maryland, August 1996, Part One. Woodbury, NY: American Institute of Physics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, F., & Bendall, S. (1995). Making the invisible visible: A teaching/learning environment that builds on a new view of the physics learner. American Journal of Physics, 63(11), 978–991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greeno, J. G., Moore, J. L., & Smith, D. R. (1993). Transfer of situated learning. In D. K. Detterman & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Transfer on trial: Intelligence, cognition and instruction (pp. 99–167). Norwood: Ablex.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, 66(1), 64–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hestenes, D. (1992). Modeling games in the Newtonian world. American Journal of Physics, 60, 14–748.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hestenes, D., Wells, M., & Schwackhamer, G. (1992). Force concept inventory. The Physics Teacher, 30, 141–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hewson, J. G., & Hewson, P. W. (2003). Effect of instruction using students’ prior knowledge and conceptual change strategies on science learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40, S86–S97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilborn, R. C., & Friedlander, M. (2013). Biology and physics competencies for pre-health and other life sciences students. CBE Life Sciences Education, 12(2), 170–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hilborn, R. C., McKagan, S., Madsen, S. A., & Mason, B. (2016). National Science Foundation Grant: IUSE: 1624185. Collaborative research: Community sourcing of introductory Physics for the Life Sciences.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbie, R. K., & Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology (4th ed.). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute-American Association of Medical Colleges Committee. (2009). Scientific foundations for future physicians. Washington, DC: American Association of Medical Colleges.

    Google Scholar 

  • Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences Conference, March 14–16, 2014, Key Bridge Marriott, Arlington, VA. Can be viewed at: https://www.compadre.org/ipls/

  • Gordon Research Conference, Physics Research & Education, The Complex Intersection of Biology and Physics, June 8–13, 2014, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA. Retrieved from https://www.grc.org/physics-research-and-education-conference/2014/

  • Kane, S. A. (2009). Introduction to physics in modern medicine (2nd ed.). Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis Group. 422 pages.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, R. D. (2002). Five easy lessons: Strategies for successful physics teaching. San Francisco: Addison Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDermott, L. C. (1991). What we teach and what is learned: Closing the gap. American Journal of Physics, 59(4), 301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDermott, L. C. (1998). Research in physics education. APS News, 7(1), 8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meredith, D. C., & Redish, E. F. (2013). Reinventing physics for life-science majors. Physics Today, 66(7), 38–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rebello, N. S., Zollman, D. A., Allbaugh, A. R., Engelhardt, P. V., Gray, K. E., Hrepic, Z., & Itza- Ortiz, S. F. (2005). In J. Mestre (Ed.), Transfer of learning from a modern multidisciplinary perspective (pp. 217–250). Greenwich: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Redish, E. F., & Steinberg, R. N. (1999). Teaching physics: Figuring out what works. Physics Today, 52, 24–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redish, E. R., Bauer, C., Carleton, K. L., Cooke, T. J., Cooper, M., Crouch, C. H., Dreyfus, B. W., Geller, B. D., Giannini, J., Gouvea, J., Klymkowsky, S. M. K., Losert, W., Moore, K., Presson, J., Sawtelle, V., Thompson, K. V., Turpen, C., & Zia, R. K. P. (2014). NEXUS/physics: An interdisciplinary repurposing of physics for biologists. American Journal of Physics, 82, 368–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabella, M., & Lang, M. (2014). Research and education at the crossroads of biology and physics. American Journal of Physics, 82, 365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seymour, E., Wiese, D. Hunter, A., & Daffinrud, S. M. (Marzo del 2000). Creating a better mousetrap: On-line student assessment of their learning gains. Paper presentation at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Student Assessment of Their Learning Gains. (2007). Retrieved from Http://Www.Salgsite.Org

  • Thornton, R. K., & Sokoloff, D. R. (1990). Learning motion concepts using real-time microcomputer-based laboratory tools. American Journal of Physics, 58(9), 858–866.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, R. K., & Sokoloff, D. R. (1998). Assessing student learning of Newton’s laws: The force and motion conceptual evaluation and the evaluation of active learning laboratory and lecture curricula. American Journal of Physics, 66(4), 338–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuszynski, J. A., & Dixon, J. M. (2002). Biomedical applications of introductory physics (1st ed.). New York: Wiley. 344 pages.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widenhorn, R. (2012). National Science Foundation Grant: TUES-DUE #1141078. Physics in Medicine: Active learning tools for undergraduate Physics courses developed in a Joint Collaboration of STEM Scientists and Medical Experts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widenhorn, R (2014). National Science Foundation Grant: IUSE-DUE #1431447. Collaborative research: Multimedia modules for physics instruction in a flipped classroom course for pre- health and life science majors.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodin, T., Vasaly, H., McBride, D., & White, G. (2013). Integration of physics and biology: Synergistic undergraduate education for the 21st century. CBE Life Sciences Education, 12(2), 120–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zollman, D. (2004). Modern miracle medical machines: Physics instruction for future medical students. Project supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant 04-2675.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Nancy L. Donaldson

Authors
  1. Nancy L. Donaldson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nancy L. Donaldson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Biological Sciences and Science Education, California State University, Chico, CA, USA

    Joel J. Mintzes

  2. Science Learning Associates, Wrightsville Beach, NC, USA

    Joel J. Mintzes

  3. Department of Biological Sciences and Center for STEM Education, California State University, Fresno, CA, USA

    Emily M. Walter

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Donaldson, N.L. (2020). The Physics of Medicine Program: Development of an Active Learning Curriculum at the Intersection of Physics and Medicine. In: Mintzes, J.J., Walter, E.M. (eds) Active Learning in College Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33600-4_25

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33600-4_25

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-33599-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-33600-4

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation