This summer I have
been working with Dr. Eleanor Sayre on a project called BESM talk. I provide an
abstract below as well as the powerpoint
from my final presentation for the REU project. If you are really interested be
on the look out for a paper entitled ‘Brief, Embedded, Spontaneous,
Metacognitive Talk’ in Metacognition and Learning.
A
major goal of undergraduate education in physics is fostering ‘thinking like a
physicist’ among physics majors. Precise
definitions and observational markers have been elusive, especially at the
upper-division level. I present some
elements of what "thinking like a physicist" entails, and some
discourse markers for identifying when students are more likely to be
physicist-like. The markers are
applicable across contexts. I suggest
instructional strategies to promote students thinking like physicists.
Future Work
After this paper is published in Metacognition and
Learning, there will be two more papers to come about BESM talk. The first of
these will provide a stronger tie to students identity development within
physics. The second has yet to be determined but will possibly be how BESM Talk
fits in with physics and math or other subjects.