LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) - Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Carl Wieman discovered his passion for transforming student learning through his scientific research.
Now, he is set to share his insights at an upcoming lecture series at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL).
Wieman, along with Eric Cornell and Wolfgang Ketterle, received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work in observing the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC).
BEC occurs when atoms are cooled to just above absolute zero, causing them to behave in an unusual way -- they begin to overlap and act as a single "super atom." More information on the BEC can be found here.
Dr. Wieman's push into education began unexpectedly through his physics research. He noticed that even top-performing students often struggled with applying theoretical knowledge in practical lab settings.
"I actually got started in education because of my physics research and being curious about the fact that these students who would come in to work as graduate students during their Ph.D. -- they'd had many years of great success in physics courses -- but in the lab, they didn't really know how to do physics," said Dr. Wieman.
Using the scientific method, Dr. Wieman spent years studying how students learn most effectively. His findings led to a transformative conclusion.
"Because of work by myself and many others, there has been a substantial shift -- particularly in physics education -- toward what we call research-based or active-learning techniques. These approaches involve students doing much more thinking in class, rather than just sitting and listening," he explained.
This research contributed to the development of PhET, formally known as Physics Education Technology, an interactive learning tool that has revolutionized science classrooms worldwide.
"It's a tool that helps students explore scientific concepts on their own and gain a deeper understanding -- more like how scientists actually think about them," said Dr. Wieman.
He described PhET as a way to bring science education "out of the medieval age and into the Enlightenment."
Dr. Wieman will delve deeper into these topics during the UWL lecture series.
The first lecture took place on Thursday, September 11 at 5:00 p.m.
Dr. Wieman will follow this up with a physics seminar on Friday, September 12 at 3:20 p.m. in Centennial Hall.