Last modified: Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Physicist Eric Mazur to guest lecture on IU campuses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb 24, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Internationally recognized scientist, researcher and educator Eric Mazur will discuss peer instruction as a guest lecturer at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, March 4 (Thursday), 2:45 p.m., in IUPUI Campus Center, Room 405, and at Indiana University Bloomington, and March 5 (Friday), 10 a.m., in Ballantine Hall, Room 013, and 1 p.m., Woodburn Hall, Room 120. All sessions are free and open to the public.
Eric Mazur
Mazur is the Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University, where he leads a vigorous research program in optical physics and supervises one of the largest research groups in the physics department. He has made important contributions to spectroscopy, light scattering, the interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with materials, and nanophotonics.
Along with his work in optical physics, Mazur is interested in science policy, education, outreach, and the public perception of science. A dedicated teacher, he believes that better science education for all -- not just science majors -- is vital for continued scientific progress, and devotes part of the effort of his research group to education research and finding verifiable ways to improve science education. In 1990 he began developing a method for teaching large lecture classes interactively known as Peer Instruction, which has developed a large following, nationally and internationally, and has been adopted across many science disciplines.
Mazur is author or co-author of 227 scientific publications and 12 patents. He has also written on education and is the author of Peer Instruction: A User's Manual (Prentice Hall, 1997), which explains how to teach large lecture classes interactively. In 2006 he helped produce the award-winning DVD Interactive Teaching.
In his presentations at IU, Mazur will discuss how peer instruction helps move students beyond rote memorization as they work together to more fully understand and apply scientific theories and principles.
Mazur's visit to IU is co-sponsored by the IU Office of the Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, the Office of the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education, the Indiana University Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Initiative, and the IUPUI Center for Teaching and Learning.
Schedule of presentations
What: Keynote Speaker at Edward C. Moore Symposium on Teaching Excellence
When: Thursday, March 4, 2:45-4 p.m.
Where: IUPUI Campus Center, Room 405
Information: https://www.ecmoore.iupui.edu/
What: Lectures and Learning: Pedagogies, Technologies, and Peer Learning for the 21st Century
When: Friday, March 5, 10-11:30 a.m
Where: Ballantine Hall, Room 013
Information: https://www.iub.edu/~teaching/ourservices/cic_event_full_sem.php?coursesid=3319
What: Peer Instruction: A Hands-on Workshop Using Clickers
When: Friday, March 5, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Where: Woodburn Hall, Room 120
Information: https://www.iub.edu/~teaching/ourservices/cic_event_full_sem.php?coursesid=3494
