International Commission on Physics Education (IUPAP Commission C-14):

Minutes 1995, Udine, Italy, August 22-23, 1995.

Participants:

P. Black, A. Tiberghien, U. Ganiel, M. Kesselberg, P. Lijnse, K. Luchner, R. Gyula, E.F. Redish, R. Tae, K. Wassef, E. Lillethum L. Jossem and A.M.P. Carvalho.

F. Kaeczmarek sent apologies for not being able to attend.

1 - Introduction

1.1. Welcomes

Welcome by the I.C.P.E. Chairman
Welcome by the M. Michelini the chairperson of the Udine Conference

1.2. Discussion of the Minutes of 1994 I.C.P.E. in Budapest Hungary.

A. Tiberghien asked to make changes in the items - 4. 1. de - 6.700 francs to 6.700 dollars and 5. 1. where we read "... A. Tiberghien has not received any money yet" change to ..." A. Tiberghien has received money but have not yet received an official document". The Minutes were approved with this modification.

1.3. Discussion of the Udine Agenda.

P. Black proposed to include in the Agenda in the items: relations with other organization and network"; the relationship with Commission C13 - Report on Activities for Lillethum and to delete the item "New associate members".

The Agenda was approved with this modification.

2. Reports on Conferences and Meetings

2.1. Conferences already held

G. Marx reported on the work development in the Conference "Microcomputers in Physics Education", Nairobi, Kenia, July, 1995

T. Ryu reported on the Conference New Trends in Physics Teaching, Nanjing China, August, 1994.

2.2. Present Conference

M. Michelini reported at the beginning of the meeting the preparations for the Conference "Teaching the Science of Condensed Matter and New Materials". A recommendation of praise agreed to M. Michelini for the preparation of this conference.

2.3. Reports on Plans for Future Conferences - 1996

2.3. 1.- E.F. Redish - reported the plans of Maryland Conference, in August 1996.

G. Marx reported the plans for four conferences:

2.3.2.- New Ways on Teaching Physics - Slovenia 21 to 27 August 1996.

2.3.3.- Interdisciplinary Aspects in Physics Education II -Weilburg, Germany 23-31, August 1996 (E.P.C. Conference).

2.3.4.- Bangkok, Thailand, December 1996.

2.3.5.- Physics Experiment and Toys in Physics Education, Ural Russia, June 1997.

2.3.6.- A. Tiberghien reported the plans for the Summer Education School "Research in Science Education in Europe" - Barcelona in July or August 1996.

2.3.7.- A.M. Carvalho reported the plans for the Inter-American Conference, Cordoba, July 1997.

2.3.8. - P. Black reported that Conference in Cambridge, U.K. may not take place.

2.3.9. - E. Lillethum reported some problems with the organization of the Conference "How to Teach Physics in High School in Africa", September 1997. It may not take place.

2.3. 10. - T. Rvu reported the plans for the Conference on Teacher Training in the Secondary School, Guelin, China, 1997.

2.3.1 1. - G. Marx - spoke about the plans for the Conference "Creativity in Physics Teaching" in Hungary, 1997.

2.3.12. - G. Marx reported the possibility of a Conference on Physics Education Progress in Katamandu, 1997.

3. I.C.P.E. Sponsorship

I.C.P.E. Sponsorship was approved for:

Maryland Conference
Slovenia Conference
Thailand Conference

and was recommended for the other ones.

4. Publications

4.1 UNESCO Supported Books

A. Tiberghien reported the work with the publication of the book "Research on Physics Education and Teacher Training" and distributed to all commission members the table of contents of the book.

K. Wassef reported the problems with UNESCO about publishing the book "Physics for Life: Physics and Environment - New Frontiers in Physics".

K. Luchner spoke about the differences between the above book and the project elaborated by China and proposed an effort to promote Wassef's book.

P. Lijnse proposed that the commission mainly supported the focus the book brought to the teaching of physics. P. Black suggested that members of the commission read Wassef's book and send their opinions to UNESCO.

4.2. I.C.P.E. Newsletter

G. Marx congratulated E.F. Redish for the Newsletter quality. E.F. Redish proposed that each Commission member make Newsletter copies to send to all the members of their communities or send the mail list to him. The distribution by e-mail was discussed.

E.F. Redish called attention to the importance of the collaboration of all the members to the item "Internet sites".

5. Relations With Other Organizations and Network.

5.1 - P. Black presented his work with UNESCO mainly focusing the PAC - Physics Action Council. The UNESCO working Group 3 on University Physics Education offered their condolences on the death of Prof. N. Joel.

He reported that the European Physical Society finished the session of Physics Education and this is one of the reasons J. Lewis did not come to the present meeting.

5. 2 - G. Marx reported the relations with I.U.P.A.P. and GIREP. He proposed that the next GIREP Conference (1997) be held in Cambridge. He also mentioned the close cooperation with ICPE mainly in relation to the financial support to conferences.

5.3 - R. Wassef mentioned the activities developed by ARAPEN and distributed the last newsletter to the members of the committee.

5.4 - E. Lillethum gave a summary of the C-13 report focusing on the themes of research and administration in developing countries. He also talked about the Publication of a Newsletters and the contact with UNESCO. He will ask C-1 3 to also support the conference in Bangkok.

6. Other Business

6.1 - The meeting resumed discussion of the paper "PAC-Physics Action Council - UNESCO - Working Group 3 on University Physics Education" mainly item 3 - Executive Summary and Recommendations.

6.2 - L. Jossem explained how the voting to the commissions takes place at the general Assembly of IUPAP which will happen in September 1997. It was decided that even though individual appointment is done by the source countries, the commission proposed that all the members eligible be re-appointed. Also recommended were the continuation of the President, Vice-President and Secretary.

6.3 - The meeting voted and approved unanimously the proposal that Prof. Leonard Jossem receive the ICPE medal.

7. Next Meeting of the ICPE

The next meeting will be in Maryland, USA, 29 and 30 July 1996, just before the Maryland Conference. It is necessary to arrive on 28 July.

8. Future Activities of the Commission

P. Black divided the members into four groups. The compositions of the groups, the proposals of work and the summaries of work presented are as follows.

GROUP 1 - Help to Developing Countries

Task - Take 1994 Minutes (P9 Group 1), Review these ideas, consider whether there are others. Recommend targets for action 1995/6. Who should do it? Members: Lillethun, Luchner, Ryu, Wassef

Summary:

Practical Suggestions to Implement

Inforrnation Exchange:: Identify few contact persons, send ICPE letter with a personal address, pointing out the possibility for direct contact to ICPE member.; Write article in ICPE newsletter to explain this new subnet.
ICPE as administrative link to establish connections between Institutions to cooperate.
A request for ICPE action requires clear statements of needs and intentions already in the planning stage.
ICPE should make a list for preferable intentions:: * preservice training; * in service training; * local resources for expt; * availability of local subnets, etc ...

GROUP 2 - Conference Strategy

Task - Formulate Strategy - Should we be more pro-active if so, what should be proposed? Action 1995/6? [includes consideration of different audiences - teachers, trainers, researches, policy makers and different types of meeting eg open, or for specialist works.

Members: Ganiel, Radnai, Tiberghien

Summary:

Do we want criteria? Doubts! Carefully try in'96, see how it works. If any--not very strict
Points:
(a) Before meeting - have all requests, with Conference almost descriptions (see Jossem)
(b) Criteria
- Necessity (or Need). Who decides? - ICPE
- Scientific Critique (example: toys/low cost alone - not useful)
- Goals vs. Realization: The audience is should be consistent with the conference structure (e.g. Maryland versus some conference on "low cost experiments for school"
Practice? Yes. Paragraph 2 in description of C-14. Warning! Make sure it is genuine, when a proposal comes up in response.

GROUP 3 - Information Exchange

Task - Consider Group 3 1994 Minutes: report p 10/11 - Review and amend. What practical action to take in 1995/6 - and who should do it?

Members: Jossem, Marx, Redish

Summary:

ICPE Homepage
ICPE description, members
IUPAP description

Commission Info. Charge; Minutes;
Conference (past, present, future);
Info. for Organizers; History; Newsletters;
Intemational Phys. Ed. Orgs.; National Phys. Ed. Orgs.;
Relevant Joumals;
Organizational Resources; Country Phys. Ed.; Homepages.
Resources for Teachers: Demonstrations, Problems, Teaching x, y, z, w, Teacher Training, Laboratory,
Links to Newsgoups

GROUP 4 - ICPE Publication

Task - Review Group 2 Report 1994 Minutes pp. 9-10. What publication(s) should we next aim to set up; practical action to achieve this? Who should do it?

Members: Carvalho, Lijnse, Kesselberg

Summary:

Newsletter: to be continued
Research on Physics Education: teacher trainers What gaps are there?
Teaching practice: teachers; another volume(s) aimed at bridging this gap (content specifically didactics of physics);
'exemplary' teaching materials; teacher training materials (book, video) does such material already exist? has it to be assembled and distributed or produced? how to prevent that, in practice, every teacher/textbook author has to invent again his own wheel?
"aims"/approaches

9. Implications of these ideas

Implications of these ideas, and initiatives implied for new work, were to be considered over the coming year. Each group was asked to produce a working parer with an action plan for the 1996 meeting.

RETURNS

IUPAP ICPE

Last modified 26 June, 1996