Personal epistemologies as barriers to learning by Science and Engineering undergraduate students:

The study (funded by SSHRC) aims at investigating the effects of personal epistemologies held by undergraduate physics students to their physics learning and on developing physics teaching methods to address these epistemologies and help students succeed in learning physics. This is a large research collaboration with the faculty members from Concordia (Prof. Kalman – Grant PI), McGill and Ryerson Universities.

The study has a number of interesting ideas that we are testing. For example, we are looking at reflective writing and collaborative group exercises in undergraduate physics courses and how these activities impact student physics learning.