B6440 - ELEMENTI DI STORIA, EPISTEMOLOGIA E SOCIOLOGIA DELLA FISICA PER L'APPRENDIMENTO

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student, interested in formal and non-formal education, has conceptual and cultural tools to critically reflect on science (physics, in particular) and its role in contemporary society. Referring to research fields such as epistemology, history, sociology, physics education and learning sciences, the course analyses and discusses methods of production, sharing, validation, organisation, transmission, communication and understanding of science (physics).

Course contents

The course will focus on some historical cases to reflect on physics as a discipline and on the forms of knowledge necessary for its understanding.

Specifically, starting from a historical reflection on kinematics, Newtonian dynamics and the physics of complex systems, the following epistemological themes will be addressed:

- Images of science (physics) and science education;

- Approaches to the Nature of Science developed in Science Education Research (with particular reference to the Family Resemblance Approach);

- Aims and values, practices, methods and forms of knowledge organization of that characterize physics;

- Forms of reasoning, explanation, modeling and argumentation in science;

- Students' epistemologies and models of cognitive dynamics that allow to compare accredited knowledge and common sense knowledge.

Special attention will be paid on the theme of objectivity and on particular forms of reductionism to compare different epistemological and methodological perspectives, including realism, constructivism and feminist epistemologies.

The historical cases will also allow to introduce elements from the STS (Science & Technological Studies). In particular elements are introduced from the sociology of time and Futures Studies to reflect on the temporal models developed by physics and institutionalized. Furthermore, results of studies on gender and intersectionality will be discussed with particular reference to scientific contexts and places of formal education (schools and universities).

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching materials are made available in a shared folder and also in the moodle platform.

The materials include slides and presentations, research articles and other materials for study (e.g.: tutorials, guides for group activities, research tools, etc.).

Teaching methods

The course will implement a wide variety of teaching methodologies for active learning:
- Dialogued lessons
- Team work
- Individual and/or group off-line reading, analysis and writing work
- «Active» seminar and workshop activities.

The course participates in the University project of teaching experimentation.

Assessment methods

The final exam will be held orally.
The first part of the exam will be a discussion on an essay submitted on Virtuale one week before each exam session. The second part concerns a discussion on the topics covered in class.
The final exam will evaluate knowledge and skills such as:
a) disciplinary correctness (up to 10 points);

b) quantity and richness of information used in answering questions (up to 10 points);

c) quality of argumentation - the quality of argumentation includes the ability to develop an argument in a coherent way, the ability to base the argumentation on research results, the ability to move in an interdisciplinary terrain created by the intertwining of the different dimensions covered in the course (conceptual, cognitive, historical, epistemological, sociological dimension) (up to 7 points);

d) level of appropriation and personal re-elaboration (up to 4 points).
For students attending the course and actively participating in the activities, the deliveries scheduled during the course may be valued as the essay for the exam.

Teaching tools

Ppt presentations, research materials, video and multimedia materials (e.g.:  applets, movies, recorded materials, simulations etc.). Tools embedded in Virtuale will be used (e.g. forum, wooclap).

Office hours

See the website of Olivia Levrini