Seminars
Seminars occur on Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00 PM Pacific in ISB 130 with a hybrid option over Zoom unless otherwise posted. To join the mailing list, please contact Prof. Ehsan Khatami at ehsan.khatami@sjsu.edu with the words "Seminars and Events" included in the subject heading.
Upcoming
Physics 2a: Examining equity & success in the CLASP curriculum at SJSU and UC Davis
Cassandra Paul, San José State University
Wednesday, 4/16/2025, 12:00-1:00pm Pacific
Abstract: For decades now, the fields of physics education research & and education research
in general have been in agreement that active-learning is more effective for student
outcomes than traditional lecture-based teaching. We are also learning that active-learning
pedagogies may be particularly impactful for students belonging to groups which have
been historically marginalized. However, there are still many challenges to implementing
active-learning at the college level, especially in large physics courses. I will
share data from successful implementations of the CLASP curriculum (Collaborative
Learning through Active Sense-making in Physics), an introductory physics course,
at two different institutions.
Bio: Cassandra Paul is a professor at San José State University in the Physics and Astronomy Department and the Science Education Program where she teaches both introductory physics, and master’s level science education courses. Dr. Paul’s main research efforts involve how instructors use active-learning and asset-based pedagogies, the ways in which these pedagogies support equity, and faculty professional development activities that support these efforts. Dr. Paul is also very interested in better understanding the relationships between student assessments, instructor feedback, grading practices and how these factors determine student success in the classroom, and what implications this has for student retention and equity. She has also been instrumental in founding SJSU’s Learning Assistant program, a national model that has been shown to support historically marginalized student populations. In 2023, Dr. Paul was honored as SJSU’s “Outstanding Professor,” an award recognizing a professor for excellence in teaching effectiveness and service to the San José State campus community.
