Building on a Scholarship in Physics Education for Course and
Program Transformation Documents Noah D. Finkelstein After
decades of research into student learning, assessments, and
curriculum design, physics is considered one of the leading
fields engaged in discipline-based educational research (DBER).
Simultaneously, unprecedented national attention is now being
paid to the outcomes of and needs for DBER. Within physics, the
sub-discipline of physics education research (PER) is now well-
established and boasts robust lines of research that range from
investigations of student learning of specific topics (e.g. how
students understand propagation of light), to implementing and
studying the nature of educational reforms and what makes them
work or not work. This interactive session will provide a brief
overview of PER-based efforts at Colorado that have improved
learning opportunities, increased student engagement, and
recruited more students to teaching careers. Through efforts
such as the nationally emulated