Prof. Ian Beatty |
|
University of Massachusetts Amherst Natural Sciences and Mathematics Scientific Reasoning Research Institute Research Assistant ProfessorAppointed: 2006 |  |
Mailing Address710 N. Pleasant St. #B-416 Lederle Graduate Research Tower University of Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9305United States | Contact Information |
Qualifications
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst, Physics, 2000.
B.S., University of Massachusetts Amherst, Physics, 1990.
Expertise and Research Interests
Research on physics learning and assessment:
* Developed data-gathering instrumentation and research plan for a major research study on secondary school science teachers' pedagogical practices and beliefs (2005 - present).
* Participated in a multi-university collaboration to design a "Sciences of Learning Center" focused on the development of a rich theoretical model of physics learning and knowledge use (2003 - 2004).
* Participated in panel discussions and working groups at invited conferences on the transfer of learning (Transfer of Learning, National Science Foundation, Arlington VA, March 2002), on the transformative potential of interactive pedagogies and classroom networks (CATAALYST Workshop, SRI International, Menlo Park CA, April 2004), and other topics.
* Advised graduate students (2002 - present).
* Dissertation research on ConMap, computer-based assessments of students' evolving conceptual knowledge structures (1995 - 2000).
* Collaborated on many other projects within the context of an active research group.
International outreach work on science teacher professional development:
* Worked with science education researchers in Argentina (Universidad Nacional de Cordoba), South Africa (many), and Cyprus (Ministry of Education) to conduct secondary science teacher professional development activities and develop curricula for teacher enhancement programs (1996 - present).
* Visiting professor at the University of Fort Hare, Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa (2006).
Curriculum design:
* Co-designed and co-taught innovative, activity-based conceptual physics course for Singaporean hotel and restaurant industry professionals: UMass Physics 100, taught in Singapore in partnership with the Singapore Hotel Association's trade school SHATec (2005).
* Co-designed and co-taught postgraduate course in science pedagogy for future science faculty members: "Learning teaching: What every professor should know about science instruction" in the Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas (Faculty of Chemical Sciences) of the Universidad Nacional de C'ordoba, Argentina (2005).
* Created, taught, and refined a two-semester laboratory curriculum for introductory physics majors' sequence, consistent with current perspectives in physics education research and pedagogic philosophy (1992 - 1996).
Instructional software development:
* Assisted in the design of the UMass OWL web-based homework system, representing the Physics Department to the system's creators in the Computer Science Department; developed software modules to extend OWL and collaborated in the design of OWL's plug-in architecture (1998 - 2004).
* Designed graphical user interfaces and developed software for the NSF-funded Physics Analysis Workbench project (DUE-9950323, 2001 - 2004).
* Developed "ConMap," a suite of computer-based tools for assessing students' conceptual knowledge association, currently used by UMass graduate students for educational research projects (1996 - 2004).
* Project lead, software architect, and programming team manager for development of the Knowledge Broker, a next-generation classroom response system using tablet PCs and wireless networking (2003 - 2005).
Website authoring & web application development:
* Developed and maintained websites, web applications, and course website frameworks for the UMass Physics Department, Physics Education Research Group, and Scientific Reasoning Research Institute (1996 - present).
* Developed a database-backed web application for the Assessing-to-Learn project (ESI-9730438), originally supporting project participants and now serving as a public resource (2000 - 2005).
Computer modeling:
* In collaboration with the UMass Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and the US Forest Service, developed a complex ecological computer model for multi-species forest growth and mortality and coarse woody debris accumulation in upland and riparian stands; co-wrote the accompanying user's guide (2002-2003).
* Developed data-gathering instrumentation and research plan for a major research study on secondary school science teachers' pedagogical practices and beliefs (2005 - present).
* Participated in a multi-university collaboration to design a "Sciences of Learning Center" focused on the development of a rich theoretical model of physics learning and knowledge use (2003 - 2004).
* Participated in panel discussions and working groups at invited conferences on the transfer of learning (Transfer of Learning, National Science Foundation, Arlington VA, March 2002), on the transformative potential of interactive pedagogies and classroom networks (CATAALYST Workshop, SRI International, Menlo Park CA, April 2004), and other topics.
* Advised graduate students (2002 - present).
* Dissertation research on ConMap, computer-based assessments of students' evolving conceptual knowledge structures (1995 - 2000).
* Collaborated on many other projects within the context of an active research group.
International outreach work on science teacher professional development:
* Worked with science education researchers in Argentina (Universidad Nacional de Cordoba), South Africa (many), and Cyprus (Ministry of Education) to conduct secondary science teacher professional development activities and develop curricula for teacher enhancement programs (1996 - present).
* Visiting professor at the University of Fort Hare, Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa (2006).
Curriculum design:
* Co-designed and co-taught innovative, activity-based conceptual physics course for Singaporean hotel and restaurant industry professionals: UMass Physics 100, taught in Singapore in partnership with the Singapore Hotel Association's trade school SHATec (2005).
* Co-designed and co-taught postgraduate course in science pedagogy for future science faculty members: "Learning teaching: What every professor should know about science instruction" in the Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas (Faculty of Chemical Sciences) of the Universidad Nacional de C'ordoba, Argentina (2005).
* Created, taught, and refined a two-semester laboratory curriculum for introductory physics majors' sequence, consistent with current perspectives in physics education research and pedagogic philosophy (1992 - 1996).
Instructional software development:
* Assisted in the design of the UMass OWL web-based homework system, representing the Physics Department to the system's creators in the Computer Science Department; developed software modules to extend OWL and collaborated in the design of OWL's plug-in architecture (1998 - 2004).
* Designed graphical user interfaces and developed software for the NSF-funded Physics Analysis Workbench project (DUE-9950323, 2001 - 2004).
* Developed "ConMap," a suite of computer-based tools for assessing students' conceptual knowledge association, currently used by UMass graduate students for educational research projects (1996 - 2004).
* Project lead, software architect, and programming team manager for development of the Knowledge Broker, a next-generation classroom response system using tablet PCs and wireless networking (2003 - 2005).
Website authoring & web application development:
* Developed and maintained websites, web applications, and course website frameworks for the UMass Physics Department, Physics Education Research Group, and Scientific Reasoning Research Institute (1996 - present).
* Developed a database-backed web application for the Assessing-to-Learn project (ESI-9730438), originally supporting project participants and now serving as a public resource (2000 - 2005).
Computer modeling:
* In collaboration with the UMass Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and the US Forest Service, developed a complex ecological computer model for multi-species forest growth and mortality and coarse woody debris accumulation in upland and riparian stands; co-wrote the accompanying user's guide (2002-2003).
Other Expertise
Teaching wilderness survival and leadership schools to high school students.
Future Research
Physics education research and general science/mathematics education research, especially:
* Tools, practices, and pedagogy for technology-enhanced real-time formative assessment.
* In-service teacher professional development.
* Theoretical modeling of cognition and learning.
* Innovative approaches to assessment.
Instructional technology and software development, especially:
* Next-generation classroom response systems.
* Pedagogical implications of software design.
* Web applications to support instruction.
* Pedagogic possibilities afforded by new technology.
* Tools, practices, and pedagogy for technology-enhanced real-time formative assessment.
* In-service teacher professional development.
* Theoretical modeling of cognition and learning.
* Innovative approaches to assessment.
Instructional technology and software development, especially:
* Next-generation classroom response systems.
* Pedagogical implications of software design.
* Web applications to support instruction.
* Pedagogic possibilities afforded by new technology.
Memberships
American Association of Physics Teachers
Previous Positions
2000-2006, Post-doctoral Fellow,
University of Massachusetts Amherst,
Natural Sciences and Mathematics,
Scientific Reasoning Research Institute
Funding Received
- National Science Foundation (NSF): TLT: Teacher Learning of Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment, $2.5M, 2005 to 2010.
- Hewlett-Packard Corp.: Applied Mobile Technology Solutions in Learning Environments 2003 Grant Initiative, $225k, 2003 to 2003.
- Microsoft Corp.: External research grant for mobile computing in the classroom, $52k, 2003 to 2003.
Publications
- Beatty, Ian D., Leonard, William J., Gerace, William J., Dufresne, Robert J. (2006) Designing effective questions for classroom response system teaching, American Journal of Physics, 74 (1), 31-39
- Beatty, Ian D., Leonard, William J., Gerace, William J., Dufresne, Robert J. (2006) Question based agile teaching: Teaching science (well) with an audience response system, Audience Response Systems in Higher Education: Applications and Cases, Hershey, PA, USA, Idea Group Inc., ISBN=1-59140-948-9 (bookchapter)
- Beatty, Ian D., Leonard, William J., Gerace, William J., Assessing-to-Learn in the Classroom, Thomson Learning, 2005
- Gerace, William J., Beatty, Ian D. (2005) Teaching vs. learning: Changing perspectives on problem solving in physics instruction, 9th Common Conference of the Cyprus Physics Association and Greek Physics Association: Developments and Perspectives in Physics--New Technologies and Teaching of Science, Cyprus Physics Association and Greek Physics Association, In Press
- Beatty, Ian D., Research Bulletin ERB0403: Transforming Student Learning with Classroom Communication Systems, Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR), 3 Feb 2004
- Beatty, Ian D., Gerace, William J. (2002) American Journal of Physics, Probing physics students' conceptual knowledge structures through term association, 70 (7), 750-758
Profile Details
Last Updated: 12/7/2007
COS Expertise ID #1266127
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/ibeatty
Individual Expertise profile of Ian Beatty, Copyright Ian Beatty.
© COS ExpertiseTM, 2008, ProQuest LLC All rights reserved.