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  1. People
  2. Brokk Toggerson (he/him/his)

 

 

 

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Brokk Toggerson

Pedagogical Methods Used

Peer Instruction / Think-Pair-Share, Collaborative problem-solving, Context-rich problems, Ranking tasks, SCALE-UP / studio / workshop physics, Mathematically-focused activities, Just-in-time Teaching, Computationally-focused activities

Life Sciences Focus

Entropy, coherent picture of energy across scales and disciplines, computation.

Describe the courses that you teach for life sciences students

I teach both semesters of the two-semester IPLS sequence at UMass Amherst. The first semester is focused on entropy, energy, and forces with additional focuses on computation and math-as-language. The second semester is focused on understanding authentic motivating contexts to develop a holistic understanding of "What is an electron?" and "What is light?"

What is your approach to teaching physics for life science students?

I teach with the Team-Based Learning pedagogy developed by Michealsen et al. In this pedagogy, students are responsible for a significant amount of preparation on which they are summatively assessed on the first day of the unit. They then spend class time working in teams of 4-5.

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CONTRIBUTIONS

Online Open Textbook for IPLS II - What is an Electron, What is Light

 Remote Learning, Video, Pre-class assignment, Homework, Student reading
Vetted

An open textbook designed for a flipped IPLS II course with very large (>500) enrollment and integrated, computer graded, homework.

Neuron Triggering, Synapse Structure/Function, Chemical Energy Conversion, Chemical Energy Storage, Optometry, Radiographic Imaging, Animal Vision Adaptations

Elementary Particles, Biophysics, Charge, Coulomb's Law, Conductors and Insulators, Induced Charge, Multipoles, Electric Field, Electrostatic Potential and Potential Energy, Electrostatic Force, Capacitors, Dielectric, Resistance Characteristics, Conduction in Solutions, Cells and Batteries, Ohm's Law, Power and Energy, Circuit Analysis, RC Circuits, Currents, Magnets, Magnetic Fields, Fields and Currents, Force on Moving Charges, Force on Wires, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Speed of Light, Straight Line Propagation, Reflection - Flat Surfaces, Reflection - Curved Surfaces, Refractive Index, Refraction - Flat Surfaces, Total Internal Reflection, Thin Lens, Pinhole, Photons, Spectra, Absorption, Ionization Potential, Electron Properties, Atomic Models

Brokk Toggerson

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