In Physics Education, the Room Matters

Photo: Rhett Allain. A typical room for introductory physics

It’s a new semester with a new class in a new room. The class is the calculus-based introductory physics with about 20 students. This is going to be great. But wait. I’m in the room you see above.

It turns out that the physical environment can make a big difference in the effectiveness of a class — it also makes a big difference in my attitude. Some rooms are just terrible. Let’s go over some of…