Abstract:

Each area of physics includes a number of fundamental concepts which are interrelated. However, in addition to having problems with the comprehension of concepts, novice students find it particularly challenging to uncover the connections. Concept maps help to build a hierarchy of concepts and ideas by visualizing the connections between them. The additional benefits of concept maps include but are not limited to helping to shift the student’s objective from memorization to comprehension, to identify gaps in students conceptual understanding, to elicit misconceptions and replace them with correct ideas. The available information about concept mapping rarely goes beyond the generic recommendations for best practices and does not take into account the specifics of the subject matter. Concept mapping activity is often limited to the introductory-level curriculum. The talk will report on the experience of the implementation of concept mapping in a Nuclear Physics course for Medical Physics undergraduate program. The concept map is used in the course in conjunction with a student-generated formula sheet that the students develop over the duration of the semester and use it for problem-solving practice, tests and the final examination. The concept map emphasises the role of Nuclear Physics as one of the foundational areas of what is now known as Modern Physics. The concept map also provides connections to Radiation Biology and Radiation Protection, thus showcasing the applied aspect of Nuclear Physics, in addition to the fundamental one. While there is anecdotal evidence in support of concept mapping to improve physics learning, more formal research on the benefits of concept mapping for learning physics is needed.

Keywords:

Nuclear Physics, concept mapping, Medical Physics.