Physics Colloquium: Reframing physics student preparation: supporting conversation about ethics, science, and society in the classroom

Physics Colloquium
Reframing physics student preparation: supporting conversation about ethics, science, and society in the classroom

Dr. Brianne Gutmann
Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
San Jose State University     

Event Details: Physics has greatly impacted society, both in solving problems and perpetuating harm, yet we rarely train physics students to grapple with their responsibilities to society. The absence of direct discussions about the intersections of science and society in classrooms reinforces the idea that physics is purely objective and removed from societal impact or influence. In work done at Texas State University, we designed and implemented units about ethics, science and society in three different contexts: a modern physics course, an observational astrophysics course, and a multi-disciplinary course entirely focused on this topic. In each of these contexts, we scaffolded student discussions around large-scale ethical issues related to STEM. This talk will draw on my experiences participating in this work as an instructor and a researcher, to highlight factors that enable and limit student engagement and consider implications for instruction.

Speaker Bio: Brianne Gutmann (she/they) is an Assistant Professor in the Physics & Astronomy Department at San José State University. She does physics education research with expertise in adaptive online learning tools, identity-responsive mentoring and community building, and macroethics in science education. She received her PhD in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and in her postdoctoral work at Texas State University, co-developed and implemented curricula to engage students in conversations about ethics, science and society, with a research interest in how to best support students and instructors in these conversations. Prior to joining San José State University, they were a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation, supporting the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. They are also an organizer for the Access Network, a national network of student-led organizations working for equity in STEM

Intended Audience:  All are Welcome!

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