Adaptations of the Physics By Inquiry Curriculum

We report on the initial stages of a collaborative investigation into ways in which the Physics by Inquiry (PbI) curriculum (McDermott) can be implemented in larger enrollment courses using undergraduate peer instructors and cooperative grouping techniques. Typically, PbI is implemented in small classes with Physics graduate students as teaching assistants. However, many institutions, such as community colleges, do not have graduate students available. In other cases, there is a need for a larger enrollment class. We present three models we are investigating as responses to our local constraints. This work was partially supported by NSF DUE-0410804.