Phone: (204) 786-9020
Fax: (204) 774-4134
U of W Office: 2L22
E-Mail:
COURSES (2011-2012):
PHYS-1101/6 - Foundations of Physics I
RESEARCH INTERESTS:Research in physics education has
recently emerged as a field of scholarly inquiry by physicists.
Their work is greatly expanding our knowledge of how students
learn physics and it has the potential for making a
contribution to significant improvements in instruction. A
major approach in instructional enhancement is the integration
of history of science into curriculum and instruction. To
assist in achieving these purposes, an inter-university
research group, the History and Philosophy of Science in
Science Education Research Group was formed, comprised of
faculty from the University of Winnipeg and the University of
Manitoba. The objective of this research group is to develop
science stories, historical case studies, large context
problems, scientific narratives, and other contexts to help
science teaching become more effective. This group also
maintains strong links with research in education in other
sciences. History &
Philosophy of Science in Science Education Research Group WWW
Site.
Publications (peer reviewed):
2010 Niaz, M., Klassen, S., McMillan, B., &
Metz, D. Leon Cooper’s Perspective on Teaching
Science: An Interview Study, Science & Education 19(1),
39–54.
2010 Niaz, M., Klassen, S., McMillan, B., &
Metz, D. A Historical Reconstruction Of The Photoelectric
Effect And Its Implications For General Physics Textbooks.
Science Education (in press), published online January 14,
2010, DOI 10.1002/sce.20389.
2010 Klassen, S. The Relation of Story Structure
to a Model of Conceptual Change in Science Learning.
Science & Education 19(3), 305–317.
2010 Klassen, S. Introduction. Interchange 41(4),
in press.
2010 Klassen, S. & Dietrich, S. Physics Comes
to Winnipeg: The 1909 Meeting of the British Association
for the Advancement of Science. Interchange 41(4), in
press.
2010 Heering, P. & Klassen, S. (2010). Doing
it differently: attempts to improve Millikan’s
oil-drop experiment. Physics Education 45(4),
382–393.
2009 Klassen, S. The Photoelectric Effect:
Reconstructing the Story for the Physics Classroom, Science
& Education (in press), published online November 10,
2009, DOI 10.1007/s11191-009-9214-6.
2009 Klassen, S. Identifying and Addressing
Student Difficulties with the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment.
Science & Education 18(5), 593–607.
2009 Klassen, S. The Construction and Analysis of
a Science Story: A Proposed Methodology, Science &
Education 18(3–4), 401–423.
2007 Metz, D., Klassen, S., & McMillan, B.
Integrating Science Curricula in the Middle School:
Utilizing Historical Perspectives. Canadian Journal of
Science and Technology Education 7(4), 401–416.
2007 Klassen, S. The Application of Historical
Narrative in Science Learning: The Atlantic Cable Story.
Science & Education, 16(3–5),
335–352.
2007 Metz, D., Klassen, S., McMillan, B., Clough,
M., & Olson, J. Building a Foundation for the Use of
Historical Narratives. Science & Education,
16(3–5), 313–334.
2006 Klassen, S. Contextual Assessment in Science
Education: Background, Issues, and Policy, Parts 1 & 2.
Science Education, 90(5), 820–851.
2006 Klassen, S. The Science Thought Experiment:
How Might it be Used Profitably in the Classroom?
Interchange, 37(1-2), 77–96.
2006 Klassen, S. A Theoretical Framework for
Contextual Science Teaching. Interchange, 37(1-2),
31–62.
2006 Klassen, S., & Stinner, A. Editorial:
Context and Thought Experiments in Science Learning.
Interchange, 37(1-2), 3–5.
2003 Stinner, A., McMillan, B., Metz, D., Jilek, J.,
& Klassen, S. The Renewal of Case Studies in
Science Education. Science & Education, 12(7),
617–643.
Book Chapters
2007 Klassen, S. (2007). Pedagogical Renewal of
the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment. In P. Heering & D.
Osewold, Eds., Constructing Scientific Understanding
through Contextual Teaching, Berlin: Frank & Timme,
83–96.
Papers Presented at Scholarly Meetings or
Conferences
2010 Metz, D., Klassen, S., & McMillan, B. The
story of wind: what do student generated questions tell us?
Paper presented by first author on behalf of collaborators
at the 1st Latin American Conference of the International
History, Philosophy, and Science Teaching Group, Sao
Sebastiao, Brazil, 19 – 21 Aug. 2010.
2010 Klassen, S., Niaz, M., Metz, D., McMillan,
B., & Dietrich, S. Portrayal of the photoelectric
effect in laboratory instructions. Invited paper presented
by first author on behalf of collaborators at the 8th
International Conference on the History of Science in
Science Education, Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, 16 – 19
Aug. 2010.
2009 Niaz, M., Klassen, S., McMillan, B., &
Metz, D. Reconstruction of the History of the Photoelectric
Effect and Its Implications for General Physics Textbooks.
Paper presented at the 10th International History,
Philosophy, and Science Teaching Conference, Notre Dame
University, USA, June, 2009.
2009 Niaz, M., Klassen, S., McMillan, B., &
Metz, D. Leon Cooper’s Perspective on Teaching
Science: An Interview Study. Paper presented at the 10th
International History, Philosophy, and Science Teaching
Conference, Notre Dame University, USA, June, 2009.
2009 Klassen, S. The Photoelectric Effect:
Rehabilitating the Story for the Physics Classroom. Paper
presented at the 10th International History, Philosophy,
and Science Teaching Conference, Notre Dame University,
USA, June, 2009.
2008 Klassen, S. The Photoelectric Effect:
Rehabilitating the Story for the Physics Classroom. Paper
presented at the Second International Conference on Story
in Science Teaching, Munich, Germany, July, 2008.
2008 Dietrich, S., & Klassen, S. Physics Comes
to Winnipeg: The 1909 Meeting of the British Association
for the Advancement of Science. Paper presented at the
Second International Conference on Story in Science
Teaching, Munich, Germany, July, 2008.
with the Millikan oil drop experiment. Invited paper
presented at the Seventh International Conference for the
History of Science in Science Education, Athens, Greece,
July, 2008.
2007 Klassen, S. The Construction and Analysis of
a Science Story: A Proposed Methodology. Plenary paper
presented at the Ninth International History, Philosophy
and Science Teaching Conference, Calgary, June, 2007.
2007 Metz, D., Klassen, S., & McMillan, D.
Integrating Science Curricula in the Middle School:
Utilizing Historical Perspectives. Paper presented at the
Conference of the Manitoba Education Research Network,
University of Manitoba, February, 2007.
2006 Klassen, S. Does a Science Story Have
Heuristic Power to Promote Learning? Paper presented at the
First International Conference on Story in Science
Teaching, Munich, Germany, July, 2006.
2006 Stinner, A., & Klassen, S. The Role of
Quicksilver in the History of Science. Paper presented at
the First International Conference on Story in Science
Teaching, Munich, Germany, July 2006.
2006 Klassen, S. The Pedagogical Renewal of the
Millikan Oil Drop Experiment. Paper presented at the Sixth
International Conference for the History of Science in
Science Education, Oldenburg, Germany, July, 2006.
2006 Osewold, D., Heering, P., Klassen, S., &
Stinner, A. Project ‘e’. Paper presented at
the Sixth International Conference for the History of
Science in Science Education, Oldenburg, Germany, July,
2006.
2005 Klassen, S. What are Units of Historical
Presentation? Presentation at the Conference on Units of
Historical Presentation in the Science Classroom, Winnipeg,
December, 2005.
2005 Klassen, S. Providing Context for Science
Learning Through its History: Lord Kelvin and the Atlantic
Cable Story. Paper presented at the Eighth International
History, Philosophy and Science Teaching Conference, Leeds,
July, 2005.
2005 Metz, D., Clough, M., Klassen, S., McMillan,
B., & Olson, J. Conference symposium & paper:
Building a Foundation for the Use of Historical Narratives.
Paper presented at the Eighth International History,
Philosophy and Science Teaching Conference, Leeds, July,
2005.
2004 Klassen, S. Measuring e: Making it Meaningful
for Students. Paper presented at the Workshop on Units of
Historical Presentation, Munich, Germany, July, 2004.
2004 Klassen, S. Concepts of the Electron. Paper
presented at the Fifth International Conference for History
of Science in Science Education, Keszthely, Hungary, July,
2004.
2003 Klassen, S. The Science Thought Experiment:
How Might it be Used Profitably in the Classroom? Paper
presented at the Seventh International History, Philosophy
and Science Teaching Conference, Winnipeg, July, 2003.
(Invited plenary session paper)
2003 Klassen, S. A Theoretical Framework for
Contextual Science Teaching. Paper presented at the Seventh
International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching
Conference, Winnipeg, July, 2003. (Invited symposium
paper)
2001 Klassen, S. The Role of Context in Technology
and Science Education. Paper presented at the Fourth
International Seminar for History of Science in Science
Education, Winnipeg, July, 2001. (Invited paper)
2001 Stinner, A., McMillan, B., Metz, D., Jilek, J.,
& Klassen, S. Contexts, Stories and History in
the Science Classroom. Paper presented at the Sixth
International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching
Conference, Denver, USA, 2001.
2000 Klassen, S. A Theoretical Framework for Using
Stories in Science Education. Paper presented at the Third
International Seminar for History of Science in Science
Education, Munich, Germany, August, 2000. (Invited
paper)
1998 Klassen, S., McMillan, B., Metz, D. &
Stinner, A. Historical Case Studies in the Science
Classroom, from Early Years to University: Archimedes,
Rumford, Ohm, and Lord Kelvin. Paper presented at the
Second International Seminar for History of Science in
Science Education, Munich, Germany, August, 1998. (Invited
paper)
1998 Klassen, S., Metz, D., McMillan, B., &
Stinner, A. (1998). Historical Case Studies for the Science
Classroom. Paper presented at the Meeting of the Canadian
Society for History and Philosophy of Science, Ottawa,
1998.
