Edward F. Redish

Professor of Physics
University of Maryland

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1968

Edward F. Redish is a Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland in College Park. He received his undergraduate degree Magna Cum Laude from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in theoretical nuclear physics from M.I.T. in 1968. He has been at the University of Maryland ever since, and served as Chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy there from 1982-1985. His research in nuclear theory emphasized the theory of reactions and the quantum few-body problem. As a nuclear theorist he served on the national Nuclear Science Advisory Committee and served as Chair of the Program Committee for the Indiana University Cyclotron.

Since 1982 he has been actively involved in the subject of physics education. He was founder and co-principal investigator of the Maryland University Project in Physics Education and Technology (M.U.P.P.E.T.) and Comprehensive Unified Physics Learning Environment (CUPLE). His current research effort is devoted entirely to physics education.

Prof. Redish is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the AAAS, and the Washington Academy of Science. He has received awards for his work in education from the Washington Academy of Science, the Maryland Association for Higher Education, Dickinson College, Vanderbilt University, and the Robert A. Millikan Medal from the AAPT. In 2005, he received the NSF Director's award as a Distinguished Teaching Scholar.

Redish has been co-organizer for three major conferences bringing the topic of education to the university physics community: the Conference on Computers in Physics Instruction (Raleigh, 1988), the International Conference on Undergraduate Physics Education (College Park, 1996), and the Enrico Fermi Summer School on Physics Education Research (Varenna, Italy, 2003). He was US Representative to the International Commission on Physics Education from 1994-2002. He was the editor of the Physics Education Research Supplement / Section to the American Journal of Physics from its inception in 1999 to 2004. He has served as Chair of the American Physical Society's Committee on Education.

Prof. Redish has been involved in development of curricular materials for a number of physics classes. With Michael Wittmann (Maine) and Richard Steinberg (CCNY) he is the creator of A New Model Course in Quantum Physics, a set of tutorials, problems, and simulations to help students bridge the mathematics of quantum physics with a conceptual understanding. For introductory college and university physics, he has been collaborating with Pat Cooney (Millersville), Karen Cummings (S. Conn.), Priscilla Laws (Dickinson), David Sokoloff (Oregon), and Ron Thornton (Tufts) as part of the Activity-Based Physics development team. They are responsible for the creation of The Physics Suite for John Wiley and Sons, Inc. This includes the physics text, Understanding Physics, by Cummings, Laws, Redish, and Cooney, a revision of the popular text by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker that takes into account what has been learned from physics education research. The Suite melds together the text with student activities including Tutorials (University of Washington), Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (University of Oregon and Tufts), and Workshop Physics (Dickinson College). The text of his guide to the Suite and to Physics Education Research is available at Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite.

Currently he is doing research on student epistemologies and expectations, on cognitive models of student thinking in physics, and on student difficulties with the use of mathematics in physics, especially upper division physics. For more information, see the homepage of the Physics Education Research Group (PERG) at the University of Maryland.

As a hobby, he collects currency with pictures of physicists. See them at Physicists on the Money.

Selected Papers

  1. Looking Beyond Content: Skill development for engineers, E. F. Redish and K. A. Smith, to be published in Journal of Engineering Education.
  2. Symbolic manipulators affect mathematical mindsets, T.J. Bing and E. F. Redish, to be published in Am. J. Phys. (2008).
  3. The Cognitive Blending of Mathematics and Physics Knowledge, T.J. Bing and E. F. Redish, to be published in Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Syracuse, NY, August 2006, AIP Conf. Proc. 883, 26-29 (2007).
  4. Elements of a Cognitive Model of Physics Problem Solving: Epistemic Games, J. Tuminaro and E. F. Redish, Phys. Rev. STPER, 3, 020101 (2007).
  5. Knowledge Organization and Activation in Physics Problem Solving, M. Sabella and E. F. Redish, Am. J. Phys. 75, 1017-1029 (2007).
  6. Whither/Wither the Physics Textbook in an Active/Interactive Era?, thinkpiece based on poster presented at the NSF conference, Reconsidering the Textbook: A Workshop, Washington DC, May 24-26, 2006.
  7. Problem Solving and the Use of Math in Physics Courses, E. F. Redish, to be published in Proceedings of the Conference, World View on Physics Education in 2005: Focusing on Change, Delhi, August 21-26, 2005
  8. Changing Student Ways of Knowing: What should our students learn in a physics class?, E. F. Redish, to be published in Proceedings of the Conference, World View on Physics Education in 2005: Focusing on Change, Delhi, August 21-26, 2005
  9. Reverse Engineering the Solution of a "Simple" Physics Problem: Why learning physics is harder than it looks, E. F. Redish, R. E. Scherr, and J. Tuminaro, published in a slightly abbreviated version in The Physics Teacher, (May, 2006).
  10. Newton's zeroth law: Learning from listening to our students, R. E. Scherr and E. F. Redish, The Physics Teacher, 43, pp. 41-45 (2005).
  11. Twenty Questions for PER: How does it all fit together?, E. F. Redish & M. C. Wittmann, in Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Sacramento, CA, August 2004, AIP Conf. Proc. 790 , 11-14 (2005).
  12. Resources, framing, and transfer, D. Hammer, A. Elby, R. E. Scherr, & E. F. Redish, in , Transfer of Learning: Research and Perspectives, J. Mestre (ed. )(Information Age Publishing, Greenwich, CT, 2004).
  13. A Theoretical Framework for Physics Education Research: Modeling student thinking, Edward F. Redish, in Proceedings of the International School of Physics, "Enrico Fermi" Course CLVI, E. F. Redish and M. Vicentini (eds.) (IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2004).
  14. Investigating student understanding of quantum physics: Spontaneous models of conductivity, E. Redish, R. Steinberg, and M. Wittmann, American Journal of Physics, 70:3, pp. 218-226 (2002). (published version)
  15. Understanding probabilistic interpretations of physical systems: A prerequisite to learning quantum physics, Lei Bao and Edward F. Redish, American Journal of Physics, 70:3, pp. 210-217 (2002). (published version)
  16. Model Analysis: Assessing the Dynamics of Student Learning, Lei Bao and Edward F. Redish, University of Maryland preprint, March 2001.
  17. Concentration Analysis: A Quantitative Assessment of Student States, Lei Bao and Edward F. Redish, Physics Education Research Supplement to the American Journal of Physics, 69, S45-S53 (July 2001).
  18. Who needs to learn physics in the 21st century and why?, Edward F. Redish, plenary lecture, GIREP Conference Physics Teacher Education beyond 2000, Barcelona Spain, August 2000.
  19. What can you learn from a (good) multiple choice exam?Lei Bao and Edward F. Redish, contributed paper, GIREP Conference Physics Teacher Education beyond 2000, Barcelona Spain, August 2000.
  20. Diagnosing student problems using the results and methods of physics education research, Edward F. Redish (19. August, 1999, International Conference of Physics Teachers and Educators, Guilin, People's Republic of China).
  21. Resource Letter PER-1: Physics Education Research, Lillian C. McDermott and Edward F. Redish, The American Journal of Physics, 67, 755-767 (September, 1999). (pdf version)
  22. Millikan Award Lecture (1998): Building a Science of Teaching Physics, Edward F. Redish, The American Journal of Physics, 67, 562-573 (July, 1999). (pdf version)
  23. Teaching physics: figuring out what works, Edward F. Redish and Richard N. Steinberg, Physics Today 52, 24-30 (January, 1999).
  24. Making sense of how students make sense of mechanical waves, M. Wittmann, R. N. Steinberg, and E. F. Redish, The Physics Teacher 37, 15-21 (January 1999).
  25. Student expectations in introductory physics, Edward F. Redish, Jeffery M. Saul, and Richard N. Steinberg, Am. J. Phys. 66, 212-224 (1998). (pdf version)
  26. The Distribution and Change of Student Expectations in Introductory Physics, Edward F. Redish, Richard N. Steinberg, and Jeffery M. Saul, Invited poster, presented at The International Conference on Undergraduate Physics Education (ICUPE), College Park, Maryland July 31-August 3, 1996. Proceedings to be published by the American Institute of Physics, E. Redish and J. Rigden, Eds.
  27. Mathematical Tutorials in Introductory Physics, Richard N. Steinberg, Michael C. Wittmann, and Edward F. Redish, Sample class, presented at The International Conference on Undergraduate Physics Education (ICUPE), College Park, Maryland July 31-August 3, 1996. Proceedings to be published by the American Institute of Physics, E. Redish and J. Rigden, Eds.
  28. New Models of Physics Instruction Based on Physics Education Research, E. F. Redish, Vortraege, Deutsche Physikalishe Gesellschaft, Didaktik der Physik, 60. Physikertagung, K. H. Lotze, Ed., 51-65, Jena, Germany, (March 1996).
  29. On the Effectiveness of Active-Engagement Microcomputer-Based Laboratories, E. F. Redish, J. M. Saul, and R. N. Steinberg , Am. J. Phys. 65, 45-54 (January 1997). (pdf version)
  30. Implications of Cognitive Studies for Teaching Physics, E. F. Redish, Am. J. Phys., 62, 796-803 (1994).
  31. Are Computers Appropriate for Teaching Physics", E. F. Redish, Computers in Physics, 7, 613 (Nov/Dec 1993).
  32. What Can a Physics Teacher Do with a Computer?, E. F. Redish, Conference on the Introductory Physics Course, Jack Wilson, Ed. (Wiley, NY, 1997) 47-60.
  33. Student Programming in the Introductory Physics Course: M.U.P.P.E.T,, E. F. Redish, and J. M. Wilson, American Journal of Physics, 61, 222 (1993). (pdf version)
  34. The CUPLE Project: A Hyper- and Multi-Media Approach to Restructuring Physics Education, E. F. Redish, J. M. Wilson, and C. K. McDaniel, in Sociomedia, p. 219, ed. E. Barrett, Cambridge: MIT Press (1992).
  35. Using Computers in Teaching Physics, J. M. Wilson, and E. F. Redish, Physics Today, 42, 34 (January 1989).
  36. "The M.U.P.P.E.T. Manifesto," W. M. MacDonald, E. F. Redish, and J. M. Wilson, Computers in Physics 2, 23 (July/August 1988).

Selected Presentations

  1. Components of a Cognitive Theory for Education: Implications for the Use of Math in Physics Courses, Edward F. Redish [17 May, 2007, invited seminar, Physics Education Group, UIUC, IL.]
  2. The Challenge of Interdisciplinary STEM Service Classes: How can physics, chemistry, math, and computer science support a redesigned biology curriculum?, Edward F. Redish [2 August, 2006, invited talk, Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, West Lafayette, IN.]
  3. Why having a theory of learning changes what I do in class on Monday, Edward F. Redish [25 July, 2006, invited talk, AAPT National Summer Meeting, Syracuse, NY.]
  4. Uses and limitations of epistemological surveys for informing course design, Tim McCaskey, Andy Elby, and Edward F. Redish, presented by TM [26 July, 2006, invited talk, AAPT National Summer Meeting, Syracuse, NY.]
  5. Does PER need theory? If so, what kind?, Edward F. Redish [15 August, 2005, Plenary invited talk, Foundations and Frontiers of Physics Education Research Conference, Bar Harbor, ME.]
  6. Problem Solving and the Use of Math in Physics Courses, Edward F. Redish [17 November, 2004, Colloquium at Washington University, St. Louis, MO and Purdue University, Lafayette, IN.]
  7. Physics Education Research: A personal historic overview, [October 19,2004] Invited talk presented at CASEE Advisory Board meeting, Savannah, Georgia
  8. The Future of Physics Education: Building an applied science? Edward F. Redish [15 November, 2003, APS-AAPT Joint Regional Meeting, Berkeley, California]
  9. Our Model of How a Student "Works": Does it matter for teaching science? Edward F. Redish [23 June, 2002, Conference on Integrating Science and Math Education Research, Orono, Maine]
  10. Developing Student Expectations in Algebra-Based Physics Edward F. Redish [23 June, 2002, Conference on Integrating Science and Math Education Research, Orono, Maine]
  11. Thinking About Thinking: Making the transition from classical to quantum physics Edward F. Redish [9 June, 2002, Gordon Research Conference on Physics Research and Education: Quantum Mechanics, Mount Holyoke, Massachusetts]
  12. Teaching Physics for Other Sciences and Engineering: What do we have to offer? Edward F. Redish [13 April, 2002, Regional AAPT Meeting, Orlando, FL] (HTML version only)
  13. Metacognition and instructional design: Theory-driven goals and methods in a large university physics class Edward F. Redish [14 September, 2001, Ganiel Symposium, Rehovoth, Israel] (pdf version)
  14. Astro 101:Rethinking the GoalsEdward F. Redish (12 May, 2001, AAS Symposium, Berkeley, CA) (pdf version)
  15. Building a Science of Teaching Edward F. Redish (21 February, 2001, Indiana University SOTL Symposium, Bloomington, IN) (pdf version)
  16. What can astronomy education learn from physics education research? Edward F. Redish (10 January, 2001, AAPT/AAS National Meeting, San Diego, CA) (pdf version)
  17. Seeing the Light: What's so hard about teaching optics?, Edward F. Redish (26. October, 2000, The Optical Society, Providence, RI) (pdf version)
  18. Using the culture of science to learn how to teach science, Edward F. Redish (4. May, 1999, MIT, Cambridge, MA)
  19. Making sense of what happens in physics classes: Analyzing student learning, Edward F. Redish (24 March, 1999, APS Centennial Meeting, Atlanta, GA)
  20. Using the computer in teaching physics: Can it really help students learn?, Edward. F. Redish (11 January 99, AAPT Winter Meeting, Anaheim, CA)
  21. The role of physics education research in reforming undergraduate education, Edward. F. Redish (3 October 98, Revitalization of Physics Education Meeting, Arlington, VA)
  22. Millikan Award Lecture: Building a science of teaching physics, Edward. F. Redish (6 August 98, AAPT Summer Meeting, Lincoln NE)
  23. New models of learning and teaching (10 May 97, Conference of Physics Dept. Chairs, Undergraduate Education in Physics: Responding to Changing Expectations, College Park MD)
  24. Student difficulties with energy in quantum mechanics, Edward F. Redish, Lei Bao, and Pratibha Jolly (7 January 97 AAPT Winter Meeting, Phoenix, AZ)
  25. Measuring student expectations in university physics: The MPEX survey, Edward F. Redish (6 January 97 AAPT Winter Meeting, Phoenix, AZ)
  26. Discipline-based education and education research: The case of physics, Edward F. Redish, Invited talk, presented at workshop "The Sciences of Science Learning", National Academy of Sciences, September 6, 1996.
  27. Student difficulties with math in physics: Giving meaning to symbols, E. F. Redish, Richard N. Steinberg, and Jeffery M. Saul ( 9 August 96 AAPT Summer Meeting, College Park MD)
  28. Student difficulties with math in physics: Why canít students apply what they learn in math class? ,Richard N. Steinberg, Jeffery M. Saul, Michael C. Wittmann, Edward F. Redish (9 August 96 AAPT Summer Meeting, College Park MD)
  29. Identifying student difficulties with the propagation of mechanical waves, Michael C. Wittmann, Edward F. Redish, Richard N. Steinberg (9 August 96 AAPT Summer Meeting, College Park MD)
  30. Student difficulties with quantum mechanics, Lei Bao, Pratibha Jolly, and Edward F. Redish (8 August 96 AAPT Summer Meeting, College Park MD)
  31. Student difficulties with superposition of mechanical waves, Michael C. Wittmann, Edward F. Redish, Richard Steinberg (2 March 96 AAPT Regional Meeting)

Books

  1. E. F. Redish, Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2003).
  2. K. Cummings, P. Laws, E. F. Redish, and P. Cooney, Understanding Physics, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2004).

Conference Proceedings Edited

  1. E. F. Redish and M. Vicentini, Proceedings of the International School of Physics "Enrico Fermi" Course CLVI: Physics Education Research, Varenna, Italy, July/August 2004. (IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2004).
  2. E. F. Redish and J. Rigden, The Changing Role of Physics Departments in Modern Universities, College Park, Maryland, July/August 1996. AIP Conf. Proceedings, vol. 399 (AIP Press, 1997).
  3. E. F. Redish and J. Risley, Proceedings of the Conference on Computers in Physics Instruction, Raleigh,NC, August 1988. (Addison Wesley, 1990 ).

Published Software

  1. J. M. Wilson and E. F. Redish, CUPLE: The Comprehensive Unified Physics Learning Environment, Raleigh, NC: Physics Academic Software (1994).
  2. E. F. Redish, J. M. Wilson, and I. D. Johnston, The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities: Programming Tools for Turbo Pascal with Physics Examples, Raleigh, NC: Physics Academic Software (1994).
  3. J. Harold, K. Hennacy, and E. F. Redish, Orbits, Raleigh, NC: Physics Academic Software (1989).

Recent Instructional Materials

  1. Physics 121: Fundamentals of Physics I
  2. Physics 122: Fundamentals of Physics II
  3. Physics 708: Seminar in Physics Education
  4. Physics 374: Introduction to Intermediate Theoretical Physics
  5. Education C&I 788N: Seminar in Socio-Cultural Theories of Learning

    Personal Information

    Edward F. Redish
    Department of Physics, University of Maryland
    College Park, MD 20742-4111
    Phone: (301) 405-6120 (voice)
    (301) 314-9531 (fax)
    redish@umd.edu
    last update, February 22, 2008