How to get started
The following steps are adapted from the original ISLE guidance for teachers who are interested in adopting the ISLE approach.
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Join the ISLE community
Join the Facebook group Exploring and Applying Physics to become a member of the community. The group offers monthly meetings.
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Read and watch introductory materials
Read materials on this website and watch talks about the ISLE approach. You can start with these videos and resources:
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Take a workshop
Take a workshop at the AAPT meeting or one offered for members of the Facebook group.
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Contact Eugenia Etkina
Email Eugenia Etkina to schedule a meeting to get started.
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Educate yourself about the ISLE approach
There are several papers and books about the ISLE approach. Make sure that you also learn about scientific abilities and rubrics. See the list of publications.
Etkina, E., Brookes, D. T., & Planinsic, G. (2019). Investigative Science Learning Environment: When Learning Physics Mirrors Doing Physics. Institute of Physics, Concise Publishing; Morgan and Claypool Publishers. DOI 10.1088/2053-2571/ab3ebd
Etkina, E., & Planinsic, G. (2024). Investigative Science Learning Environment: A Guide for Teacher Preparation and Professional Development. IOP Publishing Ltd. View book
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Obtain the textbook
Contact your Pearson representative to obtain a copy of the textbook College Physics: Explore and Apply by Eugenia Etkina, Gorazd Planinsic, Joshua Rutberg, and Alan Van Heuvelen. The third edition is now available through Pearson. Start reading the textbook as if you have never studied physics.
Pearson textbook information for the third edition
If you have trouble navigating access to the textbook and supporting materials, please email Eugenia Etkina.
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Get access to Mastering Physics materials
Ask your Pearson representative, or email Eugenia, to provide you with access to Mastering Physics. There you will find the Instructor Guide (IG), the Active Learning Guide (ALG), and the online Active Learning Guide (OALG), a version of the ALG for teaching online created during the COVID pandemic.
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Plan how to ISLEize your course
After taking the workshop, reading papers, and reading the book about ISLE, read Chapter 1 of the Instructor Guide and think about what changes you need to make to your course to ISLEize it.
Discuss your plans with a developer who matches your course situation best.
There are many decisions that you need to make. Among the most important are:
- What are the goals of the course?
- How will students do observational, testing, and application experiments?
- When and how will students engage in group work?
- How will students be assessed?
- What mechanisms for improvement in their work will be available?
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Start slow
Remember, you do not need to make new materials. You need to incorporate the materials that have already been created into your course structure and decide how much help your students need.
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Trust students’ potential
In our experience, students’ potential is unlimited. With proper support and opportunities to revise and improve their work without punishment, your students will be extremely successful learning physics through the ISLE approach.