Randal Harrington
Assistant Professor
B.S., 1981 Western Washington University B.S., 1989 University
of Washington M.S., 1991 University of Washington Ph.D., 1995
University of Washington
Research Interests: Physics Education
Research in the field of Physics Education has shown that
students do not often learn basic concepts as a result of standard
instruction. However, the design of instructional materials and
educational technologies that match the needs and abilities of
students requires detailed knowledge about the conceptual and
reasoning difficulties encountered in the study of a particular
topic. To obtain that knowledge, research is being conducted to
identify these student difficulties in specific topics in introductory
physics. Some of this research is carried out in collaboration
with the College of Education. Current research interests include
student conceptions of electric charge, student understanding
of frames of reference and student conceptions of radiation. We
are also engaged in designing instructional materials, both written
and computer-based, for pre-service and in-service precollege
teachers.
Harrington, R.R., (1997) New standards
for teaching middle school science: now that we have them, what
do we do? Journal for Research in Rural Education, SPring
1997, Vol 13 (1).
Harrington, R.R., (1996) A new model for
a physics course for non-science majors: using an introductory
physics course as a laboratory for training pre-service and in-service
teachers to teach physics. Presented at the International
Conference on Undergraduate Physics Education (ICUPE), College
Park, Maryland July 31-August 3, 1996. Proceedings to be published
by the Institute of Physics, E. Redish and J. Rigden, Eds.
e mail address randal@maine.maine.edu
Current Vitae