Investigative Science Learning Environment

The goal of this book is to introduce readers to a new philosophy of teaching and learning physics: Investigative Science Learning Environment, or ISLE (pronounced the same way as a small island). ISLE is an example of an intentional approach to curriculum design and learning activities. Intentionality means that the process through which the learning occurs is as crucial for learning as the final outcome or learned content. In ISLE, the learning process mirrors the practice of physics. This mirroring involves the process of the development of new ideas that are based on systematic patterns of experimentation and reasoning similar to that of physicists, and the collaborative nature of science and its continuous opportunities to improve one’s work.