Developing research-based teaching materials including examples from teaching the physics of medical imaging

Speaker: Prof. Dean Zollman, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA

Venue: G 1, Lecture hall, Main building, HBCSE

Abstract:

Modern methods of medical imaging are built on some fundamental principles of physics.  These applications of physics can be highly motivating to our students.  However, the students frequently do not learn about these connections between physics and medical imaging.  To help students understand that physics and medical imaging are closely related, we have developed a series of active learning units.  For each unit we begin by studying how students transfer their knowledge from traditional physics classes and everyday experiences to the medical applications.  Then, we build instructional materials to take advantage of the students’ abilities to use their existing learning and knowledge resources.  Each of learning units involves a combination of hands-on activities, which incorporate analogies and interactive computer simulations.  Our learning units introduce students to the contemporary imaging techniques of CT Scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), wavefront aberrometry, and a unit on Alexander Graham Bell’s attempt in 1881 to find a bullet in US President James Garfield. The project’s Web site is http://web.phys.ksu.edu/mmmm/.

Supported by the US National Science Foundation under grant DUE 04-27645.