15 October 2020: Seminar by Dr Willem van Straten, Mathematical Sciences, AUT
Title: Portfolio assessment in the physical sciences
Where: WF609
When: Thursday October 15, 2020; 1-2 pm
Abstract: Discussion of some of the strategies used to implement portfolio-based assessment for two different first-year subjects: object-oriented programming and physics (classical mechanics and thermodynamics). As part of the discussion, I will compare and contrast the intent behind certain design decisions, the impact that they have on levels of student engagement and achievement, and the demands that they place on teaching staff.
Bio: Willem van Straten is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences and the Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research at AUT. As an undergraduate in Canada, Willem was preparing for a job in the space industry when he learned about radio astronomy and the exciting ways to study the physical extremes of our Universe through pulsars. After completing a PhD on pulsars, he undertook post-doctoral and academic staff appointments at the Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy (ASTRON), The Centre for Gravitational Wave Astronomy (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), and the Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing (Swinburne University of Technology). He can't get enough physics, and he hopes he can figure out how to inspire others to feel the same.