Fostering the Interdisciplinary Learning of Contemporary Physics Through Digital Technologies: The “Gravitas” Project

The interdisciplinary teaching of contemporary physics has become increasingly common in physics education, especially for high school students and teachers. This approach, which integrates content and methodologies from various disciplines, fosters scientific reasoning, enhances creativity, and inc...

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Main Authors: Matteo Tuveri, Arianna Steri, Daniela Fadda, Riccardo Stefanizzi, Viviana Fanti, Walter Marcello Bonivento
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Digital
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6470/4/4/48
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author Matteo Tuveri
Arianna Steri
Daniela Fadda
Riccardo Stefanizzi
Viviana Fanti
Walter Marcello Bonivento
author_facet Matteo Tuveri
Arianna Steri
Daniela Fadda
Riccardo Stefanizzi
Viviana Fanti
Walter Marcello Bonivento
author_sort Matteo Tuveri
collection DOAJ
description The interdisciplinary teaching of contemporary physics has become increasingly common in physics education, especially for high school students and teachers. This approach, which integrates content and methodologies from various disciplines, fosters scientific reasoning, enhances creativity, and increases student motivation and interest in physics. The use of digital technologies, such as social media platforms, supports these educational goals by facilitating the inclusive and cost-effective dissemination of scientific knowledge and the development of soft skills. This paper introduces the “Gravitas” project, an initiative that employs an interdisciplinary approach to present contemporary physics topics to high school students through social media. Coordinated by the Cagliari Division of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Italy, the “Gravitas” project offers a non-traditional learning environment where students explore modern physics and philosophy and the history of science. Through the creation of educational materials, such as social media posts, students actively engage in their learning. In 2022, around 250 students from 16 high schools across Sardinia, Italy, participated in this project. This paper discusses the learning outcomes, highlighting the potential of integrating formal high school curricula with innovative educational and digital tools.
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spelling doaj-art-bbbdb8b2a0534cff87e11237395e48022025-08-20T02:55:45ZengMDPI AGDigital2673-64702024-11-014497198910.3390/digital4040048Fostering the Interdisciplinary Learning of Contemporary Physics Through Digital Technologies: The “Gravitas” ProjectMatteo Tuveri0Arianna Steri1Daniela Fadda2Riccardo Stefanizzi3Viviana Fanti4Walter Marcello Bonivento5Physics Department, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, ItalyINFN Sezione di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, ItalyDepartment of Pedagogy, Psychology, and Philosophy, University of Cagliari, via Is Mirrionis, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyPhysics Department, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, ItalyPhysics Department, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, ItalyINFN Sezione di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, ItalyThe interdisciplinary teaching of contemporary physics has become increasingly common in physics education, especially for high school students and teachers. This approach, which integrates content and methodologies from various disciplines, fosters scientific reasoning, enhances creativity, and increases student motivation and interest in physics. The use of digital technologies, such as social media platforms, supports these educational goals by facilitating the inclusive and cost-effective dissemination of scientific knowledge and the development of soft skills. This paper introduces the “Gravitas” project, an initiative that employs an interdisciplinary approach to present contemporary physics topics to high school students through social media. Coordinated by the Cagliari Division of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Italy, the “Gravitas” project offers a non-traditional learning environment where students explore modern physics and philosophy and the history of science. Through the creation of educational materials, such as social media posts, students actively engage in their learning. In 2022, around 250 students from 16 high schools across Sardinia, Italy, participated in this project. This paper discusses the learning outcomes, highlighting the potential of integrating formal high school curricula with innovative educational and digital tools.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6470/4/4/48interdisciplinaryphysics educationinformal learningonline learningdigital technologies
spellingShingle Matteo Tuveri
Arianna Steri
Daniela Fadda
Riccardo Stefanizzi
Viviana Fanti
Walter Marcello Bonivento
Fostering the Interdisciplinary Learning of Contemporary Physics Through Digital Technologies: The “Gravitas” Project
Digital
interdisciplinary
physics education
informal learning
online learning
digital technologies
title Fostering the Interdisciplinary Learning of Contemporary Physics Through Digital Technologies: The “Gravitas” Project
title_full Fostering the Interdisciplinary Learning of Contemporary Physics Through Digital Technologies: The “Gravitas” Project
title_fullStr Fostering the Interdisciplinary Learning of Contemporary Physics Through Digital Technologies: The “Gravitas” Project
title_full_unstemmed Fostering the Interdisciplinary Learning of Contemporary Physics Through Digital Technologies: The “Gravitas” Project
title_short Fostering the Interdisciplinary Learning of Contemporary Physics Through Digital Technologies: The “Gravitas” Project
title_sort fostering the interdisciplinary learning of contemporary physics through digital technologies the gravitas project
topic interdisciplinary
physics education
informal learning
online learning
digital technologies
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6470/4/4/48
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