NC State Department of Physics

College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences | North Carolina State University

Department of Physics
Department of Physics
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Faculty | Faculty & Staff Directory

John S. Risley

Professor

Specializes in Physics Education

Contact Information

Physics Department
NC State University
Box 8202
Raleigh, NC 27695
Work Address: 443 Riddick Hall
Phone: (919) 515-2524

Areas of Interest

Professor John S. Risley conducts research on the utilization and effectiveness of computer technology to teach physics. Physics Education Research shows that interactive, hands-on collaborative student environments produce signific ant student learning. Computers enhance this approach. The primary thrusts in this effort include evaluating educational software programs, deciding which tools to use, structuring substantive student activities, implementing student/teacher tasks and eva luating the impact. These activities are now being carried out in the new SCALE-UP classroom at NCSU.

Professor Risley is the CEO of WebAssign, an online homework, quizzing, and testing assessment system that delivers, collects, and grades and records student's assignments located on NC State's Centennial campus. This wide-reaching service incorporates textbook problems, many different answer types and classroom management tools. It represents a new way of accessing student performance and helps student learn basic physics concepts.

Select Publications

"Using Physlets to Teach Electrostatics," The Physics Teacher 37. Scott W. Bonham, John S. Risley and Wolfgang Christian. (1999). p. 276-280.

Core Concepts in Physics, (CD-ROM). John S. Risley. Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, (1998).

"Secrets of Software Longevity: Then and Now," Computers in Physics 11. John S. Risley and Margaret H. Gjertsen. (Jan/Feb 1997). p. 54-55.

"Ten Years of Tracking Educational Software," Computers in Physics 11. John S. Risley. (Jan/Feb 1997). p. 52-53.

"10th Anniversary CIP Educational Software Directory," Computers in Physics 11. Margaret H. Gjertsen and John S. Risley. (Jan/Feb 1997). p. 56-80.

"Case study of the physics component of an integrated curriculum," Phys. Ed. Res. Supplement to Am. J. of Phys 67. R. Beichner, L. Bernold, E. Burniston, P. Dail, R. Felder, J. Gastineau, M. Gjertsen, & J. Risley. (1999). p. S16-S24. Click here to view this publication.

"Hardware and Software Preferences of Technology-Oriented High School Physics Teachers," The Physics Teacher 33. Robert J. Beichner, Ladye K. Wilkinson, John E. Gastineau, Paula V. Englehardt, Margaret H. Gjertsen, Margret Hazen, LeVonda Ritchie, and John S. Risley. (1995). p. 270.

"Educational Software for Teaching Physics-1995 Directory," Computer Applications in Engineering Education 2. Ladye K. Wilkinson, Margaret H. Gjertsen, and John S. Risley. (1994). p. 257-269.

"1995 Directory of Physics Courseware: Simulation Software," Computers in Physics 9. 65. Ladye K. Wilkinson, Margaret H. Gjertsen, and John S. Risley. (Jan/Feb 1995).

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