15 March 2013
JEDDAH -- Numbers, letters, symbols, and mind-boggling equations adorn the whiteboards of classes as students try to understand the concepts of physics.
For some students studying physics is a piece of cake, some fret and struggle but manage to find a way to learn it it while others make every effort to run away from it.
The Physics department at the American University in Cairo (AUC) tried to make Physics likable by introducing Fun Lab, established in 2009, for students to learn the subject through entertainment.
In the beginning, the Fun Lab aimed to guide and teach physics students with practical experiments to enhance their understanding.
A year later, the lab staffers introduced entertainment-based physics experiments for students in summer.
And with its success, the number of children enrolling in the fun summer physics class started increasing.
The chair of physics department, Husni Omar, said that people in Egypt despise physics and children consider it as a burden. "Physics is a nightmare for many Egyptians but at AUC we are trying to make it more likable and a little bit enjoyable. It is very unfortunate because physics is considered the mother of science."
In order to change the perception of parents and children toward physics, the AUC physics department came up with this concept, he said.
The issue of children struggling with studying physics exists because of the way the information is delivered. Omar also said that teachers are not equipped with proper means to teach the subject.
The Fun Lab engineer in the physic department, Hani Mustafa, said: "It's not about what we are teaching; it's about how we are teaching."
Many new teaching systems and methods of teaching physics have been adopted and will be available from this summer onwards. The students, he said, will be happy to be part of Physics "info-tainment."
"I think if children find these ideas fun they will learn it more, memorize it even better than just learning it through text and boring old school classes," said Omar Tarek, an AUC student.
Samya Husam, another student, said: "After attending the Fun Lab today I felt that science is easier and fun."
"I had a lot of fun and I will come again," said Judy Husam after attending one session of the course.
The Fun Lab's interactive learning course is the first revolutionary step toward making Egyptian students love physics, and it has surely succeeded in changing their attitude toward one of the most important science subjects.
JEDDAH -- Numbers, letters, symbols, and mind-boggling equations adorn the whiteboards of classes as students try to understand the concepts of physics.
For some students studying physics is a piece of cake, some fret and struggle but manage to find a way to learn it it while others make every effort to run away from it.
The Physics department at the American University in Cairo (AUC) tried to make Physics likable by introducing Fun Lab, established in 2009, for students to learn the subject through entertainment.
In the beginning, the Fun Lab aimed to guide and teach physics students with practical experiments to enhance their understanding.
A year later, the lab staffers introduced entertainment-based physics experiments for students in summer.
And with its success, the number of children enrolling in the fun summer physics class started increasing.
The chair of physics department, Husni Omar, said that people in Egypt despise physics and children consider it as a burden. "Physics is a nightmare for many Egyptians but at AUC we are trying to make it more likable and a little bit enjoyable. It is very unfortunate because physics is considered the mother of science."
In order to change the perception of parents and children toward physics, the AUC physics department came up with this concept, he said.
The issue of children struggling with studying physics exists because of the way the information is delivered. Omar also said that teachers are not equipped with proper means to teach the subject.
The Fun Lab engineer in the physic department, Hani Mustafa, said: "It's not about what we are teaching; it's about how we are teaching."
Many new teaching systems and methods of teaching physics have been adopted and will be available from this summer onwards. The students, he said, will be happy to be part of Physics "info-tainment."
"I think if children find these ideas fun they will learn it more, memorize it even better than just learning it through text and boring old school classes," said Omar Tarek, an AUC student.
Samya Husam, another student, said: "After attending the Fun Lab today I felt that science is easier and fun."
"I had a lot of fun and I will come again," said Judy Husam after attending one session of the course.
The Fun Lab's interactive learning course is the first revolutionary step toward making Egyptian students love physics, and it has surely succeeded in changing their attitude toward one of the most important science subjects.
© The Saudi Gazette 2013
