Visible Physics – My ASE Presentation

Many thanks to everyone who came. I really enjoyed it and am grateful to colleagues who chose to come. I … More

Cartoons and Abstract Visuals

Barbara Tversky (Minds in Motion) discusses the cognitive power of cartoons to explain abstract concepts. In these three images, I … More

Using Visual Explanations Leads to Better Performance

I have been listening to Barbara Tversky’s wonderful new book: Mind in Motion, about the roots of thinking in the … More

Up and Down the Ladder of Abstraction

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of physical, experiential knowlegde of physics: a sense of forces and flow; of motion … More

A Visceral Hinterland in Physics

Underneath it all, physicists think with their bodies. They know what it feels like. Einstein described his approach to problem-solving … More

A Couple of Posters Inspired By Oliver Caviglioli’s New Book

Last week, Oliver Caviglioli’s new book (Dual Coding with Teachers) arrived. It’s great. I’ve spent a lot of time over … More

A Quick Translation of a German Year 10 Physics Exam

In 1992, I completed my physics degree. Out of a cohort of 80, less than 5 of us found physics … More

The Privileged Status of Story – Energy – Audio Version

I wrote my book for novice physics teachers and I’ve had some very kind feedback about it. Chapter Zero in … More

Why Bar-Model Works #1: Dual Coding

I have been using bar-model incidentally in my year 11 revision groups for a couple of months now. I usually … More

Using Visual Representations to Help Solve Abstract Physics Problems

By year 6, pupils are skilled mathematical problem solvers. They can solve multi-step questions involving abstract concepts. This sounds like … More