Leon Hsu
Associate professor

Although my background is in semiconductor physics, near the end of graduate school, I became interested in why students had such difficulty learning physics and switched my research focus to physics education. I am most interested in trying to understand the thought processes necessary for students to learn how to solve problems in physics and using that knowledge to design more effective physics instruction. I am also working with faculty in Physics and in Curriculum & Instruction to increase the number of high school physics teachers graduating from the U of M and to improve the experiences they have during their education.

Education

Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, physics, 1997

A.B., Harvard University, physics, 1991

Research interests

Physics education

• How students learn to solve problems
• Factors affecting students’ attitudes and beliefs about physics and the learning of physics
• Preparation of physics teachers

Physics

• Semiconductors under large hydrostatic pressures
• Modeling of transport properties in semiconductors
• Modeling of semiconductor solar cells

Awards

Horace T. Morse Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education, 2007-08

Relevant links

Personal Assistants for Learning (PALs). PALs are computer programs originally designed to help students learn to specify and apply physics principles. The idea was conceived by Professor Fred Reif and the original programs were developed by Reif at Carnegie Mellon University along with graduate student Lisa Scott, post-doc Leon Hsu (me) and programmers Eric Zeisloft and James Harvey. I am now working with Professor Ken Heller in Physics to adapt the idea to helping students learn to solve the wide array of problems that they encounter in introductory physics courses.

Physics Education Group at the University of Minnesota. I work closely with members of the physics department to conduct research in physics education, most notably in problem solving, but also in studying students attitudes and beliefs about physics and learning physics.

Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC). This grant-funded effort seeks to increase the number of highly qualified high school physics teachers graduating from the University of Minnesota and to improve the education they receive.