Binek seeks to put new face on physics education

Christian Binek would like to make face-to-face interaction between instructor and student a 24/7 proposition for the teaching of complex topics of physics.

Binek, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been awarded a five-year, $500,000 Faculty Early Career Development grant from the National Science Foundation to support his work in spintronics and to create an innovative Web-based resource for students and the public interested in physics research. Career grants are a highly competitive NSF program designed for early-career faculty who effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization.

Rather than the simple posting of notes or PowerPoint presentations, Binek's system would allow students to address questions at any time to an instructor who is represented by a human-like, knowledge "avatar." An avatar is a small photo or cartoon-like character that enables Web users to portray themselves on the Web. Experienced Web users design avatars for use in e-mail, discussion groups and online forums. In Binek's system, however, they are far more advanced interactive online characters equipped with expert knowledge and allowing face-to-face communication with a virtual person.

Binek said he hopes that student-to-avatar dialogues could simulate the face-to-face interaction that has been shown to be the most effective way of learning. The student could go, for example, into virtual rooms where different physics subjects and research highlights are presented and ask questions of the instructor avatar, which would respond by drawing on a knowledge base designed by the instructor. Links to other resources on the Web can be included. Anyone with an Internet connection and the Flash browser plug-in would also be able to hold these discussions and receive answers in layman's language.

For the research component of the grant, Binek's primary work is in the effects of magnetism in the field of spintronics. In spintronics, physicists study ways to exploit the spin of electrons to develop a new generation of nanoscale electronic devices that could be created atom by atom.

CONTACT:Christian Binek, Asst. Professor, Physics & Astronomy, (402) 472-5231