Form 19- 23 November, the Pedagogical University will host a regional workshop on “Active Learning in Optics and Photonics” sponsored by the UNESCO.
Every year, similar workshops, sponsored by the UNESCO, are held in different countries. In order to arrange the workshop at the Pedagogical, the Head of the Department of Theoretical Physics and Physics Learning Methods, Doctor of Physical-Mathematical Sciences Edvard Kokanyan submitted a programme to the UNESCO, which grounds the organization of the workshop at our University.
“With the realization of the essential meaning of preparing pedagogical human- resources, modern pedagogical technologies are created and tested at the University, and the active learning method may also be considered as such. The active learning in optics and photonics implies knowledge construction by direct observations of physical phenomena and gives opportunities to provide complete education with scarce resources in poorly equipped laboratory conditions,” Edvard Kokanyan mentioned.
In addition, he especially emphasized the fact that current and future pedagogues, researchers and lecturers that participate at the conference will obtain the necessary skills and abilities for further intensive contribution of these methods at schools and universities.
Besides, speaking about the expected outcomes of the conference, Edvard Kokanyan added, “The aim of organizing this workshop is to increase the efficiency of physics learning with the help of active learning method. The application of this method will lead to increased interest of high- school pupils and university students towards physics, and in particular optics and photonics, as well as will improve pupils’ professional orientation toward natural sciences.
We would also like to mention that the programme of “Active Learning in Optics and Photonics” has commenced since 2003; it was initiated by the international working group of professionals from the UNESCO, the Optical Society of the United States of America (OSA), International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), and Asian Physics Education Network (ASPEN).
First, the programme was demonstrated in the USA and in a number of other developed countries, being initially aimed at enhancing the level of learning fundamental principles of physics by students.
To participate in and to assist the workshop, the Pedagogical will also welcome a number of eminent professors from abroad who have considerable contribution to the creation and development of the programme “Active Learning in Optics and Photonics”; among them are professors David Sokoloff (University of Oregon, Eugene, USA), Alexander Mazzolini (Swinburne Technological University, Melbourne, Australia), Zohra Ben Lakhdar (University of Tunis, Tunisia), Jozeph Niemela (International Center of Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy) and Juste Jean-Paul Ngome Abiaga (UNESCO, Paris, France).
In the workshop activities will also participate teachers from high-schools of Yerevan and regions of Armenia together with young researchers in physics, optics and photonics, lecturers, students in master, applicants and PhD students from Armenian State Pedagogical University, Yerevan State University, Gyumri State Pedagogical University, Artsakh State University, Tabriz University of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
To sum up, the following are the subjects that will be discussed at the workshop: geometrical optics, rectilinear propagation of light, reflection and refraction, interference and diffraction, atmospheric optics, lenses and optics of the eye, optical communication, optical data transmission.
