A Crisis in Physics Education: Games to the Rescue!

An education in Physics develops both strong cognitive and practical skills. These are well-matched to the needs of employers, from engineering to banking. Physics provides the foundation for all engineering and scientific disciplines including computing technologies, aerospace, communication, and also biosciences and medicine. In academe, Physics addresses fundamental questions about the universe, the nature of reality, and of the complex socio-economic systems comprising our daily lives. Yet today, there are emerging concerns about Physics education: Secondary school interest in Physics is falling, as is the number of Physics school teachers. There is clearly a crisis in physics education; recent research has identified principal factors. Starting from a review of these factors, and from recommendations of professional bodies, this paper proposes a novel solution – the use of Computer Games to teach physics to school children, to university undergraduates and to teacher-trainees.

The Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games and Scottish Independence: “Political Truce” or Political Truth(s)?

This paper explores the political reaction to Lord McConnell’s appeal for a political ‘truce’ in the form of a temporary halt to campaigning by all political parties and organisations involved in the debate regarding the Scottish independence referendum during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (BBC, 2014; McConnell, 2014). Urging both sides of the debate to cease campaigning for the two-week period of the Glasgow 2014 games, the current Labour peer and past First Minister of the Scottish Parliament cited concerns that there are “genuine concerns that the Games, and the image of Scotland, could be damaged by attempts by either side – for and against – to use the Games to promote their cause, or to use the venues for campaigning” (McConnell, 2014). Drawing upon the principles of both a critical discourse and a narrative analysis methodological approach, this paper will scrutinise the nature of the political reactions to McConnell’s proposal from a variety of perspectives on both sides of the independence referendum debate. In particular, the emphasis in the responses from both sides of the debate regarding the apolitical nature of the 2014 Games will be critiqued, drawing upon the arguments of past analyses of sporting mega-events which highlight the potential for political exploitation of such events by the host nations (e.g. Horne, 2007; Grix, 2012; Houlihan and Giulianotti, 2012; Roche, 2006). Furthermore, the findings of academic research on the political implications of hosting the Commonwealth Games will be considered (e.g. Majumdar and Mehta, 2010; Van Der Westhuizen, 2004; Macintosh and Greenhorn, 1992; Majumdar, 2011; Lockstone and Baum, 2010; Macfarlane and Herd, 1986), highlighting a number of precedents which demonstrate the numerous challenges faced in any attempts to the keep the 2014 Games free from political influence.