Active engagement and cooperative learning in physics at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy

The United States Coast Guard Academy, one of the smallest of the United States military academies, provides a unique environment where all cadets, regardless of major, receive rigorous training in STEM disciplines. Each cadet takes a scientific, engineering, managerial, liberal arts and nautical science curriculum, in addition to their specialized training in one of eight majors. This core curriculum includes two semesters of calculus-based physics. This provides the faculty with the unique opportunity and challenge of teaching majors ranging from Government to Electrical Engineering in the same calculus-based class. The USCGA's Physics department has employed active learning since 2002. While students have showed gains in both diagnostic scores and end of course grades, faculty feel that we can further improve student understanding by focusing on cooperative learning and leadership aspects of group work.