Adapting to a Changing World: Challenges and Opportunities in Undergraduate Physics Education.

摘要

The U.S. economy is struggling to recover from a great recession. As we do so, the circumstances within which we hope to rise are not those from which we came. We are entering what some have termed The Third Industrial Revolution. In this new world, what characterizes a leading economy is not factory production lines producing well-designed machines. Rather, it is the ability to serve the information and communication needs of populations approximating those of the entire Earth. Specifically, the United States can no longer enjoy an unchallenged position of leadership in this new world. Our preeminence is being challenged by many countries and societies from both the developed and developing worlds. In this new world, much depends on the capabilities of a nations citizens in high technology. Those capabilities depend critically on the quality and levels of education of those citizens, from kindergarten through graduate school. It is, thus, not surprising that the performance of education institutions in the United States has become the subject of national concern.