Conceptualizing a new curriculum for Physics

Physics - A study of the universe.. A pursuit of truth through the path of reasoning.. A gateway to technological advancements..

I really loved physics in school but did not pursue it because there weren't much bright opportunities in this field. There was not even an aspiration in my mind to become a physicist. Now, I realize that my knowledge of physics had been quite superficial, as my focus was mostly on solving problems. And I rarely felt the joy of observing Physics principles working in the world around me. Yes, that's sadly the story of an Indian student who enjoyed solving the toughest of physics problems in school - she did not really appreciate the subject as well as one would hope.

That being said, I understand and appreciate the gravity of the subject in mankind's pursuit for a better life. I envision a vastly different school-level Physics curriculum 25 years from now, that would aim at the following goals:

• To impart the fundamental knowledge of physics necessary to live a well-informed life
• To help the youth feel proud as well as humble about humankind's progress
• To train the young minds to question everything and conceive unbelievable concepts
• To assess which individuals have high aptitude and potential for doing well in the field
• To generate extreme interest in the field in some individuals

These are some ideas that come to my mind as I think of the necessary tools to achieve the aforementioned objectives:

• What is most boring for the students is memorizing details which they deem completely useless in their upcoming daily life. We need to replace most of such junk content with practical and usable information. For example: a look into how the latest developments in quantum mechanics and nanotechnology can change our daily lives or an enchanting trip to an automobile factory would not only keep the students informed but also curious to learn more.
• The emphasis of learning must be shifted from solving the equations for the unknown to understanding the meaning and significance of theories and equations. 
• The most important Physics fundamentals could be explained to the students through illustrations. There are thousands of intriguing videos on YouTube that could act as prototype for the videos in the new curriculum. (We are talking about a curriculum in the year 2038, when the price of electronics chips would have dropped to abysmal lows. With some will and effort, the use of scientific gadgets should be totally possible in the schools across India.)
• Another important aspect of education must be opening the unsolved questions to the students - right from dark matter and dark energy to the possibility of parallel universes and time travel. A little bit of mystery would help develop curiosity and interest among students.
• Project/idea/concept exhibitions could be held yearly at school, regional and national level to assess the students with highest aptitude and appetite in this subject. These bright students could then be awarded scholarships to study in the best of national universities. (This method will perhaps encourage students to focus on their own work rather than compete directly with others, but will require much higher operational cost and complexity.)

This brings us to an incredibly important point - the macro environment would play a huge part in the success of this curriculum. Everything right from effective teaching to attractive higher education and career opportunities needs to be installed. How we would achieve that is a topic of discussion for another day.

Inspirations:

Set your minds free - with what's known and from what's known
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPccMlgug8A&list=PLD78AEC57DB201EFA

Cool Science Videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/AsapSCIENCE/videos?view=0
http://www.youtube.com/user/Vsauce/videos?view=0

From Competitiveness to Excellence

Competitiveness, so rampant today, is not an inherent Indian value. We haven't historically been a nation too big on sports or other competitions. Our insistence had mostly been on excellence - one that emerges from the union of body, mind and spirit. This is the land that invented chess, Ayurveda and Yoga. This is the land that produced the finest poets, architects and mathematicians. Even in the context of Mahabharata, the largest war in our mythology, Krishna preached Arjuna to give his best effort without focusing on the outcome (or the victory).
But somewhere in history, after several conquests and wars, the focus on excellence was lost. The Mughals and the British, being our conquerers and rulers, imported and imposed their ideals on the Indian society. And the new ideals were triumph and victory over peers.
This eventually resulted in a society engaged in a blind rat race, deprived of its true identity. This is evident from the enormous level of competitiveness in today's schools and entrance exams that is not really contributing to the welfare or progress of the society.
Could we build an education system that would help students identify their true interests and potentials, and train them to pursue excellence in the domain of their passion; a system that could provide attractive opportunities to artists as well as sportsmen, as much as it would to doctors and statisticians? Such a system will force the people to stop evaluating themselves against others and will bring out the best talents in the society. How would we implement such a system? Will including yoga and meditation in the curriculum help? Will the inclusion of non-religious spirituality be helpful (or even possible in this country)? A few tough questions need to be answered before we can dream of building a system that nourishes and rewards pure excellence.


Inspiration:
3 Idiots
Ancient Indian Gurukul Tradition