Lawrence Escalada
Associate Professor of Physics and Science Education
e-mail: lawrence.escalada@uni.edu
Dr. Escalada arrived at UNI in the Fall of 1997. He received his
doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in Physics
and Science Education, master's in Physics, and bachelor degrees in
Physics and Education from Kansas State University. His graduate work
focused on developing and evaluating innovative physics curriculum
materials and software and resulted in a few national awards including
the National Association for Research in Science Teaching Outstanding
Master's Thesis of the Year in 1986.
He has taught high school physics and physical science and has been
a faculty consultant for the Advanced Placement Physics program. As
a UNI faculty member, Dr. Escalada has taught introductory physics/physical science courses, secondary science methods courses, and professional development physics/physical science content and pedagogy courses for teachers. He serves as faculty advisor to undergraduate physics teaching and secondary science teaching majors and graduate (MA) science education students.
Dr. Escalada's research interests are in the fields of physics and
science education. As an educator and researcher, he has focused on
making science, especially physics, more accessible and relevant to
all students while at the same time increasing the quality of teaching
and learning the subject. He has adopted the equitable and effective
integration of technology with activity-based, student centered instructional
strategies in the courses he teaches as well as the instructional
materials he develops. His emphasis is in developing and evaluating
high school activity-based physics and physical science curricula
that utilize inexpensive materials and interactive instructional technologies
to develop proficiency in science inquiry and reasoning skills and
to develop and reinforce conceptual understanding of the topics being
introduced for all students especially those students who do not have
strong backgrounds in mathematics and science. He also has research
interests in using innovative curricula and instructional strategies
as a means to improve the science education of culturally and linguistically
diverse students and to provide professional development for inservice
science teachers especially for those who are under prepared in the
teaching of of physics/physical science and who are teaching out of their subject area. His research in curriculum and professional development in physics education has been recently expanded to include Grades PreK-12th.
Dr. Escalada's accomplishments include collaborating with others in developing a number of innovative Grades PreK - 12 physics/physical curricula and providing the associated professional development with funding from the National Science Foundation. These curricula include Visual Quantum Mechanics (VQM), Physics Resources and Instructional Strategies for Motivating Students (PRISMS) PLUS, and Ramps and Pathways. The VQM project includes helping design and integrate award winning computer simulation software into the curriculum. He has received funding from a variety of funding sources including the U.S. Department of Education, Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP), and Roy J. Carver Trust to provide professional development for secondary science teachers in physics content and pedagogy and resources for classroom implementation.
Dr. Escalada provides professional development and outreach opportunities for students and teachers including the UNI IPTIR and PRISST programs, UNI/AEA7 Regional Physics Olympics Competition, and UNI Physics Update Conference. See http://www.physics.uni.edu/outreach.shtml for details.
Recent Publications and Instructional Materials
Zan, B., Geiken, R., Escalada, L.T., et al. (In preparation). Teachers’ Guide to Ramps and Pathways. Cedar Falls, IA: University of Northern Iowa.
Van Meeteren, B. D., & Escalada, L. T. (In Press). Building roads between the plants and caterpillars: physical
science in the primary grades. Science & Children.
Unruh, R., & Escalada. L. T. (In Press). Learning about sounds waves via PRISMS PLUS. Iowa Science Teachers Journal.
Escalada, L.T. (2008). Physics Inquiry for Ramps and Pathways Facilitator’s Guide. Cedar Falls, IA: University of Northern Iowa.
Cooney, T. M., Escalada, L. T., Unruh, R. D. (2008). PRISMS (Physics Resources and Instructional Strategies for Motivating Students) Plus CD version. Cedar Falls, IA: UNI Physics Department.
Unruh, R., & Escalada, L. T. (2006). Revvng it up! Helping students investigate the forces that power a motor. Iowa
Science Teachers Journal, 33(2), 16-21.
Escalada, L. T., & Moeller, J. (2006). The challenges of designing and implementing effective professional development for out-of-field high school physics teachers. In P. Heron, L. McCullough, & J. Marx (Eds.),
2005 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings (pp. 11 – 14). Melville, New York: American
Institute of Physics.
Cooney, T.M., Escalada, L.T., Unruh, R.D. (2005). PRISMS (Physics Resources and Instructional Strategies
to Motivate Students) Plus - A High School Physics Resource consisting
of 45 learning cycles of student activities, student conceptual support
materials, testbank, and comprehensive teacher notes. Center Pointe Learning,
Fairfield, OH.
Escalada, L. T., Rebello, N. S., & Zollman, D. A. (2004). Student explorations
of quantum effects in LEDs and luminescent devices, The Physics Teacher 42(3), 173-179.
Escalada, L. T. (2003). Luminescence or Incandescence?: Aphysical science
lesson plan. In C. A. Grant and C. E. Sleeter, Turning on Learning:
Five Approaches for Multicultural Teaching Plans for Race, Class,
Gender, and Disability, 3rd edition. New York, NY: Wiley & Sons.
Escalada, L. T., Rebello, N. S., & Zollman, D. A. (2002). Luminescence:
It's cool light!: Investigations on the quantum effects in luminescent
materials and devices. In Kansas State University Physics Education Research Group, Visual Quantum Mechanics - The Original
CD-ROM, Lexington, KY: Ztek Co. Multimedia for Physics Education (http://www.ztek.com/).
Escalada, L. T., Rebello, N. S., & Zollman, D. A. (2002). Solids &
Light: Investigations on the quantum effects in light emitting diodes,
In Kansas State University Physics Education Research Group, Visual Quantum Mechanics - The Original CD-ROM, Lexington, KY: Ztek
Co. Multimedia for Physics Education.
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