This collection has restricted access. Please consult the
Gift of John S. Risley (accession no. 2003.0006 and 2011.0253)
[Identification of item], John S. Risley Papers on Physics, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The nature of the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NCSU Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Processed by Unprocessed
Encoded by Steven Mandeville-Gamble,
Professor John S. Risley (born 1942) conducted research on the utilization and effectiveness of computer technology to teach physics. Physics education research shows that interactive, hands-on collaborative student environments produce signific ant student learning. Computers enhance this approach. The primary thrusts in this effort include evaluating educational software programs, deciding which tools to use, structuring substantive student activities, implementing student/teacher tasks and eva luating the impact. These activities are now being carried out in the new SCALE-UP classroom at NCSU.
External efforts include publishing peer-reviews physics educational software, as editor of Physics Academic Software in cooperation with the American Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers. In addition, his group is involved with disseminating in formation about new materials in the physics journals, conducting teacher workshops, and collaborating at professional meetings.
Professor Risley was the director of WebAssign, an online homework, quizzing, and testing assessment system that delivers, collects, and grades and records student's assignments. This wide-reaching facility incorporates textbook problems, many different answer types and classroom management tools. It represents a new way of accessing student performance and helps student learn basic physics concepts.
Professor Risley's publications include the following:
"Using Physlets to Teach Electrostatics," The Physics Teacher 37. Scott W. Bonham, John S. Risley and Wolfgang Christian. (1999). p. 276-280.
Core Concepts in Physics, (CD-ROM). John S. Risley. Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, (1998).
"Secrets of Software Longevity: Then and Now," Computers in Physics 11. John S. Risley and Margaret H. Gjertsen. (Jan/Feb 1997). p. 54-55.
"Ten Years of Tracking Educational Software," Computers in Physics 11. John S. Risley. (Jan/Feb 1997). p. 52-53.
"10th Anniversary CIP Educational Software Directory," Computers in Physics 11. Margaret H. Gjertsen and John S. Risley. (Jan/Feb 1997). p. 56-80.
"Case study of the physics component of an integrated curriculum," Phys. Ed. Res. Supplement to Am. J. of Phys 67. R. Beichner, L. Bernold, E. Burniston, P. Dail, R. Felder, J. Gastineau, M. Gjertsen, & J. Risley. (1999). p. S16-S24. Click here to view this publication.
"Hardware and Software Preferences of Technology-Oriented High School Physics Teachers," The Physics Teacher 33. Robert J. Beichner, Ladye K. Wilkinson, John E. Gastineau, Paula V. Englehardt, Margaret H. Gjertsen, Margret Hazen, LeVonda Ritchie, and John S. Risley. (1995). p. 270.
"Educational Software for Teaching Physics-1995 Directory," Computer Applications in Engineering Education 2. Ladye K. Wilkinson, Margaret H. Gjertsen, and John S. Risley. (1994). p. 257-269.
"1995 Directory of Physics Courseware: Simulation Software," Computers in Physics 9. 65. Ladye K. Wilkinson, Margaret H. Gjertsen, and John S. Risley. (Jan/Feb 1995).
Professor Risley passed away in Raleigh on 5 April 2013.
Includes research and course notes, correspondence, assignments, assignment keys, calendars/diaries, slides to include photos of class, student questionnaires (blank), flyers conference proceedings, photographs, and travel records relating to Dr. Risley's involvement with atomic collisions research, the International Conference on the Physics of Electronic and Atomic Collisions. Also the Physics academic software and user manuals, Physics educational software, correspondence and information about L.H. Thomas Lecture Series and documents related to Derieux lectureship endowment and lecture series.
Collection is unprocessed.
Articles from journals such as Physics Today and Physics Review. They are written by J.S. Risley and the individual folders contain the articles, accompanying graphs/charts, and any related correspondence, press releases, etc.
Articles by Risley, descriptions of equipment used, proposals, and data/research/notes from individual experiments.
Articles by contemporaries, descriptions of equipment used, and data/research/notes from individual experiments.
Materials relating to the XIII-XVI meetings of ICPEAC. Includes Executive Committee minutes, questionnaire results, finances, support, travel grants, projects, speakers, and correspondence highlighting the conference and Risley's involvement in it (as Secretary).
Bound copies of the paper abstracts and proceedings of ICPEAC.
Bound copies of the paper abstracts and proceedings of ICPEAC.
Bound copies of the paper abstracts and proceedings of ICPEAC.
Includes meeting planning, correspondence, speakers, logos, committee meeting minutes, charters, speakers, and material concerning the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.
Materials related to the meetings and conferences that Risley attended or participated in. These include ICPEAC, DEAP [Division of Electron and Atomic Physics], ICAP [International Conference on Atomic Physics], trips to the USSR, and many other international groups and conferences.
Materials related to the meetings and conferences that Risley attended or participated in. These include ICPEAC, DEAP, SESAP [Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society], ISIAC [International Seminar on Ion-Atom Collisions], AAPT [American Association of Physics Teachers], trips to the USSR, and many other international groups and conferences.
Materials related to the meetings and conferences that Risley attended or participated in. These include ICPEAC, ISIAC, AAPT, trips to the USSR, and many other international groups and conferences.
Materials related to the meetings and conferences that Risley attended or participated in. These include ICPEAC, ISIAC, AAPT, EduCom, SESAP, NCSTA [North Carolina Science Teachers Association], NSF [National Science Foundation], and many other international groups and conferences.
Materials related to the meetings and conferences that Risley attended or participated in. These include ICPEAC, AAPT, EduCom, NCSTA, NSF, APS [American Physical Society], trips to the USSR, and many other international groups and conferences.
Materials related to the meetings and conferences that Risley attended or participated in. These include ICPEAC, SESAPS, AAPT, EduCom, NCSTA, NSF, APS, and many other international groups and conferences.
Applications, correspondence, and other data for grants made to several agencies, including the NSF and U.S. Department of Energy. Primary focus is VUV light standards.
Applications, correspondence, and other data for grants made to several agencies, including the NSF and U.S. Department of Energy. Topics include VUV light standards and computer tutorials.
Applications, correspondence, and other data for grants made to several agencies, including the NSF and U.S. Department of Energy. Topics include software for engineering students and teacher instruction evaluation.
Contents of this box deal with Risley's study on physics education software. This includes his work on the ASEE [American Society for Engineering Education] software project, TASL [The Academic Software Library], and Physics Courseware Evaluation Project. Items include research, correspondence, contracts, publicity, advertisers, sales, production, and a full prospectus for the PCEP (*includes background info on project*).
Various directories & publications, 15 folders of software (including Physics Academic Software), phonebook, small card file, business cards, slides, photographs, business cards, and some small artifacts.
Includes manuals, correspondence, and software submitted to PAS for possible publication. Subjects cover a variety of physics education related areas. (A-D)
Includes manuals, correspondence, and software submitted to PAS for possible publication. Subjects cover a variety of physics education related areas. (E-M)
Includes manuals, correspondence, and software submitted to PAS for possible publication, as well as a 1993 overview of PAS. Subjects cover a variety of physics education related areas. (O-X)
Reprints of articles written by J.S. Risley on a variety of topics.
Information relating to NCSU Physics Dept. business (incl. hiring an assistant professor, building renovations, etc.) and talks given by Risley on a variety of topics (incl. H atoms, VUV Standards, and courseware).
Notes, syllabi, assignments, etc. concerning classes given by Risley as a physics professor at NCSU.
Theses and projects submitted to Risley by students at NCSU.
Notes and articles written by Risley on a variety of physics related projects. These include educational software, H bombardment, and VUV standards.
Letters to and from Risley, concerning his involvement in various physics projects.
Letters to and from Risley, concerning his involvement in various physics projects.
Letters to and from Risley, concerning his involvement in various physics projects.
Notes from classes Risley attended while a student at the University of Washington. Includes Physics, Math, and other courses.
Notes from classes Risley attended while a student at the University of Washington, Risley's thesis, data from experiments conducted by Risley's students at NCSU, and information on the University of Washington Yacht Club.
Includes items that belong with previously described boxes. Misc. paperwork, meeting programs and paper abstracts, Physics Courseware newsletters, labels, Computers in Physics Instruction software kit, slides, and articles.
10 8” x 10” group portraits of the PCEP Teacher Institute