Jesper Bruun

Short presentation

I do research in learning, teaching and education in the Sciences with a focus on Physics; primarily in upper-secondary and university education. I am particularly interested in the use of digital and other technologies in teaching and in a broader educational context. Recently, I have become interested in Learning Analytics and how we as researchers can use big data to understand and improve our educational system across education levels. Methodically, I often use network analysis. Feel free to contact me if you want to know more.

Primary fields of research

Physics and science didactics

This part of my research relies in part on collaborating with upper-secondary teachers and university faculty to develop teaching and in part on finding, testing and analyzing new methods and technologies in teaching. In addition to these class and course level analyses, my research analyzes other levels - for example mapping of teacher and student characteristics, development and choice across institutions.

Networks in didactic research

It is difficult to analyze teaching, and it is especially difficult to find quantitative goals that make the insight into the complex teaching situation. Network science offers ways to capture complex patterns, and networks are used in sociology, biology, computer science and physics - and since 2007 also in didactic research. I use networks to capture both social, systemic and cognitive relationships.

Current research

Currently I am working on

• E-learning behaviours in physics
• Analyzing students' academic and social networks.    
• Analyzing multiple choice test FCI (Force Concept Inventory) using network analysis.
• Analyzing Swedish students' socio-scientific discussions using linguistic networks.
• Analyzing students' use of web tasks with network analysis.    
• Identifying student flow in courses at the faculty of SCIENCE, that is, the flow of students from course to course.
• Designing and developing an understanding of kinesthetic exercises in physics.
• Relating kinesthetic exercises to other ways of understanding the physics phenomena

Knowledge of languages

Danish (native)

English (read, write, talk)

The nordic languages (read, understand) 

Teaching

I teach the science and physics didactics in the courses Basic Course in Science Didactics and Physics Didactics. Furthermore, I teach Introduction to University Pædagogy.


I supervise bachelor and thesis projects, often within the topics of either testing formats for the development of teaching, the use of digital technology in education, kinesthetic exercises and network analysis in science education research.

Fields of interest

Using networks in educational research

The interplay between cognitive and social learning processes in science

Modes/forms of representation

(The interplay between quantitative and qualitative measures for learning)

CV

I finished my training as a physicist in autumn 2008. I wrote my thesis in physics didactics at the Department of Science Education and subsequently published an article in the journal MONA (in Danish, English abstract).

Subsequently, I worked for just over a year as a research project on Mind the Gap, Dream of the Universe and DASG (Danish Science High Schools) projects 2009 (Didactic follow-up research on a project called "Moodle JiTT").

From August 1st 2009 to December 1st 2012, I was enrolled as a PhD-student at the Department of Science Education (DSE). I succesfully defended my thesis on November 26th 2012. More information: http://www.ind.ku.dk/begivenheder/2012/phd-forsvar-jesper-bruun/

I started as a post doc at DSE on January 1st 2013. 

Teaching Experience

Before I was hired at the department, I taught physics and mathematics at Copenhagen University. I have taught courses: Mechanics, Rotational Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, Introduction to Nuclear Physics and Mathematics N.

In addition, I taught in high school (Rysensteen Gymnasium) in physics at C-level and mathematics at A and B level.