How can I improve the learning success in my physics exercise class? Which strategies can help me to step out of the standard exercise-solving automatism? How can I “hook and hold” my students? In these materials we try to answer these questions by providing a didactical tool-box of materials for physics teaching assistants (TA).

The idea for this project arose from our observation that in practice many TAs struggle to implement techniques which they have learnt in general basic-teaching courses. Furthermore, the time it takes to prepare an engaging lesson usually exceeds the preparation time which TAs can invest in addition to further duties like correcting homework and managing their class. With our examples we would like to support TAs in preparing high-quality exercise sessions for their class which go beyond frontal exercise solving and which both students and the teacher can enjoy together.

The materials presented in this polybook are developed for the specific case of 13 exercise sessions on Physics I for Medical Students.  The toolbox consists of concept questions, summarizing organizers and case-based calculation examples – combined with some ideas on how to implement it in class. Additionally, we give ideas for the “hit” of each lesson – which  is based on real-life applications or engaging phenomena, that involve the students emotionally and foster their active thinking in order to help them to develop higher-level competences.