Fostering community, belonging, and active learning in the UW Madison Physics Learning Center

Knowledge of physics is required for many STEM majors and pre-health professional pathways as well as for the geosciences. The UW-Madison Physics Learning Center strives to create a supportive learning community and to foster a sense of belonging for a diverse group of student participants and for a diverse group of undergraduates working as Peer Mentor Tutors. Typically, about half of our Peer Mentor Tutors were former Physics Learning Center participants and about a third are from commonly underserved and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The Physics Learning Center uses pedagogy focused on building community, encouraging active learning and collaboration, and helping students to develop self-efficacy, while assisting students in gaining deeper understanding of physics concepts and strategies for problem-solving. We will discuss our efforts to utilize anti-racist approaches through ongoing training for our Peer Mentor Tutors, professional development and reflection opportunities for both tutors and staff; intentional recruitment of a diverse group of Peer Mentor Tutors; and utilization of feedback from students and Peer Mentor Tutors to help guide our services. We will also talk about our efforts to adapt to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic to continue to foster community, active learning, student interaction, and well-being.