Rate My Professor Terry Scott

Dr. Terry Scott is a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Otago, part of the Division of Sciences. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Otago in 2000, focusing his doctoral research on the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates under the supervision of Professor Rob Ballagh. Immediately following his Ph.D., Scott joined the Department of Physics as a Teaching Fellow in 2000 and was promoted to Senior Teaching Fellow in 2003. Throughout his over 25 years at the institution, he has developed a particular interest in Physics Education Research, applying his expertise to enhance teaching methodologies and student comprehension in physics.

Scott's research contributions bridge theoretical physics and educational practices. His early publications on Bose-Einstein condensates include 'Theory of an output coupler for Bose-Einstein condensed atoms' in Physical Review Letters (1997, with R.J. Ballagh and K. Burnett) and 'Formation of fundamental structures in Bose-Einstein condensates' in Journal of Physics B (1998, with R.J. Ballagh and K. Burnett). In Physics Education Research, notable works are 'Exploratory factor analysis of a Force Concept Inventory data set' in Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research (2012, with D. Schumayer and A.R. Gray), 'A controlled comparison of teaching methods in first-year university physics' in Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand (2013, with A. Gray and P. Yates), and 'Network analysis of misconceptions in FCI data' (2021). He co-authored the textbook Introduction to Biological Physics for the Health and Life Sciences (John Wiley & Sons, 2010) with Kirsten Franklin, Paul Muir, Lara Wilcocks, and Paul Yates. Scott coordinates courses including PHSI191 Biological Physics and PHSI336 Mathematical Physics, and serves as Pacific Island Liaison for the Division of Sciences. His efforts have supported innovative teaching initiatives, such as conditional assessment schemes using Blackboard and online tutoring systems for physics problem-solving.