The SESAME Colloquium offers talks on a variety of subjects related to the learning sciences.
Unless otherwise noted, in-person talks are given on Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:30 pm in room 4500, Berkeley Way West (2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94704). When talks are given remotely or in hybrid format, a Zoom link is included in the emailed announcement.
Contact sesame.colloquium@berkeley.edu to be added to our mailing list.
Videos of many past talks may be found on our Colloquium YouTube channel.
Contact sesame.colloquium@berkeley.edu if you are interested in speaking in this series, or if you'd like to suggest a speaker.
September 19, 2024: Mohsen Janatpour
Title:
Role of Mental Imagery in STEM Education
Mohsen Janatpour
Abstract
Traditionally, STEM education in the USA has emphasized verbal education and shied away from the role of mental imagery in STEM thinking. However, scientists and mathematicians such as Einstein and Poincaré developed theories by emphasizing and developing their ability to think with images.
In recent years, I have incorporated thinking with images in communicating the course material to my students and have sought to help them develop their mental imagery. The results, while preliminary, have been measurably positive. In this presentation, after briefly introducing my Conjunctive Theory of Imagery, I will discuss some of the techniques I use to help them think with images.
About the speaker
Mohsen Janatpour is a math, physics, and astronomy professor at the College of San Mateo, and is the coordinator of CSM’s Astronomy Program. He has taught at the college for 134 semesters. 131 of them consecutively. While at the College of San Mateo, he has taught astronomy, aeronautics, chemistry, drafting, mathematics, and physics courses. Before that, he worked as a quality assurance engineer and mathematician at Coors and at Varian Associates. During his employment at Varian, he was involved with developing an interpolator for mapping the moon’s surface from the data gathered by Apollo 11.
As an artist and philosopher, Mohsen has lectured on the nature of mental imagery and human perception from 1995 to the present. In 2023, he developed two courses: Physical Science 125, “Mental Imagery in the Arts and Sciences,” and Physical Science 126, “Mental Imagery in Art and Science of Different Cultures,” based on his own theory of mental imagery. Both courses have been published as textbooks by Cognella Textbook Publishing Company.
Mohsen obtained his MS in mathematics from San Jose State University in 1969. Ten years later, he returned to the same institution and earned a second MS in physics. He began his teaching career at the College of San Mateo in 1979 while a Ph.D. candidate in biophysics at the University of California, Berkeley. This early start in academia set the stage for his subsequent 45-year teaching career, his art development, and the creation of his theory of mental imagery. (See https://www.mohsensart.com for examples of his artwork.)
September 26, 2024: Anna Rafferty *via Zoom*
Title: TBA
Anna Rafferty, Chair of Computer Science
Abstract
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About the speaker
(Anna Rafferty ...)
October 10, 2024: Gregor Torkar *via Zoom*
Title: TBA
Gregor Torkar, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Home Economics; Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Teacher Education for Sustainable Development
Abstract
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About the speaker
(Gregor Torkar ...)
*Wednesday* October 23, 2024: Rose Wang
Title: TBA
Rose Wang
Abstract
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About the speaker
(Rose Wang ...)
November 21, 2024: Lorenzo Lones
Title: TBA
Lorenzo Lones
Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Abstract
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About the speaker
(Lorenzo Lones ...)
If you have questions about the Colloquium series, please contact sesame.colloquium@berkeley.edu.