The relevance and significance of the need to improve the quality of teaching and learning of physics requires no elaboration. Two major stakeholders who can play a decisive role in this endeavor are physics educationists and physics education researchers. However, our experience shows that bringing together the two groups for such an end is not always easy, as there are differences in viewpoints and approaches among them. The panel discussion will explore the potential and the need for a platform - Indian Physics Education Consortium (IPEC) - for both these groups to come together and nurture productive engagements so that problems pertaining to teaching and learning of physics get addressed effectively. The focus will be on research, development and implementation projects that take into account the ground realities of Indian context. We expect the panel to bring to discussion the potential 'dos' and 'don'ts', so that we get the priorities right in directing the consortium to a path of sustained, productive growth.

Panelists: Bikram Phookun, Ananda Dasgupta, Y C Kamala, Shirish Pathare, Mashood K K (coordinator)