ADAM P. BARR

Staff Writer

From "Harry Potter" to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," popular culture is seeping into the collegiate -level classrooms.

"The Science of Harry Potter," a class offered at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Md. is a physics class that is of interest to Dr. Kenneth Robbins, a professor and director of the School of Performing Arts, said.

"The movies' titles help students identify through popular culture with the course content," Robbins said.

A book written by Reggie Highfield, "The Science of Harry Potter", speaks of physics principles applied to the movie.

In this book Highfield speaks of levitation principles and the principles of aerodynamics and how these pertain to the movie's special effects.

"The Science of Harry Potter" class at Frostburg is a physics class that teaches these theories but is not all modeled on the book.

Dr. Lee Sawyer, an associate professor of physics, said, "The line between technology and magic is sometimes thin."

"The magic in movies like "Harry Potter" is not necessarily magic but maybe advanced technology," Sawyer said.

Sawyer said simple things could sometimes seem like magic.

"Someone talking through a phone to someone miles away would be magic to someone in the fourteenth century," Sawyer said.

The teaching tools used today for all classrooms try to pull on the interest of the students, said Robbins.

An English professor at Middle Tennessee University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., David Lavery, said he parallels "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" with Shakespeare because it is more difficult every year to maintain interest.

Tony Young, an associate professor of psychology and behavioral sciences, said relating to popular culture in the classroom could help students relate to other subjects.

"These teaching tools are way to create interest in topics that apply principles to various popular culture entertainments."

Young said these teaching tools are a great idea to get the students interested in the content the course offers.

It is a necessity to be sure to tie in the central features of the classroom and not concentrate too much on the teaching tools, Young said.

David Wylie, an associate professor of music, said while he teaches classical music he uses certain commercials and songs from movies and television shows to help the students understand.

Listening to those songs help students remember the various beats and tones provided by classical music, Wylie said.

Robbins said, "Anything in reason to help the students identify with the course objectives and content should be utilized for the benefit of learning."