Sessions

 

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Sessions & Panels

  • AAPT Exhibit Hall Open

      • AAPT Exhibit Hall Open

      • EXH09
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 4:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • AAPT Friday Registration

      • AAPT Friday Registration

      • REG01
      • Fri 07/27, 4:00PM - 7:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Registration
  • AAPT Monday Registration

      • AAPT Monday Registration

      • REG05
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00AM - 5:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Registration
  • AAPT Saturday Registration

      • AAPT Saturday Registration

      • REG02
      • Sat 07/28, 7:00AM - 4:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Registration
  • AAPT Sunday Registration I

      • AAPT Sunday Registration I

      • REG03
      • Sun 07/29, 7:00AM - 4:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Registration
  • AAPT Sunday Registration II

      • AAPT Sunday Registration II

      • REG04
      • Sun 07/29, 7:30PM - 9:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Registration
  • AAPT Tuesday Registration

      • AAPT Tuesday Registration

      • REG06
      • Tue 07/31, 7:00AM - 4:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Registration
  • AAPT Wednesday Registration

      • AAPT Wednesday Registration

      • REG07
      • Wed 08/01, 8:00AM - 3:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Registration
  • Advanced Physics Topics

      • The Scientific Process: To Err Is Human  CANCELED

      • GJ01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Pierre-Marie Robitaille
      • Type: Contributed
      • Gustav Kirchhoff was perhaps the greatest theoretical physicist of his day. His students and academic descendants include the likes of Max Planck and Arthur Eddington. In 1859, Kirchhoff formulated his law of thermal emission [1] which stated that, given thermal equilibrium, absorption must always equal emission. He also advanced that within an enclosure, the confined radiation corresponded to a universal function dependent only upon the temperature and frequency of observation. The radiation was independent of the material nature of the cavity. Today, Kirchhoff's law constitutes an integral portion of Planck's formulation relative to blackbody radiation [2]. It was based on Kirchhoff that Planck created universality [2]. However, Planck himself recognized that within a cavity, even under equilibrium conditions, any state of radiation might exist, in conflict with Kirchhoff's postulate. Planck writes: ". . . in a vacuum bounded by totally reflecting walls any state of radiation may persist" (see section 51 in [2]). Planck insisted that a small carbon particle be placed within the cavity to ensure the presence of black radiation (see section 51 in [2]). In 1858, Balfour Stewart had previously expounded on the equivalence between absorption and emission under thermal equilibrium conditions [3]. Yet, he never claimed that all cavities possess black radiation. Today, blackbody cavities are always made from materials that are highly absorbing over the frequency range of interest further disproving Kirchhoff's conjectures. Contrary to Kirchhoff, a great deal of attention is in fact placed on the nature of blackbody materials. Nonetheless, Balfour Stewart's Law of Emission [3], though correct, has been supplanted by Kirchhoff's inaccurate representation of physical reality [1]. In this presentation, the contrast between the laws of Kirchhoff and of Stewart will be discussed. The consequences span a very large segment of the physical sciences and bring into question how physics can correct established laws long after those responsible for their formulation are deceased and when the ideas now form the foundations of physics.
      • History of Giant Stars  CANCELED

      • GJ03
      • Wed 08/01, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
      • by Fatemeh Delzendehrooy
      • Type: Contributed
      • As we know about stars, whenever the core temperature rised to 106 helium glowing, the result of which is the stopping of H burning and beginning the process of three alphas will be acquired. In this paper we have concluded: 1) In the main sequence stars, according to Newton's third law, the inner strength of a star will deal with the force of gravity. 2) Unlike much development, helium glowing for low-mass stars passes quickly. 3) Bbecause the radius of a giant star is 100 times bigger than the initial radius, so according to the distance from Sun to Mercury which is 58,000,000 km, Mercury gets swallowed by the Sun. 4) Because the death of each star is field of birth of another star, so elements in the Sun is out of its mother. 5) Perhaps the reason of becoming red for a star in addition to cooling outer layers, is forming of elements such as P, C and etc. 6) Betelgeuse, Antares, and Sirius stars have swept among several steps between major quasi-phase and giant level.
  • Advanced Physics Topics-Post Deadline

      • AppleTV for Mobile Lectures and Sharing Student-made Videos

      • GL08
      • by Kenneth DeNisco
      • Type: Contributed
      • The third-generation Apple TV with AirPlay and an iPad will be demonstrated as unique tools for wireless presentations in the science classroom. This combination allows freedom of movement for the teacher to circulate in the classroom and to easily switch between presentations, videos, and science applications (apps). These all stream wirelessly to an LCD projector or TV, and allow the instructor to be much more connected to the class. The AppleTV can also be used to show students' work in the situations where they have their own device. An example could be an assignment where the students must make a short video reflecting a particular physics principle. This setup allows the student to stream the content with no additional set up needed. Attendees will be invited to share their own experiences with Apple TV and to discuss the merits of this particular technology.
      • Photon Momentum Principles of Refraction Through a Uniformly Moving Medium

      • GL01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by J. Ronald Galli
      • Type: Contributed
      • The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another and undergoesa speed change is well established. Not so well established or understood is the change in photon momentum and the role that momentum plays in the refraction process. In particular, it is uncertain whether the momentum of a photon increases (P=nPo) or decreases (P=Po/n), as a photon of momentum Po passes from a vacuum to a medium of refraction index n. We propose that the magnitude of the photon momentum is directly proportional to the index of refraction and is given by P=nPo. We further propose that upon refraction, the photons undergo a momentum change such that the momentum change vector is perpendicular to the refracting surface. We justify these two assumptions and show how they can be used as principles to derive the relationships for refraction for media moving at any uniform speed.
      • Analysis of World Record Sprint Performance to Determine Effects Due to Wind

      • GL02
      • Wed 08/01, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by Blane Baker
      • Type: Contributed
      • The women's world record for the 100 m dash is currently 10.49 seconds. This mark was set in 1988 on a day in which the wind speed near the track was recorded at 0.0 m/s. More recent studies of the wind that day indicate possible wind speeds as high as 5.0-7.0 m/s. The analysis presented here is a model for how wind affects sprinting events such as the 100 m dash. This model is applied to the 1988 case to determine how much the elapsed time to complete the race could have been affected by wind.
      • Introductory Physics by Karplus: a Free, Teacher-Editable Web- and E-Book

      • GL03
      • Wed 08/01, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
      • by Fernand Brunschwig
      • Type: Contributed
      • We will demonstrate the capabilities and potential of an electronic edition of Introductory Physics: A Model Approach by Robert Karplus, based on a database that maps the existing structure of the traditionally published textbook. The entire book will be available for free on the web.Teachers will be able to adapt the book to fit their objectives and to add their own material, such as problems and homework assignments. Individual teacher's "recipes" for deploying the book will be available for other teachers to use and revise.Teachers will also be able to produce a PDF or E-Book version at will using a conversion program. Finally, we will report on our plans to use contributions and feedback from teachers to improve the book, as well as the results of a survey of teachers we conducted to determine feasibility and interest.
      • Influence of Teacher Reasoning Ability on Student Reasoning and Knowledge

      • GL04
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Jennifer Esswein
      • Type: Contributed
      • Teachers participating in science professional development completed 120 hours or more of training consisting of inquiry-based pedagogical approaches and content knowledge. This study will relate a teacher's score on a measure of scientific reasoning ability to that of their students using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). Influences on reasoning ability such as economic status, gender, state test scores, and grade level are explored. Preliminary analysis shows a strong predictive relationship between the reasoning ability of a teacher and his/her students' reasoning abilities.
      • Investigation of instructor effects on gender gap in introductory physics

      • GL05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Kimberley Kreutzer
      • Type: Contributed
      • Gender differences in student learning in the introductory, calculus-basedelectricity and magnetism course were assessed by administering the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism pre- and post-course. As expected, male students outgained females in traditionally taught sections as well as sections that incorporated interactive engagement (IE) techniques. In two of the IE course sections, however, the gains of female students were comparable to those of male students. Classroom observations of the course sections involved were made over an extended period. In this paper, we characterize the observed instructor-student interactions using a framework from educational psychology referred to as Wise Schooling. Results suggest that instructor practices affect differential learning, and that Wise Schooling techniques may constitute an effective strategy for promoting gender equity in the physics classroom.
      • Biology courses and student misconceptions in physics  CANCELED

      • GL09
      • Wed 08/01, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Eric Page
      • Type: Contributed
      • As many physics teachers now realize, student misconceptions in physics can become deeply entrenched and require strong intervention to overcome. Although many of these misconceptions may develop before students enter college, it is concerning to think that other college-level courses may increase these difficulties. Over the course of three years, students in a calculus-based introductory physics course primarily taken by life-sciences majors were surveyed entering the course on their previous experience in both physics and biology. Student misconceptions as realized on in-class activities, quizzes and exams were then correlated with student experience including the number and type of biology courses in which they had previously been enrolled. A strong correlation will be presented between certain types of misconceptions and the way students think about related topics in biology courses.
      • From Energy to Energy Change

      • GL06
      • Wed 08/01, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Yaron Lehavi
      • Type: Contributed
      • Teaching the concept of Energy, a fundamental concept in any science education curricula, presents a great challenge (Goldring & Osborne, 1994; Kaper & Goedhart, 2002; Papadouris et. al. 2008). The observed difficulties may be attributed to the apparent vagueness regarding the meaning of energy, energy forms, energy transformation/conversion/transfer and energy conservation. We will describe an approach to teaching, addressing this challenge by introducing the concept of energy change as a unifying, measurable and concrete property of different kinds of natural processes (change in speed, in height, in chemical constituents etc.). Our approach, following Karplus (1981), rests on an operational definition of energy change, based on Joule's-like experiments, and the first law of thermodynamics as relating energy change of a system to different mechanisms. An appropriate "Energy language" was developed, together with teaching materials (representations, demonstrations and experiments) which were administered to 7th grade students. Preliminary findings from the pilot will be presented.
      • POOLkits: Applying Object-Oriented Principles to Physics Object-Oriented Learning

      • GL07
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Thomas Kassebaum
      • Type: Contributed
      • Object-oriented development depends upon the creation of generic pieces that can be built into more complex parts. The process of teaching of physics concepts often parallels that of object-oriented design. Capitalizing on that parallel, the techniques of object-oriented software engineering are applied to the development of physics learning modules. Each learning object consists of observable quantities, such as the physical properties of an item and operators that act on it, such as force. Additionally, each object can include an assessment operator that evaluates the impact of the learning object on student comprehension. The physics object-oriented learning kits (POOLkits) will be developed to enhance student understanding of physics concepts, as well as, build a framework for developing a software object based on the physics concept. As with software objects, POOLkits can be extended as physics knowledge expands. POOLkits may also enhance the object-oriented programming capabilities of physics students.
  • Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall

      • Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall

      • EXH06
      • Mon 07/30, 3:00PM - 3:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall

      • Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall

      • EXH12
      • Tue 07/31, 3:15PM - 3:45PM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Amazon Kindle Raffle in Bodek Lounge

      • Amazon Kindle Raffle in Bodek Lounge

      • EXH05
      • Mon 07/30, 10:45AM - 10:50AM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Amazon Kindle Raffle in Hall of Flags

      • Amazon Kindle Raffle in Hall of Flags

      • EXH07
      • Mon 07/30, 3:15PM - 3:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Antique Electrostatic Apparatus

      • Experience, Experiment, Entertainment: Electrostatic Apparatus in the Age of Franklin

      • EE01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by Robert Morse
      • Type: Invited
      • This talk will provide a look at the proliferating development of electrical apparatus both simple and complex which provided puzzles to solve and the experiments to test the theories developed by the electricians of Franklin's century. Hauksbee's equipment for generating electrical effects in vacuum was at the beginning of a long line of development of electrical equipment for study and parlor entertainments. The Leyden jar, the electric wheel, the electrophorus, the torsion balance, and a plethora of electrical generators were available from various instrument makers. By the century's end George Adams's 1799 "Essay on Electricity" offered nearly 100 pieces of electrical apparatus and experiments employing them.
      • 19th Century Electrostatics and 20th Century "Modern Physics"

      • EE02
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
      • by Thomas Greenslade, Jr.
      • Type: Invited
      • By the middle of the 19th century, the subject of electrostatics had become quite static. Physics lecturers had a wide variety of standard demonstrations on which to draw to show the various phenomena of static electricity. Many of these, such as the electrification of a student or the explosion of a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, were exciting and, so to speak, electrifying. Others, such as the lighting up of eggs by connecting them across large potential differences, were illuminating, if not scientifically useful. Most of these demonstrations have disappeared, but a certain set of demonstrations, involving both high voltages and high vacua, led to discoveries that form the basis of the New Physics at the beginning of the 20th century.
      • The Kelvin Water Dropper and Franklin's Bells

      • EE03
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Clifford Bettis
      • Type: Contributed
      • I will show a Kelvin water dropper/Franklin's bells apparatus and will illustrate the principles involved with some demonstrations using equipment that would have been familiar in the 18th and 19th centuries.
      • Under the Influence: A Rebuilt Toepler-Holtz

      • EE04
      • Tue 07/31, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by David Sturm
      • Type: Contributed
      • This talk includes a discussion and display of a rebuilt early 20th-century Toepler-Holtz machine from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maine. Brief comments on the misnaming of these machines, with historical references are included. Notes will be offered on the common confusion of these devices with Wimshurst machines and how to tell them apart. It includes details of the substitute materials used in the repair, period accessories, and other capabilities of these once common machines.
      • Investigating Gravitational and Coulombian Forces Using an Electrostatic Pendulum

      • EE05
      • Tue 07/31, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
      • by David Menard
      • Type: Contributed
      • We report on a simple laboratory setup to be used at various stages acrossa science curriculum. A double pendulum is made out of two polystyrene spheres coated with silver paint and attached to an insulating frame using either nylon or conducting wires. The spheres are charged using various dielectric rods, yielding to electrostatic forces. Their movement is confined in a vertical plane using two guiding wires.The equilibrium angle between the two pendulums is read with an angle ruler fixed to the frame. Many problems can be addressed, such as the fundamental three-forces equilibrium (vertical weight, horizontal Coulomb force and wire reaction) and the demonstration of Coulomb's law. The setup is useful in introducing and mastering physics concepts from high school up to all levels of college education. A series of experiments will be presented here, including the electrostatic carillon and electric field mapping using an electrometer.
  • Assessing pedagogical content knowledge in teacher preparation

      • Flight Simulator for a Physics Teacher

      • FK01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Eugenia Etkina
      • Type: Invited
      • Flight simulators prepare pilots in training for the routine and extreme situations. The simulators also allow flight instructors to assess how new trainees can fly the plane in a regular situation, how they respond to the changes of the conditions, and to provide instant feedback. How can we use the concept of a simulator to help future teachers prepare for the challenges of a high school physics classroom? In this talk I will describe how one can use microteaching (microteaching happens when pre-service teachers teach lessons to their peers who play the role of high school students, the word micro does not mean short duration of the lesson) for this purpose. Microteaching involves planning the lesson, assembling and testing equipment, and enacting the lesson in the classroom. Formative assessment of each step that pre-service teachers undertake in this process allows for instant feedback, corrections and improvements in the lesson.
      • Assessing Teachers' Knowledge and Skills of Formative Assessment

      • FK02
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Jim Minstrell
      • Type: Invited
      • In this paper we discuss the development of valid and reliable pen and paper, scenario-based tasks for assessing teachers' skills and knowledge at three critical aspects of formative assessment: 1) Anticipating or knowing typical student responses in solving conceptual problems or explaining critical events in physics; 2) Interpreting student work to determine strong and problematic aspects and to identify possible cognitive or experiential needs of the students; and 3) Acting to adapt or design one or more actions (lessons or feedback) that are likely to address student learning needs and promote clearer understanding. Characterizations of teachers' actions were derived and codified using results from two sources: think-aloud interviews with teachers and responses to subsets of tasks by teachers in various professional development venues. The tasks, the identification of learning needs, and the resulting interpretive frameworks can be used for professional development of teachers' practices in the teaching of physics.
      • Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Inquiry Science Instruction: Operational Models

      • FK03
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by David Schuster
      • Type: Contributed
      • National Science Education Standards advocate inquiry-based science instruction throughout K-12. This is a demanding task, requiring teachers to successfully integrate content knowledge, inquiry knowledge, pedagogy knowledge, and knowledge of learners. Theoretical knowledge of each is not enough; a teacher must bring all of them to bear in a case-based fashion for teaching specific topics in classroom situations. We call this combination "pedagogical content knowledge of inquiry science instruction." It is important to have ways of promoting and assessing it during teacher preparation. Yet there are disparate ideas about what constitutes inquiry instruction, and an even greater range of classroom practices. We use operational models to characterize some constructs involved, e.g. PCK, scientific inquiry, guided inquiry vs. other instructional modes, teaching orientations, science concept development vs. investigative process skills, narrative framing and discourse. This is valuable to clarify in its own right, but also gives a basis for devising assessment items for formative and summative use during teacher preparation.
      • Assessing Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Inquiry Science Instruction: Case-Based Instruments

      • FK04
      • Wed 08/01, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Betty Adams
      • Type: Contributed
      • Prospective teachers' science content knowledge is assessed during their preparation, but it is just as important to assess their integrated knowledge of how best to teach particular science topics by inquiry, i.e. what we may call "pedagogical content knowledge of inquiry science instruction." This requires a new type of assessment. We have developed case-based assessments in both MCQ and Likert formats. A typical item presents a realistic teaching vignette for a particular topic, poses a question about instructional approach, and offers response options reflecting a spectrum of teaching orientations ranging from direct instruction through guided inquiry to open discovery. Sets of tested and refined items are compiled into Pedagogy of Science Teaching Tests (POSTT), with versions for various topics, grade ranges and facets of instruction. These have summative and research uses, but perhaps more importantly, individual items can be used formatively during teacher preparation to promote active problem-based discussion of science inquiry pedagogy. We discuss example items.
      • Assessing the PCK of In- and Out-of-Field Physics Teachers

      • FK05
      • Wed 08/01, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Jennifer Neakrase
      • Type: Contributed
      • Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) refers to how a teacher represents andformulates the subject being taught in order to optimize student understanding. Within physics, PCK is described as "an application of general, subject-independent knowledge of how people learn to the learning of physics." In choosing or designing successful lessons, a physics teacher must weave their knowledge of the discipline with knowledge of how students learn. When there is no certified physics teacher available, other "out-of-field" teachers are asked to fill the role. An out-of-field teacher may have adequate general knowledge of how students learn, but inadequate knowledge of the discipline of physics. This difference in knowledge between an in- and out-of-field physics teacher should be reflected in their PCK. This paper discusses how PCK of in- and out-of-field teachers can be assessed through a mixed-method design, which includes analysis of interviews, observations, and concept maps.
      • A Q Approach to Understanding Physics LAs' Views on Teaching

      • FK06
      • Wed 08/01, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Geraldine Cochran
      • Type: Contributed
      • Previously, we presented the results of semi-structured interviews with Physics LAs at Florida International University regarding their views on reflective practice in the LA program and focused on central themes shared by the Physics LAs. Analysis of the interviews also revealed that the LAs have varying views in regard to their teaching experiences and how they engage in reflection. To better understand the various views held by our LAs we will use Q methodology as a framework for determining typologies among Physics LAs. As a part of this framework, participants sort a sample of statements according to their agreement with the statement. The first step in using this framework is creating the concourse, the set of statements from which the sample of statements is taken. In this presentation, we will discuss the development of our concourse from LA interviews, LA writing assignments, and a review of the literature.
  • Assessing student learning in the introductory lab

      • Assessing Student Learning of Error Propagation in the Introductory Lab

      • CK01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 7:40PM
      • by Fang Liu
      • Type: Contributed
      • Laboratory work is essential in the study of physics. At Stockton the program learning goals for introductory physics laboratory are stated as follows: students should demonstrate abilities to (1) design and conduct experiments (2) analyze and interpret experimental results (3) report experimental information verbally and in written form. These goals align well with the goals proposed by the American Association of Physics Teachers for the introductory laboratory. It is an important but challenging task for students to understand the inherent limitations of measurement processes and deal with uncertainty and error propagation in calculations. In this presentation I will describe a simple and direct method to assess student learning of error propagation in the introductory lab. The change of the teaching strategies based on the assessment results will also be presented.
      • Investigating the Development of Students' Scientific Conceptions of Pulleys

      • CK02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:40PM - 7:50PM
      • by Amy Rouinfar
      • Type: Contributed
      • Several studies have investigated differences in students' learning with physical and virtual manipulatives. However, the process by which these differences in learning occurs has not been studied as extensively. We investigate the development of scientific conceptions as students in a conceptual physics laboratory class interacted with either physical or virtual manipulatives to investigate several pulley systems. The investigation occurred over two consecutive laboratory classes, each lasting about two hours. Each class was divided equally into virtual and physical groups, with the former using a computer simulation and the latter using real pulleys, strings and weights. Both groups had identical scaffolding facilitating them to construct their understanding of pulley systems by making and testing predictions and refining their models. We report on changes in students' conceptions of pulleys as they progressed through the activities. This work supported in part by Department of Education IES grant R305A080507.
      • Problem Solving Labs at UND: Five Years Later

      • CK03
      • Mon 07/30, 7:50PM - 8:00PM
      • by William Schwalm
      • Type: Contributed
      • Five years ago, with the help of an NSF CCLI grant, introductory physics laboratories at the University of North Dakota were changed over to a problem-solving format. Originally this was an adaptation of the University of Minnesota system. We present results of assessment based not on learned content but on learning of a problem-solving process within the cognitive apprenticeship paradigm. The assessment instrument focuses on the first three steps of the Minnesota five-step problem solving scheme. We attempt to measure the degree to which the importance a student assigns certain cognitive resources matches the importance attached to the same items by a set of expert problem solvers. We describe the instrument and show an analysis of the data collected over the past four years. As a result of what we learned we have been able to suggest improvements. Assessment materials can be provided on request.
      • Scientific Writing and Knowledge Integration

      • CK04
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
      • by Paul Camp
      • Type: Contributed
      • Several years ago, I created an interactive, discussion-driven activity tolearn how to write a scientific paper as an ongoing part of our introductory mechanics lab. In subsequent years, that activity was streamlined and largely moved out of class time in the interest of efficiency. This appears to have had a significant negative impact on outcomes. I will describe the activity as designed and as modified, compare results from the two implementations, and reflect on a possible cognitive explanation for the observations.
      • The Power and Usefulness of Lab Tests in Intro Lab

      • CK05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:10PM - 8:20PM
      • by Michael Ponnambalam
      • Type: Contributed
      • We have conducted Lab Tests, with credit, for four years at the freshman level and one year at the sophomore level. It was clearly noticed that during these years the students took the lab work far more seriously than in other years. This resulted in a better learning of the lab work and the theory behind it. Details of this project will be presented.
      • Developing Analysis Skills Through Invention

      • CK06
      • Mon 07/30, 8:20PM - 8:30PM
      • by Natasha Holmes
      • Type: Contributed
      • Laboratory learning goals are often vast and overwhelming, as students attempt to develop their ability to work with equipment, analyze data, and understand the underlying physics concepts. One particular first-year lab course at UBC has altered the focus of its learning goals to be primarily on data analysis methods. This is largely achieved through the use of invention activities: inquiry-based activities that ask students to invent a solution to a problem before being taught the expert solution. The combination of invention activities and traditional direct instruction has been shown to improve student learning and performance on transfer tasks, as compared to traditional lessons alone. Also, scaffolding the activities to take students through specific analysis or invention strategies leads them to notice more features of the data and reason at a deeper level. This talk will present results from a four-month treatment of computer-delivered, scaffolded invention activities.
  • Assessing student learning in upper-division labs

      • Assessing Students' Attitudes and Beliefs About Experimental Physics

      • AA01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Benjamin Zwickl
      • Type: Invited
      • National STEM education advocates are calling for redesigned introductory labs that encourage students to persist in STEM majors. Additionally, groups like the Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA) have recognized the need for a more coherent four-year laboratory curriculum. As part of a comprehensive effort to transform our labs and evaluate the impacts of these efforts, we have developed the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS). The E-CLASS assesses the change in students' attitudes about a variety of inquiry and laboratory practices before and after a lab course, and compares it with their perception of the course grading requirements and their self-assessed laboratory practices. We present the development, validation, and results from the initial implementation of the survey. We plan to share the E-CLASS nationally in order to learn about the state of labs at many institutions and to give instructors actionable feedback for modifying their courses.
      • Data Handling: A Student's Modus Operandi

      • AA02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by James Day
      • Type: Invited
      • Motivated by the myriad efforts devoted to appraising the acquisition of skill, knowledge, and comprehension in the classroom, we have attempted to address learning in the lab. In a course where the learning goals focus mostly on managing data, the translation between graphs/numbers/functions, and an operational understanding of uncertainty, we have developed a short diagnostic to probe student abilities related to data handling and to the nature of measurement and uncertainty. The 10-question, multiple-choice test is called the Concise Data Processing Assessment (CDPA). A key component of its development was the use of interviews with students, employed to both uncover common modes of student thinking and validate item wording. Statistical tests indicate that the CDPA is a reliable assessment tool for measuring targeted abilities in undergraduate students. Performance on individual items has informed our pedagogical strategies in the lab, and has served to illuminate future research directions.
      • Assessing Student Understanding in Upper-Division Analog Electronics Courses*

      • AA03
      • Mon 07/30, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by MacKenzie Stetzer
      • Type: Invited
      • While there are many important goals of laboratory instruction, particularly in upper-division courses, relatively little work has been done to assess the impact of such courses on students. As part of an ongoing, in-depth investigation of student learning in upper-division laboratory courses on analog electronics, we have been examining the extent to which students enrolled in these courses develop a robust conceptual understanding of analog electronics (one of many course goals). I will highlight the development and use of written questions on diode and op-amp circuits that have been instrumental in probing student understanding in sufficient depth to identify specific conceptual and reasoning difficulties. I will also illustrate the role such questions may play in revealing weaknesses in the traditional treatment of certain electronics topics and in informing modifications to instruction.
      • Hands-on Performance Assessments for Electronics

      • AA04
      • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Melissa Eblen-Zayas
      • Type: Contributed
      • Lab notebooks, oral presentations, and formal write-ups are often used to evaluate lab work, but these assessments fall short in evaluating some of aspects of students' ability to do hands-on work, including troubleshooting. I will discuss the hands-on performance assessment that I used in my upper-level electronics course, which asks students to make predictions about the response of a circuit and then requires students to build the circuit to test their predictions. In addition to reviewing the benefits and drawbacks of this type of assessment, I will also discuss student opinions about the hands-on performance assessments.
      • Kinder, gentler oral exams

      • AA05
      • Mon 07/30, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Joss Ives
      • Type: Contributed
      • Oral exams can provide effective assessment of student understanding of theoretical, analysis and experimental details in upper-division labs. Unfortunately the most common implementation involves putting students "on-the-spot" by asking them to put together coherent explanations moments after being asked a question. This talk will discuss some modifications that I have made to address some of the aspects that I found to be the most intimidating and challenging when I was assessed using oral exams during my career as a student. The primary modification used to create my kinder, gentler oral exams was to present the student with three questions and then allow them to have some time to collect their thoughts as well as consult their resources before the formal part of the assessment was started.
      • Delving Deeper: Revitalizing a Modern Physics Laboratory.

      • AA06
      • Mon 07/30, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Christopher Hoffmann
      • Type: Contributed
      • We recently found a number of concerns with our modern physics laboratory:lack of clear objectives and goals, disconnection from the lecture, and minimal emphasis on data handling and analysis skills. To address these problems we have significantly redesigned our laboratory. The revised laboratory's goals are to develop the students': 1) understanding of physics content, 2) skills in planning experiments, data collection, and analysis, 3) scientific communication skills. To emphasize depth of understanding, each experiment lasted for two weeks: one to collect data and another to reflect and write. Group work is emphasized; students work in small groups and submit a formal group report for each lab. Each member of the group rotates through the leader role. This talk will focus on the structure of the lab and a discussion of what went well and what did not. We are happy to share our materials and would also welcome collaborators.
  • Barnes & Noble Nook Raffle in Bodek Lounge

      • Barnes & Noble Nook Raffle in Bodek Lounge

      • EXH13
      • Tue 07/31, 3:15PM - 3:20PM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Barnes & Noble Nook Raffle in Hall of Flags

      • Barnes & Noble Nook Raffle in Hall of Flags

      • EXH11
      • Tue 07/31, 10:45AM - 10:50AM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Bridge experiences: Increasing participation of underrepresented minorities in doctoral education

      • APS Bridge Program: Enhancing Diversity in Physics Graduate Education

      • FA01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Theodore Hodapp
      • Type: Invited
      • Underrepresented minorities in physics receive about 9-10% of all undergraduate degrees, and only about 5-6% of all PhDs. To bring the fraction of students who receive PhDs up to that of those who receive bachelor degrees requires understanding and overcoming the various barriers. The American Physical Society (APS), in conjunction with a broad coalition of partners, is embarking in a long-term effort aimed at closing this gap, and improving graduate education for all students. In this presentation, we will discuss the basic components of the program, look at data we know, and discuss data we hope to gather to inform and promote these efforts.
      • The Imes-Moore Fellows Program: A New Bridge Program at the University of Michigan Aimed to Enhanced Diversity in Applied Physics

      • FA02
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Cagliyan Kurdac
      • Type: Invited
      • The Applied Physics Program at the University of Michigan allows graduate students to do research at the frontier between the physical sciences and technological applications, which is not readily accommodated by traditional single-focus graduate programs. In the last two decades, the program has attracted many underrepresented minority and female students, matched these students with faculty with research programs that are beyond the traditional boundaries of physics, and provided the support structure and mentorship that was needed for the students to succeed. Building on our success, we have recently launched a master’s bridge program, the Imes-Moore Fellows Program, designed to prepare students from underrepresented groups for doctoral studies in applied physics. The program has currently seven graduate students and is fully integrated with our doctoral program. In this talk, I will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities associated with starting a master’s bridge program.
      • Fisk/Vanderbilt Master's to PhD Bridge Program

      • FA03
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by David Ernst
      • Type: Invited
      • The salient features of the Fisk/Vanderbilt Master's to PhD Bridge Programin physics, astronomy, materials science, chemistry, and biology will be presented. The program will this year make Vanderbilt the number one producer of African-American PhDs in physics, astronomy, and materials science and has made Fisk University the number one producer of master's degrees awarded to African-Americans. Our recruiting plan will be described, as well as the concept of "unrealized potential" used in selecting students. The necessity of intensive mentoring and how to fulfill that need will be presented. Sources of funding for the program will be reviewed, and some thoughts on future directions for the program will be presented.
  • Can computational modeling be accessible to introductory students?

      • Computational Thinking Resources and Implementation Strategies for Classrooms

      • CA01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
      • by Phil Wagner
      • Type: Invited
      • Computational Thinking is an excellent way for teachers and students to discover how they can apply principles of Computer Science to their own domains. Using free resources and tools, classrooms can start developing models to test physics concepts and deepen their understanding. Students break down problems, look for patterns, abstract ideas, and develop algorithms much like they do in the scientific method but with modern tools students ability to test and experiment is greatly enhanced.
      • Computational Modeling with High School Seniors

      • CA02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
      • by Mark Hammond
      • Type: Invited
      • At St. Andrew's School, students take a first-year physics course based onModeling Instruction. Interested students continue taking physics in a second year, calculus-based course. We teach computational physics as a part of this second-year course using the VPython programming language in conjunction with the Matter and Interactions curriculum of Chabay and Sherwood. Students begin learning VPython on their own before school starts using several tutorials and Internet resources. The addition of a computational component to the second year physics course serves several purposes. First, it allows the students to explore more realistic problems in greater detail, thus enlivening the curriculum. Second, it introduces them to an alternate approach to problem-solving. We have found that thinking computationally improves student understanding of calculus and its application to the physical world in a way that traditional problem sets fail to do.
      • Prediction Tasks in Computational Activities for Introductory Calculus-based Physics

      • CA03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
      • by Shawn Weatherford
      • Type: Contributed
      • Computational modeling in the Matter & Interactions curriculum for calculus-based introductory physics promotes the tenets of the curriculum: mainly, the deterministic view of classical mechanics using a small set of fundamental physics principles. New activities introduced with the third edition of the text ask students to read for comprehension an example program that strategically omits key physics principles and asks students to make predictions of the visual output based on their understanding of the program code. We'll present how students approached these new activities and the lessons learned from their implementation out in the wild.
      • Why Use Computational Modeling in the Introductory Physics Course?

      • CA04
      • Mon 07/30, 8:10PM - 8:20PM
      • by Brandon Lunk
      • Type: Contributed
      • Computational modeling is a central enterprise in both theoretical and experimental physics but it can also be an excellent tool to help students in the introductory courses develop a deeper conceptual understanding of fundamental physics principles. Many instructional benefits are associated with computational modeling, including visualizing 3D phenomena, modeling complex, real-world systems, and reasoning algorithmically. In this talk, I will discuss many of the benefits associated with introducing computational modeling to introductory physics students.
      • Reflections on Computational Modeling in the Undergraduate Physics Curriculum

      • CA05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:20PM - 8:30PM
      • by Michael Vineyard
      • Type: Contributed
      • For many years I have been introducing computational components into many of my undergraduate physics courses. This includes the use of LabVIEW for virtual instrumentation in introductory and upper-level laboratories, Spice for circuit simulation in electronics, Mathematica in mechanics and quantum mechanics, and VPython in introductory courses. It has been my experience that while some students readily embrace these computational tools, many do not and some even fear and loath them. In this talk I will describe how I use these computational tools in my courses and discuss strategies to try to overcome the fear and loathing.
  • Continuing teacher preparation: Inservice professional development

      • AAPT/PTRA - Part of the Solution

      • BH01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
      • by Jim Nelson
      • Type: Invited
      • With the help of National Science Foundation (NSF) and the American Physical Society (APS), the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) has developed the Physics Teaching Resource Agent (PTRA) model for successful physical science and physics teacher inservice professional development. This model includes development of peer mentors, systemic infrastructure, assessment instruments, and a curriculum based on experienced mentors and physics education research. The AAPT/PTRA curriculum is supported by a series of AAPT/PTRA Teacher Resource Guides. These guides serve not only as a personal resource for the teacher's professional development, but also are appropriate for teachers' continued use in their classrooms. The talk will discuss the unique features of the AAPT/PTRA Program, and outline how your university can form a partnership with AAPT to support teachers in your local area.
      • Modeling Modeling Discourse for Inservice Teachers  CANCELED

      • BH02
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
      • by Dwain Desbien
      • Type: Invited
      • From working with the Modeling program at Arizona State University (as a PER graduate student) to offering workshops as part of NSF ATE grant for TYC and HS faculty, working with inservice faculty has been an integral part of my professional career. I will describe and discuss the different kinds of workshops and what was both good and bad about the types I have worked with. In addition I will discuss how modeling good modeling in a workshop is vital to success. I will discuss the difficulties faculty have indicated they had implementing ideas and techniques learned in the workshops and of course the successes.
      • Supporting the STEM Initiative in Oklahoma Through Statewide Effective Physics and Physical Science PD

      • BH03
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
      • by Saeed Sarani
      • Type: Invited
      • When viewed from the perspective of an entire state's needs, the challenges of designing effective professional development programs to meet the state and federal requirements are daunting. In Oklahoma, the concerns about delivering effective professional development programs to rural and urban populations which contain a variety of underserved populations are further complicated by the differences in the way sciences are structured as different disciplines. In my presentation, I will describe a science model program specifically designed for physics and physical science teachers in rural Oklahoma. The program has three common elements that make it highly successful: 1) Program fully engages teachers through inquiry-based and effective teaching and learning in classroom approaches, 2) Program seeks to change learning by impacting teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, and 3) Program strives to establish a productive network among participants. Additionally, the program's long-term goal is to establish a statewide infrastructure to meet the needs for critical shortages of physics and physical science teachers through effective and sustainable professional development in Oklahoma.
      • Western New York Physics Teachers Alliance (WNYPTA) Professional Development Model

      • BH04
      • Mon 07/30, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
      • by Kathleen Falconer
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Western New York Physics Teachers Alliance (WNYPTA) is a model of professional development originally developed upon the model used for the New York State Mentor Networks. The initial statewide networks were grant-funded and supported a network of physics teachers throughout New York State. The WNYPTA has developed into a learning community including university faculty from both education and physics, local high school teachers, pre-service physics teachers and in-service graduate students. The program meets once a month on Saturday morning during the school year, with the meeting agendas collaboratively developed by the participants. Presenters include university faculty, in-service teachers and graduate students, and pre-service teacher candidates. The program is largely self-sustaining with minimal support from the university physics department and other sources.
      • Physical Science Pontotoc County: 4 Years After

      • BH05
      • Mon 07/30, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
      • by Karen Williams
      • Type: Contributed
      • This paper will examine how the public school teachers that took the Physical Science Pontotoc County PHYS/EDUC 5982 Seminar in the summer of 2008 are doing now four years later. Have the teachers implemented any of the labs in their classrooms? If the teachers have implemented some of the labs, how many of them? If yes, do they have their students do the labs on regular basis every year? Were the labs a success in the classroom? We will attempt to track down all the teachers involved in the two-week-long summer workshop to check on how they have applied the physics concepts in their classrooms since our seminar. The findings of this study should help future workshops better plan for greater implementation of physics topics in the upper elementary and middle school classrooms.
      • Boston University's PhysTEC Teacher-in-Residence -- A Year in Review

      • BH06
      • Mon 07/30, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
      • by Juliet Jenkins
      • Type: Contributed
      • In 2011, Boston University (BU) was awarded a grant from the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) that primarily funds a high school Teacher-in-Residence. I am the first Teacher-in-Residence, with a primary focus of getting our large urban campus to learn about our invigorated efforts in secondary school physics teacher preparation. Key to this effort is 1) Active recruiting; 2) Providing early teaching experiences; 3) Pedagogical content knowledge; and 4) Learning Assistants. I will highlight my contributions in these areas in my year at Boston University -- identifying, encouraging and mentoring prospective high school physics teachers as well as working closely with physics department faculty and teaching fellows to incorporate research-based teaching methods. I will comment on the growth of BU's existing collaborations between the physics department, the School of Education, as well as the collaborations between the PhysTEC program and the area in-service high school physics teachers.
  • Continuing teacher preparation: Inservice professional development II

      • Inservice Professional Development Using a Free Online Physics Course

      • EB01
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by David Pritchard
      • Type: Contributed
      • Our free online course (http://relate.mit.edu/physicscourse/) is designed for those with a good knowledge of high school Newtonian Mechanics. MAPs pedagogy [1,2] helps students improve their overview of the standard syllabus and their problem-solving skills. Learning modules with e-text, animations, videos, and solved examples each have specific learning objectives. The level is flexible due to use of click to open clarifications and example problems. Blocks of easy, medium, and MIT-level homework problems offer an appropriate challenge for all. Certificates for CEUs will be provided. A huge benefit of the course is that our course content, and many other problems and resources, are available for reuse or repurpose via the free open source LON-CAPA network. We thank Yoav Bergner, Stefan Dröschler, Sara Julin, Boris Korsunsky, Gerd Kortemeyer, and Daniel Seaton for their help with this course.
      • PTRA ToPPS Project at NWOSU II

      • EB02
      • Tue 07/31, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Steven Maier
      • Type: Contributed
      • In the summer of 2012, the second PTRA ToPPS science institute for Oklahoma middle school and high school teachers was hosted by Northwestern Oklahoma State University.[1,2] This second institute picked up where the first institute left off, including activities investigating momentum, impulse and energy. In this presentation, a synopsis of the status of teaching physics in Oklahoma will be discussed as well as possible developments for the future of professional development in physics in Oklahoma. Also shared will be preliminary results of the institute's effectiveness in building upon participants' content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, instructional strategies, professional networking and resources to help their districts and students in their classrooms.
      • Ubiquitous Professional Development with the Global Physics Department

      • EB03
      • Tue 07/31, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by John Burk
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Global Physics Department (GPD)* is a weekly online gathering of college and high school physics teachers that has become a very convenient and powerful form of professional development for physics teachers across the globe. Past meetings have included presentations from prominent scientists, textbook authors, and many experts in Physics Education Research. This presentation will outline the founding of the GPD, some highlights from past meetings, and discuss current and future plans, including its latest online coaching initiative, where physics teachers are able to submit teaching videos to the group for substantial feedback from a large and diverse collection of physics teachers.
      • Video Analysis for the Masses?

      • EB04
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Jonathan Hall
      • Type: Contributed
      • Teachers who already use video analysis are enthusiastic about its usefulness in teaching physics. But for the masses of students to benefit, how can we encourage more teachers to incorporate video analysis into the curriculum? As part of an in-service training program for high school and middle school science teachers, participants were trained in the use of video analysis, and the making of high speed and time-lapse videos. Their feedback regarding video analysis, and barriers to its implementation, will be presented.
      • Matterpiece” Theater: Helping Students Understand Phase Change

      • EB05
      • Tue 07/31, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Meghan Westlander
      • Type: Contributed
      • Inspired by Energy Theater*, we created a theatrical classroom activity onmolecular interactions during phase changes. Our goal was to help build student understanding of macroscopic phase changes and the corresponding microscopic molecular behavior. We did this activity with elementary and middle school teachers during summer physics workshops, but it is appropriate for a wide range of students. Teachers created and performed short skits using the ball and spring model of matter to demonstrate molecular behavior during phase transitions. I will discuss our goals and how we developed the activity. I will then talk about our experience conducting the activity: observations of teachers creating skits, performances, and classroom discussions.
  • Crackerbarrel - Vidshare: Motivating and Elucidating Short Videos You Can Use!

      • Crackerbarrel - Vidshare: Motivating and Elucidating Short Videos You Can Use!

      • CRKBRL01
      • Mon 07/30, 12:15PM - 1:15PM
      • by
      • Type: Ckrbrl
      • Send the coordinator the URLs for your favorite short (less than three minutes) online videos to be used for motivating students or giving examples – or just bring them along! We will take turns showing videos and explaining and discussing how they can be used in class. All URLs will be sent to all session participants after completion.
  • Crackerbarrel for Faculty in Small Departments

      • Crackerbarrel for Faculty in Small Departments

      • CRKBRL08
      • Wed 08/01, 12:15PM - 1:15PM
      • by
      • Type: Ckrbrl
      • This will be an informal gathering to discuss the challenges associated with being in a small department, both at 4-year and 2-year institutions. We would like to specifically focus on successful strategies for building collaborations with other departments and institutions.
  • Crackerbarrel for PER Graduate Students

      • Crackerbarrel for PER Graduate Students

      • CRKBRL07
      • Wed 08/01, 12:15PM - 1:15PM
      • by
      • Type: Ckrbrl
      • This session would allow PER graduate students to discuss on addressing current issues and concerns they might have to help them excel in their field. Specific topic to be addressed in the session is yet to be finalized.
  • Crackerbarrel for Solo PERs

      • Crackerbarrel for Solo PERs

      • CRKBRL03
      • Tue 07/31, 12:00PM - 1:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Ckrbrl
  • Crackerbarrel: Common Core framework and Physics standards for college success

      • Crackerbarrel: Common Core framework and Physics standards for college success

      • CRKBRL04
      • Tue 07/31, 12:00PM - 1:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Ckrbrl
      • Join this Crackerbarrel to discuss the Common Core and Physics Standards for College Success. Led by Cathy Ezrailson, we seek participation on the two step process to develop the Next Generation Science Standards for K-12. The NRC Framework presents a view of science as both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model and theory building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The Physics Standards for College Success, (see http://groups.physics.umn.edu/physed/Millikan.html), are based on learning research and what is truly essential for student success in higher education and in the workplace.
  • Crackerbarrel: Do we have standards? Moving towards a definition of physics mastery

      • Crackerbarrel: Do we have standards? Moving towards a definition of physics mastery

      • CRKBRL06
      • Wed 08/01, 12:15PM - 1:15PM
      • by
      • Type: Ckrbrl
      • The need to quantify and document student learning in physics courses and programs is growing. Consider these developments: (1) The publication of "Academically Adrift" has raised serious concerns among university administrators, legislators, and not a few parents about the value of a college education. (2) Most, if not all, regional accreditors now require substantial assessment efforts at all levels for institutions to maintain accreditation. (3) ABET accreditation of engineering programs no longer requires that students take specific physics courses, accepting any demonstration of competency, and medical schools are expected to follow this example within a few years. How shall physics programs react? The issue will not go away. One method would be for each department to develop and validate its own assessment methods. Another would be for the physics professional societies to develop and distribute assessment resources. Join us to discuss how to address the problems and potential potential benefits of these and other solutions.
  • Crackerbarrel: Physics and Society

      • Crackerbarrel: Physics and Society

      • CRKBRL02
      • Mon 07/30, 12:15PM - 1:15PM
      • by
      • Type: Ckrbrl
  • Crackerbarrel: YouTube Sharathon

      • Crackerbarrel: YouTube Sharathon

      • CRKBRL05
      • Tue 07/31, 12:00PM - 1:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Ckrbrl
      • Share your favorite web video clip (10 minutes or less; shorter is better)and see clips others brought to share. Bring your clip on a projector-connectable device or thumbdrive. Show, tell, and share curriculum materials that correspond to the clip. Clips must be accessible to anyone via the Internet, such as clips posted to YouTube. We'll have a projector with a standard VGA connection and a computer with USB ports, but you'll need to bring any dongles your device might need.
  • Developing Student's Scientific Literacy

      • General Science Materials for Developing Students' Scientific Literacy: Part I

      • FE01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by Jeffrey Marx
      • Type: Contributed
      • Under an award from the National Science Foundation, we have begun the development, implementation, and assessment of undergraduate, general-science-level course materials with a primary and explicit goal of improving students' scientific reasoning ability, science process skills, and understanding of the nature of science (collectively: "scientific literacy"). In this course, specific science content serves not as the principle focus, but only as a mechanism to more deeply engage the students. In this, the first of two talks, we will present our arguments for why such materials are important, provide a general overview of how our materials are organized, and outline the various facets of scientific literacy addressed by our materials. Finally, we will discuss the progress of implementation at the speaker's home institute.
      • General Science Materials for Developing Students' Scientific Literacy: Part II

      • FE02
      • Wed 08/01, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by Karen Cummings
      • Type: Contributed
      • Under an award from the National Science Foundation, we have begun the development, implementation, and assessment of undergraduate, general-science-level course materials with a primary and explicit goal of improving students' scientific reasoning ability, science process skills, and understanding of the nature of science (collectively: "scientific literacy"). In this course, specific science content serves not as the principle focus, but only as a mechanism to more deeply engage the students. In this, the second of two talks, we will present example materials and discuss the progress of implementation at the speaker's home institute.
  • Dollar Store Labs

      • Newton on the Cheap

      • GG01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by Gene Easter
      • Type: Invited
      • A guide to teaching Newton's three laws of motion using the cheap and the familiar--with flair. Learn to "teach the laws for less" and leave with effective and captivating activities, interactive demos, labs, and assessment activities. All activities are drawn from Kent State University's Operation Physics, a program for in-service middle school teachers, now in its 29th year. The program includes: How to uncover students' prior knowledge of forces and motion -- Using interactive demonstrations and labs that develop the concepts of force and acceleration with bridging techniques (Clement, 1993); Use of fan carts to develop Newton's laws, such as dueling fan carts and fan cart with sail (Morse, 1993); Assessment activities such as interactive demonstrations, lab practicum, and a "performance assessment" by way of a play--Newton's Laws of Motion in three acts. References: Clement, J. (1993). Using bridging analogies and anchoring intuitions to deal with students' preconceptions in physics. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 30(10),1241-1257. Morse, Robert. A. (1993). Constant acceleration: Experiments with a fan-driven dynamics cart. The Physics Teacher, 31(6), 347.
      • Cheap Physics at the Dollar Store

      • GG02
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
      • by Courtney Willis
      • Type: Invited
      • A century ago C. Riborg Mann talked about the need to engage students withreal physics in his book titled "The Teaching of Physics." Today, we have the "Dollar Store Phenomena" which has become quite popular considering the economic times and offers the opportunity to investigate real physics in action (at inexpensive prices.) From using inexpensive toys to demonstrate such fundamental concepts as force and energy, to foods for the discussion of temperature and heat, to house wares for talks about relationships of pressure and density, the dollar store represents a unique opportunity to study physics. In this paper we will try to demonstrate a number of these activities in an interactive manner.
      • Dollar Store Labs

      • GG03
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Daryl Taylor
      • Type: Invited
      • Through the use of simple household items - toys, tools, food, you name it- investigate how to get conceptual results without all the expensive proverbial "bells and whistles." Twenty simple demonstrations of various physics topics will be rapid-fired your way along with some group participation. Each demonstration can be easily turned into an entire lab activity. Entirely too much fun to pass up.
  • Examining how different research-based curricula promote different agendas in research

      • Research Driven Curricula and Curricula Driven Research: Physics by Inquiry*

      • CI01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
      • by Paula Heron
      • Type: Invited
      • For many years the Physics Education Group (PEG) at the University of Washington has conducted a program to prepare pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers to teach physics and physical science as a process of inquiry. The goals of the program include helping teachers develop deep conceptual knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and experience, as learners, with guided inquiry. Research on student learning helped shape these goals, and they in turn shaped the research agenda that guided the development of Physics by Inquiry (Wiley, 1996). The nature of the courses in which Physics by Inquiry is used (at UW and elsewhere) provides motivation and opportunity that shape a research agenda that emphasizes small-scale, qualitative investigations of teacher learning and its impact on practice.
      • How Responsive Inquiry Promotes a Transformative Experience Agenda

      • CI02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
      • by Brian Frank
      • Type: Invited
      • We discuss how teaching responsive inquiry courses has led the presenters to a scholarly interest in the concept of transformative experience--a construct that aims to describe and assess the extent to which students use science concepts to see and experience the world in new and meaningful ways. While responsive teaching has provided us with rich points of contact for noticing (and perhaps even fostering) students' transformative experiences, our scholarly interest in this notion has in?uenced our observations of the phenomena and our perceptions of its value as a course outcome. In this talk, we describe the curricular contexts in which our interests in transformative experiences continue to develop and our ongoing attempts as researchers to both immerse and distance ourselves from the phenomena. Along the way, we present data from surveys, classroom artifacts, and interviews to illustrate the nature of transformative experiences and the means by which we are investigating it.
      • Conceptual Change to Critical Race Theory: Spectrum of PET Research

      • CI03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00PM - 8:30PM
      • by Valerie Otero
      • Type: Invited
      • The Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) Curriculum [1] was initially developed using a derivative of the classical conceptual change perspective on learning [2]. Implementation research, however, has deviated greatly from this perspective. While constrained by the affordances of a curriculum and the population with which it is used, research possibilities are largely dependent on how the researcher sees the world. This is usually greatly influenced by the academic kinship of the researcher [3]. This presentation explores how research topics involving the PET curriculum have changed over time and with diverse schooling contexts (for both the researcher and for PET student populations). I will take you from classical conceptual change theory to critical race theory and explore the conditions for theoretical change within a community of scholars. By investigating the research trajectories of scholars, their students, and their students' students, I will conjecture some parameters that influence or inhibit change.
  • Faculty Peer Mentoring

      • Mentoring Matters

      • EC01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by Barbara Whitten
      • Type: Invited
      • We usually think of mentoring as a flow of information and advice from an older, more experienced mentor to a younger mentee. But it can also be useful to have advice from peers. For the past four years, we -- five senior women at liberal arts colleges -- have participated in a horizontal mentoring alliance that has given all of us important professional and personal support. Our Alliance began as part of an NSF Advance project, the premise of which is that horizontal mentoring between individuals of similar rank, field, academic environment, and perhaps also matched by race and gender, is a highly beneficial enterprise, particularly for underrepresented and/or isolated groups within a profession. Our Alliance has been very successful primarily because it is a resonant phenomenon -- we feel that the other members of the group "get it" (whatever the issue) right away because they've had similar experiences. We will discuss our experiences and suggest ways similar Mentoring Alliances might be established and supported.
      • Research and Writing Groups Promote Goal Setting and Faculty Success

      • EC02
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
      • by Kimberly Shaw
      • Type: Invited
      • Faculty work is often challenging, by its very nature. At regional universities, faculty are often called upon to teach three or four classes a semester, perform a variety of service and committee work, as well as maintain a productive scholarly career. Further, there appears to be a trend toward increasing research expectations on faculty in recent years. Written expectations for successful job performance are often intentionally vague. We will discuss the history and structure of a faculty peer mentoring group at a regional university. This group structured itself around research and writing goal-setting, both on a weekly and semester basis. Networking and career coaching have also become regular discussion themes in weekly meetings. Members and former members were surveyed regarding perceived benefits of this group, and themes that became apparent in that analysis will be discussed.
      • A Mentoring Collaboration to Implement an Active-Learning Environment at a Two-Year college  CANCELED

      • EC03
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Jaime Millan
      • Type: Contributed
      • We describe the process in developing and implementing a PER-based teaching approach at Harold Washington College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago, through a collaboration with Chicago State University. We detail both how this partnership came to be and how we have been able to sustain and strength it; we also discuss the key successes, actions, and the outcomes of our partnership, and how it is similar in many respects to the mentoring program being sponsored by AAPT. We believe this type of collaboration benefits both the two-year and the four-year institution and can help peers who want to begin implementing an active-learning approach at their own institutions.
  • Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science

      • Physics of Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs

      • AC01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by John Gizis
      • Type: Invited
      • The vast majority of stars are smaller, less massive, and less luminous than the Sun. I will discuss the main physical processes that determine the structure and lifetime of a star. Stellar astrophysics makes use of familar physics, such as gravity, the ideal gas law, and thermodynamics, in an unfamiliar context. I will explain the reasons why many astronomers believe that the first Earth-like world will be detected around a low-mass M dwarf. Physical laws imply that there is a lower mass limit to stars: For less than 7.5% of the mass of the Sun, stable hydrogen fusion is impossible. Known as "brown dwarfs," these very-low-mass objects cool and fade. I will discuss recent discoveries that led to the development of new spectral types (L, T, and Y) and the status of the search for the coldest and nearest brown dwarf.
      • The Physics of Classical Be Stars

      • AC02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by M. Virginia McSwain
      • Type: Invited
      • O- and B-type stars are the hottest and most massive classes of stars, andthey drive the vast majority of the energy and chemical feedback into the Universe. A category of high mass stars known as classical Be stars have large circumstellar disks that are formed from material ejected from the stellar surface. Be stars are have emerged as fascinating examples of many different astrophysical phenomena: the effects of rapid rotation upon stellar structure and evolution, surface activity and mass loss via nonradial pulsations, and even very high-energy particle acceleration produced by the interactions of the disk with a compact companion. I will review the physical processes that are believed to contribute to the formation of the circumstellar disks, and I will present new results from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and other observatories that provide insight on the disk interactions.
      • What Is a Galaxy?

      • AC03
      • Mon 07/30, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Beth Willman
      • Type: Invited
      • In the past five years, more than a dozen dwarf galaxies have been discovered around the Milky Way that are 100 times less luminous than any galaxy previously known and a million times less luminous than the Milky Way itself. These objects have made astronomers question the very meaning of the word "galaxy." These discoveries hint that "ultra-faint" galaxies might actually be the most numerous type of galaxy in the Universe. This talk will highlight 1) how we can see galaxies that are effectively invisible in images of the sky, 2) the brewing controversy of the definition of the term "galaxy", and 3) the implications of these new discoveries for our understanding of dark matter.
      • The Accelerating Universe

      • AC04
      • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
      • by Masao Sako
      • Type: Invited
      • Distance measurements with Type Ia supernova have played a central role inmodern cosmology, providing the first direct observational evidence for an accelerating universe and the possible existence for the mysterious dark energy. This Nobel Prize-winning discovery, which has profound implications in all branches of physics and astronomy, is now being taught in classrooms of all levels. I will discuss various ways of presenting the basic concepts, the experiments and measurements, as well as difficulties that both instructors and students encounter when teaching and learning about this remarkable phenomenon.
  • Giving Voice in the Classroom

      • Giving Voice in the Classroom

      • GM
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Panel
      • Reality Pedagogy and Urban Science Education

      • GM01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Christopher Emdin
      • Type: Panel
      • Much of the research in urban science education that focuses on the needs of youth of color utilizes the concept of cultural relevance or responsiveness as the primary framework that guides the work. This presentation explores the extent to which this pedagogical approach impacts urban science education, and describes its chief limitations. I also introduce an approach to pedagogy (reality pedagogy) that considers the limitations of existent research, and provides a means to improving physics instruction by focusing on the realities of youth experiences.
      • Enacting Localized Reform Through the Cogenerative Mediation Process for Learning Environments

      • GM02
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Natan Samuels
      • Type: Panel
      • We discuss how using the Cogenerative Mediation Process for Learning Environments (CMPLE) affected physics instructors? awareness of classroom gender, cultural, and language issues. CMPLE is a formative intervention designed to help teachers better engage with students in their shared learning environment. Through giving students meaningful roles in classroom operations via CMPLE, instructors reflected upon and adjusted their teaching methods to better suit their own and their students' learning preferences. Listening to, and working with their students as individuals and as a group helped instructors understand shared classroom issues through the students' voices. The process of actively changing aspects of classroom function opened new possibilities for teaching, learning, communication, and mutual understanding. We highlight this process using data from two courses: a high school honors physics class using the Modeling curriculum, and a university science content and methods course for pre-service elementary teachers using the Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum.
  • Great Teachers

      • Franklin Miller at One Hundred

      • GD01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Thomas Greenslade, Jr.
      • Type: Contributed
      • Franklin Miller, the winner of the 1970 Millikan Award for his developmentof the Single Concept Film, will turn 100 in September. Many of us have used his physics text, "College Physics", that went into six editions. I will tell some Miller stories, ranging from his work in saving the original Tacoma Narrows film to his work with the Society for Social Responsibility in Science.
      • Henry H. Barschall: A Teacher to Remember

      • GD02
      • Wed 08/01, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by Charles Holbrow
      • Type: Contributed
      • Heinz Barschall was a physics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1946 to 1986. Internationally known and respected for his research with fast neutrons, he was as serious about his teaching as he was about his research. He was my lab instructor in beginning physics; taught me undergraduate modern physics; and supervised my PhD work. He taught me --- as he taught all his graduate students --- to have high standards, high expectations, and low tolerance for stupidity. German by birth and upbringing, he taught me to write simple, lucid English; he did this by example and by insistence. Some stories will show how Barschall's austere rationality, unemotional but penetrating criticism, and lifelong interest in the careers of his former students made him a teacher with a lasting impact on their careers and characters. He was a distinguished teacher of a kind not in style today.
  • High School Photo Contest

      • High School Photo Contest

      • PHOTO
      • Tue 07/31, 8:00AM - 5:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Posters
  • Innovations in Teaching Astronomy

      • The ASTRO 101 Teacher's New Toolkit for Addressing Diversity*

      • BF01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
      • by Mark Reiser
      • Type: Invited
      • ASTRO 101 professors start each new year with increasingly diverse groups of non-majoring undergraduate students populating their classrooms. By and large, the current cadre of ASTRO 101 teachers fully understand the value and importance of having a wide diversity of students who understand and contribute to the scientific enterprise; yet, few professors have had the opportunity to learn how to best teach the quickly broadening range of contemporary student audiences in multi-cultural classrooms. This presentation serves as a first-steps departure point for faculty interested in improving teaching to diverse student bodies. Strategies highlighted include negotiated syllabi, structured collaborative learning, mini-debates, and backwards faded scaffolding, among others. The talk surveys the current landscape of interactive teaching methods, as well as the barriers to be overcome, when effectively teaching and providing inquiry experiences specifically designed to engage all students.
      • Learning Critical Thinking Through Astronomy

      • BF02
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
      • by Joe Heafner
      • Type: Invited
      • Learning Critical Thinking Through Astronomy is a project intended to teach astronomy upon a foundation of critical thinking. Formal reasoning must be explicitly taught, much like skills that must be taught first in instrumental music. Too often, we who teach science fail to teach the fundamental skills we tacitly assume students already have. LCTTA attempts to address through inquiry in critical thinking first, and then application of critical thinking to astronomy. This talk will summarize the project and its approach.
      • Using Virtual Planetarium Programs for Online Lab Instruction

      • BF03
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
      • by Gregory Dolise
      • Type: Contributed
      • The use of virtual planetarium software to reinforce basic concepts and combat misconceptions will be discussed. Programs such as The Sky or Starry Night are frequently packaged with textbooks, and freeware programs are widely available, enabling all students to experiment firsthand with celestial motions. Students can experience how planets move in relation to stars, why retrograde motion occurs, how stellar altitude varies with latitude, and a wide range of other activities. Misconceptions about astrology and horoscopes are quickly put to rest by examining the Sun's true position along the zodiac. All of these activities are currently being employed by the author in online planetary and stellar astronomy courses.
      • Improving Student Understanding of Astrophysics Concepts

      • BF04
      • Mon 07/30, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
      • by Heather Rave
      • Type: Contributed
      • As part of an effort to improve students' learning of astrophysical phenomena, we are investigating strategies to improve students' conceptual understanding in the undergraduate Astrophysics classroom: Physics 342 Principles of Astrophysics. Although students used to do well on quantitative problems, their performance on conceptual quizzes was lacking. In an attempt to improve student conceptual understanding, we made changes to the course in the spring of 2012. We added conceptual questions to the student's homework problem sets and expanded in-class conceptual questions. We collected student homework assignments and student work on a midterm conceptual quiz. The findings of this preliminary research project will be used as a guide for the development of the Physics 341 and Physics 342 Principles of Astrophysics courses. We will present a brief overview of the project, with special attention to the findings that emerged.
      • High School Heliophysics Research Using Online Resources

      • BF05
      • Mon 07/30, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
      • by Tiffany Coke
      • Type: Contributed
      • Do sunspots appear in patterns? How can we find out? Using available resources from NOAA, high school students will determine for themselves the 11-year sunspot cycle. What can sunspots tell us about the rotation rate of the Sun? Using the free application JHelioviewer downloaded from the Internet, students will plot sunspots over time both near the center of the Sun and also near the poles to determine the differential rotational period. The focus of this 60-90 minute activity is to allow students the opportunity to see how many valid sources of scientific data are readily available online, and also to use data to confirm unexpected outcomes.
      • Astronomy Demos for College Students to Do

      • BF06
      • Mon 07/30, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
      • by Mary Lou West
      • Type: Contributed
      • Lecture demonstrations are powerful, especially when done by students who rehearse from scripts the week before. Later, on tests, they explain another's demo with enthusiasm. Most of these demos are classics, but the student scripts are new. Solar system demos: Sundial Types, Analemma, Retrograde Motion, Blue Sky, Foucault Pendulum, Radioactive Half-life, Moon Figures, Jack and Jill, Lunar Phases, Eclipse Geometry, Impact Craters, Conic Sections, Mars Rovers, Spin Oblateness, Titius-Bode's Rule, Scale Models, Warped Space Orbits, Make a Comet, Sun's Diameter, Sun's Magnetic Field, Photon Random Walk, Sunspotter Sunspots, and Sunspot Brightness. Stellar Demos: Reading Star Charts, Twinkling, Parallax, Counting Stars, Star Temperatures/Colors, Emission Line Spectra (spiral fluorescents), Binary Systems, Astroblaster Supernova, Pulsar Models, Ultraviolet Supernova Colors, Filters for Supernova Remnants, Milky Way Model, Angle of Solar System, Galactic Velocity Curve, Hubble Atlas, Galaxy Collisions, Age of the Universe, Center of the Universe, Expansion of Space, and Cosmic Timeline.
      • Astronomy Course for Non-Science Majors and Amateur Astronomy Society Partnership

      • BF07
      • Mon 07/30, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
      • by Judith Parker
      • Type: Contributed
      • Muhlenberg College, a liberal arts college in Allentown, PA, is located about 15 minutes drive from the site of the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society (LVAAS). This presentation will detail two activities that have resulted from the partnership of these two organizations to benefit all students on campus and provide non-major astronomy students the opportunity to do research at the LVAAS site as an option for meeting their course requirements. The on-campus star party began as a year of astronomy event in 2009 and has been repeated each semester since. Over 90 students participated in spring, 2012 (24 students were taking astronomy that semester). Astronomy students study spectra and do a computer simulation lab as an integral part of the course. Interested students have the opportunity to use the LVAAS telescopes and spectrometer and actually take the spectra of visible stars, planets, and nebula for spectral analysis.
      • Introductory Astronomy Essays on Transits, Eclipses and Occultations

      • BF08
      • Mon 07/30, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
      • by Noella D'Cruz
      • Type: Contributed
      • Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL, offers a one-semester introductory astronomy course each semester. We teach over 110 primarily non-science major students each semester. We use proven active learning strategies such as lecture tutorials, think-pair-share questions and small group discussions to help these students develop and retain a good understanding of astrophysical concepts. Occasionally, we offer projects that allow students to explore course topics beyond the classroom. We hope that such projects will increase students' interest in astronomy. We also hope that these assignments will help students to improve their critical thinking and writing skills. In spring '12, we are offering three short individual essay assignments in our face-to-face sections. The essays focus on transits, eclipses and occultations to highlight the 2012 transit of Venus. Details of the essay assignments and students' reactions to them will be presented at the meeting.
  • Interactive Lecture Demonstrations--What's New? ILDs Using Clickers and Video Analysis

      • Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Active Learning in Lecture Including Clickers and Video Analysis

      • FF01
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by David Sokoloff
      • Type: Invited
      • The results of physics education research and the availability of microcomputer-based tools have led to the development of the Activity Based Physics Suite.(1) Most of the Suite materials are designed for hands-on learning, for example student-oriented laboratory curricula such as RealTime Physics. One reason for the success of these materials is that they encourage students to take an active part in their learning. This interactive session will demonstrate, through active audience participation, Suite materials designed to promote active learning in lecture, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs)(2), including those using clickers and video analysis.
      • Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Effectiveness in Teaching Concepts

      • FF02
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Ronald Thornton
      • Type: Invited
      • The effectiveness of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) in teachingphysics concepts has been studied using physics education research based, multiple-choice conceptual evaluations.(1) Results of such studies will be presented, including studies with clicker ILDs. These results should be encouraging to those who wish to improve conceptual learning in their introductory physics course.
  • International Perspectives on Laboratory Instruction

      • Novel Developments for Laboratory Instruction in the EU

      • DA01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Wolfgang Grill
      • Type: Invited
      • Due to efforts and regulations under way to unify higher education in theEuropean Union, the curricula for physics studies have lately been altered substantially. This has led to a reduction of the rather extensive instruction in dedicated laboratories and respective courses, traditionally featured at the continental European universities. Some of the major changes are presented with examples from respective education programs in Germany and neighboring countries. Also exemplified and demonstrated with experiments are our efforts to find new ways to introduce teaching by suitable technological developments with the use of hands-on experiment supported lectures in courses. This is a supplement to otherwise special laboratories with permanently set up individual experiments as in the traditional introductory and advanced physics laboratory for students. These efforts concentrate on compact, laptop-operated universal electronic based signal generation and detection hard- and software, representing a down to earth and low budget spin-off from equipment and software developed by us and installed in the Materials Science Laboratory of the International Space Station. The portable system is used with the appropriate software to perform experiments ranging from basic measurements (voltmeter, oscilloscope) to state-of-the-art studies (correlation based ultrasonic structural health and load monitoring of aircrafts and civil structures).
      • What Kelvin Started, We Continue -- a UK Perspective on Laboratory Teaching

      • DA02
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Peter Sneddon
      • Type: Invited
      • Teaching laboratories form a cornerstone of physics courses at all levels in the United Kingdom. The first was introduced by Lord Kelvin, in 1855, at the University of Glasgow. The AAPT has a published list of goals for laboratory teaching, and in the United Kingdom the professional body for the subject, the Institute of Physics, has similar clear aims. But whilst the professionals agree that laboratories are vital, what about the students who receive them? In this presentation, I will detail work that has been carried out over the last five years looking at the attitudes towards, and experiences of, laboratory learning of students at institutions throughout the United Kingdom. This study concluded that students found laboratories enjoyable and useful, playing a key role in improving their understanding of course material. It improved their confidence, and broadened their skills base.
      • First Year Experiments: Back to Thinking!

      • DA03
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Saalih Allie
      • Type: Invited
      • Experimentation and deductive reasoning based on experimental data lies atthe heart of physics. Yet this aspect of physics is generally neglected in favor of covering theoretical topics in introductory physics courses. First-year physics students at the University of Cape Town come from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds with the most disadvantaged being least likely to have had either hands-on experience with apparatus or exposure to teaching methods that included critical thinking. Traditional cookbook laboratory experiments, while perhaps addressing the former, inhibit rather than encourage the latter, e.g. tasks are framed in a manner that encourages a world view based on authority rather than one that rewards exploration and original thinking. I will discuss attempts to address this issue by reformulation of the traditional laboratory tasks in a way that removes the "authority" aspect and focuses on interpreting the data at hand.
      • What Should Students Know Before Using Physics Lab Equipment?

      • DA04
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Ann Schmiedekamp
      • Type: Contributed
      • Pre-lab instruction to ensure good laboratory technique and proper usage of equipment is a common practice. Software to support pre-lab work was developed within Bristol ChemLabS, University of Bristol, UK, has been in use for five years. Its impact has been recognized through a national award, distribution of a resource to all UK secondary schools by the Royal Society of Chemistry (in association with Pfizer) and the commercialization of elements through Foundation Chemistry LabSkills in use worldwide. The UK's Higher Education Academy is now funding a project to produce a software resource to support the transition between high school and first-year undergraduate in the understanding of key lab skills in both physics and biology. An international committee has identified key areas of pre-lab instruction in physics and seeks additional feedback.
      • Experimental Physics in an International High School in Spain

      • DA05
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Aurora Vicens
      • Type: Contributed
      • Traditionally, the laboratory experience for a science student in Spain isrelatively small. This presentation is about the design and implementation of an experimental curriculum in a new International school established in Mallorca. Students come from different countries and academic, cultural, and language backgrounds and will continue their dollege educations in or outside Spain. The project involves looking at the Spanish science curriculum and designing labs that fit in the curriculum and teach skills that eventually make good, independent experimentalists. The challenges and joys of starting a science program with an experimental component are discussed and evaluated.
      • Understanding Effects of Newtonian Physics Through a Lab-Traditional-based Instruction Comparison

      • DA06
      • Tue 07/31, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Sergio Flores
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Physics II course is based on fundamental dynamics contents and is mandatory for all majors in the University of Juarez. Several investigations related to Newtonian physics conceptual learning have found important understanding problems. The students in this course have to develop a functional understanding about concepts such as velocity, acceleration and Newton's second law. In the best case, students learn these concepts as isolated elements with a lack of relationship of the vector properties not only of the physical variables, but also of the equations that relate these variables and model motion. To explore understanding effects and the conceptual versatility students develop through a lab environment, we present an investigation to compare two Physics II groups, one of them under a traditional-base learning process in the classroom, and the other in the physics lab instruction throughout a complete semester. The evaluation elements during the cognitive journey are similar for both groups. One of the micro-curriculum differences is the use of material and equipment by the lab group in all of the sessions. The observations show that despite the better results of the lab group (experiment group) in most of the tests, the control group ended the semester with a better effective learning gaining.
  • Introductory Courses

      • Cognitive Development in a Group-Centered Problem-Solving Classroom

      • FG01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by Joshua Ridenour
      • Type: Contributed
      • Developing competency in problem solving and enhancing conceptual understanding are primary objectives in introductory physics, and many techniques and tools are available to help instructors achieve them. Pedagogically, we use an easy-to-implement intervention, the ACCESS protocol, to develop and assess problem-solving skills in our SCALE-UP classroom environment for algebra-based physics. Based on our research and teaching experience, an important question has emerged: while primarily targeting improvements in problem-solving and cognitive development, is it necessary that conceptual understanding be compromised? To address this question, we gathered and analyzed information about student abilities, backgrounds, and instructional preferences. We report on our progress and give insights into matching the instructional tools to student profiles in order to achieve optimal learning in group-based active learning. The ultimate goal of our work is to integrate individual student learning needs into a pedagogy that moves students closer to expert-like status in problem solving.
      • Promoting Critical Thinking in a SCALE-UP Environment at a Community College

      • FG02
      • Wed 08/01, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by Nawal Benmouna
      • Type: Contributed
      • Critical-thinking skills are identified across disciplines as being the primary competency for academic success. Physics courses can provide the ideal vehicle for helping students develop such skills by focusing on the cognitive aspects of physics instruction in an active-learning environment. Through a collaborative NSF/TUES grant with George Washington University, we have incorporated a SCALE-UP-inspired approach into a "thinking skills" curriculum based on a taxonomy of cognitive skills in a General Physics I algebra-based class at Montgomery College. Critical-thinking skills are practiced repeatedly within each step of the problem-solving instructional approach used. We will report on the adaptation of the SCALE-UP environment at a Community College, the development of assessment tools to evaluate students' critical thinking, and how the assessment results were used to implement changes.
      • Getting Students to Read the Textbook Before Class

      • FG03
      • Wed 08/01, 8:50AM - 9:00PM
      • by Cynthia Heiner
      • Type: Contributed
      • Traditionally, students are introduced to a topic for the first time in lecture; however, students can read the textbook before coming to class -- making lecture their second exposure. Unfortunately most students do not read the textbook. Our approach to encourage students to read before class, which was inspired by Just-in-Time-Teaching [1], has two key components: (1) the reading is very specific, and (2) a follow-up online quiz has questions that explicitly refer to the textbook. We have introduced such pre-reading assignments into a first-year physics course predominantly for life science majors. With this approach, 85% of students reported reading the textbook on a regular basis. I will present survey evidence that students recognized the textbook as being helpful to their learning and that pre-readings helped students to develop more sophisticated questions during lecture.
      • How Different Incentives Affect Homework Completion in Introductory Physics Courses

      • FG04
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by Frederick Kontur
      • Type: Contributed
      • We examine the amount of homework completed by students in two calculus-based introductory physics courses (Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism) when three different incentives are used: (1) awarding points for homework completion in an online system; (2) administering homework quizzes that require students to solve a homework problem that was previously assigned; (3) allowing students to use their completed homework as a reference when taking quizzes on problems related to but not coming from the homework. In the latter two cases, none of the assigned homework was directly graded; homework completion was measured by periodic random checks during class of students' workbooks. To our knowledge, this is the first study that quantitatively compares homework completion for ungraded versus graded homework in an introductory physics course. Other variables that may affect homework completion, such as incoming student aptitude and student perception of the value of homework, are also analyzed.
      • Homework Effectiveness in Two Introductory Physics Courses

      • FG05
      • Wed 08/01, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by Nathan Terry
      • Type: Contributed
      • We consider the effectiveness of homework as a learning tool in multiple sections of two introductory calculus-based physics courses offered during several semesters. During these courses, both online and written homework were used. Correlation measurements from semesters where online homework was used indicated that homework was the least effective type of assignment for preparing students for exams; grades on both laboratory and pre-class assignments had a consistently higher correlation to exam success. We replaced online homework with written homework included as part of a comprehensive class journal. This study examines the effectiveness of course homework assignments before and after the introduction of the journal in several ways. First, we analyze how homework patterns relate to student performance on quizzes and exams. Second, we consider student responses to mid- and end-of-course surveys. Third, we examine insights collected during student focus group interviews.
      • Rapid Conversion of Traditional Introductory Physics Sequences to Activity-based Format  CANCELED

      • FG06
      • Wed 08/01, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Garett Yoder
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Department of Physics at EKU with support from the National Science Foundation's Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program has successfully converted our entire introductory physics sequence, both algebra-based and calculus-based courses, to an activity-based format where laboratory activities, problem-solving sessions and lectures are seamlessly integrated in a single classroom. We report here, the structure, staffing, and materials generated for the courses and the outcomes we have observed as a result of this conversion. Our experience in making this transition can serve as a model or blueprint for other colleges and universities interested in making similar changes.
      • Theory and Practice vs. Lecture and Lab/Teaching Introductory Physics

      • FG07
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Mikhail Agrest
      • Type: Contributed
      • The historical, methodological, technological, and administrative reasons lead to the tradition of having science classes taught as lectures and labs. Originated as sharing knowledge with larger groups of people, lectures became more a theoretical portion while labs were invented to give students the opportunity to learn via hands-on experience and to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired in lectures into real life. Development of theory and practice of teaching and learning invented new concepts and methods. One dimensional lecturer/student speaking/hearing flow of information was replaced by multidimensional methods[1]. Visual learners are pleased by abilities of modern visual aids technology. Demonstrations are forcing out conceptual teaching that is sometimes replaced by consideration of examples led practically to solving problems and replacing recitations sections. Things aren't always what they seem[2]. Misinterpreting observations, creating inadequate shortcuts became one of the learning problems. Advantages and disadvantages of the theoretical (lecture) classes and practical (labs and recitations) will be discussed.
      • Statics and Dynamics of Walking a Narrow Path: A Bird's Perspective

      • FG08
      • Wed 08/01, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Zdeslav Hrepic
      • Type: Contributed
      • While we still do not have a definitive answer about the reason(s) for which birds stand on one leg, a list of suggestions has been offered both by expert ornithologists and amateur birdwatchers. We offer a perspective grounded in statics and rotational dynamics that has not been suggested in the literature. The discussion has implications for bird study, and it can also be used as a rich context for teaching statics and dynamics topics at levels ranging from conceptual courses to advanced mechanics. Paper associated with the presentation is available in the March 2012 issue of The Physics Teacher.
      • Pictorial Representations for Sound Standing Waves in Introductory Physics Textbooks

      • FG09
      • Wed 08/01, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Liang Zeng
      • Type: Contributed
      • We reviewed at least 10 commonly used textbooks in introductory physics and found that pictorial representations for sound standing waves of air columns in tubes can be categorized into several typical models. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate the comparative effectiveness between one pictorial representation model and the supporting text in a textbook and our self-composed pictorial representation model and supporting text in helping students learn the underlying concepts of sound standing waves. We found that students were confused with some aspects of the textbook's pictorial representations and incomplete supporting text. The results of this study can provide a basis for publishers to improve their pictorial representations and texts and for instructors to facilitate comprehensive explanations to enhance student conceptual understanding in sound standing waves.
      • Using Play Dough to Understand Nuclear Reactors

      • FG10
      • Wed 08/01, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Erin De Pree
      • Type: Contributed
      • Many introductory physics courses briefly cover nuclear reactors. We present a kinetic activity to help students understand and remember how a nuclear reactor work. Each group of three to four students builds their own nuclear reactor using play dough. Groups often build different kinds of reactors and compare them afterwards.
      • Collision Between a Disk and a Rod: Do They Stick?

      • FG11
      • Wed 08/01, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Carl Mungan
      • Type: Contributed
      • A small puck makes a perfectly inelastic collision with the end of a thin uniform rod lying at rest on frictionless ice. (In a perfectly inelastic collision, the normal component of the relative velocity between the contact points on the objects is zero after the collision.) Given the geometry, the masses, and the initial speed of the puck, the motion of the system immediately after the collision will be the same regardless of whether the puck sticks to the rod or not, IF the puck strikes the end of the rod perpendicularly. However, if the disk strikes at an angle (relative to the axis of the rod) other than 90 (or 0) degrees, then the final motion will be different if the puck sticks than if it does not. This example illustrates why one should NOT define "perfectly inelastic" as "the two objects stick together."
      • Acronyms [vowels: mathematical operations]

      • FG12
      • Wed 08/01, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Shannon Schunicht
      • Type: Contributed
      • When instructing physics, formulas are continually espoused with applications, historical highlights, and derivatives in the same orderly fashion. Students have other classes and assignments. Physics now becomes second, if not discarded altogether. While in the Army, Mr. Schunicht was involved in a mid-air collision rendering three weeks of unconsciousness. Pragmatic disoveries were made to compensate for the residual memory deficits. The most valuable was having each vowel represent a mathematical operation, i.e. "a" multiplication to imply "@", "o" for division to mean "over", "i" for subtraction to signify "minus", "u" for addition to symbolize "plus", and "e" for "equals". Most constants, and variables are indeed consonants, e.g. "c" = "speed of light" & "z" = "altitude. ADDITIONAL LETTERS may be inserted for intelligibility, but need be CONSONANTS An acronym for The Quadratic Equation is; exCePT i buiLD rabbiTS 4 caTS oN 2 HaTS. Remembes Dr. Seuss?? The possibilities of this mnemonic technique are limitless as Delta X => 0
  • Introductory Labs/Apparatus

      • Cell Dynamics for Freshmen

      • BJ01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 3:40PM
      • by Mark Reeves
      • Type: Contributed
      • In our introductory physics class, we have replaced much of the classic content on two-particle, loss-free interactions with curriculum and labs that address viscosity and loss. These culminate in problems and hands-on material where the students study the motion of paramecia and bacteria and analyze the dynamics of propulsion in a viscous medium. Much of the work is with student-made videos in which dynamics data are extracted using frame-by-frame tracking in LoggerPro software, and from these data and a model designed to extract the propulsion force from the terminal velocity, the students infer details about molecular motors and diffusive and driven transport in cells. These labs have been created as part of a course in introductory physics with a biological emphasis, and respond to a growing need to train premedical students to think across disciplinary boundaries, and to learn to apply the laws of physics to understand and model biological phenomena.
      • Designing for Change: Reform in a Lower-Division E&M Lab

      • BJ02
      • Mon 07/30, 3:40PM - 3:50PM
      • by May Lee
      • Type: Contributed
      • At the University of Colorado at Boulder, we transformed a single introductory algebra-based lab on electric potentials from a lab of verification to a lab of discovery and inquiry. In this transformation, we drew our initial ideas from an inquiry-based activity grounded in research-based practices. We also took into consideration constraints in the implementation of this reform, which included: continuity with course and departmental expectations, adequacy in the breadth and depth of content covered, cost and maintenance of equipment, and concerns for teaching assistants and other instructors to enact the reform without too much additional guidance. We discuss our processes in addressing these constraints and present some preliminary results and feedback from our first implementation of the transformed lab with respect to its impact in helping students create a framework to better understand how different concepts in electricity are related to each other.
      • An Introductory Circuits Lab in Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

      • BJ03
      • Mon 07/30, 3:50PM - 4:00PM
      • by Elliot Mylott
      • Type: Contributed
      • We will present a laboratory exercise that highlights the applicability ofphysics concepts in medicine, specifically in the use of RC circuits in bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). This is a popular method to analyze body composition by measuring body impedance. Students will be introduced to concepts in RC circuits such as phasor diagrams and impedance, as well as electrical characteristics of cells, which can be modeled with resistors and capacitors. Equipment used for this lab can generally be found in most teaching labs. This lab and other activities we have developed show students the connections between the life sciences and physics.
      • Determination of Electrical Resistivity of Water: An Introductory Lab Experiment

      • BJ04
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:10PM
      • by A. James Mallmann
      • Type: Contributed
      • An experiment to determine the electrical resistivity of water will be described. The resistivity can be determined by graphical analysis of data that can be obtained using simple apparatus available in a typical undergraduate laboratory.
      • Flexible Physics: A Multimedia Bridge from Lecture to Lab

      • BJ05
      • Mon 07/30, 4:10PM - 4:20PM
      • by Duncan Carlsmith
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Flexible Physics Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has created a library of short multimedia educational objects to prepare university undergraduates for introductory physics laboratory experiences. Integrating still photographs, video, and audio using Flash, each object reviews important principles, describes the goals of the lab, and provides a brief tour of the experiment. Best practices related to the production of these materials will be described.
      • Portable Labs and Online TAs in Introductory Physics

      • BJ06
      • Mon 07/30, 4:20PM - 4:30PM
      • by William Sams*
      • Type: Contributed
      • We are developing teaching laboratories for introductory mechanics coursesinvolving portable equipment kits used extramurally in lieu of traditional laboratory rooms. These kitlabs are scheduled during regular lab times and are monitored by TAs through electronic conferencing software. In this manner, student groups have the same tasks, goals, and supervision as a standard lab, but without the need to be in the laboratory room. Students use their own technology (laptops or smartphones) for data collection rather than unfamiliar probes and data loggers. Initiated to address the strain on existing lab facilities of rapidly growing enrollment in introductory courses, the project has a number of applications. These could include distance and virtual courses, high schools, and institutions that may not have access to traditional laboratory rooms. I will present the motivation, initial development, and implementation of the project, as well as recent revisions and prospects for the future.
      • Reformation of Physics Lab Manual for Life-Science Students at USM

      • BJ07
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
      • by Bharath Kandula
      • Type: Contributed
      • As one of the project members, I contributed to it and observed the changein students' understanding and attitudes after using the new type of physics lab manual. Our result indicates that students and even teachers learn through the new lab manual. There are several factors that affect effective understanding in physics lab, such as the lab manual, the equipment, teacher's scientific pedagogy, students' inquisitive mind, students' background, etc. Especially for life-science majors, teaching physics requires a better guide or manual and extra supports which include personal attention and interactive questioning with instructors. From our observations of last year, we have concluded that the new lab manual has improved students' understanding in the concepts of Newton's laws, torques, conservation of momentum, moment of inertia, etc. This scheme also gives us the future work toward demonstrations using diagrams and providing software.
      • Reforming the Introductory Physics Laboratory to Impact Scientific Reasoning Abilities*

      • BJ08
      • Mon 07/30, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
      • by Carol Fabby**
      • Type: Contributed
      • Research indicates that students enter college with wide variations in scientific reasoning abilities, and it also suggests that students with formal reasoning patterns are more proficient learners. Unfortunately, these abilities are not impacted in the typical college course. In an effort to better target the development of scientific reasoning abilities of students in our introductory physics lab courses, we have revised the structure of the lab activities while maintaining the same topics and equipment we have been using for years in a more traditional lab setting. The changes enable students to become more involved in the actual design of the experiments and place more emphasis on student use of evidence-based reasoning. The challenges in implementing these curricular adjustments with large enrollments of 700 or more students will be addressed in addition to the impact the changes have had on student development of scientific reasoning abilities.
      • Remote-Controlled Online Physics Labs

      • BJ09
      • Mon 07/30, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
      • by Todd Ruskell
      • Type: Contributed
      • Introductory physics courses taught online are regularly offered by many institutions. While content delivery is now relatively straightforward, the laboratory component of these courses provides many challenges. Two common ways to deliver the laboratory component are to have students purchase lab kits that enable them to perform experiments at home, or to have students take the laboratory component in residence. The North American Network of Science Labs Online (NANSLO) project has developed a relatively new alternative to these methods. We have developed several introductory physics laboratory experiments that students control remotely via a web-based interface. We report on the results of the first implementation of these laboratories used by students enrolled in introductory physics taken through Colorado Community Colleges Online.
      • Incorporation of Hands-on Learning into Online Introductory Instruction

      • BJ10
      • Mon 07/30, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
      • by Katie Crimmins
      • Type: Contributed
      • Recent work in our group has yielded a small, inexpensive device -- the IOLab system -- which can measure various physical quantities including displacement, acceleration, magnetic field, and voltage and display real-time results on a computer screen. The portability of the IOLab system and the prevalence of personal computers make it possible for students to perform hands-on activities outside of the formal laboratory classroom setting. We have investigated the use of this system as an aid to initial learning in the context of online instruction. In our study, undergraduate physics students viewed a multimedia presentation about Faraday's law and subsequently explored the topic further using computer-guided independent hands-on activities involving simultaneous measurements of magnetic field and voltage. Students responded positively to this supplementary instruction, both in attitude and in improved initial understanding.
      • Experimental Demonstration Using a Blowgun for Introducing Dynamics

      • BJ11
      • Mon 07/30, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
      • by Koji TSUKAMOTO
      • Type: Contributed
      • In many Asian countries, the "blowgun" has been commonly used for huntingor has been played with by children since ancient times. We have devised an efficient way to introduce dynamics with a blowgun demonstration experiment.(1) This demonstration is effective for introducing a relationship between force and its effect because the procedure is simple and the results can be seen clearly without measurement. At this presentation, we will conduct the demonstration in front of the audience, and also show the results of the measurement. The results and analyses of the measurement will be shown at our poster presentation, "Analyses of The Blowgun Demonstration Experiment."
      • Rolling Demonstrations

      • BJ12
      • Mon 07/30, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
      • by Jeffrey Wetherhold
      • Type: Contributed
      • Teaching about rolling motion can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to demonstrating the direction of the frictional force. To me, the friction force has always been a somewhat unwelcome and mysterious guest in my classroom. Unwelcome, in that I often minimized it and mysterious, in that I always had trouble understanding and demonstrating its direction in a concrete way. Recently I designed several demonstrations that changed all that for me and my physics students. It is still somewhat unwelcome in my classroom, but its aura of mystery has diminished.
  • LHC Data for Physics Teachers and Students

      • Using Real LHC Data in the High School Classroom

      • EK01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by Michael Fetsko
      • Type: Invited
      • This is an exciting time in the study of particle physics, from the speedyneutrinos to the search for the elusive Higgs Boson; it seems that particle physics is always in the news. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland is at the focus of all of this research and you can involve your students in all of the excitement. This presentation will explain a variety of investigations that you can bring into your classroom using real particle physics data that has been released from the two big experiments at the LHC, ATLAS and CMS. Through these investigations, your students will be able to examine real event displays, calculate invariant rest masses, create and analyze mass plots, and discover particle physics using the same data that researchers all over the world are using.
      • Understanding Scientific Discovery Through LHC Data

      • EK02
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
      • by Marjorie Bardeen
      • Type: Invited
      • Scientific discovery is a journey not an event. The huge public interest generated by the Large Hadron Collider made us realize that we needed to do more to help student grasp this important "enduring understanding." A suite of activities based on real particle physics data provides teachers with a unique opportunity to broaden a student's frame of reference for science. Students can learn how scientists discover new knowledge and how they talk about their work. We'll introduce activities that will be developed in more depth in subsequent talks and make an easy calculation of particle mass with LHC data, a protractor, and ruler.
      • QuarkNet LHC Boot Camp: Immersion in Particle Physics for Teachers

      • EK03
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Deborah Roudebush
      • Type: Contributed
      • The QuarkNet LHC Boot Camp is a unique one-week program in which teachers learn about particle physics and the Large Hadron Collider through immersion and inquiry. Participating teachers work in teams to understand real data from the CMS detector of the LHC at CERN. Guided by a set of milestones and staff facilitators, the teachers must decide what the data means and how to analyze it. The process of understanding the data leads to professional growth in physics and in understanding teaching and learning.
      • The 2012 Particle Physics Masterclass

      • EK04
      • Tue 07/31, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Shane Wood
      • Type: Contributed
      • The particle physics Masterclass is a program in which high school students analyze data from CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments to better understand the world of quarks and leptons. This presentation will highlight some of the features of the 2012 Masterclass, and how high school teachers and students may become involved in this exciting collaboration.*
      • Particle Physics Masterclass as a Context for Learning About NOS

      • EK05
      • Tue 07/31, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
      • by Michael Wadness
      • Type: Contributed
      • This research addresses the question: Do secondary school science students attending the Particle Physics Masterclass change their view of the nature of science (NOS)? The Particle Physics Masterclass is a national physics outreach program run by QuarkNet, in which high school physics students gather at a local research institution for one day to learn about particle physics and the scientific enterprise. Student activities include introductory lectures in particle physics, laboratory tours, analysis of actual data from CERN, and the discussion of their findings in a conference-like atmosphere. Although there are a number of outreach programs involving scientists in K-12 education, very few of them have been formally evaluated to determine if they provide adequate learning of NOS. Therefore, the significance of this study is that it investigates the claim that science outreach programs may be designed to address science literacy, specifically as a context for explicit NOS instruction.
  • Labs at Many Levels

      • Spiraling the Curriculum: Labs to Do at Many Levels

      • CB01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
      • by Paul Dolan, Jr.
      • Type: Invited
      • The physics curriculum spirals across the various levels, in "theory" courses, with each student level addressing an increasingly sophisticated treatment of the physical situations. Physics being a lab science, this spiral curriculum can be used also in the lab; students then improve their understanding of the physical phenomena as they improve their mathematical sophistication and understanding of theory. With only minor modification of the equipment or the experimental approach, exercises that are currently used at the elementary or middle school, high school, introductory, or ?advanced levels can be used at other levels. Lab exercises that are successfully used at various levels will be presented and discussed. Some of the labs are: the pendulum (in various forms, simple-physical-coupled); sound and wave phenomena; the ballistic pendulum; the properties of granular materials; optics; lenses and image formation; NanoTech; and exponential growth and decay, such as populations & radiation/counting.
      • Elementary Electronics: from Simple to Sophisticated Circuits

      • CB02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
      • by Steve Lindaas
      • Type: Invited
      • How do you light a bulb without wire? How many ways can you pick up a paperclip with a nail? This talk will present some open and guided-inquiry activities on electronics. These activities have been used successfully with students from second graders to electrical engineering majors. Each of these activities provides numerous extensions and both qualitative as well as quantitative experimental opportunities. As students increase their physics training, these activities can be modified to reinforce more sophisticated physical models. This session is appropriate for all levels -- from elementary to college educators -- and will provide a hands-on experience with parts of these activities. Come to this session to get energized and share your electronics experiences.
      • Introductory Laboratory-Exploration Activities

      • CB03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00PM - 8:30PM
      • by Jim Hicks
      • Type: Invited
      • A number of secondary school laboratory-explorations will be presented that encourages the discovery of basic principles of physics and mathematical formalization before class discussions. In addition, some of these laboratory assignments or explorations can be extended for advanced topics at the university level. The physics topics to be considered: Gauss' law, equipotential lines and surfaces for gravitational and electrostatic fields, Ampere's law, numerous relativity concepts, SHM, and more.
  • Leadership Models in Science

      • Project Kaleidoscope's Summer Leadership Institutes: Preparing STEM Faculty Leaders

      • BB01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
      • by Beth Cunningham
      • Type: Invited
      • Information will be presented on the Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) Summer Leadership Institute (SLI), which PKAL has offered since 1996. The institutes are designed to help emerging STEM faculty leaders set a professional course for their future as agents of change on their campuses. Participants in this session will learn about a set of experiential learning exercises that immerse STEM faculty in cycles of learning and reflection. These activities inform personal leadership development and the leadership plans for specific projects at the home campus. I will also describe the SLI structure, discuss the ways in which the institute has evolved, and highlight the institute's impact on faculty careers.
      • Increasing Opportunities Through Negotiation and Communication Skills Workshops.

      • BB02
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
      • by Sherry Yennello
      • Type: Invited
      • The Committee of the Status of Women of the APS runs professional development workshops for women physicists at the March and April APS meetings. The program brings in professional facilitators to lead half-day workshops in negotiation and communication. By bolstering their professional skills in these two critical areas, these women are better positioned to advance their career in physics. Some of the women who have gone through the program have advanced into leadership roles within their professional society or their home institution. Originally offered for faculty and research scientists in industry and at National Laboratories, the program has expanded to serve post-doctoral research associates. Through this program the field of physics is able to draw on a broader talent pool as more women are better prepared to assume leadership roles.
      • The SACNAS Leadership Program: Leadership Development for Underrepresented Minority Scientists

      • BB03
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
      • by Yvonne Rodriguez*
      • Type: Invited
      • The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americansin Science (SACNAS) is a society of scientists dedicated to fostering the success of Hispanic/Chicano and Native American scientists -- from college students to professionals -- to attain advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership. One of its key initiatives is the SACNAS Summer Leadership Institute (SLI). The SLI, developed in collaboration with AAAS, provides premier training designed for URM scientists and is open to all. The institute prepares participants to assume leadership roles in the global scientific community by offering advanced strategic trainings that develop critical leadership skills. It is an intensive five-day course featuring small group exercises, keynote speakers, leadership development planning, networking opportunities and extensive community building among participants. Successes and lessons learned in the planning, implementation and evaluation of this program will be presented. The SLI is partially funded by NIGMS and is now in its fourth year.
  • Mentoring Minority Students

      • Effective Mentoring: A Personal View

      • CG01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
      • by James Stith
      • Type: Invited
      • Most students, especially first-generation college students, know very little about what physicists do and whether their unique skills and attributes are a good match for a possible physics career. Advice designed to help students fill that void often focuses only on the academic skills and background needed. This talk will explore ways to provide students with a broader view and to help them acquire the skills and perspectives needed to persist in their journey to a full physics related career. It will discuss issues that help mentors become more effective as well as ways to help students become good mentees
      • Demystifying the Mentoring of Minority Students

      • CG02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
      • by Diola Bagayoko
      • Type: Invited
      • The Timbuktu Academy (www.phys.subr.edu/timbuktu.htm), at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge (SUBR), LA, and the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation (www.ls-lamp.org) are comprehensive, systemic mentoring programs implementing a Ten-Strand Systemic Mentoring model that practically ensures success. As per 2011 data from the American Physical Society (APS), under-represented minorities accounted only for 9-10% of BS and 5-6% of PhD degrees in Physics. Results from the Timbuktu Academy and LS-LAMP strongly validate their model. The aim of this presentation is to discuss key factors that explain the success of the Academy and of LS-LAMP. They include the rigorous implementation of the Ten-Strand Systemic Mentoring model (to be thoroughly explained), including extensive research participation on and off campus. They also include standard-based curriculum, teaching, and learning (SBC, SBT, and SBL). For the above model and results, the Timbuktu Academy received several national awards, including two U.S. Presidential Awards for Excellence.
      • Changing the Face of Astronomy Through Authentic Research Experiences

      • CG03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
      • by Kimberly Coble
      • Type: Contributed
      • Project Exploration is a Chicago-based science outreach organization that works to ensure communities traditionally overlooked by science--particularly minority youth and girls--have access to personalized experiences with science and scientists. We particularly target students who may not be academically successful. The results of a recent 10-year retrospective study demonstrate that Project Exploration students are significantly more likely than their peers to graduate from high school (95%), go to college (50%), and major in science (60%); and they attribute their persistence in science and education to their Project Exploration experience. Furthermore, Project Exploration works with the scientists involved to help them understand what it means to do effective outreach and how to put the interests of the youth at the center of the work. We describe the details of the Project Exploration model, as well as projects in astronomy that our students and scientists have carried out.
      • What I Learned About Mentoring from My Physics Students in Chicago

      • CG04
      • Mon 07/30, 8:10PM - 8:20PM
      • by Mel Sabella
      • Type: Contributed
      • For the past 10 years I have worked at an urban, comprehensive, minority-serving university on the southside of Chicago. During this time I have played the role of an instructor, an academic advisor, a research advisor, an assessment coordinator, and an interim chairperson. These diverse roles have taught me a great deal about mentoring -- and, I would like to believe that at some point in my career, I will begin to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. In this talk I will describe some successes, some challenges, and what I have learned from my students about the role of mentoring at my institution.
  • Middle and High School Teaching

      • Acoustics Materials: Activity Kit for Teachers

      • GK01
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Wendy Adams
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) has recently been focusing effort on K-14 outreach through a partnership with the Optical Society of America and the American Association of Physics Teachers/Physics Teaching Resource Agents. This year ASA has created a free activity kit for teachers that includes hands on equipment for a classroom of 30 and ~30 lesson plans. The material addresses the science of sound and touches on most of the areas of study and practice within acoustics. A brief overview of the development will be provided, including details on the testing and an expert review that has been completed for these resources.
      • Implementing a Regional Radiation "Loan Pool"

      • GK02
      • Wed 08/01, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Craig Wiegert
      • Type: Contributed
      • The University of Georgia's physics learning community (a group of university and high school faculty) recently purchased a set of portable radiation-measuring devices, to be loaned out to area high school physics and chemistry classrooms. We report on our first year of working with the radiation "loan pool," in particular on developing interesting activities to teach students about radioactive decay, sources of environmental radiation, and even basic probability and statistics. We also discuss our long-term goal of collecting and organizing radiation datasets from participating area schools. This repository of regional radiation measurements from a variety of environments will serve as an additional teaching resource, and will in effect allow the students to experience being part of a distributed scientific collaboration.
      • Science Learning Through Parental Involvement

      • GK03
      • Wed 08/01, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Gabriela Aguirre
      • Type: Contributed
      • It is well known that when students have to elaborate on an excellent science project to participate in the School Science fair and continue until the final competition, they face with a lot of questions to make and present it with confidence in which parents sometimes can't help their children at home. Our intent in this issue is to present the importance to work together, parents and students to perform an excellent science project. Science project training for parents is ideal learning for this purpose. In a combo (elementary and middle) school that has a total of 758 students enrolled, just 29 parents and students from different grade levels came to participate in the science learning through parental involvement. The result of this training was that parents were amazing about the science project their children had to do by themselves, about the students they felt more confident to ask their parents about their homework and they were more successful with the science project presentation in the School Science fair. Moreover, three of the students and parents we trained were finalists on the school science fair project being placed to participate on the District Science fair project and obtaining one of these three students to pass to the Sun Country Regional Science Fair. It proves that when parents are involved in their children's education, the student succeeds (Epstein 1996). Finally we are discussing the study to have more students in the first places and engage more parents and students to participate in this beneficial training.
      • Physics First Implementation Action Research

      • GK04
      • Wed 08/01, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Timothy Burgess
      • Type: Contributed
      • A high school changed its science sequence to a "Physics First" sequence (physics-chemistry-biology) from a more traditional sequence (integrated science-biology-chemistry). Small studies done over the transition years reveal interesting results. A significant drop in unit test scores were observed during the last three units of the year among seniors (compared with freshmen). Data indicate that freshmen appear to learn more physics than seniors in the same introductory physics course. Sophomores in chemistry (with previous physics) scored higher than juniors (with no previous physics) on the same chemistry final exam items (agreed to by both teachers). Surprisingly juniors from the new sequence showed similar performance on the Advanced Placement Biology Exam as seniors who had more than twice the academic units in biology. Standardized scores (ACT) appear to have been impacted. There has been a significant increase in Advanced Placement Science enrollment but, surprisingly, AP Physics enrollment was not greatly impacted.
      • Physicist/Theorist as a High School Teacher

      • GK05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
      • by Mikhail Tyntarev
      • Type: Contributed
      • The special course "Practical theoretical physics" was developed and succesfully approved in our liceum for those pupils who desire to become physicists. The main idea of the course is to show how real physicists work, how the problems given by nature are different with (and more interesting than!) those from the school book. We used very simple examples to illustrate the mathematical methods (for example, mathematical pendulum, nonlinear, of course) and always made experiments to compare results. We especially explained approximative methods in order to make pupils sure that they can solve any problem with more or less precision if they understand the physical meaning.
  • Monday, July 30

      • AAPT Exhibit Hall Open

      • EXH03
      • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 6:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall

      • Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall

      • EXH04
      • Mon 07/30, 10:30AM - 11:00AM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
      • Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall

      • EXH10
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Multi-Disciplinary Based Education Research Groups

      • Multi-Disciplinary Based Education Research Groups

      • FC
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by
      • Type: Panel
  • Oral History-Methods and Examples

      • Oral History Interviewing: Documenting How Science Has Been Taught

      • CH01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
      • by Gregory Good
      • Type: Invited
      • A continuing program of conducting oral history interviews is necessary todocument both the history of physics and the history of the teaching of physics. Although the Niels Bohr Library & Archives has over 1000 oral history interviews, including some classics with early AAPT officers, the story is not over. Now is the time to interview new people and to recruit and train new interviewers. It's not rocket science, but neither is it something a person can just wing. It's a serious job, with standards and best practices. This talk provides an overview of this process.
      • Evidence in Oral History

      • CH02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
      • by Babak Ashrafi
      • Type: Invited
      • I will use several accounts of conducting oral history interviews to raisequestions about the kind of data that is produced: For what kinds of conclusions could such data be used as evidence? In what ways is such data reliable or unreliable? How does oral history data compare to archival data? When should we count parts of oral histories as error or data?
      • History Lost: Preserving Unpublished Scientific Knowledge

      • CH03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00PM - 8:30PM
      • by David Caruso
      • Type: Invited
      • Science is as much about scientists as it is about the experiments they perform. Often, however, the practice of science and the knowledge it generates is relegated to publications in journals and in textbooks; the experience of science and the lives of scientists are often lost, missing from the annals of history. Drawing on the Chemical Heritage Foundation's collection of oral histories, I will discuss the relevance of conducting oral histories of scientists to the preservation of modern scientific thought and practice, and the ways in which the knowledge and insights generated from such interviews integrate with other primary sources and provide a more detailed and rich understanding of science.
  • PER around the world

      • Research Communities on Education in an Engineering School in Chile*

      • BG01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
      • by Hugo Alarcon
      • Type: Invited
      • The Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria is a well-known Chilean institution focused on educating engineers. It has no school in Science Education nor in Engineering Education. In recent years there have been various initiatives by professors to implement methodologies that promote active learning in the classroom and incorporate the use of information and communication technologies to support teaching and learning processes. In general, these innovations have been carried out without performing research in education to assess progress. Thus the university, with government support, has created a research center focused on education in engineering and science, which has taken some ideas from the discipline of Physics Education Research. In this talk we will show the strategy used to motivate professors to initiate educational research projects and the progress of the first seven research communities on education created since 2011.
      • Development of Meaningful Learning Through Active Learning and Video Analysis

      • BG02
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
      • by Omar Olmos López
      • Type: Invited
      • PDSM (progressive development of skills methodology) is a methodology for the development of general skills for learning physics. Using a process of progressive development skills, we show how active learning and video physics analysis generate learning experiences that allow us to develop general and disciplinary skills. Using a gradual process, deep learning is gained through the process of cognitive construction of John Biggs. Interactive activities allow students to understand and associate the fundamental phenomena that subsequently lead to understanding more complex concepts. Results of learning in undergraduate courses are shown.
      • Promoting High-Level Cognitive Activity in Student-Generated Content

      • BG03
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
      • by Ross Galloway
      • Type: Contributed
      • Student-generated content -- for example, student-authored course questions -- is increasingly being used to promote engagement and learning in undergraduate courses. Given the relative rarity of such tasks in the previous educational experience of typical students, a natural question is: what kinds of questions do the students create? It is possible to broadly classify student output according to the cognitive domains of Bloom's taxonomy. Previous work has suggested that the vast majority of student authored questions fall into the lowest levels of Bloom's taxonomy, i.e. simple recall or comprehension. We report on a series of student-question authoring tasks set to our first-year undergraduate physics classes using the PeerWise online system. We find that the majority of our student contributions fall into the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy, i.e. application, analysis, and some featuring very high-level cognitive tasks such as synthesis. We suggest techniques for promoting such high-level engagement.
      • A Two-Institution Replication Study of Peer Learning and Collaboration

      • BG04
      • Mon 07/30, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
      • by Morag Casey
      • Type: Contributed
      • We present two major results from a comparative study [1] of the implementation of PeerWise [2] as an online tool for student-led (and instructor-free) learning in undergraduate physics. In 2010-11, we piloted PeerWise with the level-1 physics class at the University of Edinburgh [3] and found a high quality of submissions as well as a positive correlation between student activity and end-of-course examination score; we undertook a similar study during the 2011-12 academic session, finding similar results. In 2011-12 we also successfully implemented PeerWise at level-2 physics in the University of Glasgow and found similar levels of engagement, quality of submissions, and positive correlations between student activity and academic gain. We suggest, therefore, a model for high-impact student-learning and conceptual gain with minimal instructor intervention required.
      • Collaborative Learning, Enquire based Laboratory, PER, and Paulo Freire's pedagogy

      • BG05
      • Mon 07/30, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
      • by Arnaldo Vaz
      • Type: Contributed
      • Members of the PER group at Colegio Tecnico UFMG (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) are practicing high school physics teachers who are yet to have professor status. In this university laboratory for pedagogical innovation, we design, adapt, and use research-oriented teaching strategies, materials, and assessment. We also do scholarly research, supervise grad students, conduct governmental education consultancy, and run the science-teacher development center. Our research is based on multiple theoretical-methodological perspectives: Donald Schön, Lee Shulman, Raewyn Connell, Pichon Rivière, Wilfred Bion, Ross Buck, Lev Vygotsky, Mikhail Bahktin. The approaches include individual students' decision making or engagement (behavioral-affective-cognitive), as well as collaborative learning. That results in knowledge about engagement dependence from group, socio-cultural and expectation factors. Present research interests result from above-described milieu. School-work gives us insights about Paulo Freire and John Dewey. Which inspires new deliberations, which has led us to see new problems worth investigating. In sum, we enact Joseph Schwab's type of curriculum research.
      • Comparison of Cognitive Conflict on Peer Instruction by Middle School Science Gifted Students and Non-Gifted Students  CANCELED

      • BG06
      • Mon 07/30, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
      • by Jungsook Lee
      • Type: Contributed
      • In view of constructivism, students construct their own concepts by various experiences, and with constructed concepts, they participate in learning processes. Also, through interaction between diverse external information or environmental factors, they would change their concepts, so learning means changing concepts. As requisites of changing concepts, there are many research projects on various teaching strategies that cause cognitive conflict. The key point of strategies of cognitive conflict is presenting discord situations and bringing about cognitive conflict.The purpose of this study is to acquire characteristics of changing cognitive conflict of science-gifted students by implementing peer instruction and causing cognitive conflict with concept tests, and then measuring cognitive conflict after peer-discussion. To achieve this, I carried out a survey of 35 seventh grade science-gifted students in the organization affiliated with education office in Seoul and Gyeong-gi province, and 71 of the eighth grade students. They performed peer instruction on propagation of straight light and composition of light and then, discussed three concept problems. After discussion, the students took a written test about changing levels of cognitive conflict. Regardless of difficulty, the science-gifted students showed meaningful decreased figures on cognitive re-evaluation factors after peer-discussion. They trusted their peers, so during discussion, they explained their concepts. Furthermore the discussion process enabled them to do reflective thinking. Consequently, discord of students dropped, and total figures of cognitive conflict also declined. Science-gifted students have a tendency to worry less than general students, though they felt anxiety about the difficulty of the problems after peer-discussion. Through peer-discussion, science-gifted students presented statistically decreased anxiety factors. With the above results, I acquired the implication that peer instruction can be effective in teaching-learning strategies which bring about cognitive conflict to the science-gifted students and through peer-discussion, and it enables them to focus on thinking, helps understand concepts. Moreover, by means of analyzed results of changing cognitive conflict of science-gifted students, developing and adapting strategies of cognitive conflict considering learner characteristics of science-gifted students is needed.
      • Monitor Student Learning Using Force Concept Inventory in Saudi Arabia  CANCELED

      • BG07
      • Mon 07/30, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
      • by Hisham Alhadlaq
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Force Concept Inventory (FCI), a multiple-choice instrument designed to assess students' conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics, is widely used in monitoring students' learning and evaluating new teaching methods. Recently, an Arabic version of the FCI was developed and validated to assess students' learning of kinematics at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Arabic version was reviewed by experts, and feedback was collected through student interviews. We will report on the translation process, and what to avoid in order not to confuse students. Furthermore, the test has been administered to a group of KSU freshman students planning to major in Engineering and Computer Science prior to, and on completion of their first undergrad physics course. The students had no prior college physics course, and had encountered kinematics in their high school physics. We will report preliminary results of the pilot study.
      • Performance Gender Gap in Undergraduate Physics from a UK Context

      • BG08
      • Mon 07/30, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
      • by Robyn Donnelly
      • Type: Contributed
      • This study explores the existence and degree of gender disparity in student performance in physics courses at the University of Edinburgh between 2006-2012. We have used pre- and post-instruction implementation of the Force Concept Inventory to identify the presence of a significant performance gender gap in our introductory physics course, which is taught in an interactive engagement style. Data will be presented indicating that this significant gender discrepancy persists after one semester of teaching although the gap is narrowed. In addition to standardized tests, a gender analysis was carried out of students' performance on both continuous assessment and end-of-course examinations in several years of the undergraduate programme to investigate the possibility of gender dependence on type of assessment. Preliminary results suggest female students consistently outperform males on coursework elements while the pattern is less clear when considering examination results.
  • PER in the High School

      • The Missing Disciplinary Substance of Classroom Assessment*

      • AH01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by David Hammer
      • Type: Invited
      • There has been a great deal of discussion about strategies for "formative assessment" among educators and education researchers. Much of it, unfortunately, sets aside the disciplinary substance of science, as we illustrate with examples from prominent publications. The discipline of science centrally involves assessment, in particular of the quality and validity of ideas about the natural world. The assessment practices students experience in schools should be continuous with the assessment practices of the discipline, not at odds with it. We offer an alternative image of formative assessment centered on attention to disciplinary substance, which we illustrate with an example from a high school class discussion about the question of whether air is matter. (Coffey, Hammer, Levin & Grant, 2011)
      • Challenging Traditional Assumptions of Secondary Science through the PET Curriculum

      • AH02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Mike Ross
      • Type: Invited
      • This physics education research examines the role of high school students'participation, positioning, and views of themselves in relation to physics learning. Two classes of students traditionally underrepresented in physics were observed and interviewed in an urban high school using the Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum. In the PET classroom, students collect and analyze data to produce, and come to consensus on, the ideas that are the targets for instruction. Findings indicate that students came to value and positively identify with the activities of physics through instruction that fosters a more dignified student experience than traditional approaches. Using the methodology of participant observation, we offer convincing evidence that students' motivation and positive relationships with physics are attributable to the positioning of students as valued contributors to the learning community. Inferences were made about essential elements of a "critical science curriculum," and implications for curriculum development will be discussed.
      • Physics Pedagogy and Assessment in Secondary Schools: Overview

      • AH03
      • Mon 07/30, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Gordon Ramsey
      • Type: Contributed
      • Physics education has recently undergone major changes. Pedagogy, uses of technology, and assessment in physics courses have become important areas of study. PER progress has been made at the college level, while little has been done at the secondary level. This level is important as a preparation for advanced training in science and knowledge for the general public. Our research investigated what physics teachers in secondary education are doing in and out of the classroom to effectively educate their students. We studied pedagogical differences in high school physics courses with regard to location, school type and student populations. Our survey of secondary physics teachers compared demographics, student backgrounds, teaching methods and assessment techniques. I will outline the research and our key results. See posters by David Haberkorn on demographics and pedagogy correlations and by Melissa Nemeth on key results and recommendations.
      • Tourism Attitudes from Travel Analysis and their Possible Impact in the Physics Classroom

      • AH04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Anne Tabor-Morris
      • Type: Contributed
      • "What are the learning strategies of the students sitting in my classroom?"physics teachers may ask. In this talk a comparison is made between the psychologies behind tourism, whose research is anthropologically and sociologically rooted, and physics students' learning strategies as they visit new material, including insight into how those strategies can change. When students navigate a new area of learning, they may take allocentric, midcentric, or psychocentric attitudes, as defined by tourism research, which provide the tendency of students to preferentially choose either route-learning or survey-learning of the material presented. It is postulated that the understanding of these attitudes by the teacher can enhance the physics classroom learning experience.
      • Students' Views on Learning Physics from a Tourism Perspective

      • AH05
      • Mon 07/30, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Timothy Briles
      • Type: Contributed
      • In this session, the presenters will discuss the results of their researchon high school physics students and their attitudinal dispositions towards the learning the subject matter. Specifically, the researchers asked the students to compare themselves to travelers touring a new area for the first time. In addition, the researchers asked the students by which means they are "navigating" their physics class and tried to see if there were any correlations to travelers and the way they choose to find their way around a new place. Finally, the researchers investigated the potential relationships between students' self-reported confidence in their understanding and the methods they feel most comfortable using to learn the material.
      • Students' Beliefs About their Role in the Learning Process

      • AH06
      • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Douglas Reed
      • Type: Contributed
      • Students' beliefs about their role in the learning process and about the nature of knowledge affect their ability to learn. The importance of their beliefs may be amplified when instructional activities are more student directed. In this study, learning is measured with performance gains on a subset of items taken from the DIRECT concept inventory. These items were specifically targeted by a sequence of inquiry-based activities derived from the CASTLE approach to the study of DC circuits. Student-learner characteristics were measured along five dimensions: self-efficacy, teacher/student roles, simplicity of knowledge, quickness of knowledge, and self-regulation. Comparisons of performance gains are made among groups of students with more or less productive beliefs along each of these dimensions.
      • TOCUSO: Test of Conceptual Understanding on High School Optics Topics

      • AH07
      • Mon 07/30, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Bayram Akarsu
      • Type: Contributed
      • Physics educators around the world often need reliable diagnostic materials to measure students' understanding of physics concepts in high school. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new diagnostic tool on high school optics concepts. The Test of Conceptual Understanding on High School Optics (TOCUSO) consists of 25 conceptual items that measure fundamental topics learned in high school curriculum. TOCUSO was designed with the use of various optics textbooks, Turkish University exam questions, and questions generated by the author. TOCUSO items were structured as multiple-choice questions. 12 physics faculty members at the school of science and education validated questionnaire items. SPSS program was utilized to calculate reliability values of the test. KR-20 value was found around 7.3, which shows TOCUSO is a reliable measurement questionnaire. TOCUSO was applied to 183 high school students enrolled in 10th grade at the time of data collection process in Kayseri providence in Turkey.
      • Promoting Excellence Amongst Under-Achieving Students in a "Physics & Industry" Program

      • AH08
      • Mon 07/30, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Zvika Arica
      • Type: Contributed
      • "Physics & Industry" is a two-year Project Based Learning program in whichhigh achiever 11th grade student pairs are tutored by expert physics teachers and high-tech engineers. The project focuses on an authentic technological problem and the design of a functional artifact (e.g. an electro-optics' based cane for the blind). During the past six years, the instructional model has been implemented with groups of under-achieving high school students, with a view to promoting physics knowledge and learning skills as well as developing self-efficacy, self-regulation skills and creativity. We will focus on students' learning difficulties and patterns and how the instructional model and the mentors keep the delicate balance between challenging students and providing appropriate support. We will report how in the process of micro-analyzing selected scenarios we refined the "Pintrich SRL model" (Pintrich, 2000) for characterizing students' learning and their interaction with artifacts, peers and mentors.
  • PER in the Pre-college Classroom

      • Determining the Effectiveness of PhET Interactive Simulations as Homework

      • EF01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Zach Armstrong
      • Type: Contributed
      • The use of simulations to teach science has been shown to be successful inclassrooms; however, to our knowledge the effectiveness of simulations as homework has not been evaluated. This study compared the use of simulations in class versus as homework in the instruction of introductory high school physics. Three different simulation activities were examined, covering content on states of matter, friction, electric charge, and electromagnetic induction. Achievement for each activity was measured using pre- and post-tests. No other instruction was given to students between the pre- and post-tests. The initial findings indicate no significant difference for post-test scores or gains between the in-class and homework groups. However, a significant number of students in the homework group did not complete the activity. The prospects for using simulations as homework are promising, but further research is needed on how to design and implement effective activities.
      • Promoting Student Ownership of Learning with Computer Simulations

      • EF02
      • Tue 07/31, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by Noah Podolefsky
      • Type: Contributed
      • Computer simulations, when properly designed and facilitated, can increasestudent agency and allow for more student autonomy than traditional educational tools and activities. We consider agency and autonomy key elements of ownership. In a qualitative study involving middle school students using a PhET simulation, one class had five minutes of "free play" before starting a guided-inquiry activity while another class had no free play and began the worksheets immediately. We found qualitative differences between these classes, in particular the degree to which the teacher facilitation was student-centered. Students in the "play" condition received less explicit direction from the teacher, supporting student autonomy. In the "no play" condition, the teacher was more directing, taking more control over student activities and reducing student autonomy. We suggest that "free play" can promote student ownership of the sim as a learning tool and allow teachers to facilitate a more student-centered classroom.
      • Extending Modeling Instruction with Computational Modeling: A Pilot Study

      • EF03
      • Tue 07/31, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
      • by John Aiken
      • Type: Contributed
      • We describe the implementation and assessment of computational modeling ina ninth-grade classroom in the context of the Arizona Modeling InstructionTM physics curriculum. Using a high-level programming environment (VPython), students developed computational models to predict the motion of objects under a variety of physical situations (e.g., constant net force), to simulate real world phenomenon (e.g., car crash), and to visualize abstract quantities (e.g., acceleration). Students were assessed via an assignment that included completing a computational model of a baseball's motion (a new scenario to the students), conceptual questions similar to those appearing on the Force Concept Inventory, and two essay questions, one asking students to extend their computational model with a drag force, the other querying their understanding of while loops. We will describe the common challenges students faced (programming and/or physics errors). We will also address student attitudes towards computation as a tool.
      • Effects of Educational Games on Students' Academic Achievements in Science Classroom

      • EF04
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Hilal Co-kun
      • Type: Contributed
      • Today, the importance of training all individuals equipped with inquiry isaccepted by the authorities. In this respect, students' classroom learning and everyday learning both facilitate their understanding and will make it possible to teach students with inquiry ability and help them easily adapt to a changing world. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the academic effect of educational games based on science stories in a seventh-grade elementary science class. In order to achieve that, an experimental study with pre-post tests was administered to an experimental group (N=15) and a control group (N=15) of middle school students. In conclusion, results of the study were analyzed with SPPS 17.00 version software. As a result of study, educational games with science stories revealed some significant differences between each group.
      • Student-Teacher Interactions for Bringing Out Student Ideas About Energy*

      • EF05
      • Tue 07/31, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Benedikt Harrer
      • Type: Contributed
      • Modern middle school science curricula use group activities to help students express their thinking and enable them to work together like scientists. We are studying rural eighth-grade science classrooms using materials on energy. Even after spending several months with the same curriculum on other physics topics, students' engagement in group activities seems to be restricted to creating lists of words that are associated with energy. Though research suggests that children have rich and potentially valuable ideas about energy, our students don't seem to spontaneously use and express their ideas in the classroom. Only within or after certain interactions with a teacher do students begin to explore and share these ideas. We present and characterize examples of student-teacher interactions resulting in students' deeper engagement with their ideas about energy. This preliminary analysis of video-recorded classroom dialog is a step toward helping teachers improve their students' learning about energy.
      • Hands-on Activities and Computer Visualizations for Teaching Middle School Astronomy

      • EF06
      • Tue 07/31, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Reni Roseman
      • Type: Contributed
      • This talk will describe the results of a research project involving middleschool students (seventh grade) that examines how they learn about and understand astronomy. Both hands-on activities and computer visualizations were used to specifically compare their understanding of moon phases and eclipses. The pre-/post-test data and qualitative analysis of the classroom discussions will be presented.
      • Secondary Students Learn Superconductivity from Phenomenology

      • EF07
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Alberto Stefanel
      • Type: Contributed
      • A research-based educational path on superconductivity was designed for secondary school students, adopting an inquiry-based approach to the phenomenology of Meissner effect. The perfect diamagnetic property of a superconductor is correlated to the null resistivity through the recognition of the role of electromagnetic induction in the superconductive state. A qualitative introduction of the Cooper pairs formation and correlate gap in superconductor energy levels is proposed to the students to interpret the phenomenology. Research experimentation was carried out using tutorial worksheet with Italian secondary school students to explore how it is possible to introduce superconductivity using a phenomenological approach, the students' main difficulties and their typical learning paths. Data was collected from worksheets and questionnaires. The results are evidence that students are able to describe the null B field and the null resistivity situation in a superconductor using different formal tools.
  • PER: Attitudes

      • Polarization on the CLASS in a General Education Physics Course

      • BD01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 3:40PM
      • by David Donnelly
      • Type: Contributed
      • We used the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) to assess changes in attitude during a general education course aimed at non-science majors. The course is two semesters in duration, and both semesters were surveyed. The survey was administered to a total of 1037 student in 26 different sections over three semesters. With this study, we observe a variety of different attitudinal shifts in different sections, including large increases in favorable responses in some sections. In general one might expect that increases in favorable responses would be accompanied by decreases in unfavorable responses. However, we observe some situations with increases in both favorable and unfavorable responses, and others with decreases in both. We will present an analysis of the attitudinal shifts, and discuss factors, such as instructor and method of instruction, that might contribute to shifts in attitude.
      • Investigating Students' Affective Experience in Introductory Physics Courses

      • BD02
      • Mon 07/30, 3:40PM - 3:50PM
      • by Jayson Nissen
      • Type: Contributed
      • Improving non-cognitive outcomes such as attitudes, efficacy, and persistence in physics courses is an important goal in physics education. This investigation implemented an in-the-moment surveying technique called the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) [1] to measure students' affective experience in physics. Measurements included: self-esteem, cognitive efficiency, activation, intrinsic motivation and affect. Data are presented showing contrasts in students' experiences, (e.g., in physics vs. non-physics courses).
      • Community and Collaboration in Upper-Division Physics Courses

      • BD03
      • Mon 07/30, 3:50PM - 4:00PM
      • by Michael Loverude
      • Type: Contributed
      • As part of an ongoing study of student learning in upper-division courses in thermal physics and mathematical methods, we have examined students'approaches to homework completion and test preparation. For example, students were asked to complete and submit supplemental information sheets with homework assignments. On the sheets, students reported, among other things, with whom they had worked and what resources they had consulted. The responses suggested very different strategies for completing homework, and vast differences in the level of collaboration. In this talk, we report a preliminary examination of these responses and their relationship to performance on homework and course examinations.
      • Learning Practices of Physics Majors

      • BD04
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:10PM
      • by Sissi Li
      • Type: Contributed
      • Multiple researchers have reported that active engagement classrooms are associated with higher gains in student performance. However at the individual level, increased student participation doesn't always lead to high course performance. We propose that the classroom as a single community of practice (CoP) does not stand on its own but is interconnected with myriad other CoPs. Students doing physics in communities beyond the classroom contribute to their physics major identity development. For example a student may develop a strong, persistent sense of being a physicist with parents as role models but only participate peripherally in class. To elicit students' perception about being a physicist and participation in relevant CoPs, we collected a series of prompted reflective journals and individual student interviews in an upper-division course in thermodynamics. In this talk, we present several case studies of these students' physics major identity development and the communities in which they practice physics.
      • Classroom Experiences that Help Females Become Interested in Physical Science Careers: Testing Five Common Hypotheses

      • BD05
      • Mon 07/30, 4:10PM - 4:20PM
      • by Zahra Hazari
      • Type: Contributed
      • There are many hypotheses regarding physics classroom experiences that mayencourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) on national data (n=7505) drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project, we test five commonly held beliefs including having a single-sex physics class, having a female physics teacher, having female scientist guest speakers, discussing the work of women scientists, and discussing the under-representation of women. The effect of these experiences is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including parental education, prior science/math interests, and academic background, thereby controlling for the effect of many confounding variables. (NSF Career 0952460, GSE 0624444).
      • Self-Efficacy as a Lens into Classroom Behavior  CANCELED

      • BD06
      • Mon 07/30, 4:20PM - 4:30PM
      • by Laura Tucker
      • Type: Contributed
      • I think I can't; therefore, I don't. This is the implication of low academic self-efficacy. Academic self-efficacy* is a hot topic because it can help identify early in the term students at risk of low academic performance. However, in spite of fervent interest across education scholarship in issues of self-efficacy, little is known about the in-class behaviors of undergraduate physics students with low self-efficacy. We will discuss behavioral differences observed between students with high and low self-efficacy in an interactive undergraduate classroom.
      • Assessing Student Self-Confidence with the CLASS Learning Attitudes Survey

      • BD07
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
      • by Andrew Pawl
      • Type: Contributed
      • Administering the CLASS to students in the mainstream freshman mechanics course at MIT yields significant negative shifts in all the categories related to problem solving and conceptual understanding. These shifts are consistent with the observations published by the creators of the CLASS. In the MIT sample, these shifts can be ascribed to five statements that unambiguously assess student self-confidence. No substantial shift is observed in statements assessing students' conception of what constitutes problem-solving expertise. By contrast, students enrolled in calculus-based introductory mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, a small state engineering school, enter the course with significantly lower rates of expert-like responses in the non-self-confidence statements but similar levels of self-confidence, and leave the course without a significant shift in either category of statements. Substantial remediation of the drop in MIT student self-confidence statements has been achieved by a three-week ReView course employing Modeling Applied to Problem Solving (MAPS) pedagogy.
      • Evolving Positions and Acknowledged Abilities: Expert Identity Development

      • BD08
      • Mon 07/30, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
      • by Idaykis Rodriguez
      • Type: Contributed
      • This study examines how graduate students become physics experts in a physics research group using Wenger's apprenticeship framework within a Community of Practice. For an individual, the process of social reconfiguration is a matter of identity development through participation. We analyze data from an ethnographic case study of a biophysics research group with two professors and four graduate students. Data consist of six months of participant observations and video recordings of the group's research meetings, interviews, document analysis, and two months of observations a year later. We present how students' development of community membership is a matter of identification, how an individual is recognized or labeled, and negotiability, how individuals position themselves based on their abilities to negotiate meaning in an interaction. Differences in members' ability to negotiate in an interaction informs us of their evolving position within the research group and the acknowledgement of their abilities and technical expertise.
      • How Tadao Avoided the "Culture Shock" of Reformed Physics Instruction

      • BD09
      • Mon 07/30, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
      • by Michael Hull
      • Type: Contributed
      • Many educators struggle with student resistance to PER-based "active learning" curricula. We might expect that Tadao, a university student in Tokyo using translated Maryland Open Source Tutorials [1], would exhibit such resistance. His previous physics experiences in high school (focused on university entrance exam preparation) and in college had been very traditional; Tadao reported that he had developed a view of physics as knowledge to memorize and calculations to perform. However, despite this epistemological mismatch, Tadao (and other classmates) quickly adapted to the new style of learning and developed a more sophisticated view of what it means to understand physics. Why wasn't there more resistance? Tadao and a few other students credited elementary school with having provided "constructivist," tutorial-like experiences that made the adjustment easier. An instructional implication for overcoming resistance to PER-based pedagogy is the possibility of utilizing students' "constructivist" experiences, even ones seemingly distant from university physics.
      • Understanding the Learning Assistant Experience with Physics Identity

      • BD10
      • Mon 07/30, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
      • by Eleanor Close
      • Type: Contributed
      • Learning Assistants (LAs) have been shown to have better conceptual understanding and more favorable beliefs about science than non-LAs, and are more likely to choose a career in K-12 science teaching [1]. We propose that connections between elements of identity, persistence, and participation in an LA program can be explained using the concept of the community of practice and its intimate relationship to identity [2]. In separate work, Hazari et al. found that physics identity was highly correlated to expressed career plans in physics [3]. We hypothesize that a thriving LA program has many features of a well-functioning community of practice and contributes to all four elements of physics identity: "personal interest," "student performance," "competence," and "recognition by others." We explore how this analysis of the LA experience might shape decisions and influence outcomes of adoption and adaptations of the LA model.
      • Modern Physics Labs Using Responsive Inquiry to Create Research Experiences

      • BD11
      • Mon 07/30, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
      • by Benjamin Stottrup
      • Type: Contributed
      • Augsburg College offers a sophomore-level modern physics course with associated lab. We will describe our redesign of this lab to create a semester-long responsive inquiry research experience focused on nanotechnology, materials characterization tools, and biology as an inspiration for engineers. Students gain hands-on experience using scanning electron microscopes, atomic force microscopes, as well as other sample preparation tools, and develop their own research projects using the equipment. A goal of the lab is to give students an experience of what research is like and what a scientist does, in order to improve their self-identity as scientists. The focus on contemporary skill building is intended to meet the changing demographics of our student body (increased enrollment, interest in engineering, and first-generation college students). One goal of our project is to determine if the valuable experiences gained through undergraduate research can be re-enforced, supplemented, or extended to a broader student population through more traditional areas of the curriculum. We assess the impact of labs and undergraduate research experiences on students' understanding of the process of science and what a scientist does, and on their self-identities as scientists. We identify general features of labs, research experiences, and other educational environments that may impact student's self-identities as scientists.
      • Identifying Systemic Contradictions in a Post-Graduate Astrophysics Program

      • BD12
      • Mon 07/30, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
      • by Victoria Nwosu
      • Type: Contributed
      • While epistemology can go some way toward understanding student performance, it has become clear that a number of other factors including broader socio-cultural and systemic issues play critical roles. Using Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a theoretical framework we investigated various such aspects including systemic contradictions that lead to student under-performance. We present findings from studies involving small groups of postgraduate students who transferred from "Historically Black Universities" to the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme that is run at the University of Cape Town
  • PER: Investigating Classroom Strategies I

      • Using Time-on-Task Measurements to Understand Introductory Physics Classes

      • FB01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by John Stewart
      • Type: Contributed
      • A 10-year study of how students use their out-of-class time in an introductory physics class is presented. The study is used to evaluate the extent to which a student's performance on hourly exams or on conceptual inventories is predictable by his or her study habits. The correlation of good study habits with good performance is evaluated. The study tracks student behavior through a major curricular revision to determine the extent to which student habits react to changes in a physics class. The study also investigates the role of technical changes such as the introduction of an online homework system and a web-based testing tool on time use.
      • How to Help Students be Prepared for the Exam

      • FB02
      • Wed 08/01, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by Witat Fakcharoenphol
      • Type: Contributed
      • Computer-based practice exams and immediate feedback with worked out solutions can improve the performance on later problems with identical solutions. However, immediate feedback and worked out solutions fall short in helping students transfer the conceptual and procedural knowledge to slightly different problems.* Nevertheless, the students who started using our practice exam at least two days before the exam performed better on the real exam than students who started and completed our practice exam later, especially on the problem types they missed on the practice exam. This suggests that the practice exam can provide formative assessment to students, but the feedback system has to be adjusted. One possible feedback system might be providing students personal tutors and enough time to improve. We did a preliminary clinical study on a series of practice exams with tutors to quantify the possible help from tutors.
      • Investigating Student Interaction with Smartphysics, A New Online Homework System

      • FB03
      • Wed 08/01, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
      • by Noah Schroeder
      • Type: Contributed
      • In the fall of 2010 the University of Illinois implemented a new online homework system, Smartphysics, for introductory physics classes. Smartphysics includes new features such as instant feedback specialized to unique student mistakes, which can help correct small mathematical mistakes as well as conceptual ones. Another feature is the ability to delay feedback on certain questions until after that homework's deadline, acting as an in-the-moment assessment of student performance. This can act as formative assessment for students, and might lead to a way to offer students a prediction of their performance on subsequent exams. Results concerning student behavior and the correlation of performance on delayed feedbacks to other variables will be shown.
      • Instructional Strategies that Optimize Student Use of Interactive Video Vignettes*

      • FB04
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by Kathleen Koenig
      • Type: Contributed
      • The LivePhoto Physics Group has begun developing and evaluating a series of short single topic video expositions for introductory students that incorporate video analysis activities. These vignettes are designed for web delivery as ungraded exercises to supplement textbook reading, or serve as pre-lecture or pre-laboratory activities. Each vignette combines narration, a real-world video segment, and video analysis tools designed to enable students to master concepts or learn data collection and analysis techniques. As part of this work the team is developing new techniques for web-based educational research that allows for the collection of data on student learning and motivation. Details of the interactive video vignette for projectile motion will be presented along with results of a pilot study that investigated the efficacy of techniques for motivating students to complete the vignette. The study involved multiple sections of calculus- and algebra-based physics courses across several institutions.
      • Clicker Engagement in Introductory and Upper-Division Physics Courses

      • FB05
      • Wed 08/01, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by Patrick Kohl
      • Type: Contributed
      • Clickers, while perhaps not ubiquitous, have become very common in introductory physics classes where the audience is composed of students from a variety of majors. They have also begun to see use in upper-division physics courses where the audience is almost entirely physics majors. In this presentation we examine the hypothesis that these substantially different populations will result in different levels of participation and engagement. We have videotaped the audiences of two introductory physics courses and two junior-level physics courses (mechanics and E&M in both cases) during clicker questions and quantified the level of engagement in each. Preliminary results suggest that upper-division majors-only courses exhibit more peer-to-peer interaction and overall engagement than introductory courses.
      • Fostering and Assessing Student Self-Directed Learning in a Physics Class

      • FB06
      • Wed 08/01, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Yuhfen Lin
      • Type: Contributed
      • The ability to learn on one's own could be one of the most valuable skillsany student can acquire in school. In physics, students generally expect to be taught, or they don't believe that they can learn without the instructor's help. Due to their lack of confidence in physics, when students are given the opportunity to learn on their own, they often give up without trying. For instructors who are interested in getting students to self-direct their learning, it is important to provide both extra motivation and matching assessment to encourage students to take on the challenge. In this talk, we will show how building a learning community can lower student resistance to instructional reform, at the same time increasing student confidence in their ability to complete difficult tasks. We will also show how we used self-directed-learning assessments to both motivate students as well as to assess their progress.
      • Change Is Hard: Improving the Propagation of Educational Innovations

      • FB07
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Raina Khatri
      • Type: Contributed
      • Although there are many talented people developing new ways of teaching undergraduate science more effectively, these innovations are not being used as widely as they should be. We are at the early stages of a larger effort designed to help curriculum developers incorporate propagation strategies from the beginning of their projects. To understand which strategies work best for certain projects, we have spoken with NSF program directors and analyzed responses to a survey of NSF-funded curriculum developers. One finding is that NSF directors have different views from developers about which propagation strategies are most successful. Developers tend to think of dissemination primarily as "getting the word out" by, for example, publishing a paper or giving a conference talk. NSF program directors, however, would like to see more active approaches, such as increasing the number and variety of development collaborators and holding workshops.
      • Affordances Gained by Teaching Reforms in a Studio Setting

      • FB08
      • Wed 08/01, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Wendi Wampler
      • Type: Contributed
      • Traditional teaching environments often make it difficult for faculty to achieve their instructional goals and to implement reforms. Oregon State University (OSU) introduced a SCALE-UP inspired studio to facilitate student-centered, interactive learning for students in the calculus-based introductory physics courses. This talk will present the affordances gained by faculty members implementing reforms in the studio environment. We investigated two instructors: an experienced PER member and an experienced faculty member taking on new reforms. They were observed as they taught in both traditional and studio-style classrooms, as well as interviewed throughout the three terms of the calculus-based introductory physics course at OSU. The focus will be on how the studio helps instructors better align their teaching experiences with their philosophies and goals, as well as how it promotes better teaching habits.
      • A Framework for Documenting Physics Teaching Assistants' Beliefs and Practices

      • FB09
      • Wed 08/01, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Benjamin Spike
      • Type: Contributed
      • Physics Teaching Assistants (TAs) in transformed environments are subject to increased demand to engage with student ideas and support classroom norms that may be very different from those they experienced as learners. Therefore these environments offer a rich opportunity to examine how TAs' beliefs coordinate with their instructional practices in ways that may either support or inhibit the use of research-based instructional strategies. In this talk we describe the importance of a framework for analyzing TAs' beliefs and practices, argue the need for linking these two domains, and present a framework for doing so. Using examples drawn from several semesters of TA interviews and classroom videotape, we then show the utility of this framework and describe instances of coordination and incoordination between TA beliefs and practices.
      • Pilot Testing of the Modeling Instruction Curriculum

      • FB10
      • Wed 08/01, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Jared Durden
      • Type: Contributed
      • At Florida International University we are developing a curriculum guide and set of comprehensive video and digital resources to support the implementation of Modeling Instruction. In preparation for dissemination of the curriculum materials and instructor support guide, we pilot tested the curriculum guide. An instructor with no previous experience teaching introductory physics using Modeling Instruction utilized the curriculum guide and instructor resources. To better understand how to support Modeling Instruction curriculum use, we conducted interviews with the instructor during and after the semester. We have identified three types of instructional resources germane to implementing Modeling Instruction. The instructor brought considerable resources based on prior teaching experiences. Several resources were developed during the instruction with assistance of the curriculum materials. Finally, several resources were not developed. We investigate the role that these resources play in instruction and how to structure faculty professional development that supports the development of instructional resources.
      • Project Based Learning: A Review and an Implementation*

      • FB11
      • Wed 08/01, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Aaron Adair
      • Type: Contributed
      • Endeavoring to find effective teaching pedagogies, inquiry methods have become increasingly popular in PER. Here we review one inquiry method, Project-Based Learning (PBL). The overview includes its foundations, major characteristics, and effectiveness compared to traditional methods. We find that overall PBL is usually better than traditional teaching, but there are conditions that need to be met for implementing a PBL curriculum successfully. This includes both classroom considerations as well as administration issues. If these problems can be successfully navigated, then PBL has good reason to be more widely implemented. This leads to the next stage: building PBL curricula to teach physics. We then discuss a new PBL curriculum using roller coaster projects to teach physics.
      • Pedagogical Pactices of New Faculty Following Participation in an Intensive Physics Education Focused Workshop

      • FB12
      • Wed 08/01, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Melissa Dancy
      • Type: Contributed
      • In our previous work we interviewed faculty retrospectively about their decision-making regarding research-based reforms. In order to develop a more in-depth understanding we are currently following 15 physics faculty during the change process. We report on interviews of 15 physics faculty pre- and post-semester for the two semesters they taught an introductory course following their participation in the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop. All faculty interviewed were in their beginning years as an instructor and expressed a strong interest in integrating Physics Education Research in their teaching practice. In this talk we present an analysis of the research-based instructional practices these faculty implemented, including the ways in which they modified practices and the reasons behind their decisions to implement and modify.
  • PER: Investigating Classroom Strategies II

      • Department-Level Instructional Change: Complexity Leadership Theory and Social Networks

      • GB01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Charles Henderson
      • Type: Contributed
      • Efforts to improve teaching in higher education have often focused on individual faculty. However, there is a growing consensus that the academic department is a more productive focus of change initiatives. The difficulty for change agents working with departments is to find ways to allow faculty members to maintain autonomy to develop emergent ideas while simultaneously allowing departmental leaders to maintain control and provide direction. Complexity leadership theory combines ideas from complexity science and social network analysis to help organizations better understand how to manage the emergent and prescribed polarities necessary for successful change. This talk will introduce the ideas of complexity leadership theory and illustrate their utility to department-level instructional change through the use of social network analysis applied to an academic department.
      • Observing Faculty Practice in Workshop-Style Physics Classrooms Through Multiple Lenses

      • GB02
      • Wed 08/01, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by Scott Franklin
      • Type: Contributed
      • While research has established the effectiveness of reform physics curricula, less well-studied is how different faculty, with varying pedagogical content knowledge, use these materials. We characterize the diversity of practice in workshop-style introductory physics courses through two complementary observational protocols: the Reform Teaching Observation Protocol assesses fidelity to reform-teaching philosophies, while the Teaching Dimension Observation Protocol records direct practice. Despite a common environment and core materials, there is significant variance across faculty and course content. Instructors in electricity and magnetism courses not only lecture more frequently, they lecture to prepare student activities ("Tell and Practice"), whereas mechanics instructors use lecture to summarize student findings ("Invent and Tell"). We find no significant difference in practice during weekly sessions when the class meets in a traditional setting (stadium seating, well-defined front, etc); faculty treat both environments as an essentially interactive lecture. I'll also discuss implications for future dissemination efforts.
      • Investigating the Effect of Lab Section on Lecture Performance

      • GB03
      • Wed 08/01, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
      • by Sytil Murphy
      • Type: Contributed
      • Unlike most schools, the lecture and lab portions of the introductory algebra-based physics courses at Shepherd University are not linked. Material covered in the lab portion is not the same between sections nor is it tied to the lecture portion. It is possible to cover material in lecture and not in lab and vice versa. Students can have one instructor for lecture and another for lab. Student performance on in-class exams and the FCI is investigated as a function of the combination of lecture and lab instructors.
      • Toward Assessing K-12 Teacher Responsiveness to the Disciplinary Substance of Student Ideas*

      • GB04
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Amy Robertson
      • Type: Contributed
      • Recent science education reforms have called for teachers to be responsiveto the student ideas that arise in the midst of instruction and to make in-the-moment pedagogical decisions that rely on what they hear. There has thus been an increased emphasis on noticing, interpreting, and responding to the disciplinary substance of student ideas in K-12 teacher professional development. However, the physics education research community has yet to develop a systematic way of assessing growth in teacher responsiveness as manifested in their classroom practices. The Energy Project is developing a framework for assessing teacher responsiveness that is grounded in the literature and in episodes from practicing teachers' classrooms. A brief overview of the developing framework will be presented.
      • What Are Our Goals? TAs' Views About Introductory Laboratories

      • GB05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Jacquelyn Chini
      • Type: Contributed
      • While teaching assistants may still be developing their beliefs about and skills in teaching and communicating physics, they also may be the most approachable or accessible physics experts for students in large-enrollment introductory courses. For example, the student-teacher ratio in our lecture sections is about 250-1, while the ratio in our lab sections is about 30-1. As we are in the process of reforming our introductory courses and laboratories as well as our TA training program, we began by asking the TAs about their views and experiences on both the teaching and training processes. Our TAs come from diverse cultural, teaching, and research backgrounds. All were teaching the laboratories associated with algebra-based courses. We will discuss trends in the TAs' responses to questions about the purpose of the laboratory component, their roles as TAs, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their efforts to improve their teaching skills.
      • When Classrooms Are Technology-Rich & Pedagogy Poor...

      • GB06
      • Wed 08/01, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Nathaniel Lasry
      • Type: Contributed
      • There is growing interest in constructing technology-rich classrooms (eg. SCALE_UP & TEAL) to enable student-centered active learning. But what if technology-rich classrooms are used by instructors who have not fully embraced student-centered pedagogies? We studied the effect of different classrooms (conventional vs technology-rich) and of different pedagogies (active learning vs. traditional) on students' conceptual change. We also examined the effect of the instructors' perception of their instructional approach (teacher-centred and student-centred) on students' conceptual learning. Our findings show that technology-rich classrooms work only when implemented with student-centered pedagogies. Students who received an active learning pedagogy in technology-rich classrooms achieved greatest conceptual gains. However, students exposed to traditional pedagogies achieved similar gains in the technology-rich and conventional classrooms. We also found that instructors range on a continuum of student-centredness and that instructors' self-reported student-centredness correlates strongly with their students' conceptual gains.
      • Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Interventions on At-Risk Students' Introductory Mechanics Performance

      • GB07
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Sara Rose
      • Type: Contributed
      • Synthesis and evaluation of research on at-risk student interventions signals the need for more rigorous delineation of the characteristics involved in intervention effectiveness. Systematic links to and manipulation of the major theoretical factors underlying these interventions must also be elaborated and studied in greater detail. Such was the purpose of this study, which was undertaken in the context of two interventional approaches: a pre-course and a course offered concurrent to enrollment in the target introductory mechanics course at a large Midwestern university. Participants were engineering freshmen with the prerequisite calculus credit. The quasi-experimental, post-test only, nonequivalent control group design utilizes propensity score matching to assess the differential impacts of the two approaches on at-risk student performance and persistence in the target course as well as retention rates in the related physics course sequence.
      • Helping Students to Interrogate a Physics Text

      • GB08
      • Wed 08/01, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Elana Resnick
      • Type: Contributed
      • Students have difficulties comprehending science texts. The interrogation method, which prompts students to read sentences from the text and answer, "Why is this true?" has been developed to enhance students' ability to read science texts. To enact this method, instructors must choose sentences that are both important conceptually and deeply interrogatable. We explored the use of this method in an introductory physics course for non-physics majors. The teaching assistants (pre-service teachers), learning assistants (undergraduates), and the course instructor chose sentences for each chapter of the text, and the students were asked to interrogate two to four of the sentences in each chapter. We analyzed the conceptual importance of the sentences and their interrogatability, based on underlying epistemologies. We then interviewed the course instructor to determine how he chose the interrogatable sentences. Based on analysis of the chosen sentences and interview responses, we developed a model for choosing productive sentences to interrogate.
      • Modeling Consensus: Understanding how Undergraduate Freshmen Define

      • GB09
      • Wed 08/01, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
      • by Gina Quan
      • Type: Contributed
      • In this talk I will analyze how students in a constructive whole-class discussion come to consensus around defining "physics model." This discussion occurred as part of an elective freshman course at the University of California, Berkeley which is taught as part of The Compass Project, a program that supports physical science students. The course had students explore physics models through open-ended research questions around the ray model of light. On the first day of class, students argued around and unpacked important components of physics models in order to define physics models broadly. I will identify and characterize the "consensus building moves" which are statements that participants made in the course of the conversation. Using this coding scheme, I will look for patterns in student argumentation. Finally, I will discuss resonances between ideas that came up in the student discussion and within interviews with physics faculty.
  • PER: Problem Solving I

      • Instructor's Goals for Using Example Solutions in Introductory Physics

      • DH01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by William Mamudi
      • Type: Contributed
      • In light of recommendations from the literature for modeling expert-like problem solving approaches, we investigated instructors' goals for providing example solutions in introductory physics courses. Twenty-four graduate teaching assistants and 30 faculty were asked: 1) in a general context, to describe their main purposes for providing example solutions, and 2) specifically, to identify their considerations when comparing three example solutions that reflect different pedagogical views. Differences between the faculty and TAs will be discussed in order to describe possible progression of ideas throughout an instructor's professional career. For example, faculty explicitly emphasize the importance of developing expert-like problem solving when discussing their goals in the general context. In contrast TAs refer to the goal of developing expert-like problem solving mainly in an implicit manner, when examining specific solutions, and emphasize other values, such as helping students develop conceptual understanding, when asked explicitly on their purposes in the general context.
      • Instructors' Use of Specific Design Features in Example Solutions  CANCELED

      • DH02
      • Tue 07/31, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by Shih-Yin Lin
      • Type: Contributed
      • In light of recommendations from the literature for modeling expert-like problem solving approaches, we investigated how instructors use example solutions in teaching introductory physics. Twenty-four graduate teaching assistants and 30 physics faculty were asked to discuss their preferences for different solution features they observed in three example solutions provided. Data analysis focused on understanding instructors' considerations when using example solutions and how these considerations were manifested through the solution features they valued and used. We found that while TAs consider helping students develop expert-like problem solving approaches when choosing example solution for their students, they do not notice many features described in the literature as supportive of this goal, and use even fewer of these features. Differences between the faculty and TAs will be discussed in order to describe possible progression of ideas throughout an instructor's professional career.
      • Internet Coaches for Problem-Solving in Introductory Physics: Experimental Design

      • DH03
      • Tue 07/31, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
      • by Leon Hsu
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Physics Education Group at the University of Minnesota has been constructing web-based programs that can provide introductory physics students with coaching in the use of an expert-like framework in solving problems. During the fall 2011 semester, the coaches were introduced into a large (200+ students) section of the introductory mechanics course at the University of Minnesota to assess their educational impact. In this talk, we discuss the design of this experiment, including the construction of comparison groups, student reactions to the computer programs, and lessons learned. A companion presentation will discuss the status of the data analysis, including results obtained to date. This work was supported by NSF DUE-0715615.
      • Internet Coaches for Problem-Solving in Introductory Physics: Data Analysis

      • DH04
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by Qing Xu
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Physics Education Group at the University of Minnesota has been constructing web-based programs that can provide introductory physics students with coaching in the use of an expert-like framework in solving problems. During the fall 2011 semester, the coaches were introduced into a large (200+ students) section of the introductory mechanics course at the University of Minnesota to assess their educational impact. In this talk, we present the results of using a problem-solving rubric to analyze students' solutions from problems on mid-semester quizzes and the final exam. The rubric evaluates a student's problem-solving performance along five axes based on expert-novice problem solving research. This work was supported by NSF DUE-0715615.
      • Problem Solving Strategies: Effect of Topic and Nature of Solutions

      • DH05
      • Tue 07/31, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by Bashirah Ibrahim
      • Type: Contributed
      • We compare students' problem-solving strategies when completing tasks withthe same representational format across two topical areas, kinematics and work. We individually interviewed 19 engineering students completing 10 tasks over three sessions. The tasks were structured in linguistic, graphical and symbolic forms requesting either qualitative or quantitative solutions. The analysis focused on the characteristics (description versus explanation) of the qualitative solution. We also compared the strategies used when attempting tasks asking for qualitative or quantitative solutions, with respect to the representational format. We found that the students were inconsistent in their approach for interpreting the same representation across the two topical areas. The nature of the task's solution does not seem to influence students' strategy for tasks in the symbolic form, but it seems to influence their strategy for kinematics tasks in a graphical form. Supported in part by NSF grant 0816207.
      • Rigging your Card Games -- Differentiating Expert From Novice

      • DH06
      • Tue 07/31, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Steven Wolf
      • Type: Contributed
      • We are re-examining the seminal paper by Chi et al., which firmly established the notion that novices categorize physics problems by "surface features" (e.g. "incline," "pendulum," "projectile motion," ...), while experts use "deep structure" (e.g., "energy conservation," "Newton 2," ...). The paper has been cited over 3000 times in scholarly articles over a wide range of disciplines. We replicated the experiment with an expert group and a novice group, using a set of 50 problems. The expert-novice distinction between sorters is highly sensitive to the choice of problems in the categorization set and we will discuss the features of the problems that do a good job of distinguishing expert from novice.
      • To Use or Not to Use Diagrams: The Effect of Drawing a Diagram in Solving Introductory Physics Problems

      • DH07
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Alexandru Maries
      • Type: Contributed
      • Drawing appropriate diagrams is a useful problem-solving heuristic that can transform a given problem into a representation that is easier to exploit for solving it. A major focus while helping introductory physics students learn problem solving is to help them appreciate that drawing diagrams facilitates problem solution. We conducted an investigation in which 111 students in an algebra-based introductory physics course were subjected to two different interventions during recitation quizzes throughout the semester. They were either (1) asked to solve problems in which the diagrams were drawn for them or (2) explicitly told to draw a diagram. A comparison group was not given any instruction regarding diagrams. We developed a rubric to score the problem-solving performance of students in different intervention Groups. We present results for two problems involving electric field and electric force. We also compare the performance of students in finding electric field to finding electric force in similar situations both immediately after instruction in a quiz and a while after instruction in a midterm exam.
      • Student Expectations in a Group Problem Solving Activity

      • DH08
      • Tue 07/31, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Adam Kaczynski
      • Type: Contributed
      • Students come to any physics course with expectations about the world and about science. Those expectations have an influence on the way that students make observations, reason about phenomena, and draw conclusions. In certain situations, those expectations may be inconsistent with those of the physics community and lead to results that are inconsistent with the body of knowledge in physics. We designed a new group problem-solving activity on damped harmonic motion that supports students in finding coherence between multiple representations through discussion of their known models and observations of an underdamped oscillating system. During the activity, students typically showed appropriate expectations when finding coherence between symbolic, graphical, and qualitative representations, but showed inappropriate expectations about problem solving. We will discuss how students' expectations about the starting point of physics problem solving affect their attempts to achieve coherence and draw conclusions.
      • Students' Use of Real-World Knowledge During Collaborative Physics Problem Solving

      • DH09
      • Tue 07/31, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Mathew Martinuk
      • Type: Contributed
      • In this talk I will describe students' use of their real-world knowledge and their epistemological framing during collaborative group recitation problems in an introductory algebra-based physics course for non-physics majors. Analysis of 14 different student groups working on three different recitation problems reveals that: 1) Despite significant prompting within the problems and support in lecture, over half of the groups do not make significant use of their real-world knowledge as a part of their solution to the recitation problems. 2) Students that do make use of their real-world knowledge do so during conceptual discussion, but not during procedural discussion. Implications for instruction and future research will be discussed.
      • Studying Students' Problem Solving Skills in Algebra-based Introductory Physics Course

      • DH10
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Archana Dubey
      • Type: Contributed
      • Students in introductory physics courses have been often found to strugglewith problem-solving skills. This difficulty seems to stem not only from their mathematical skills but also from the ability to comprehend and utilize physics concepts to solve problems. A main source of difficulty seems to be analytical reasoning! We can make our teaching more effective by studying students' strengths and weaknesses to develop a comprehensive teaching strategy that promotes better learning. Our study looked at students taking a second-semester studio mode algebra-based physics course. This presentation will share data highlighting several important aspects of students' understanding of physics concepts, mathematical skills and problem solving strategies, and will compare students' abilities to solve "condensed" problems versus more directed problems consisting of sub-parts. This information has implications about the possibility that students know the subject matter, but have difficulty synthesizing the information to get to the final answer.
      • Identifying Similarities in Math and Physics Problem Solving

      • DH11
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Dyan Jones
      • Type: Contributed
      • As part of a larger study of mathematics in physics problem solving, this project was designed to examine how students are able to identify similarities between purely mathematics and physics problems. Students were given a set of math problems and then physics problems, in succession. For each set, they were asked to group the problems based on similarities. The results of this study indicate that students are able to detect nuances in the purely mathematical problems that they may miss in an analogous physics problem, despite extensive prompting. This talk will present the larger set of results from this study.
      • Concrete vs. Abstract Problems: How Prior Knowledge Helps and Hinders

      • DH12
      • Tue 07/31, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Andrew Heckler
      • Type: Contributed
      • Studies outside of physics education research have found that students tend to solve problems in concrete, familiar representations more accurately than in an abstract representation for relatively simple problems. First, we replicate this finding for some simple physics problems. However, we also find that when a specific problem commonly elicits prior knowledge that is contrary to scientific knowledge, e.g. a scientific "misconception," the concrete representation invokes incorrect answers more frequently than abstract representations. Second, we find that students with higher final course grades perform disproportionally better on abstract problems compared to concrete problems. Thus, from a psychometric perspective, abstract problems would be preferable over concrete because the former is more efficient at discriminating between students. However, from a pedagogical perspective, this study suggests that concrete problem representations are important for determining whether both high and low grade students have overcome the relevant scientific misconceptions.
  • PER: Problem Solving II

      • An Eye Tracking Analysis of Physics Representations

      • EH01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Jennifer Docktor
      • Type: Contributed
      • One key aspect of solving physics problems is the ability to interpret anduse multiple representations of information (e.g. words, equations, pictures, diagrams, and graphs). In this talk, we describe a study that uses eye-tracking technology to investigate how students view and comprehend physics representations presented on a computer screen. We also discuss the implications of this research for the design of instructional examples and online learning materials.
      • Do "Eye Catching" Features in Physics Problems Influence Answer Choices?*

      • EH02
      • Tue 07/31, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by Adrian Madsen
      • Type: Contributed
      • It has been proposed that "eye catching" features in some physics problems, that are also plausible and relevant, automatically capture students' attention. Other less salient features have little opportunity to be considered. So, students answer the problem based on the most perceptually salient elements of the problem (Heckler, 2011). To test this hypothesis we recorded eye movements of introductory physics students on a set of problems with diagrams. Each diagram contained areas consistent with documented novice-like answers and areas consistent with the scientifically correct answer. We manipulated the luminance contrast of the diagrams to produce three versions of each diagram, which differed by the area with the highest level of perceptual salience. We discuss how the salience manipulations are related to the correctness of answers and eye movements. These results allow us to understand how perceptual salience in a problem diagram influences student answer choice and attention.
      • Exploring Representational Fluency with Eye-Tracking

      • EH03
      • Tue 07/31, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
      • by Elizabeth Gire
      • Type: Contributed
      • Representational fluency is the ability to competently use different representations of the same information, and is an important skill for solving physics problems. We use eye-tracking technology to explore how visual attention is related to representational fluency. We showed introductory and graduate physics students two different representations (graph, equation, or text) and asked them to judge whether the representations are consistent (could describe the same situation). We compare the gaze patterns of students who made correct judgements versus those who made incorrect judgements, and make comparisons across introductory and graduate student groups.
      • The Impact of Computer Animation Design on Knowledge Activation During Problem Solving

      • EH04
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Zhongzhou Chen
      • Type: Contributed
      • Instructors frequently observe that students often have significant difficulty activating relevant physics knowledge that they seemingly possess during problem solving. We propose that at least part of the difficulty might be caused by the conventional graphical representation used in teaching these concepts. Most conventional physics representations are developed under the physical limits of pen and paper, and are not optimized to facilitate sense making among novices. When examined from a grounded cognition perspective, some of these representations may interfere with students' proper construction of conceptual understanding, thereby encouraging shallow/rote learning of physics rules. Physics rules learned by rote require a more precise matching of surface features to activate, and pose a higher cognitive cost during implementation. In a clinical study, we demonstrated that by improving the design of physics representation using computer animation, we can change the physics rules activated by students solving certain capacitor circuit problems. Interestingly, this improved design of the representation shares less surface feature similarity with the problem body when compared to the conventional representation and students are observed to spend less time watching the improved design.
      • Free Online Physics Course Emphasizing Problem Solving

      • EH05
      • Tue 07/31, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Saif Rayyan
      • Type: Contributed
      • Our RELATE group is currently teaching an online course on Newtonian Mechanics (http://relate.mit.edu/physicscourse/). The course develops more expert-like problem solving skills using the MAPS Pedagogy [1], and includes hundreds of assessment questions, many based on results from physics education research. Open-source course content (modularized e-text, animations, videos, and solved examples) is divided into learning modules that are mapped to a list of learning objectives. The course is hosted on the LONCAPA network (http://loncapa.org), and anyone in the network can use our course content in their classes. We are currently integrating IRT into this platform, enabling standardized assessment of student and class skill on a national standard that is independent of which problems students work. We thank Yoav Bergner, Stephan Dröschler, Sara Julin, Boris Korsunsky, Gerd Kortemeyer, and Daniel Seaton for their significant contributions. [1]AIP Conf. Proc. 1179, pp. 51-54 (2009)
      • Increasing Problem-Solving Skills in Introductory High School Physics

      • EH06
      • Tue 07/31, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Sean Bentley
      • Type: Contributed
      • The effects of project-based learning in an algebra-based Physics First course on students' problem-solving abilities are explored. A problem-based exam for introductory physics was developed and used with a previously established problem-solving rubric. The exam was administered to freshmen physics classes at three high schools. One of the schools was using a heavily project-based curriculum, while the other two relied primarily on traditional methods. Strong positive correlations in performance and the project-based curriculum were observed, though continued development of the study is ongoing to separate other factors and see if causality exists. The initial data is being used to help refine the measurement instrument and evaluate the curricular elements.
      • Acquiring Mathematical Skills in Physics

      • EH07
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Jing Wang
      • Type: Contributed
      • Students' entering mathematical skill level is usually considered one of the best indicators of their success in introductory physics courses. A common expectation is that students who meet the prerequisite requirement will be well-prepared; however, this is rarely the case. In a recent study at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Eastern Kentucky University, we collected the students' math diagnostic scores both in physics courses and in an algebra course. Our results suggest that when students take physics, their math diagnostic scores improve significantly, even more so than they do in a traditional mathematics course. As we recently changed math prerequisite, the data both before and after the change will be presented. The talk will focus on the link between the course content and mathematical skill improvement. The correlation between math scores and Force Concept Inventory will be discussed.
      • Understanding Students' Use of Integration in Physics Problem Solving*

      • EH08
      • Tue 07/31, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Dehui Hu
      • Type: Contributed
      • Developing the skills to set up integrals is critical for students' success in calculus-based physics. It requires a high level of understanding of both math and physics concepts. Previous studies have investigated students' poor performance when solving integration problems in the context of electricity and magnetism. However, the reasons for students' difficulties have not been explored in detail. We used the theoretical framework of epistemic games to describe students' use of integration in physics E&M topics. We conducted eight interview sessions with 13 engineering students enrolled in a second-semeter introductory calculus-based physics course. We categorize the epistemic games played by the students and described these games in terms of students' moves and knowledge resources associated with these moves. Finally, we discuss how our findings could be used to explain why students encounter the difficulties they do.
      • Assessing Student Understanding of Integrals Using Correspondence Between Representations

      • EH09
      • Tue 07/31, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
      • by Joshua Von Korff
      • Type: Contributed
      • In traditional coursework, students' problem-solving ability is often assessed solely on the basis of the correctness of their written equations or their numerical answer. Reformed curricula frequently make use of more complex rubrics which may examine students' use of diagrams, ability to plan a solution before performing numerical calculations, or adherence to a certain solution format. Students' oral presentations provide us with a rich data set for assessing their understanding. One advantage of the oral presentation is that the creation of diagrams and graphs is synchronized with spoken words, allowing us to closely examine the correspondences between these representations. We will discuss a method of assessment that makes use of these correspondences. This work supported in part by NSF grant 0816207.
  • PER: Student Reasoning I

      • Knowledge Integration While Interacting with an Online Troubleshooting Activity: Methodology

      • DI01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by Menashe Puterkovski
      • Type: Contributed
      • A troubleshooting activity was carried out by an e-tutor in two steps. First the student diagnoses a mistaken statement attributed to the virtual student "Danny," then the student compares his/her own diagnosis to an exemplary diagnosis provided by the e-tutor. These steps are based on three design principles: 1) Eliciting common misinterpretations. 2) Incorporating knowledge integration processes. 3) Inspiring a non-judgmental argumentative environment. These activities aim to provide students with ample opportunities to recognize, acknowledge, and attempt to resolve conflicts between possible interpretations of scientific concepts and principles. This talk will focus on the design of the artifacts implemented in these activities (mistaken statements and exemplary diagnoses) and the methodology used to explore the following questions: To what extent do knowledge integration processes take place? How do students make use of the opportunities provided by the activity to negotiate and possibly elaborate alternative interpretations of physics concepts and principles?
      • Knowledge Integration While Interacting With an Online Troubleshooting Activity: Findings

      • DI02
      • Tue 07/31, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by Edit Yerushalmi
      • Type: Contributed
      • A troubleshooting activity was carried out by an e-tutor in two steps. First the student diagnoses a mistaken statement, then the student compares his diagnosis to an exemplary diagnosis provided by the e-tutor. To examine whether and how the activity attains its objective -- to engage students in a process of clarifying and repairing the mistaken ideas underlying the mistaken statement, we studied the discourse between students working with the e-tutor on a statement implying that because there is no current on an open switch in a DC circuit, according to Ohm's law the potential difference is necessarily zero. We present an analysis showing how the activity triggered students to explicate multiple alternative interpretations of the principles and concepts involved and attempt to align conflicting interpretations. We discuss how successive amendations gradually culminated in the elaboration of students' understanding of these concepts.
      • Interpreting Multi-Variable Expressions: Patterns in Student Reasoning

      • DI03
      • Tue 07/31, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
      • by Mila Kryjevskaia
      • Type: Contributed
      • It has been shown that students encounter significant reasoning difficulties when interpreting and applying multi-variable expressions in many contexts. For example, students often argue that, since the frequency of a periodic wave is expressed in terms of wavelength and propagation speed, the frequency must change when the speed changes. Similarly, many students think that the capacitance will always change if the potential difference between the capacitor's plates is changed. In this investigation we probed the extent to which students' incorrect reasoning approaches could be altered by making explicit connections during instruction between the treatments of multi-variable expressions in several contexts, such as waves and electrostatics. We also examined students' ability to transfer their understanding between these contexts.
      • Impact of Argumentation Scaffolds on Performance on Conceptual Physics Problems

      • DI04
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by Carina Rebello
      • Type: Contributed
      • Research has shown that the inclusion of argumentation tasks can improve students' problem solving and reasoning skills. We investigate two forms of scaffolds -- one designed to facilitate construction of an argument and another designed to facilitate evaluation of an argument. We integrated these scaffolds within physics problems, and assessed their impact on the argumentation quality and conceptual quality of students' solutions to these problems. Results suggest that the use of argumentation scaffolds, rather than the mere use of an argumentation task, seemed to improve students' argumentation skills on these problems. We also found that for problems in both verbal and graphical representations, the use of argumentation scaffolds with tasks that required students to evaluate an argument seemed to improve the conceptual quality of students' solutions to these problems.
      • Effect of Paper Color on Physics Exam Performance

      • DI05
      • Tue 07/31, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by David Schmidt
      • Type: Contributed
      • A substantial number of studies in the cognitive sciences have establishedthat color, acting as an environmental cue, can significantly affect subject performance on a variety of tasks. However, there is a dearth of research into how this phenomenon manifests itself in 1) the combined conceptual and computational field of physics and 2) the context of preparation (i.e. where subjects prepare for relevant material prior to assessment as opposed to remaining ignorant of the tasks' nature until immediately before assessment). Our experiment involves approximately 450 students in an introductory E&M course in which the paper color used for examinations was varied. Analysis includes raw exam scores and differentiates between students' multiple choice, written response, conceptual, and computational performance. Additionally, we report on the time students require to complete exams and their confidence levels prior to and immediately following assessment.
      • Language, Skills, and Mutual Understanding in Undergraduates Defining Threshold

      • DI06
      • Tue 07/31, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Angela Little
      • Type: Contributed
      • An important part of physics disciplinary practice is the use of terminology. Scientists need to be able to identify vague or unscientific terms and meanings and refine them into clearly articulated ideas. This work is not done in isolation, but rather, members of the community must come together to decide on mutually agreed upon definitions. But how are words defined and mutual understanding achieved? What skills do physics students already have along these lines and what new skills must be supported? And how does language itself support and constrain this work? This talk will focus on a study of undergraduate physics majors where small groups of three to four students are asked to categorize and define the physical phenomenon of threshold in an open-ended design task. We will present skills we have identified as important to making definitions and discuss ways that language plays an important role in this process.
      • Nesting as a Solution to the Multiple-Occupancy Problem in Representations

      • DI07
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Hunter Close
      • Type: Contributed
      • When drawing and gesturing in physics, spatial dimensions on the writing surface or of the body are used temporarily to stand for physical quantities. Sometimes these quantities are literally spatial (the position of a particle), and sometimes they are more abstract (e.g., velocity, time, electric field, complex amplitude of an energy eigenstate). Sometimes we need more dimensions than are available to communicate a message or think through a problem. When one spatial dimension is used to represent more than one physical quantity, the "multiple-occupancy problem" is created: How do thinkers stay organized, keeping two (or more) separate meanings for one spatial dimension in ways that these meanings can be used productively? We introduce the idea of "nested coordinates" in the spatial communication and cognition of physics as a common way that thinkers deal with the multiple-occupancy problem.
      • The Effect of Problem Format on Students' Answers*

      • DI08
      • Tue 07/31, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Beth Thacker
      • Type: Contributed
      • We report the results of two studies of the effect of problem format on students' answers. In particular, we studied the ability of students to explain their reasoning and demonstrate the use of a logical problem-solving process based on the physics principles they have learned. We analyzed the structure of both the correct and incorrect answers. The same problem written was written in multiple formats and administered as a quiz in the large introductory physics sections in both the algebra-based and calculus-based classes. The formats included multiple choice only, multiple choice and explain your reasoning, explain your reasoning only, ranking and explaining your reasoning and multiple choice ranking with explain your reasoning, and a few others. We present the results.
      • Using Student Analogies to Investigate Conceptual Understanding

      • DI09
      • Tue 07/31, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Alex Barr
      • Type: Contributed
      • Student-generated analogies can provide useful insight into students' conceptual understanding. I will describe an activity from a physical science class in which students generated their own analogies to illustrate Newton's laws of motion. Student analogies for Newton's third law indicate that students tend to focus their attention either on the presence of two objects, neglecting their interaction, or on the resulting dynamics of a single object. This result will be illustrated through several student examples. I will also discuss the role of context for students who generated multiple analogies to illustrate multiple concepts.
      • When Do Students Use Symbolic Forms?

      • DI10
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Eric Kuo
      • Type: Contributed
      • Previous work has shown that students can combine physics equations with conceptual understandings. For example, the "Base + Change symbolic form" [1] can be used to interpret the equation v=v0+at conceptually as "the final value is the base value plus a change." Although the use of symbolic forms has been well documented, these studies have not investigated why a student may use a symbolic form in one problem but may not in different problems [1]. Through clinical interviews with undergraduates in an introductory physics class, we investigate the dynamics of whether and how students engage in symbolic forms-based reasoning. The interviews, focused on quantitative physics problems and epistemological prompts, are coded for (1) symbolic forms use and (2) independent and explicit evidence of certain epistemological stances. We argue that epistemological stances that value coherence between intuitive and formal ideas support the use of symbolic forms-based reasoning.
      • Using Clause Topics to Assess Students' Reasoning While Comparing Problems

      • DI11
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Frances Mateycik
      • Type: Contributed
      • One of the major goals of teaching physics is to facilitate student learning of the deep principles and concepts, which can later be applied to novel problems. In this study we look at how students assess the importance of principles and concepts for problem solving. Students in an algebra-based physics course were asked to choose two problems from each of their homework assignments which they found to be most similar. The two problems selected were then explicitly compare and contracted in writing. The written statements were then divided by clause topics and further categorized into levels of epistemic reasoning. This presentation is oriented to introduce the audience to the qualitative analysis used and provide some general trends that appear in our homework responses.
      • Student Gestures About Directionality in Projectile Motion Problems

      • DI12
      • Tue 07/31, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Evan Chase
      • Type: Contributed
      • We are studying how students talk and gesture about physics problems involving directionality. Students discussing physics use more than words and equations; gestures are also a meaningful element of their communication. We are investigating the extent to which modifications to a student's gestures lead to changes in that student's thinking. Data come from one-on-one interviews about the sign and direction of velocity and acceleration within a given coordinate system. Specific contexts are the ball toss without air resistance and the interpretation of a differential equation describing the air resistance of falling objects.
  • PER: Student Reasoning II

      • Research on Coherence Seeking Across Disciplinary Boundaries*

      • GF01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Chandra Turpen
      • Type: Contributed
      • We analyze coherence-seeking in on-going student activity from a video-recorded discussion section. Here, students engage in a task designed to build connections between physics and biology. We present evidence of students 1) spontaneously bringing in unanticipated outside knowledge into their reasoning in this physics course and 2) seeking connections between the course material and other things they know. Throughout this process, we examine both implicit and explicit indexing of the disciplines throughout the reasoning episode to show that often these connections span disciplinary boundaries. Independent of whether reconciliation is achieved, we see coherence-seeking reasoning practices that students are engaged in as essential to scientific practice and as such we claim that those practices should be a focus of our assessment efforts.
      • An Examination of Expert/Novice Positional Identities in the Disciplines

      • GF02
      • Wed 08/01, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by Vashti Sawtelle
      • Type: Contributed
      • We present a qualitative analysis of a group of students working through atask designed to build connections between biology, chemistry, and physics. During the discussion, members of the group explicitly index some of the ideas being presented as coming from "chemistry" and from "physics.'' While there is evidence that students seek coherence between outside knowledge and in-class knowledge, there is little evidence of reasoning with one another's ideas, resulting in a lack of reconciliation. In this talk we present evidence that the difficulty students face in trying to reconcile each other's ideas can be understood through a positional identity lens. We examine how students position themselves and each other as experts and novices in the disciplines. We argue that this disciplinary positioning contributes to the lack of the reconciliation of ideas for these students.
      • Coupling Epistemology and Identity in Explaining Student Interest in Science

      • GF03
      • Wed 08/01, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
      • by Jennifer Richards
      • Type: Contributed
      • A critical goal in science education is to encourage minority students' continued interest and engagement in science [1-2]. Here, we provide a case study of an eighth-grade student from Honduras,"Estevan," who first caught our attention in class for his dogged pursuit of trying to figure out how seasons occur on Earth. We draw on interview and classroom data to demonstrate that what engages Estevan lies at the intersection of epistemology and identity. Specifically, his epistemological stance toward science as figuring things out for oneself taps into his personal love of challenges, and this love of challenges is tied strongly to his sense of self. We make the case for conceptualizing personal epistemology as deeply intertwined with aspects of identity, at least for some students, and we draw the implications of this perspective for classroom practice.
      • Coupling Identity and Epistemology to Explain Differences in Learning Experiences

      • GF04
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Ayush Gupta
      • Type: Contributed
      • Students' personal epistemology -- their notions about the nature of knowledge and learning -- affect how they approach learning [1]. These personal epistemologies have usually been conceptualized as originating in students' past experiences and recruited in particular learning contexts [2]. Drawing on a case study based on a clinical interview with an electrical engineering major ("Rebecca") in an introductory physics class, we argue that in some instances, students' projected sense of their future profession -- an aspect of their developing disciplinary identities -- influences their approaches towards learning. Specifically, Rebecca positions herself as an electrical engineer and draws a distinction between her introductory mechanics course, which she sees as irrelevant to her future, and courses on digital logic and introductory electromagnetism, which she sees as relevant. She sees mechanics as less coherent than digital logic. She structures her learning in the two courses differently and reflects on how she draws on more rote-learning in physics, but deep sense-making in digital logic design.
      • Entangled Identity and Epistemology Meet Electromagnetism: The Case of Michael

      • GF05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Andrew Elby
      • Type: Contributed
      • In this contribution to our series of talks about how a student's epistemology (views about what counts as knowledge and learning) can be entangled with his sense of who he is, we discuss how "Michael" approached an apparent paradox he encountered near the beginning of his intermediate-level electromagnetism class. Michael wondered if current is defined as moving charge and the ideal conductor is by definition neutral, how could one calculate the current through it? This question is thornier than it first appears. We will show how Michael's identity as a sense-maker, an identity defined in part by its oppositional relation to many aspects of Michael's engineering program, influences how he approaches this problem, and how his approach reinforces his identity.
      • Teaching Assistant Interventions that Produce Sense Making Activities

      • GF06
      • Wed 08/01, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Paul Irving
      • Type: Contributed
      • A recent area of investigation that has developed in the STEM community isstudents' sense making and answer making activities in collaborative problem-solving learning environments. In these learning environments, sense making manifests as discussions which are aimed at ascertaining "what is going on" in the problem. Conversely, answer making manifests as a discussion that is aimed toward procedures with the intended goal to find out "what to do." Collaborative problem solving environments typically employ TAs to lead the discussion and encourage students to work together to develop an understanding of the concepts being probed in the problems. In this talk, we examine TA interventions which result in tipping students into sense making activities.
      • Application of Bloom's Taxonomy to Introductory College-Level Physics Courses

      • GF07
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Nathaniel Grosz
      • Type: Contributed
      • A team of discipline-based educational researchers at North Dakota State University has been using Bloom's taxonomy as a basis for characterizing the cognitive levels required by students (1) to learn subject matter in college-level science courses and (2) to demonstrate acquired knowledge and skills on exams. Exam problems were used as a data source for both categories. Correlation between student performance and cognitive level was measured. To gain a deeper understanding of student learning, exam problems were further categorized according to the number of reasoning steps required to arrive to an answer; the level of abstraction represented in the problem; and whether or not a solution hinges on visualization and/or spatial reasoning skills. Results relevant to students' learning in introductory physics courses will be presented.
      • Student Justifications of Correct Responses to Commonly Used PER Tasks

      • GF08
      • Wed 08/01, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Jeffrey Hawkins
      • Type: Contributed
      • When presented with the correct answer to a commonly used PER question andasked to justify it, students have diverse ways of responding. Surprisingly, many students reject the given answer and do not attempt to explain why it is correct. Other students appear to not accept the answer as correct, but still attempt to justify the answer by reinterpreting the problem or applying a strategy to determine the expected reasoning. This range of unexpected responses provides information about students' knowledge, cognitive processes, and epistemologies. We discuss examples of these responses from interviews and pre-tests where students were asked both canonical tasks and tasks where they were given the correct answer. Our results have implications for research, curriculum design, and instruction.
      • Differentiated Instruction: An Exploration with Simple DC Circuits

      • GF09
      • Wed 08/01, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
      • by Thomas Scaife
      • Type: Contributed
      • Following a lecture-driven introduction to DC circuits, students frequently responded to features about resistors when asked to compare the power dissipation between two circuits -- while ignoring relevant features about the voltage or current sources. Over a series of questions, individual students answered in different manners, with some consistently answering in favor of one particular feature (e.g., the circuit with a greater number of resistors will always dissipate more power). Among 150 students, several such responses were identified. In an attempt to mediate these individual differences and align student performance with the intended outcome of instruction, some students completed additional practice problems that were meant to address a particular response, while others received more generic practice with a wide variety of power-comparison questions.
  • PER: Teacher Preparation and Development

      • Preliminary Investigations of Physical Science Teacher Content Knowledge and PCK*

      • GH01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Daniel Laverty
      • Type: Contributed
      • There is ongoing discussion of the extent to which specific strands of teacher professional development influence student learning. We describe research efforts exploring the roles of teacher content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, particularly teacher knowledge of student ideas (KSI), in the context of the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership (MainePSP). The primary focus of the MainePSP is the professional development of physical science instructors in grades 6-9 via curriculum renewal using common instructional resources across multiple school districts.This particular study looks to assess teacher content knowledge and KSI in order to explore their respective effects on student learning in specific contexts, including density and mechanics. We will describe our methods, present preliminary results, and outline recommendations for further investigation.
      • Students' Prediction of Their Exam Performance: Comparison of Two Cohorts

      • GH02
      • Wed 08/01, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by N. Sanjay Rebello
      • Type: Contributed
      • At the 2011 Summer AAPT Meeting we reported on the accuracy of students' estimation of their exam score. That study, which was completed with second semester calculus-based students, seemed to suggest that students typically overestimated their exam score. We further found that low scoring students tended to have larger overestimates than high scoring students. We report here on a follow-up study completed with a different population of physics students -- future elementary teachers. We asked these students to predict their score before taking the exam and estimate their score after taking the exam. Further, we also asked students to predict and estimate the class mean as well as provide brief explanations of how they arrived at their predictions or estimates in each case. We report on the results of the follow-up study and where relevant compare these with the results of the previous study.
      • TA Training for Collaborative, Group-Problem-Solving Sections

      • GH03
      • Wed 08/01, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
      • by Chaya Nanavati
      • Type: Contributed
      • Building on the work of the Physics Education Research community, we have implemented pedagogical changes in the way the introductory physics sequences are taught at Stanford. Instead of the previous instructor-centered approach, we use student-centered, active-learning strategies in discussion sections and laboratories. The change in section style has necessitated a change in our TA training programs. We will compare different TA training approaches that we have used with varying levels of success. These include practicum versus theory-based sessions and day-long boot camps versus weekly training seminars. We will discuss what has worked and not worked with these programs based on feedback from the TAs-in-training and from student feedback once the TAs-in-training became TAs.
      • Comparing Written and Video Data of Learners' Understanding of Energy

      • GH04
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Beth Lindsey
      • Type: Contributed
      • Simple phenomena, such as lifting and lowering a ball vertically a few feet, can offer tremendous insight into learner thinking about energy transfers and transformations. The insights gained depend on the data collected. The first and second authors collaborated to compare undergraduates' written responses to questions on energy in lifting/lowering scenarios to secondary teachers' videotaped discussions of similar questions in professional development courses. Our comparison of these data sets is not a controlled study; the representations in the two data sets are different, the populations are different, and in general comparing written work to video is rather like comparing a tropical jungle to a backyard garden. That said, our findings illuminate the different opportunities presented by our two research modalities.
      • Developing a Conceptual Model for Both Entropy and Energy

      • GH05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Abigail Daane
      • Type: Contributed
      • Entropy is typically not a central focus either in introductory universityphysics textbooks or in national standards for secondary education. However, entropy is a key part of a strong conceptual model of energy, especially for connecting energy conservation to energy degradation and the irreversibility of processes. We are developing a conceptual model of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics as they relate to energy, with the goal of creating models and representations that link energy and entropy in a meaningful way for learners analyzing real-life energy scenarios. We expect this model to help learners better understand how their everyday experiences relate to formal physics analyses. Our goal is to develop tools for use with elementary and secondary teachers and secondary and university students.
      • Examining Student Ability to Relate Energy Concepts and Real-World Observations*

      • GH06
      • Wed 08/01, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Brian Stephanik
      • Type: Contributed
      • The concept of energy is becoming an increasingly important topic in the K-12 curriculum. We are in the process of developing a Physics by Inquiry[1] module on energy that is designed to help teachers deepen their understanding of this abstract concept. The curriculum emphasizes how experimental results can motivate the construction of a scientific model for energy. It also provides teachers with direct experience in inquiry-based learning that can be used as a guide for teaching through a process of inquiry in their own classrooms. We discuss results from our preliminary investigation that illustrate the extent to which teachers and students are able to relate energy concepts to real-world observations.
      • Validating a Survey of Students' and Teachers' Understanding of Energy

      • GH07
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Levi Lucy
      • Type: Contributed
      • In the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership, we are studying middle school teachers' knowledge of their students' thinking about energy. Building a survey from scratch might require extensive original research, but a bank of questions at the appropriate grade-level exists online at the AAAS assessment website (http://assessment.aaas.org/). The website provides both questions and student data of common incorrect answers. We chose from these questions to design a written survey given to both students and teachers. Teachers were asked to answer the questions on their own and also to predict how their students might most commonly answer. We used one-on-one interviews with both students and teachers to validate the original survey. We present data on teacher content knowledge as well as teacher knowledge of student ideas. We observed a ceiling effect for teachers on content understanding, suggesting the survey is too easy. We also found good examples of predictions of student thinking.
  • PER: Topical Understanding - Introductory Level

      • DC Circuits: Variation of Student Responses to Simple Contextual Changes

      • AE01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by Ignatius John
      • Type: Contributed
      • It is common practice when researching student understanding of introductory DC circuits to assume that using the brightness of a light bulb as a proxy for current leads to results that can be generalized. While this conclusion may indeed be consistent with a classic "misconceptions" view, it is not clear that this is true from a "knowledge in pieces" perspective in which context and cognitive "grain-size" are key components. We report on a study with first-year physics students in which we made contextual changes to an "open circuit" in order to measure the effect of such changes to student responses. The eight-question instrument that we designed included representational, linguistic, and (circuit) elemental variations. Our findings indicate that while the changes might appear trivial to an expert they significantly affect the way in which students respond.
      • Exploring Student Difficulties with Buoyancy

      • AE02
      • Mon 07/30, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by D. J. Wagner
      • Type: Contributed
      • Our research group is developing a standardized fluids assessment, covering buoyancy and pressure. Understanding buoyancy requires a battery of skills and knowledge, and we have designed questions to probe understanding of background concepts such as density, incompressibility, and volume of fluid displaced. In this talk we will describe some of the buoyancy-related assessment questions, the misconceptions they probe, and the preliminary results from the beta version of the assessment.
      • Exploring Student Difficulties with Pressure in a Fluid

      • AE03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
      • by Matthew Goszewski
      • Type: Contributed
      • Our research group is developing a standardized fluids assessment, covering buoyancy and pressure. Much of the prior research of student difficulties with pressure involves younger children. Many of the questions on the beta-version of the assessment used this past year were designed to test the prevalence of those difficulties in college students. In this talk we will describe the pressure-related assessment questions, the misconceptions they probe, and the preliminary results from the beta version of the assessment.
      • How Do Students Learn Graphs?

      • AE04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by James Laverty
      • Type: Contributed
      • Graphs play an important role in all of the sciences, as well as in daily life. Introductory Physics classes are a good place to teach students how to connect graphs to the real world. The obvious question becomes, "What is the best way to teach students to read and use graphs correctly?" This talk will compare student learning of graphs with construction-based homework problems versus with interpretation-based homework problems. This research was carried out using both computer-based (in an online course management system, namely LON-CAPA) and paper-based problems.
      • How Energy Theater Supports Participants in Accounting for Energy

      • AE05
      • Mon 07/30, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by Sarah McKagan
      • Type: Contributed
      • Energy Theater is an embodied learning activity in which participants act out energy transfers and transformations with their bodies. We have observed that participants in Energy Theater are often surprised by scenarios in which large quantities of energy are transformed from kinetic to thermal. This surprise appears to be a result of an expectation that a quantity of energy should be equally "perceptible" in different forms, an expectation that is violated when easily visible kinetic energy transforms into imperceptible thermal energy. We claim that Energy Theater enforces energy conservation in a way that pushes participants to recognize the presence of forms of energy that they do not expect, and to adjust their models of scenarios to take into account counterintuitive phenomena.
      • Understanding Energy with an Embodied Learning Activity*

      • AE06
      • Mon 07/30, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Rachel Scherr
      • Type: Contributed
      • A scientific understanding of energy includes (1) differentiating energy from matter, including recognizing that energy dynamics do not uniformly align with matter dynamics, and (2) coordinating theorized energy dynamics with observational evidence of energy changes in physical systems. We describe a learning activity called Energy Theater that is designed to promote a strong conceptual understanding of energy, including energy conservation, localization in objects, transfer between objects, and transformation among forms. We provide evidence that Energy Theater engages learners with deep conceptual issues in the learning of energy, including disambiguating matter flow from energy flow and theorizing mechanisms for energy transformation. We attribute the effectiveness of this learning activity partly to the special cognitive and interactional affordances of embodied learning activities, in which human bodies represent physical entities in a phenomenon.
      • New Ways of Investigating the Canonical Ball Toss Problem

      • AE07
      • Mon 07/30, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Michael Wittmann
      • Type: Contributed
      • Asking students about the acceleration of a tossed object is a well-studied problem in physics education research. Students frequently respond using reasoning that describes the velocity of the ball, in particular that acceleration is zero at the top. We created new versions of the canonical multiple-choice Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation ball-toss questions to investigate what other reasoning students might use. Some students were asked "is the acceleration zero at the top?" These students were half as likely to give a velocity-like response (that a=0) as were students answering the canonical form. Other students were told "the acceleration is not zero" and asked to explain. Roughly 75% of these students could explain why acceleration is not zero. This is in contrast to the 60% who say it is zero at the top. We discuss implications for instruction based on these data.
      • Probing the Origins of Students' Naïve Preconceptions: Force and Motion*

      • AE08
      • Mon 07/30, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Lei Bao
      • Type: Contributed
      • A significant consideration in PER is student preconceptions at variance with modern physics, but also worthy of examination is the development of these erroneous notions. The preconceptions come about from the real-world interactions students have had before physics instruction, which lead to complex network intuitive thoughts on how they feel and what they believe. During learning there are complex interactions between these prior beliefs and what students learn in class, which need to be understood if educators are to be successful. We examine a collection of first-term calculus-based physics students using a set of linear motion questions along with interviews and further questions during one-on-one interview sessions. We investigate how students' preconceptions are manifested within the contexts of physical settings and personal feelings. The results shed lights on how such preconceptions are formed through students' experiencing the world and how instruction may be informed to better address such preconceptions.
      • Student Understanding of "Force-of-Motion" and Net Force in Various Contexts

      • AE09
      • Mon 07/30, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Rebecca Rosenblatt
      • Type: Contributed
      • We have previously reported that, when given a single force opposite to the direction of motion, students were more likely to invoke a "force-of-motion" than when given two forces, one force in the direction of motion and a larger force opposite. Here we elaborate on this finding, reporting on student responses from a set of contextual situations with varying numbers of forces on an object, both in the direction of motion and opposite to the direction of motion. This comparison allows for a better understanding of the students' perceptions of the similarities and differences between net force and force-of-motion. This also allows for a better understanding of the nature of the well-known student confusion between force and velocity. Results indicate that attention must be paid to various combinations of forces so that students may better understand the concept of net force and overcome the incorrect notion of force-of-motion.
      • Making Sense of Friction as an Interaction Using System Schema

      • AE10
      • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Brant Hinrichs
      • Type: Contributed
      • After learning Newton's second law, students in a university modeling-based introductory physics class are asked to imagine a box sliding across a floor and slowing to a stop. Although they've had extensive experience with friction in the context of energy, this is their first exposure to friction within the context of forces. They are asked to make different representations for this scenario, including a system schema, and force diagram. During their small group work, students quickly run into a difficulty: there are only two interactions with the box (contact, gravitational), so there should only be two forces, yet the box is slowing, which means it must have unbalanced forces in the direction of acceleration. In this talk, I present evidence from the student-lead whole class discussion showing how the class uses the System Schema to help reason about this problem in a productive manner and come to a useful consensus.
      • Investigating Students' Understanding of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

      • AE11
      • Mon 07/30, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Rabindra Bajracharya
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC) is an extremely useful computational tool widely used for solving various physics problems. It is implicitly invoked in the evaluation of integral problems. Research in mathematics education has documented student difficulties with the underlying concepts of the FTC. We are investigating student difficulties with the FTC, and extending the work in mathematics to include relevant situations in physics. Questions administered as written surveys and individual interviews in calculus-based introductory physics and multivariable calculus classes focused on the determination of signs of integrals, primarily in graphical representations. Negative integrals in particular provided a rich context for FTC application. We find that students use the FTC as a computational tool without understanding the underlying concepts. One observed difficulty is an operational confusion between the function endpoints and the antiderivative endpoints when determining the integral signs.
      • Sines and Signs - Student Difficulties with Trigonometric Vector Component Problems

      • AE12
      • Mon 07/30, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Brendon Mikula*
      • Type: Contributed
      • We investigated student understanding of simple vector component problems.Students in a calculus-based introductory physics class were given a variety of vector component questions, with the angle placed in various orientations. For example, the angle could be given with respect to vertical/horizontal, or with respect to the tip/tail of the vector. While some angle configurations were almost error-free, on many configurations students often confused sine with cosine and committed sign errors. The types of errors observed were found to depend on the configuration of the given angle. Overall results suggest that many students based their answers on the most commonly seen canonical angle configuration, regardless of which angle was actually given in the problem. This suggests that students need repeated practice on a variety of orientations, so that students do not become tied down to one familiar configuration.
  • PER: Topical Understanding Intro to Advanced

      • Do Students Read the Text? Analyzing Interactions with Online E-texts

      • DF01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by Daniel Seaton
      • Type: Contributed
      • We analyze logged data of student interactions with supplemental e-texts in introductory physics courses at Michigan State University via LON-CAPA. The e-text contains standard text and some interactive content such as videos and simulations. Metrics include what fraction of students access the e-text, at what time with respect to academic deadlines, and for how long. Preliminary results show moderate usage peaks for each weekly assignment that decline to near-zero over the early part of the semester, with large constant peaks of activity in the approximately two days prior to all examinations. We find that only a small minority of the students access the majority of the e-text; however we cannot measure reading of an assigned written textbook. We plan to investigate the e-text study habits of successful students at MSU, MIT, and in our free online physics course (http://relate.mit.edu/physicscourse/).
      • Item Response Theory and Collaborative Filtering: Is Your Course Unidimensional?

      • DF02
      • Tue 07/31, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by Yoav Bergner
      • Type: Contributed
      • Online homework is a natural way to assess what students know, but the questions themselves may not always fit the bill. Items may be flawed, too hard or too easy, or they may measure abilities that are different from the intended ones. Item response models not only measure student abilities independently of which subset of questions they answer, but these models also detect flaws in the questions. We demonstrate how collaborative filtering (used by Netflix to predict which movies you might like) can be used to analyze student response data, motivating and extending a class of item response models. Analysis shows that chemistry homework assigned using LON-CAPA at MSU has two-dimensional skill and discrimination, whereas the Mechanics Baseline Test at MIT is unidimensional.
      • Research on Students' Interdisciplinary Reasoning About ATP*

      • DF03
      • Tue 07/31, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
      • by Benjamin Dreyfus
      • Type: Contributed
      • Students' sometimes contradictory ideas about ATP (adenosine triphosphate)and the nature of chemical bonds have been studied in the biology and chemistry education literature, but these topics are rarely part of the introductory physics curriculum. We present qualitative data from an introductory physics course for undergraduate biology majors that seeks to build greater interdisciplinary coherence and therefore includes these topics. In these data, students grapple with the apparent contradiction between the energy released when the phosphate bond in ATP is broken and the idea that an energy input is required to break a bond. We see that students' perceptions of how each scientific discipline bounds the system of interest can influence how they justify their reasoning about a topic that crosses disciplines. Building interdisciplinary coherence requires attending to these interdisciplinary issues, as part of both curriculum design and education research.
      • Research on Students' Reasoning About Interdisciplinarity*

      • DF04
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by Benjamin Geller
      • Type: Contributed
      • We present qualitative data of undergraduates describing the relationship between scientific disciplines. Rather than viewing biology, chemistry, and physics as existing in disconnected silos, these students often describe the relationships in a hierarchical or horizontal fashion. The hierarchical arrangements order the disciplines by degree of system complexity, or by the scale used to examine a particular system. For example, a student might view the full description of folded proteins at the top (biology), chemical reactions involving proteins' functions as chemistry, and motion of the protein's individual atoms as foundational (physics). Other students describe a horizontal view of disciplinary boundaries, without a foundational bottom but maintaining overlapping realms of interest. Others want physics embedded in a context that positions its relationship to biology via analogy. We examine evidence that students' conceptions are unstable and context-dependent, and suspect that these conceptions are related to course messaging in a bidirectional manner.
      • Students' Ideas in Upper-Level Thermal Physics

      • DF05
      • Tue 07/31, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by David Meltzer
      • Type: Contributed
      • Repeated investigations have confirmed some consistent difficulties among students in upper-level thermal physics courses. These difficulties include confusion regarding the state-function property of entropy, misinterpretations of the meaning of equilibrium in the context of available microstates, misunderstandings of free-expansion processes, and lack of clarity regarding ideal ("Carnot") efficiency of heat engines. I will discuss these difficulties and related student ideas in the context of development of research-based instructional materials.
      • Student Difficulties Coping with Conflicting Ideas in Statistical Mechanics*

      • DF06
      • Tue 07/31, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Trevor Smith
      • Type: Contributed
      • In statistical mechanics there are two quantities that directly relate to the probability that a system at a temperature fixed by a thermal reservoir has a particular energy. The density of states function is related to the multiplicity of the system and indicates that occupation probability increases with energy. The Boltzmann factor is related to the multiplicity of the reservoir and indicates that occupation probability decreases with energy. This seems contradictory until one remembers that a complete probability distribution is determined by the total multiplicity of the system and its surroundings, requiring the product of these two functions. We present evidence from individual and group interviews that students knew how each of these functions relates to multiplicity but did not recognize the need to combine the two to characterize the physical scenario.
      • Comparing Student Conceptual Understanding of Thermodynamics in Physics and Engineering

      • DF07
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Jessica Clark
      • Type: Contributed
      • Thermodynamics is a core part of curricula in physics and many engineeringfields. Despite the apparent similarity in coverage, individual courses in each discipline have distinct emphases and applications. Physics education researchers have identified student difficulties with concepts such as heat, temperature, and entropy as well as with larger grain-sized ideas such as state variables, path-dependent processes, etc. Engineering education research has corroborated these findings and has identified additional difficulties unique to engineering contexts. We are beginning a project that provides an excellent opportunity for expanding the interdisciplinary research on conceptual understanding in thermodynamics. This project has two goals: first, determine the overlapping content and concepts across the disciplines; second, compare conceptual understanding between these groups using existing conceptual questions from PER and EER. We will present a review of PER and EER literature in thermodynamics and highlight some concepts that we will investigate.
      • Instructor Expectations of Undergraduate Students Entering Quantum Mechanics

      • DF08
      • Tue 07/31, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Christopher Oakley
      • Type: Contributed
      • Characterizing faculty expectations is important to produce a comprehensive understanding of what knowledge and skills students should acquire before and during a quantum mechanics course (QMC). We describe interviews conducted with faculty members in the Physics & Astronomy Department of Georgia State University. These interviews probe faculty members' expectations of senior undergraduate students' background in mathematics, physics, and quantum mechanics concepts before entering a QMC. The interviews we conducted may provide students with a "map" for areas that will help strengthen the knowledge and skills obtained in their QMC. We will report on faculty members views on optimal preparation for an undergraduate student entering a QMC and appropriate learning goals for a student completing a QMC.
      • Students' Use of Resources in Understanding Solar Cells

      • DF09
      • Tue 07/31, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Alan Richards
      • Type: Contributed
      • We use the framework of conceptual and epistemological resources to investigate how students construct understanding of a complex modern physics topic that requires mastery of multiple concepts. We interviewed experts and novices about their understanding of the physics of solar cells, and examined their responses for evidence of resources being activated. We used this information to create a unit discussing the physics of solar cells at the advanced undergraduate level, which we then implemented. Based on the patterns in the interviews and student responses in the classroom during the unit we can hypothesize what ideas students draw on when they are trying to understand the complex physics involved in the functioning of solar cells.
      • The Undifferentiated View of Ionizing Radiation*

      • DF10
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Andy Johnson
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Radioactivity By Inquiry project (NSF DUE grant 0942699) is developinginquiry-based materials for teaching radiation literacy at the high school and college levels. Research by others -- Eijkelhof, Millar & Gill, and Prather & Harrington -- found that students initially do not distinguish between radiation and the radioactive source. The undifferentiated view is that radiation is "bad stuff," that there is no difference between radiation and radioactivity, and that radiation causes contamination. To understand radiation, students must distinguish between radiation and radioactive materials and view radiation as more of a process than a material. This talk will describe our efforts to identify and characterize students' initial ideas about radiation in terms of the undifferentiated radiation view and quantify student progress towards differentiation. We find that differentiating fully and abandoning the view of "radiation as stuff" involves a long and challenging process that some students find difficult to complete.
      • Examining Student Use of Kirchhoff's Rules in Basic Diode Circuits*

      • DF11
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by David Smith
      • Type: Contributed
      • The teaching and learning of electric circuits has been the topic of many investigations over a period of many years. The primary focus has been on simple dc circuits. As part of an ongoing, multi-institutional effort, we are extending the scope of this research by conducting an in-depth investigation of student understanding of analog electronics. Some of this work has been carried out in the context of basic diode circuits, which are covered at both the introductory and upper-division levels. This overlap provides a unique opportunity to examine the difficulties students experience when encountering the same content at different instructional levels. This presentation will highlight selected findings from the introductory course, together with insights into how these results can inform the treatment of related content in upper-division courses.
      • Student Evaluations of their Physics Teachers: Bias, Pedagogy, and Culture

      • DF12
      • Tue 07/31, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Geoff Potvin
      • Type: Contributed
      • Using data collected from a nationally representative sample of college freshmen (NSF Grant # 1036617), the evaluation of high school physics teachers by their students is examined. Prior research in this area has found gender bias amongst (both male and female) students with respect to the gender of their teacher, so special attention is paid to gender and gender-interaction effects. Pedagogical practices that may moderate students' evaluations are also considered. The implications of this research for our understanding of physics culture regarding students' gendered expectations of teacher behavior and students' choices toward their continued physics participation is discussed.
  • PERC Bridging Session

      • Where do physics students come from and what do they become? A look at knowledge and identity pathways through and beyond school experience

      • PER01
      • by Reed Stevens
      • Type: Contributed
      • In this talk, I will present a perspective that conceptualizes learning incultural practice terms. Cultural practices are differently ‘sized’ patterns of interaction among people and things to which people orient and hold each other accountable. Learning then involves coming to participate in these patterns of interaction and undergoing possible changes to body, mind, and identity in the process. Cultural practices are often knotted together to make normative cultural paths, through and around which people traverse specific pathways. Drawing on a conceptual framework for studying young people’s learning pathways toward “becoming” engineers (Stevens et al., 2008), this presentation will examine the knowledge and identity formation processes in everyday physics, physics education, and professional physics. I will consider an additional dimension of importance, how people individually and with cultural support, navigate through sanctioned institutional passage points and rituals. I will use this framework to generate a set of future-looking questions for physics learning and physics education research.
      • Practice-Linked Identities, Social Identities, and Mathematics Learning

      • PER02
      • Wed 08/01, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
      • by Indigo Esmonde
      • Type: Invited
      • I will talk about two different ways of thinking about identity as it relates to learning, and discuss the importance of integrating both perspectives. First, I'll talk about practice-linked identity: a sense of self that develops through participation in a set of cultural or collective practices. These identities are shifting and changeable, and are developed in relation to other people in the context. Second, I'll talk about social identity: a sense of self --or a perception of others -- based on socially meaningful categories like race or gender. These identities are seen as quite static (although they may not be experienced that way) and are related to broader systems of oppression in society. I will give examples from my research in mathematics education, and discuss how these concepts can be useful in the study of physics education.
  • PIRA Session: International Outreach

      • Outreach in the Classroom: Boosting Interest in Physics by Integrating Virtual Instrumentation Within Demonstrations and Student Labs

      • FJ01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Urs Lauterburg
      • Type: Invited
      • After discussing ways to increase the impact factor of physics demonstration experiments and student labs with the help of virtual instruments, the presentation will focus on two recently developed examples: 1) The Hopf-Pendulum demonstration experiment which represents a simple mechanical system that shows how the transition between its inherent steady states is driven by chaotic properties. 2) The Doppler lab experiment, an apparatus that lets the students explore and investigate the Doppler effect by measuring and analyzing the acquired signals of rotating sound sources.
      • Empowering Teachers with Inquiry Teaching Competence by Updating their Own Learning

      • FJ02
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Xingkai Luo
      • Type: Invited
      • Inquiry-based science teaching at school levels driven by the new nationalcurriculum in China has been widely recognized as a big challenge for most practicing school science teachers who had not been taught in such a way in their own schooling years. High-quality professional development focusing on enhancing current and future teachers' competence in inquiry teaching becomes crucially important. Such demand motivated the author and colleagues to focus their attention on preparing new teachers empowered with competence in teaching science by inquiry in implementing the new national curriculum. This talk presents a systematic effort aimed at updating the university students as future teachers with their own learning first. It includes: 1) Updating the physics/science teacher education program at Guangxi Normal University in light of scientific inquiry ideas; 2) Providing encouraging and supporting environment for teacher students to learn inquiry teaching by doing inquiry and doing inquiry teaching, especially involving them in devolving and using low-cost but high education value experiments; 3) Constructing new-type university-school and extra-school educational institutes alliance providing teacher students not only platform for doing clinical teaching practice conveniently but also opportunity for trial school-based curriculum development and science teaching in informal setting. Reflection from different channels sees the promise not only to remarkable enhancement of teacher students' competence but also to closing the gaps between research and classroom, academics and practices. Some examples selected in a format of demo and video will be presented during the talk.
      • Physics Outreach Programs in the European Union

      • FJ03
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Stanley Micklavzina
      • Type: Invited
      • From January - June of 2012 I did sabbatical leave work in Lund Sweden to develop an outreach program and activities for the MAX-lab Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. Through this effort, I have been exposed to various outreach programs from all parts of the E.U. These outreach programs vary in style and are utilized by universities, research laboratories, and private corporations. I will give an overview of some of these programs and will also include information about a conference that is organized to support various outreach efforts for all countries in the E.U called EuroPhysicsFun.
  • PTRA presents EVERYDAY EINSTEIN: GPS & RELATIVITY co-presented by Karen Jo Matsler and Elaine Gwinn

      • PTRA presents EVERYDAY EINSTEIN: GPS & RELATIVITY co-presented by Karen Jo Matsler and Elaine Gwinn

      • PTRA02
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by
      • Type: None
      • What do Einstein and GPS have in common? Find out in the first Perimeter Inspirations module highlighting the power and relevance of one of human's greatest intellectual achievements. ‘Everyday Einstein’ is an educational resource that includes a five-minute video and an accompanying teacher’s guide. Suitable for grades 9 through 12. Lead PTRAs will guide you through using this lesson and prepare you to guide your colleagues.
  • Physics First Discussion Panel - Success Stories in the Delaware Valley

      • Physics First Discussion Panel - Success Stories in the Delaware Valley

      • BA
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Panel
      • A panel of six experienced teachers from the Philadelphia region will present the rationale for their school's move to begin Physics instruction in 9th grade, followed typically by Chemistry in 10th grade and then Biology in 11th grade in a "PCB" sequence. All of the schools represented will have at least a ten year track record with 9th Physics. Teachers will discuss both the pros and challenges of teaching Physics to 9th graders.
      • Physics First at The Baldwin School

      • BA01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
      • by Jeffrey Goldader
      • Type: Panel
      • The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr began teaching physics in ninth grade in the early 1990s as a response to a revolution -- not in physics, but in biology. Teaching a physics-chemistry-biology course sequence allowed our science curriculum to reflect the changing emphasis in biology from morphology and body systems to biochemistry. Our ninth-grade physics class emphasizes concepts in physics, while incorporating Algebra 1-level math (Algebra 2 in the honors section) for calculations. We work to develop good lab practices, including written lab reports. Our girls enter chemistry in 10th grade ready to balance chemical equations, work pH and molarity calculations, and safely perform experiments. Our physics curriculum emphasizes our girls' real-world experiences, to help them see the importance of physics and technology in everyday life. Advanced electives are available to girls in their junior and senior years who wish to continue their study in physics.
      • Physics First -- Great for Concrete Thinkers

      • BA02
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
      • by Megan Williams
      • Type: Panel
      • Physics First at Westtown is a hands-on engaging experience for students who are just entering algebra. We also offer an advanced section for ninth graders who are more advanced in mathematics. This has been a great way to reach our most concrete thinkers and prepare them for a college preparatory sequence of physics, followed by chemistry and then biology. One of the advantages to this sequence is most of the concepts we cover in physics can be demonstrated in a way that students can see and touch. This gives the kids a solid background to take into chemistry, where far more of the concepts are more abstract.
      • Physics First Works for Us

      • BA03
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
      • by Stephen Cooney
      • Type: Panel
      • My school, Delaware Valley Friends, implemented Physics First to ninth graders eight years ago. There have been a host of positive effects at many levels. It provides real-world math applications for students in all different sections of algebra or even pre-algebra, therefore improving their understanding. Using a combination of Active Physics curriculum and Vernier experiments using Logger Pro software and their hardware, we have the students generating the data they are investigating. Among many other topics, they prove to themselves that acceleration due to gravity is constant. We follow physics with chemistry and biology, allowing for a variety of options in 12th grade, including a much more mathematically rigorous physics elective.
      • Challenges and Rewards of a "Physics First" Sequence

      • BA04
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
      • by Joseph Scherrer
      • Type: Panel
      • Thirty-seven of my 41 years of secondary physics teaching have been spent in a "Physics First" classroom. Those experiences have provided innumerable intellectual and practical challenges resulting in an ongoing realignment and reassessment of instructional goals and an annual rededication to the aspirations of Physics First. This paper describes the evolution of Germantown Academy's current three tiered Physics First sequence and the author's time-hardened perspectives on what works.
      • Physics First Discussion Panel -- Success Stories in the Delaware Valley  CANCELED

      • BA05
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
      • by Michael Mannix
      • Type: Panel
      • Twin Valley HS (Elverson,PA) switched to a sequence of physics-chemistry-biology in 2003-04. Since this time the ninth-grade physics instruction has been based on the philosophy and techniques promoted by the Arizona State University Modeling Workshops. The materials and methods have evolved to suit the abilities of Twin Valley freshmen classes at two distinct levels --honors level and academic level. The core topics of study in ninth-grade physics are motion, force, energy, and electric circuits. This sequence of science courses and the achievement level of Twin Valley students in its science courses has been satisfactory.
      • Physics Union Mathematics, Making it Work in Grade 9!

      • BA06
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
      • by Joseph Spaccavento
      • Type: Panel
      • North Arlington HS is a suburban 9-12 high school in Northern New Jersey. After several years of preparation, the science sequence for the 2011-12 school year was changed from BCP to PCB. The physics curriculum for grade nine evolved from "Physics Union Mathematics" (PUM), a physics curriculum linking middle/high school physics curricula and builds on the intrinsic mathematical reasoning to develop and strengthen students' mathematical concepts at the pre-algebra and algebra levels. PUM curriculum consists of logically connected modules that allow students to build their conceptual understanding of physics concepts, develop relevant mathematical reasoning, and simultaneously learn how to think like scientists. The PUM curriculum builds on the philosophy of the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE, Etkina & Van Heuvelen, 2007) This talk will focus on steps taken to implement this sequence change, advantages of physics and algebra teacher cross-curricular collaboration, and our evaluation of student progress and performance to date.
  • Physics For All

      • Physics in Two-Year Colleges: A Closer Look

      • GI01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by Susan White
      • Type: Invited
      • As of this submission (late March 2012), the 2012 Survey of Physics in Two-Year Colleges is well under way. In this session, we will present preliminary results looking at physics offerings in two-year colleges. We will examine the results in light of earlier results. Furthermore, from our surveys of physics bachelor's degree recipients, we know that there are differences between physics majors who began their post-secondary education at two-year colleges and those who did not. Please join us as we take a closer look at physics in two-year colleges.
      • Broadening of University Student Physics Education through Informal Science

      • GI02
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Kathleen Hinko
      • Type: Contributed
      • Through the Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) program at the University of Colorado, Boulder, many undergraduate and graduate physics students choose to participate in an informal science after-school program, where they coach elementary and middle school students in inquiry-based science activities. Recently, the program has expanded to include university students staging a large-scale science demonstration show. We present findings that indicate these informal experiences improve the communication skills of the university student as well as positively influence their self-efficacy as both scientists and scientific communicators. We also present a model of integrating these activities into the institutional structures of the university system, informal community-based programs, and schools.
      • Making Kinematics a Dynamic Vehicle for Launching Students into Physics*

      • GI03
      • Wed 08/01, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
      • by Frederick Thomas
      • Type: Contributed
      • Many students (and some faculty) consider kinematics among the least interesting and least valuable parts of physics. Too often, the topic also serves to intimidate and frighten those students who have been struggling with mathematics. The NSF-funded project, "Math Machines and Algebraic Thinking," has developed hardware and software that empowers students to create, test, compare, and modify free-form mathematical functions that CONTROL motion, rather than simply describing it. Based on a hobby servo motor with 0.1 degree precision, the system lets students control the motion of a laser dot across the front of a classroom whiteboard or a small laboratory screen, the motion of a block of wood as it creates scale-model earthquakes, the motion of gears as they drive other objects, and more. The system's role in motivation, pedagogy, and assessment will be discussed along with opportunities for collaboration.
      • Excellence in Student Attention from Excellence in Teacher Attention to Detail

      • GI04
      • Wed 08/01, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Saami Shaibani
      • Type: Contributed
      • A lot of students are into sports; but, physics, not so much. Even when the many standard applications of physics to athletic endeavor are presented, there can be a sense that these are contrived and/or limited by too much approximation. The path to success has been found to lie in relevance and accuracy, no more so than when examining one particular play[1] whose broadcast and sensation were remarkable[2]. A simplistic appraisal of this event merely repeats the overly generic approach seen elsewhere far too often; instead, a detailed analysis to describe that athlete in that circumstance provides a level of specificity and engages student interest at a deep level. The high quality of the results reinforces the benefit of eschewing the prevalent one-size-fits-all mindset in favor of adopting the correct methodology. Multiple extensions to other sports increase the enjoyment of the students, which is exceeded only by their learning.
      • Continuing the Learning During the Assessment Stage

      • GI05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Maureen Hintz
      • Type: Contributed
      • I have implemented the "Check Your Neighbor" learning activity concept into my conceptual physics course. In addition to having such questions throughout all lecture periods, they have become part of the assessment process where one third of an exam's questions are done with one's neighbors. This permits me to ask questions that may be considered more challenging during this portion of the tests, forces students to defend their answers by vocalizing their reasoning to others, and, as necessary, helps correct understanding of concepts. After getting their exams back, the students continue the learning process by earning partial points back by correcting wrong answers following a prescribed process. I will give details of all the strategies and their influence on a student's grade.
      • Physics and Toys in the Sky  CANCELED

      • GI05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Rafal Jakubowski
      • Type: Contributed
      • My students during the last school year completed a project titled "Physics and Toys" half in the real world on planet Earth and half in the sky. They made toys and presented them in a regional science fair titled "Festival Play While Learning" held at the Ostrow Cultural Center Synagog. My junior high school students showed physics toys they designed for children in primary school and kindergarten. My students worked on their projects for three months before their presentations worked in Sky drive, Google drive, and Google docs. Almost every day they reported their progress to me, all related documents from their projects are on the Sky drive. Students used Webquest which showed them how to prepare physics toys, which in most cases are impossible to buy. The month after their presentations, the students put together a movie about "Physics and Toys" in Polish and English. The movie is on YouTube and webquest "Physics and Toys Project" and also on my website www.fizyka.osw.pl. The students used many new and improved skills to reach their goal.
      • A Body Falling Through the Earth: Newton Versus Hooke

      • GI06
      • Wed 08/01, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Todd Timberlake
      • Type: Contributed
      • In a 1679 letter to Robert Hooke, Isaac Newton suggested an experiment to detect Earth's rotation. The experiment consisted of dropping an object from a great height and looking for a small eastward deflection (as first predicted by G. B. Riccioli in 1651). Newton included with his letter a diagram of the path the object would take if it were allowed to pass through the Earth. Newton's diagram was criticized by Hooke (and more recent commentators) because his path ends at the center of Earth. Hooke instead argued that the path should be an ellipse with the Earth's center at one focus. We have developed two open-source computer simulations that illustrate the path of a falling object in both an inertial frame and the frame of the rotating Earth, using various models for the gravitational and resistive forces inside the Earth. We show that Newton's sketch accurately depicts the motion of the object in the rotating frame if one assumes a uniform distribution of mass and a linear resistive force within the Earth. This can be viewed as a more accurate depiction than Hooke's diagram, which fits a point mass model with no resistance seen in the inertial frame. The computer simulations, which are suitable for use in the undergraduate classroom, help to emphasize the role of unstated assumptions in scientific arguments.
  • Physics and Society

      • Teaching the Physics of Climate Change

      • DB01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Peter Collings
      • Type: Invited
      • A general education course on the Earth's climate and global warming must utilize concepts from atmospheric science, oceanography, and geology, just to name a few disciplines. But basic physics principles are scattered throughout the discussion, and thus represent an interesting opportunity to teach physics to students who might never take an undergraduate physics course but are motivated to learn about climate change. The range of physics that must be understood by the students is quite broad, but blackbody radiation and molecular absorption are the most important. Such a course has been taught at Swarthmore College for the past three years.
      • A Non-scientists' Course on Energy Use and Production

      • DB02
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Gary Bernstein
      • Type: Invited
      • A general-education course on "Energy, Oil, and Global Warming" has been part of Penn's physics curriculum for the past five years. The course offers an opportunity to teach quantitative reasoning skills and many fundamental physical concepts to non-scientists through applications that are highly motivating to the students, while at the same time increasing the competence of future leaders in issues of great import to society. I will describe the structure and physics content of the course, which emphasizes the production and consumption of energy, and relay lessons learned by a teacher who had no previous experience in the energy field.
      • Vermiculture in the Classroom

      • DB03
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Frank Bellomo
      • Type: Contributed
      • With diminishing natural resources, there is a global challenge to feed anincreasing population despite the depletion of our planet's healthy soil. We decided to embrace sustainable practices by using nature's own principles. In our classroom, students recycled their family's garbage by composting fruit and vegetable food scraps. They used vermiculture, raising earthworms, to create living soil without chemical fertilizers. Along the way students explored the biology of earthworms, the chemistry of rotting food, and the physics of energy transfer. From sunlight to vegetation to decomposition to digestion, students saw the regeneration of rich earth to once again grow vegetables to nourish humans. The economics of the project included free raw materials from kitchens and free labor from earthworms to make high value compost. Students then found a market for their composted soil and worms with local organic gardeners.
      • Using Sokal's Hoax to Dicuss the Nature of Science  CANCELED

      • DB04
      • Tue 07/31, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Shafiqur Rahman*
      • Type: Contributed
      • As is well known, to counter the illogical attacks on science by some social scientists, Sokal wrote a nonsensical article that made extensive use of the buzzwords used by the former, and sent it to the most well-known journal of social science. It got published promptly, whereupon Sokal wrote to another journal about the hoax. Apart from catching the emperor without clothes, Sokal's article can be used to clarify what constitutes science and what does not. The talk will present different areas of the standard physics curriculum which offer a natural conduit for such a discussion.
      • Physics in the News: The Wreck of the Costa Concordia  CANCELED

      • DB05
      • Tue 07/31, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Albert Bartlett
      • Type: Contributed
      • On the evening of January 13, 2012, the giant cruise ship the Costa Concordia was sailing north along the west coast of Italy when it struck some rocks and was then run aground off Isola del Giglio. On board were more than 3200 passengers and 1000 crew members. By morning the ship was leaning approximately 70 degrees to the right with the left part of the underwater hull exposed above water. An examination of photos of the damage to the exposed hull plus some elementary physics allows us to guess the nature of the circumstances that led to the ship hitting the rocks.
      • Nuclear Questions, Nuanced Answers

      • DB06
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Kathryn Schaffer
      • Type: Contributed
      • Real-world questions that students and citizens have about radiation and nuclear technology (such as "is it safe for people to live near the damaged Fukushima reactors"?) often require surprisingly subtle scientific responses. I will describe an approach to teaching about nuclear technology that emphasizes messy and subtle questions, to encourage critical reflection on science in context. Students are challenged to construct nuanced and scientifically correct responses to common real-world questions. To do this, they must address: is the question answerable by science as phrased? Do differences in lay and technical use of vocabulary need to be resolved? Are there ways in which the answer might be "yes" and "no" at the same time? Are there limitations to our knowledge, or aspects of the scientific process that are important here? This approach engages students with the complexities of science in context, while also addressing common misconceptions about radiation and nuclear physics.
      • Integrating Sustainability Across the Science Curriculum of Gustavus Adolphus College

      • DB07
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Charles Niederriter
      • Type: Contributed
      • We live in an era when student interest in energy, sustainability, and theenvironment is increasing, as it becomes clear that our current production and consumption of energy negatively impacts the environment and raises a number of potentially significant challenges for the future. The primary goal of the CCLI project we undertook was to improve science education at Gustavus and other colleges across the country by taking advantage of this trend. Integrating sustainability across the science curriculum is an excellent way to educate students about this important area while teaching quantitative skills and increasing interest and enthusiasm for science. We will report on two year's work developing laboratory and classroom experiences and discuss plans for future work.
      • Your Personal Contribution to Global Warming: Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

      • DB08
      • Tue 07/31, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Barbara Hoeling
      • Type: Contributed
      • Discussions of CO2 emissions and their effect on global warming are an important part of every course that covers topics related to energy and the environment. However, the personal relevance of these issues and the impact of their own life style do not always become clear to students. In our upper division general education course "Energy & Society," we assign students the project of calculating their personal carbon footprint by evaluating their household's electricity and natural gas bills as well as their gasoline consumption. We will present the results of these studies, together with students' comments and reactions.
  • Physics of Entertainment

      • Physics Myth Busting

      • DG01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Martin Madsen
      • Type: Invited
      • The popular Discovery Channel TV show "MythBusters" is a model for what isessentially the scientific enterprise. I will describe my analysis of their methodology and how it compares to what we typically think of as the scientific method. I modeled a physics course for non?science students, a so-called "physics for poets" course, at Wabash College on the "Mythbusters" method and engaged the students in doing real-world experiments to bust their own myths. I will describe how I taught the course and what I found through the experience.
      • "The "Reality" of Science Reality Programs--Physics on TV!"

      • DG02
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by David Maiullo
      • Type: Invited
      • Programs on or about science fill networks such as Discovery Channel, Science Channel, and National Geographic Channel. These programs are more popular than ever, and the networks produce an ever more increasing variety of them. Exactly what is it like to be part of these productions and also the talking head on screen? How much influence does one have when part of these productions, especially in deciding how much of the "science" will be explained or revealed to the viewing audience? I'll explain the "scientific" process behind the production of these programs and how real science is sometimes subverted through both the entertainment decisions and the editing. Examples of these decisions will be illustrated using clips of some of the shows in which I've participated.
      • Physics in Entertainment and the Arts at Kent State University  CANCELED

      • DG03
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Stanley Christensen
      • Type: Invited
      • A cross-disciplinary course, Physics in Entertainment and the Arts, was developed at Kent State University in the mid '70s. We will review the course's evolution through changing technology, university requirements and instructors; its use at regional campuses; and the introduction of a free-standing laboratory for the course.
      • Modeling Instruction Through Video Games

      • DG04
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Igor Proleiko
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Modeling approach to teaching is based on guided inquiry through a series of paradigm labs. In this project the labs are done inside a video game. the regular Modeling activities result in Constant Velocity Model, Constant Acceleration Model, Constant Force Model, and other models commonly used in Modeling instruction. The method provides the students with a motivation to explore the universe relevant to the activity they are engaging with while playing a game.
      • Video Analysis of a Video Game

      • DG05
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Todd Leif
      • Type: Contributed
      • My use of Video Analysis in the Two Year College Physics Classroom and Laboratory has covered many topics and methods. In my talk I will demonstrate an analysis of the introductory round of Pac-man. Although my students never really played the game like I did, I will show how I used this retro video game to assist students understanding of kinematics in the algebra based classroom/laboratory. If time permits I will show my latest project as well.
      • Human Cannon Ball Physics

      • DG06
      • Tue 07/31, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Frank Lock
      • Type: Contributed
      • One of my former students, Shawn Marrin, is currently working in the GreatMoscow Circus, touring Australia during 2012. One of his jobs involves presenting a show as a Human Cannon Ball. This is obviously applied physics and entertaining physics at its best. Shawn sent me a video about his act, which will be shown as part of the presentation.
  • Poster Session I

      • Poster Session I Set-up

      • PSTI
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00AM - 10:00AM
      • by
      • Type: Posters
      • Poster Session I

      • PST1
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 10:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Posters
  • Poster Session II

      • Poster Session II

      • PST2
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Posters
  • Poster Session II Set-up

      • Poster Session II Set-up

      • PSTII
      • Tue 07/31, 8:00AM - 10:00AM
      • by
      • Type: Posters
  • Preparing Teachers to Serve Diverse Communities

      • Teachers' Roles in Expanding Physics Participation Among Urban Students

      • DD01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Angela Kelly
      • Type: Invited
      • The accessibility of secondary physics in U.S. urban school districts is acomplex issue. Many schools do not offer a physics option, and for those that do, access is often restricted by various school policies and priorities that do not promote physics participation for all. Strategies to encourage physics participation for underrepresented students will be discussed, based on current research and discussions with urban physics teachers. Other solutions will be explored regarding the preparation of pre-service physics teachers for diverse settings, strengthening administrative commitment to physics, and improving physics quality with limited resources.
      • Building a Supportive, Differentiated Environment with High Expectations

      • DD02
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Karen King
      • Type: Invited
      • As a founding physics teacher at a diverse urban high school with a great range in student proficiency, I worked to help students achieve success by building a community with high expectations that employed a variety of differentiation techniques, accountability measures, and mentoring strategies. Formative assessments played a critical role in identifying student understanding, followed by differentiated options for students to re-learn material or to engage in more challenging content. Inquiry activities in which students were expected to design parts or all of their investigation were also critical to addressing individual needs. Accountability for learning was encouraged through daily homework checks including a requirement that incomplete work was finished after school; tutoring was mandatory for underperforming students; and student progress was monitored in weekly teacher meetings. Most importantly, the supportive learning community celebrated student successes, offered leadership opportunities, and convinced students that we cared deeply about them.
      • The role of Community and Professionalism in the Preparation of Physics Teachers for the Urban Learning Environment*

      • DD03
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Mel Sabella
      • Type: Invited
      • The preparation of physics teachers is extremely complex and relies on theshared experiences of a variety of physics practitioners who understand and embrace their roles in recruiting, preparing, and supporting future teachers. University faculty, high school teachers, and pre-service teachers themselves all contribute to the development of teacher candidates and teacher education programs. It is only through an understanding of shared responsibility that these practitioners can build structures in secondary education programs for effective preparation of teachers. Joint ownership of teacher education responsibilities and the emphasis on professionalism are especially important for those who will serve students in the urban community. In this talk we discuss specific components of the CSU Physics Teacher Preparation Program that we have implemented as a result of the National Science Foundation Noyce Program and the American Physical Society PhysTEC Program that we believe establish a community of individuals that co-contribute to preparing teachers for the urban learning environment.
      • Why (And How) I Do What I Do

      • DD04
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Jonathan Smythe
      • Type: Contributed
      • Coming from the diverse educational background of Peekskill High School and Cornell University, education has always been at the forefront of my priorities. So it seems fitting that I would choose to become a teacher and help improve the lives of many generations to come. Teaching in inner-city D.C. with some of the toughest students in the country was something I did not see myself getting into. I will be discussing the paths that led me to this career choice as well as this location. I'll also discuss the pros and cons of working in D.C. in an alternative high school as well as things I want to improve on and things I will take away from this year.
      • Preparation and Induction of Physics Teachers in Diverse Communities  CANCELED

      • DD05
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Angela Kelly
      • Type: Contributed
      • Teaching physics in urban secondary schools presents complex challenges. Many schools are hesitant to offer a physics option, and for those that do, access is often restricted by various school policies and priorities that do not promote physics participation for all. Furthermore, access to needed resources for student-centered instruction may be limited. To analyze these issues in greater depth, the researcher will present data on urban physics teachers' views on school -- and district-based conditions that affect traditionally underrepresented students. Focus groups were convened in three large urban districts to explore teachers' perspectives on improving physics participation, sustaining administrative commitment, and maintaining rigorous physics instruction. Implications related to the preparation and induction of urban physics teachers will be discussed.
  • Preparing teachers to integrate labs into instruction

      • Learning Science Through the Practice of Science

      • ED01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by James Flakker
      • Type: Invited
      • Traditional physics labs have been used as lecture demonstrations or with the intent to verify ideas discussed in lectures. They can often be disconnected with the student's experiences. Inquiry methods such as Investigative Science Learning Environment, ISLE (Etkina and Van Heuvelen, 2001, 2007) provide us with an opportunity to make connections to students' prior knowledge while teaching the scientific abilities and promoting high order thinking skills. We will discuss planning guided-inquiry based labs that focus on learning science by practicing science in a cognitive apprenticeship model. Through examples we will focus on the instructor's role in planning these labs as well as scaffolding student progress and assessment.
      • Integrating Lab and Lecture in Graduate Physics Courses for Teachers

      • ED02
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
      • by Dan MacIsaac
      • Type: Invited
      • We describe graduate physics courses for physics teachers taught since 2002 that blend lab and lecture and prepare teachers for doing the same in their own instruction. The ASU Modeling Physics curriculum (Hestenes et al), SDSU PET Curriculum (Goldberg et al) and activities from Chabay and Sherwood are discussed, as is the use of RTOP to promote reflective teaching practice, the use and promotion of reflective writing (reading logs, learning commentaries, daily journals, limited and multiple drafted lab reports), extended classroom discourse and course projects. We report pre- and post-course teacher conceptual learning and efficacy data, and describe ongoing research into the impact of these behaviors in the student learning of the teachers who took our graduate classes.
      • Lab Activities in Large Enrollment Course for Prospective Teachers*

      • ED03
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Fred Goldberg
      • Type: Invited
      • We are currently adapting the small enrollment, discussion and lab-based Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum for large-enrollment classes populated mainly by prospective elementary teachers. The new curriculum is called Learning Physics (LEP). To maintain PET's focus on some important practices of science, students spend approximately 50% of the class time working in small groups, conducting simple experiments with hands-on materials, using computer simulations, and periodically sharing their predictions, observations and conclusions with the whole class via clicker questions or by e-mailing diagrams to the instructor. In this talk we will discuss some of the management and pedagogical challenges of doing this in a large enrollment setting, and will briefly describe how we are addressing these challenges.
  • Reforming the Introductory Physics Course for Life Science Majors VII

      • Quantitative Introductory Science for the Next Generation of Life Scientists

      • FD01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Joshua Shaevitz
      • Type: Invited
      • The biological sciences have shifted over time from qualitative observations toward more quantitative and physical descriptions of nature. While it is clear that the traditional natural sciences of physics and chemistry have much to contribute to the education of biology students, the conventional introductory sequences in these disciplines have not been targeted for the education of modern life scientists. At Princeton University, we have addressed this issue through an experiment called "Integrated Science" that comprises a year-long, double course that substitutes for introductory physics and chemistry and focuses on areas that enable mathematical thinking while making connections to the biological sciences wherever possible. The course is taught at the level of an honors physics course and provides an alternative path into multiple majors: physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science. I will describe the curriculum we have developed and the results we have seen over the past eight years.
      • Authentic Physical Foundations of Biological Functioning -- Progress Beyond Relevant Examples

      • FD02
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Nancy Beverly
      • Type: Invited
      • As a sign of recognition that life science students need help with transfer and attitude, most algebra-based introductory physics texts now include examples with biological or medical context. Typically, these examples are add ons to the traditional structure, with its unfortunate default focus on solving "problems" exemplified by the typical end-of-chapter problems.This is particularly inappropriate for the life science student, for whom authentic analysis of real interdisciplinary phenomena utilizing quantitative information would be optimal. Despite the complexity of biological systems, the simple models of introductory physics can be used in authentic exploration of the physical foundations of biological processes and medical functions, in laboratory, classroom, and homework activities.
      • General Physics for Life Science Majors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

      • FD03
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Mark Rzchowski
      • Type: Invited
      • The Physics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has four distinct two semester introductory physics sequences, one of which primarily serves Life Science majors. Over the last several years, the Physics Department has worked with various Life Science departments and faculty to modify the content and pedagogy of this calculus-based general physics course. I will discuss our interactions with departments across campus, the input we received from them, resultant revisions to the course, connections with Life Sciences during the course, the student experience, and the relative contribution and importance of the different course components.
      • The Revised MCAT: Implications for Physics for the Life Sciences

      • FD04
      • Wed 08/01, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
      • by Robert Hilborn
      • Type: Invited
      • In February 2012, the Association of American Medical Colleges released information on the revised Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) with the expectation that the new exam will go live in 2015. The revision was based on recommendations from the report on Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians (SFFP) and input from medical school and undergraduate faculty members. In this talk, I will describe the revised MCAT and how those revisions and the SFFP recommendations are likely to affect introductory physics courses for the life sciences.
  • Sound and Music: HS Materials Plus Updates for Grades, presented by Wendy Adams

      • Sound and Music: HS Materials Plus Updates for Grades, presented by Wendy Adams

      • PTRA04
      • Sun 07/29, 1:00PM - 5:00PM
      • by
      • Type: None
      • Sound and Music: High School materials plus updates for grades 3-8: The Acoustical Society of America is proud to offer a
  • Sunday, July 29

      • AAPT Exhibitor Set-up

      • EXH01
      • Sun 07/29, 9:00AM - 4:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
      • AAPT Exhibit Hall Opening

      • EXH02
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Exhibit Hall
  • Teacher Preparation

      • Analyzing Future Teacher Reflections

      • FH01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by Marina Malysheva
      • Type: Contributed
      • Being able to reflect on your teaching is one of the skills that is very important for a teacher. The instructors (Learning Assistants and Teaching Assistants) in a reformed introductory physics course at Rutgers University post their reflections and discuss their teaching in an online environment. We analyzed this rich set of data using the grounded theory approach, and developed a coding system. The analysis of reflections allows us to identify possible relationships between the expected and observed student difficulties, the types of proactive and reactive teaching strategies the instructors choose, their perception of student understanding and learning processes, and trace the changes in their self-perception and their approaches to classroom situations. In this talk, we will describe the process through which we came up with the categories for our coding system.
      • Investigation of Evolution: What Are Future Teacher Reflections Telling Us?

      • FH02
      • Wed 08/01, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by Marianne Vanier
      • Type: Contributed
      • Pre-service physics teachers at Rutgers University teach laboratories and recitations in a reformed introductory physics course for science majors. In September 2011 a few students who had previously taken this physics course were hired as learning-assistants (LA) to help pre-service teachers during recitations. Both groups reflected daily on their teaching experiences. We collected their weekly reflections and analyzed them using the coding scheme that was developed for this purpose. We agreed upon 24 codes; for each code we assigned three levels (1- general/superficial comment, 2- some depth in comment, 3- deep and rich comment) in order to specifically track the evolution of the content of their reflections from one recitation to the next and over the whole semester. We focused on the expected and observed student difficulties, the types of proactive and reactive teaching strategies they chose/used to remediate these student difficulties, and the changes in their approaches to classroom situations.
      • Authoritative Sources in a Physics Class for Future Elementary Teachers

      • FH03
      • Wed 08/01, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
      • by Paul Hutchison
      • Type: Contributed
      • This talk presents data from a physics course for elementary education majors that focuses on science "as an integrated body of knowledge and practice" (Duschl et al, 2007, p. 7) rather than solely conceptual or factual knowledge. As such, the course emphasizes the process of "figuring things out" rather than relying on scientific authority to determine the merit of an idea. One view of such a course supports student sense-making by removing authoritative sources from these classes. This prevents rote memorization of content knowledge, something we worry about. Yet, interacting productively with authoritative sources is a part of expert scientific practice. So we want students to interact with authoritative texts in ways that support "figuring things out" rather than rote memorization. In this talk we report on how authoritative sources were introduced in our course, describe the positive and negative effects, and offer our reflections on what we learned from using them.
      • How Can a PhysTEC Teacher in Residence (TIR) Facilitate Uncommon Conversations for the Common Good?

      • FH04
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by Alma Robinson
      • Type: Contributed
      • At Virginia Tech, the TIR teaches a Physics Teaching and Learning course to pre-service K-12 teachers, undergraduate physics majors, graduate teaching assistants in physics, and graduate students in education. In addition to the essential lessons on PER and pedagogy, we also invited a diverse array of experts, from an actor to a psychologist, to give talks on how we can best utilize knowledge from their fields to become more effective physics teachers. Perhaps the most unusual conversation, however, was when our students shared with our physics faculty what they've learned about teaching physics. This talk will focus on the lessons learned from these uncommon conversations.
      • Orienting Students to Participate in an Inquiry-based Physics Course

      • FH05
      • Wed 08/01, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by Jon Gaffney
      • Type: Contributed
      • Elementary and middle school education majors at the University of Kentucky are required to take a physics content course called Physics and Astronomy for Teachers (PAT). Because PAT is constructivist and inquiry-based, it is different from other required university science courses. A previous study revealed that student expectations about what they were going to do in the course differed substantially from what they reported actually doing. To orient the students to the pedagogy required in PAT, I now spend the whole first class demonstrating the mechanics of the course. In this talk, I will share some activities I have compiled and discuss how I use these activities to try to shift students' expectations for the course as well as explicitly model and discuss ways for them to effectively participate in the course.
      • PhyTEC Teacher-in-Residence Serves BLT at Geneseo State  CANCELED

      • FH06
      • Wed 08/01, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Robert Sells
      • Type: Contributed
      • Though Geneseo State boasts nearly 200 majors, only a small fraction have chosen a career path for secondary education. With the enthusiastic help of physics faculty and by evening interactions with freshmen and sophomore majors, the TIR is pushing to double the number of graduates going into high school physics. The BLT (Build it-Leave it-Teach it) program secures the present group of prospective high school physics teachers by giving them immediate and frequent opportunities to interface with veteran teachers in the region. The students are involved in the actual building process in workshops. The apparatus is then left for the high school physics. Prior to the actual high school visit, college students carefully consider the associated concepts and how to present those concepts to high school students. Next year physics students not presently enrolled in the education program will be encouraged to join the BLT program.
      • Role a TIR Plays in Creating a Community of Physics Teaching Professionals

      • FH07
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Katie Beck
      • Type: Contributed
      • It is lonely being the only high school physics teacher on a campus. Wherecan a teacher go for help or collaboration? One of the goals of PhysTEC at California State University, Long Beach is to create a community of physics teachers in order to address these concerns. This talk will discuss several events and opportunities that a TIR and the CSULB PhysTEC team have given in order to help foster a community of physics teaching professionals; monthly demo day, monthly newsletter, biannual physics teacher open house, and pedagogical content knowledge course (PHYS 490) offered to in-service and pre-service teachers.
      • The PhysTEC Teacher-in-Residence as Early Teaching Experience Proponent  CANCELED

      • FH08
      • Wed 08/01, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by James Selway
      • Type: Contributed
      • The PhysTEC Teacher in Residence is an excellent position to maximize the secondary physics education major's experience in both physics pedagogy and early teaching experience. Unlike other national programs, PhysTEC focuses specifically on physics students. Most large universities offer a secondary science education methods course, but very few offer a course specifically geared to physics content. Towson University* offers SCIE 170C, a special topic education course, which is designed specifically for secondary physics education majors. Descriptions will be given of the seminars and the outreach experiences in local high school physics classes.
      • Secondary Teacher Preparation at the University of Northern Colorado

      • FH09
      • Wed 08/01, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Cynthia Galovich
      • Type: Contributed
      • The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) leads all public and private Colorado institutions in total enrollment in educator preparation programs with 3,770 students. UNC supplies 54% of the state's new teachers with degrees from Colorado schools. The science and mathematics teacher licensure programs typically maintain an enrollment of 250 to 300 students and UNC is one of only three institutions in the state with a Science Teacher Education Program having National Recognition from NCATE/NSTA. In this presentation we'll discuss the features of the science teacher preparation program and how the tight collaboration between the content areas and the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences creates an efficient and effective system for education of high school science teachers.
      • Using RTOP to Develop Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Pre-service Candidates

      • FH10
      • Wed 08/01, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Joseph Zawicki
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Reformed Teacher Observation Protocol (RTOP) has been used to measure the student-centeredness and level of inquiry in science classrooms. Teacher candidates, and new teachers, often focus on the content, not on the learners; pedagogical content knowledge is not just pedagogy -- it is pedagogy and content within the context of the learner. The RTOP explicitly demands new teachers and teacher candidates to focus on what, precisely, the learner is doing within the classroom culture. Candidates completing a final science teaching methods course before student teaching were introduced to the RTOP as a tool to reflect on teaching practices. To critically assess their own microteaching experiences, as well as their future classroom lessons, candidates received standard RTOP training and developed an understanding of RTOP through classroom discourse and scoring.
      • The Scarlet Letter -- Can a Physics Failure be a Teacher?

      • FH11
      • Wed 08/01, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Donald Franklin
      • Type: Contributed
      • In this world of recycling can we look for teacher candidates who were admitted to physics and engineering programs but graduated in other fields? Do we brand them forever as woefully inadequate for physics in our high schools for the rest of their lives, or do we consider that they all had the qualifications to enter the program, but other reasons caused them to leave their major. I am suggesting developing a two-week summer program to help these candidates find their worth and become physics and physical science teachers. At the end of the two weeks, the candidates would be tested to see if they have the ability to conduct labs and develop the classroom into a successful experience for the students.
      • Engaging Pre-Service Elementary Teachers in Science Outreach

      • FH12
      • Wed 08/01, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Marina Milner-Bolotin
      • Type: Contributed
      • In Canada in order to be admitted into the Elementary Teacher Education Program, a student must have earned a Bachelor Degree (90% will have a BA) and have taken at least one post-secondary science lab course. Thus the majority of teacher-candidates have a very limited science knowledge and an unlimited mathematics and science anxiety. The Second Family Science Day at the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia attracted more than 200 guests. However, what made this event different from anything else is that it was organized and led by future elementary teachers. This was one of the few experiences where they could not only enjoy science, but also share their positive science experiences with others. More than 30 pre-service elementary teachers participated in the event and all of them expressed their satisfaction, as well as increased willingness to teach science to their future elementary students.
  • Teacher Preparation around the World

      • Physics Education Research-based Activities in Teacher Formation in Italy

      • AF01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Marisa Michelini
      • Type: Invited
      • The teacher formation scenario in Italy is changing. It started very late (1999-2000) with a very good curricular plan at the university level organized in four areas (teaching professional formation, subject-related education, education labs, apprenticeship). Primary teacher formation will be structured in a five-year degree, after four-year degree up to now. The certification to teach in secondary school will come after a specific biannual Master for Teaching (MT), plus an extra year integrated with apprenticeship (total = three years, 180 ECT). Specific subject degrees (180 cts) are required for each MT. The research-based physics teacher formation experience carried out in the biannual Specialization School for Secondary Teaching SSST active until 2008 and some pilot Masters will inspire the way to form the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of future teachers. The contribution will discuss the characteristics of some significant PER Models implemented for physics teacher formation.
      • Physics Teacher Preparation at University of Helsinki, Finland

      • AF02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Ari Hämäläinen
      • Type: Invited
      • The standard physics teacher preparation program consists of a three-year Bachelor's degree in Physics, followed by a two-year Master's degree in Physics Education. Bachelor's degree physics content courses are the same as for all physics students, with laboratory experience, pedagogical methods and two written reports on physics education. Bachelor's degree students also complete a minor in a second teaching discipline (usually mathematics or chemistry). Master's degree coursework continues extensive laboratory coursework, physics PCK, teaching practice, and a graduate thesis in physics teaching. Most Mathematics Education Bachelor's degree students complete a physics education minor. In Finnish schools, mathematics teachers qualified to teach physics outnumber those who have a Master's Degree in Physics Education. Finnish physics teachers do not complete upper-division physics courses common to U.S. Physics Bachelor's degrees such as Classical Mechanics, Mathematical Methods, etc. Physics content targets fostering deep conceptual understanding of the physics studied in grade school.
      • Secondary Physics Teacher Preparation at Hubei University

      • AF03
      • Mon 07/30, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Weining Wu
      • Type: Invited
      • Physics teacher preparation programs in China are largely specified by theCentral Government's Ministry of Education, and the four year BS in Physics Education program in Hubei contains similar physics coursework (including upper lever coursework) to typical BS Physics degree programs for regular physics majors in the U.S. Additionally, candidates complete courses in educational methods, Physics PCK, five weeks of student teaching, and a thesis in physics education. Most undergraduates do not have the opportunity to complete a minor, and most physics teachers do not complete our two-year MEd in Physics program. Like general grade school teaching in China, physics teaching in Hubei is significantly test-driven and suffers a lack of laboratory and phenomenological experiences. There is a surplus of physics teachers in most Chinese main cities like Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province. I will further describe specifics of these programs, success and problems.
  • Teaching Environmental Physics in the Undergraduate Curriculum

      • Integration of the Environment in the Physics Curriculum

      • CC01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
      • by Miron Kaufman
      • Type: Invited
      • I report on my decade-long experience with integrating in the undergraduate curriculum a course on the physics of the environment. This course provides a middle ground, for science and engineering students on one hand and urban studies, law and education students on the other hand, to learn cooperatively about global warming, urban heat island, heat pollution, radiation and health, and conventional versus nuclear energy. Computer modeling is used to enhance the students' understanding of the phenomena. The students are exposed to chaos theory by analyzing the period doubling route to chaos prevalent in population models. The diffusion of pollutants in the atmosphere and radioactive decay are taught through simulations. The course incorporates three modules: Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, and Nuclear Physics. For example during the Thermodynamics module we analyze heat pollution and the urban heat island effect. Global climate change is studied during the Electricity and Magnetism module.
      • Science and Protecting the Environment--At Odds?

      • CC02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
      • by Gordon Aubrecht
      • Type: Invited
      • Physics is often called the queen of the sciences; science spawned technology, which many people see as antithetical to a 'healthy' environment and as contributing to heedless exploitation of the natural world. There may be substance to this view, but physics in its emphasis on mechanism and insistence on data-driven decisions can provide a basis for rational environmentalism. Physics teachers naturally focus on reducing the "information deficit," lack of understanding of phenomena, but this, while necessary, is not sufficient. Knowledge of the nature of science and its understanding of knowing something, the tentativeness of that knowledge, the basics of modeling, and the actions taken based on the best experimental and theoretical understanding are proper issues underpinning informed action in complex systems.
      • Incorporating the Energy Crisis into the Undergraduate Curriculum.

      • CC03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00PM - 8:30PM
      • by Joshua Henry
      • Type: Invited
      • On a percentage basis, the United States generates less renewable energy today than it did in 1950. This is an astonishing and somewhat depressing fact. How is it possible, that with all of our advances in technology over the past half century, we still generate most of our energy by combustion? Largely it is attributable to the high cost of renewable energy. The cost in turn is due to two factors that I would argue are heavily influenced by science education -- the improper monetary valuation of natural resources and the environment and the lack of game-changing innovation in the area of renewable energy and conservation. This talk will outline efforts to bring energy issues to the forefront of our scientific curriculum at all levels without overburdening faculty or excluding fundamentals.
  • Teaching Physics Around the World

      • Preparing Teachers for the Use of ICT in the Framework of Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE)

      • FI01
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Ton Ellermeijer
      • Type: Invited
      • The European Community wants science education to change in direction of IBSE (Rocard Report). Today several large projects involving many countries are addressing this challenge. The main focus is on preparing and supporting teachers by providing them with innovative curriculum materials and teacher training activities (as well pre-service as in-service). For a long time we have known that ICT might stimulate and enable physics education in a direction that brings (high school) students in a similar position as researchers in science. The powerful tools available (from measurement with sensors, advanced video-analysis to numerical modeling) facilitates realistic and authentic research projects by students. Still many teachers around the world have not been able to apply these possibilities, also due to lack of training. In the framework of the ESTABLISH project (EC-funded) we now develop training and support for teachers as much as possible suitable for on-line use. In this contribution the above mentioned aspects of physics education will be addressed.
      • Innovative Physics Teaching in the Czech Republic

      • FI02
      • Wed 08/01, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Rod Milbrandt
      • Type: Invited
      • The author spent 2009-10 on sabbatical at the Physics Education Departmentof Charles University in Prague. This talk will focus on physics teaching in the Czech Republic, and especially on innovative methods being used by teachers participating in the Heureka project, a long-term collaboration of Czech physics teachers. Observations on teacher education at Charles University, and some of its unique characteristics, will also be discussed.
      • Piano ISS -- Improving Science Teaching in Italy

      • FI03
      • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Silvano Sgrignoli
      • Type: Invited
      • Piano ISS is an important, large-scale activity aimed at improving the teaching/learning of science in Italy, from elementary school up to the first two years of upper secondary (6 to 15 years old students). It started in 2006 after one year of preparatory work, and it is based on a project devised by three teachers' associations, AIF (Physics), ANISN (Natural Sciences), and DD/SCI (Chemistry), and by the Science Museums of Milan and Naples. It has been officially adopted by the Ministry of Education. Piano ISS is based on the idea that guided collaboration of teachers, involved in action-research activities with the advice of experts and organized around local support structures in the schools ("presidi"), is crucial for a significant improvement of school practices. The talk will describe how Piano ISS was first implemented throughout the country in 100 "presidi" -- each one having three tutor/teachers -- and will analyze how it evolved, how it was managed through four different governments following one another, what are the present outcomes, and which difficulties are being faced at the moment.
      • Science Education Delegation to India, Oct., 2011

      • FI04
      • Wed 08/01, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Celia Chow
      • Type: Contributed
      • Understanding Indian science education and interaction with Indian scienceteachers at eight schools in two cities, New Delhi and Jaipur, India, Oct. 9-17, 2011.
      • IDIFO3 Summer School on Modern Physics for Talented Students  CANCELED

      • FI05
      • Wed 08/01, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Sri Challapalli
      • Type: Contributed
      • To support the motivation of talented students is a task often disregardedby schools today. The IDIFO3 project -- Innovation in Physics Teaching and Guidance -- the Physics Education Research Unit (PERU) of the University of Udine in Italy has designed and implemented a national biennial summer school, in its third edition in 2011. To provide the basic foundation for the construction of formal thinking, interpretation of phenomena, to design a reasoning path and to provide an overall conceptual framework about important aspects on various of topics of Modern Physics, such as Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Superconductivity, Electromagnetism and Condensed Matter Physics, 40 students with the highest marks in physics from different schools all over the Italy were selected to explore and experience these new terms in modern physics during an intensive week. The characteristics of the activities proposed and learning outcomes performed at three different levels such as for students, teachers, and university researchers based on the Inquired Based Learning (IBL) work sheets will be presented.
      • Experimenting an Inquired-Based Intervention Module on Electromagnetism with Talented Students

      • FI06
      • Wed 08/01, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Stefano Vercellati
      • Type: Contributed
      • An experimental inquiry-based learning path on electromagnetic phenomena was experimented during the 2011 Summer School of Modern Physics of Udine. The research was focused on the investigation of the ways in which skilled Italian students (selected from the best high school students in physics) constructed the formal thinking, anchoring (or not) their reasoning to the magnetic field lines representation. This representation, first used in the learning path as qualitative descriptor, will be improved as a quantitative representation able to describe the main characteristics of the magnetic field. The characteristics of magnetic field were built interpreting the phenomena from qualitative to a quantitative level and the ways in which is possible to produce induction and the Faraday's law were addressed and interpreted by the students. Data collected, using personal worksheets and recording of the lecture will be discussed.
  • Teaching Physics in Urban and Suburban Settings

      • Technologies for Innovative and Efficient Mastery-based Assessment

      • GA01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by Chris D'Amato
      • Type: Invited
      • High school physics classes using a mastery-based approach to assessment (students can revise their graded work many times) produce excellent results in student learning and help create a classroom in which all participants are stakeholders in shared achievement -- but this produces reams of paperwork and lots of data to manage. This talk shows how common technology skills can create mastery-based assessment instruments that work better for both teacher and students. Using simple technical solutions I can make daily individualized paper quizzes with unique solutions, dynamically generated charts and figures, and pre-printed student information encoded in QR barcode. I scan student work with copier or webcam, record grades, and share the result with the student. The student gets prompt personal feedback; the teacher provides an innovative, responsive, rigorous and yet compassionate grading system while expending less energy than with a traditional assessment and grading system.
      • Making Fun Out of Educational Physics Games

      • GA02
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
      • by Matthew Blackman
      • Type: Invited
      • Being a high school physics teacher and game designer, I would like to share with you some educational physics games that have helped me engage my students. A new generation of educational physics games and software is evolving, inspired by such unlikely predecessors as Angry Birds. In physics education software, developers are finding increasingly exciting and unique ways to engage students in physics while keeping them excited about learning. By incorporating cutting-edge game design techniques, we can keep the average digital-age student immersed in physics for hours. By building on strong pedagogical content knowledge, as well as incorporating new possibilities afforded by tablets and laptops, educational physics games are becoming a hugely successful and widely-used tool to reinforce physics in the classroom. I believe that games, if designed and used correctly, can become an indispensable tool to reinforce concepts and keep students smiling while they're thinking.
      • Can Standards-Based Grading Reduce Dropout Rates in Physics I?

      • GA03
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Janet Kahn
      • Type: Contributed
      • Marshall High School in Falls Church, VA, is a diverse, cosmopolitan school with students from a wide range of economic, racial, and international backgrounds. About 80% of our students take at least one year of physics. Physics I is taught to 11th and 12th graders with very diverse levels of science and math backgrounds as well as motivation levels. Many of these students do not respond well to traditional grading systems. We are currently in our third year of using standards-based grading. Scores on standards are linked to levels of knowledge and ability in each unit. Students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate competency on each standard. Preliminary results show a much lower rate of students dropping out of physics mid-year, with similar numbers of students receiving D and F grades.
      • Cansat CLTP Program to Improve Physics in Urban Public School  CANCELED

      • GA04
      • Wed 08/01, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Dane Cachi
      • Type: Contributed
      • Since physics in Peruvian schools is present only during the final year ofstudies, this results in a poor level of science and technology (S&T) students who enroll in our university, which has been dedicated to improving S&T of satellite programs since 2008. Members from the nanosatellite program called CHASQUI I at Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria were worried about this, because we want a continuous satellite program in Peru. So, physics must be in all levels at urban public high schools. We contributed with two students from Cansat-CLTP Program in Japan. We apply their learning to improve physics as a basic induction program based on the Cansat Program. So, we improved the level of physics, science, and technology in an urban public school called Teresa Gonzalez de Fanning. This team will share this induction program using the Cansat Program to improve physics with the three moments in an urban public school in Lima-Peru.
      • Convincing Middle, High School Teachers of the Value of Formative Assessment

      • GA05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
      • by Gordon Aubrecht
      • Type: Contributed
      • Formative assessments can allow teachers to understand what is and is not working in their classrooms for the purpose of changing how they teach various content. Many school administrators do not understand the difference between summative and formative assessment and actively prevent true formative assessment to occur. The teachers then proceed to "give them what they want" with no useful effect. This study presents a model, as well as its application, for the development of formative assessments in the classroom in a rurally located, city high-needs district in the state of Ohio. Results indicate changes not only in the way teachers view their pedagogical approaches, but also in how teachers consider student personal epistemologies.
  • Teaching Physics to the Liberal Arts Major

      • Scientific Reasoning Can Affect Learning in the Conceptual Physics Classroom

      • AI01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by James Moore
      • Type: Invited
      • College students not in science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM) majors enter the physics classroom with dramatically different motivations, perspectives, and preparations in comparison to their STEM colleagues. This dramatic difference in student population may necessitate a completely different approach to instruction. In this talk, we will discuss the scientific reasoning abilities of the average non-STEM student, how preparation in reasoning impacts potential gains in content knowledge, and the implications for instruction in the conceptual physics classroom. Specifically, non-STEM students demonstrate significant difficulty with proportional and hypothetico-deductive reasoning, and struggle to demonstrate learning gains in abstract content lacking directly observable exemplars (such as force and energy). The growing body of research demonstrates that development of scientific reasoning requires explicit intervention, and we present some preliminary results with taking an explicit approach. We also will discuss the potential need for a reassessment of the canonical sequence of topics in conceptual physics.
      • General Education Astronomy, A Very Potent Science Literacy Transformation Cocktail*

      • AI02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Edward Prather
      • Type: Invited
      • Are you doing the job that our society needs you to do? Are you successfulat it? How do you know? Over the past decade we have worked closely with hundreds of college instructors, postdocs, graduate students, and undergrads in collaborative research projects designed to help us understand fundamental issues of teaching and learning in college-level general education astronomy and space science courses. The results from these multi-institutional research collaborations have been used to transform classrooms all over the country. We are creating learning environments that significantly improve the science literacies and engagement in STEM of the many thousands of students taking these general ed. courses each year. By moving students along the continuum from non-science majors, to peer instructors, to researchers and curriculum developers, to STEM and STEM education degree seeking students, we are creating the next generation's "Ambassadors of Science."
      • Where Physics Meets Art: Spelman College's Natural Science Core

      • AI03
      • Mon 07/30, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Marta Dark
      • Type: Contributed
      • Physics and the Arts is a recent addition (in its third offering) for liberal arts majors at Spelman College. The course is an introduction to connections and interplay between the divergent disciplines of physics and art. Physics topics include light and color, sound, special relativity, forces, equilibrium and gravity. These physics topics are connected to developments in the arts, for example the Impressionists and Cubism. This paper will address effective strategies used in the course, such as being "gentle" with mathematics and weaving the arts theme throughout laboratory activities. For example, students determine the dependence of harmonic frequencies on string length and tension in a lab about standing waves. They use their data to interpret the reasoning behind a piano's shape and the tuning of a guitar. The culminating activity in the lab involves students designing their own artistic pieces, the purpose being to display physical principles.
      • Student Understanding of Mechanics in a Sports Themed Physics Course

      • AI04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Samuel Cook
      • Type: Contributed
      • The engagement of non-science majors in introductory physics courses is anissue in any introductory STEM course. Quantifying the effectiveness of a course with a constant semester-long theme may change the way departments offer introductory science courses. The literature suggests that themed-based curriculum improves students engagement on a topical basis (Wiseman and Chatterjee, 1997); however, the study of a semester long course with a constant theme has seen very little attention. In this preliminary report, we will report on students' understanding of mechanics in a sports- themed introductory physics course. The students enrolled in this class were liberal arts and education students who primarily enrolled in the course to fulfill a general education science requirement. Their understanding of mechanics is measured through the "Force Concept Inventory" (Hestenes, Wells & Swackhamer) and interviews and is presented in this report.
      • Evolution of Hybrid Conceptual Physics Course for Non-STEM Majors

      • AI05
      • Mon 07/30, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Paul Ashcraft
      • Type: Contributed
      • Faculty at a branch campus of a large research institute were encouraged to develop hybrid courses to match the changing technology resources of the student population, enhancing the student's learning experience. The conceptual physics course was modified, replacing the Friday afternoon lectures with virtual lab activities, either video analysis or working with computer simulations. While student course satisfaction increased, an unintended consequence was a drop in student enrollment for the course. This fosters a new debate: Should there be a course that meets the needs of the few students who sign up for it, or should the course become more traditional so more students will enroll?
      • Using Student-Formulated Sample Exam Questions in the Classroom

      • AI06
      • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Jack Dostal
      • Type: Contributed
      • In survey physics classes primarily for non-science majors, teachers oftenuse questions at the bottom levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (Remembering, Understanding) as homework or examination questions. These questions tend to have little cognitive substance and are often memorized just for the short-term by students. We wanted to try something that improved upon this process. During the past year we asked students in a "How Things Work" course to write sample examination questions related to the material we covered during the past week. We'll describe some of the benefits of such an approach, identify some things that have worked well in our class (and others that haven't), and share some of the questions that students have written.
      • Teaching Online vs. Teaching in-Class: Are They Really Similar?

      • AI07
      • Mon 07/30, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Mike Mikhaiel
      • Type: Contributed
      • Teaching in an online environment contains many of the same issues found in teaching in a traditional classroom. Teachers must know their content area and be able to adjust the curriculum to best meet the needs of their students. Over the past decade, technology has grown tremendously and has created new methods that can greatly enhance learning for students. This growth in technology made the teaching of an online physics class as efficient as traditional in-class physics. The two most important issues to consider in teaching in an online environment are communication and organization. Just like traditional classrooms, lesson plans are critical. Getting the message across to students is the ultimate goal. In this discussion, I am going to show the similarities between my online physics lecture and my traditional in-class lecture. Also, I am going to show how I conduct my online physics experiments and compare that with my traditional physics laboratory experiments.
      • Light as a Model for Fourier Analysis of Complex Sound Waves  CANCELED

      • AI08
      • Mon 07/30, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Heather Whitney
      • Type: Contributed
      • The Fourier transform is a powerful mathematical tool for analysis of complex waves. When applied to sound waves, it can be used to quantitatively analyze the amplitude and frequency of the different components. Comprehending that sound waves can be made of several components is an important learning goal for students in a physics of music course, as this helps students understand why notes that have the same fundamental frequency can have a different timbre when played by different instruments, but we have found that understanding the Fourier transform is very difficult for non-science majors taking the course. We used the example of light, observed with prisms and emission spectroscopy, as a model for Fourier analysis to help our students better understand the function of the transform, while avoiding reference to advanced mathematics that was beyond their preparation, and report on our experience.
  • Teaching Scientific Programming from Intro to Upper Level Physics

      • Implementing and Assessing Computational Modeling in Large Introductory Physics Courses

      • DC01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Michael Schatz
      • Type: Invited
      • Computation is a cornerstone of modern science and engineering; however, introductory STEM courses rarely embed computation into the curriculum. Since Summer 2006, computational modeling has been increasingly integrated into introductory engineering physics courses at Georgia Tech; currently, more than 1000 Georgia Tech students annually enroll in a large lecture introductory course that includes computation. Initially, student experiences with computational modeling were limited chiefly to the laboratory; more recently, students have begun to solve numerically homework problems (delivered online via a standard course administration system) and to model real-world problems computationally in extra credit assignments presented and peer-reviewed in video format. We will discuss some key issues associated with integrating computation into large-enrollment introductory courses and describe our efforts to measure the impact of computational curricular materials on student learning.
      • Lowering the Barriers for Scientific Computing

      • DC02
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Larry Engelhardt
      • Type: Invited
      • Most physicists recognize the importance of scientific computing; and Fortran, C, Excel, Maple, and MATLAB have all been available for more than 25 years. So why has the growth of computation in the undergraduate physics curriculum been so slow in coming? We need--and I believe we finally HAVE--computational tools that offer more: tools that are open source (unlike Excel, Maple, and MATLAB); make programming as easy as possible (unlike Fortran and C); and provide "sexy" interfaces. I will address these issues in three ways: (1) open source tools that can be used as a "black box," without any programming whatsoever, for standard computational tasks; (2) using the Python programming language to make simple tasks truly simple; and (3) using Easy Java Simulations (EJS) to make interactive computer simulations with minimal computer programming. For more information, see my contributions to the Open Source Physics library at www.tinyurl.com/engelhardt-comp.
      • Motivating Computational Physics Education: Angry Birds and the Ising Model

      • DC03
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Wolfgang Christian
      • Type: Invited
      • Computational physics has broad appeal since it is an effective way to develop problem solving skills and to become computer literate. Students themselves perceive that they are not well educated without a good understanding of a computer's power and its limitations. However, a computational physics course must be flexible because students have different skills and varying levels of preparation. Some students write well; other students have good graphical design skills; and other students have mathematical ability. In addition, students typically have professional goals other than physics graduate school. This paper describes a project-based course that meets these needs. Learning to develop a program that communicates an idea, as well as learning syntax and numerical methods, is a goal of this course. The course material and numerous student projects are published in the OSP Collection on ComPADRE at: http://www.compadre.org/osp/.
      • Computational Modeling as a Promoter of Cognitive Transfer: Pilot Study

      • DC04
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Scott Douglas
      • Type: Contributed
      • We describe a study of the role of computational modeling in recognizing underlying similarities in different problems, a process called cognitive transfer. Previous studies have shown that this crucial process is highly sensitive to context, suggestion, and familiarity with the subject matter. We propose that courses emphasizing computational modeling, in which students repeatedly employ similar lines of code to model different physical systems, foster a more generalized cognitive transfer ability. We performed a think-aloud study on several students (some from a course involving computational modeling, others from a traditional physics course), exposing them to ordered pairs of problems of varying degrees of separation in specific details (molecular mechanics vs. projectile motion) and solution methods (numerical vs. analytical). With these data, we attempt to separate the influence of long-term instruction in computational modeling from the immediate priming effect of solving computational problems, and relate both to the promotion of cognitive transfer.
      • Teaching New Tools to Majors: Computational Instruction in Upper Division Physics

      • DC05
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Marcos Caballero
      • Type: Contributed
      • Scientific programming is a key skill for our majors to develop in a research environment that relies increasingly on computational models and complex data analysis. Broad consensus of physics faculty at CU-Boulder is that instruction in scientific programming should not be limited to a single course (i.e., a computational physics course), but rather be embedded in the major sequence. This sentiment is echoed by a survey of physics majors. At CU-Boulder, we have begun systematic instruction in scientific programming in our middle-division classical mechanics and upper-division senior laboratory courses. In this talk, we will briefly outline our approach to computational instruction in both courses, present our preliminary observations of student challenges, and discuss our students' impressions of computation in these courses.
      • Advanced Lab Fourier Analysis and Wavelet Analysis Using Mathematica

      • DC06
      • Tue 07/31, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Joseph Trout
      • Type: Contributed
      • This is an advanced lab to introduce data analysis using Fourier and wavelet analysis and and to study the effects of "noise" in the signal. Sound recordings are made of tuning forks and voice recordings. Fourier and wavelet analysis of the recordings are made using Mathematica. Random noise is introduced and the analysis completed a second time. The noise is then filtered and the Fourier and wavelet analysis is completed a third time.
  • Technologies

      • A Computerized Testing System that Shows Students' Work

      • GC01
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Michael Meyer
      • Type: Contributed
      • This spring semester I implemented a process for computerized examinationsin my introductory physics course. Goals included a more secure and valid testing environment, the ability to give students exams at varying and flexible times, and offering students partial credit for their work with minimal grading time. I'll discuss my progress toward these goals and student reactions to and performance within the system I developed, including ways it could be adapted for use within almost any course using almost any LMS or online homework system.
      • Designing and Using the Next Generation of Active Learning Classrooms

      • GC02
      • Wed 08/01, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by Chris Whittaker
      • Type: Contributed
      • What might the next generation of active learning classrooms look like? What challenges and benefits might they present? What kinds of technologies and strategies work best in these environments? We report on efforts by a team of researchers and physics instructors at Dawson College who have developed a new generation of technology-rich active learning classrooms. Building on the success of projects such as SCALE-UP, these new rooms feature flexible layouts, elements of universal design, specialized tables that accentuate group work, and most importantly, networked multi-touch interactive white-boards (SMART Boards) for each student group (six students). We will present details of our classroom designs along with some thoughts, experiences and best practices in using these state-of-the-art learning environments and we will outline ongoing research efforts to evaluate them.
      • Java Applets for Undergraduate Physics Teaching

      • GC03
      • Wed 08/01, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
      • by Ramalingam Periasamy
      • Type: Contributed
      • Teaching and the learning is a process of dynamic equilibrium between the instructor and the students, i.e. there is no perfect lecture but with open communications between the students and teacher one can strive to optimize the transfer and retention of physics concepts. Mostly the students lack fundamental mathematics and underprepared or students who pursue the course for the required credit. By conventional methods of teaching undergraduate physics, an instructor will only be able to reach a select group of students in the class. In order to engage the entire set of students for the full length of the lecture and also to keep them motivated, we have tried to adopt a selection of different pedagogical methods such as multimedia, etc. Using commercially available and off-the shelf demonstration equipment has been expensive and time-consuming and moreover ineffective. Herein we intuit students to use available open-source software to design java applets. These along with others available have been used and were evaluated for their effectiveness in our lectures. A model lesson plan for Faraday's law will be exhibited.
      • PC Tablets and Lecture Clips

      • GC04
      • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
      • by Harold Stokes
      • Type: Contributed
      • The PC tablet is a fully functional laptop that has a touch screen, so that a stylus functions like a mouse. This allows us to write on slides in a presentation during class. After class, we use screen-capture software on the tablet to make short videos where we repeat some of the points from class as well as repeat clicker quizzes given during class.
      • Preparation of Screen Casts

      • GC05
      • Wed 08/01, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
      • by Paul Hewitt
      • Type: Contributed
      • Tutoring students is nicely achieved with screen casts. I will show and discuss my most recent screen casts.
      • Using PC Tablets to Record Homework Solutions

      • GC06
      • Wed 08/01, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by R. Steven Turley
      • Type: Contributed
      • Screencasts of homework solutions have the advantages of showing students a narrated problem solution process as well as steps to get a correct answer. In particular, they can be used to demonstrate to students how to use tools such as Mathematica and web resources in conjunction with written text and online homework forms. Students appreciate the ability to replay and pause solutions on their own time and to have both audio and visual clues on how to solve problems. With practice, it takes about the same amount of time to publish a screencast solution as a written one. I will give some examples and an assessment of how such a system was used for homework solutions in a modern physics and honors physics of the human body course.
      • Video Is the New Writing: Are You Literate?

      • GC07
      • Wed 08/01, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
      • by Matthew Vonk
      • Type: Contributed
      • There is or will soon be a video analog for virtually every genre of writing that exists. There are video obituaries, resumes, novels, instruction manuals, and highway billboards. Even quirky and idiosyncratic genres of writing like recipies and post-it notes are finding their video analogs. Video is everywhere, except in many college classrooms, where most of my colleagues are still requiring only written work. This year in my electronics class I'm trying something new. I've lessened the emphasis on written work, am requiring my students to make short videos about the theoretical and practical aspects of the circuits that they've made. So far I'm really pleased with the results. I have found my students take more ownership, spend more time to get it right, and are more creative with video than they were before I used video.
  • Textbooks and Labs Suitable for 9th Grade Physics

      • Textbooks and Labs Suitable for 9th Grade Physics

      • AD
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by
      • Type: Panel
      • Authors of the major textbooks aimed at 9th graders in a "Physics First" style course will discuss their recent textbooks and lab manuals. Invited speakers will include Arthur Eisenkraft (Active Physics) Paul Hewitt (Conceptual Physics) Tom Hsu (CPO's Physics: A First Course) and Collen Megowan (Modeling). An introduction and final wrap up will be done by John Hubisz and Barry Feierman.
      • Conceptual Physics--A First Course for all Seasons

      • AD01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Paul Hewitt
      • Type: Panel
      • My target audience for the high school version of Conceptual Physics from the outset has been ninth-grade students -- to write a course that would sensibly place physics before chemistry and biology in the science sequence. The mathematical structure of physics is highlighted by treating equations as guides to thinking -- creative thinking, before application to algebraic and trig-based problems -- which are now large in number. My focus is on delighting students rather than intimidating them. When a learner's first experience with physics is delightful, the rigor of a second course will be meaningful and welcomed.
      • Active Physics and the Next Generation Science Standards

      • AD02
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Arthur Eisenkraft
      • Type: Panel
      • The Framework for K-12 science education and the related next generation science standards will require us all to take a fresh look at what we teach and how we teach it. This new approach to physics learning can provide a new opportunity for schools to consider introducing physics into the ninth grade. Active Physics' features have always reflected what we know from research on how people learn and align very well with aspects of the new Framework. Active Physics uses a problem-based learning model to structure each chapter, employs a 7E instructional model, broadly assesses students, as well as introducing students to engineering design models and emphasizing the relationship of physics principles to the disciplines of chemistry, biology, and earth science. Active Physics can support the kind of instruction that teachers want to deliver in high school courses.
      • Modeling Physics Curriculum Resources for Ninth Grade Physics

      • AD03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Colleen Megowan-Romanowicz
      • Type: Invited
      • Modeling Instruction is a guided inquiry approach to teaching physics thatis centered on a handful of conceptual models that form the content core of physics. While Modeling pedagogy embodies an approach to curriculum design that can be used with any text, most Modelers prefer to use instructional materials designed specifically with the Modeling classroom in mind. Extensive electronic curriculum resources allow the individual teacher to customize the scope and sequence of instruction to suit local needs. These resources include paradigm labs, teachers' notes, student problems and worksheets, lab practica, quizzes and tests and many have been adapted for use in Ninth Grade Physics First setting. In this session I will share course syllabi and a variety of ninth grade Modeling physics materials currently in use across the nation in a variety of settings that are aligned with the draft Next Generation Science Standards due to be finalized this year.
      • Essential Physics: An Innovative Curriculum for Teaching and Learning Physics

      • AD04
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Manos Chaniotakis
      • Type: Panel
      • Physics education is at an inflection point: changes in technology offer new modes for curriculum delivery and student engagement; differing needs among students present pedagogical challenges; internal and external requirements for professional development strain school resources; and limited school budgets point to new business models for curriculum development and distribution. Essential Physics is a new curriculum that addresses these issues through an innovative e-Book technology that integrates the full interactive power of electronic media into the learning process. It incorporates all STEM components and provides multiple learning and enhancement paths. The Essential Physics curriculum includes: embedded multimedia animations and videos; interactive elements and simulations; expanded support for mathematics; interactive problem solving strategies; searchable content; dynamic assessment; cross-indexing; and a page-to-page match between the print and electronic versions. These novel features of Essential Physics provide a new model for science curricula. The features of Essential Physics will be demonstrated and discussed.
  • The Art and Science of Teaching

      • The Art and Science of Teaching with Technology

      • BC01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
      • by Andrew Gavrin
      • Type: Invited
      • Art (noun) \`ärt\ 1: skill acquired by experience, study, or observation*Science (noun) \`s?-?n(t)s\ 4: a system or method reconciling practical ends with scientific laws* Like many aspects of teaching, the use of technology is partly science and partly art. In this talk, I will present an overview of technology in education, including technologies that are primarily used by instructors, those that are primarily used by students, and those that facilitate interactions among faculty and students. Throughout, I try to elucidate the art of selecting technology and using it in an educational setting, and ground this discussion in the science that supports our use of technology.
      • A Shaken Faith: Deconstructing the Art and Science of Teaching

      • BC02
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
      • by Stamatis Vokos
      • Type: Invited
      • PER helps improve conceptual understanding. That is only part of our goalsin teaching physics. We also want learners to become better learners, to value consistency, to appreciate the beauty in physics, to be empowered to tackle previously inaccessible tasks, to leverage their new perspective for the amelioration of their communities, etc. If the learners in our classroom are science teachers, additional teaching goals emerge. Prospective and practicing teachers should hone their content knowledge for teaching physics, value student ideas as the raw materials that shape instruction, respond to the disciplinary substance of those ideas moment by moment, believe that all students are capable of learning; in short, we want to enlarge teachers' vision of what is possible in science education. The classroom requires us to attend simultaneously to multiple stimuli. Sometimes, conflicting value systems within the instructor create internal conflicts that derail learning. I will discuss a video episode in which I tried unsuccessfully to pursue several of the threads above as a "novice." The analysis will seek to present teaching in a broader framework than that of art or science.
      • Framing, Epistemology, and All That Jazz: Why it Matters

      • BC03
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
      • by Edward Redish
      • Type: Invited
      • Three decades of Physics Education Research (PER) have convinced many teachers that their students may "bring misconceptions" to class that can be difficult to overcome. But many do not realize that in the past dozen years, PER has documented that sometimes students' difficulties are not about "getting the physical principles wrong," but rather about misinterpreting the nature of the knowledge they are learning and what they are supposed to do to learn it. I refer to these as "epistemological misconceptions." They can affect student responses in subtle ways through dynamic framing of the task at hand -- students' judgment about "what's going on here" and what knowledge it is appropriate to bring to bear. Sometimes these framings are labile and easily changed; in other cases they are robust and need serious pedagogical effort. I will give examples occurring across the curriculum and suggest some ways of dealing with these issues.
  • The Good and the Bad of Video Lectures

      • The Good and the Bad of Video Lectures

      • AB
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by
      • Type: Panel
      • The Good and the Bad of Video Lectures: A Panel Discussion

      • AB
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Marcos Caballero
      • Type: Panel
      • Affordable and high-quality video cameras and user-friendly screen-castingsoftware have made it possible to create professional looking lecture videos. A highly visible example of such videos is the Khan Academy (http://www.khanacademy.org/). In the public press and, often, at our own institutions, the utility of these video lectures are debated. Proponents argue there is significantly lower cost associated with producing and archiving these videos when compared to traditional instruction. Others couple these videos to traditional instruction in a "flipped classroom" environment. Still others contend that these videos make it too easy to forego more active engagement (e.g., inquiry). This panel discussion (discussants: Frank Noschese, Noah Podolefsky, and Andy Rundquist) aims to provide attendees with information about this new mechanism for content delivery. A 30 minute wrap-up/open discussion will be held after discussants have been presented their views. This session will be video recorded and remotely accessible.
  • The Third Eye

      • The Third Eye

      • GE
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by
      • Type: Panel
      • Promoting Inquiry-based Teaching by Thought-Provoking Activities: The Third Eye's Perspectives

      • GE
      • Wed 08/01, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Xingkai LUO
      • Type: Invited
      • At the 2000 AAPT Summer Meeting, a Chinese physics teachers and educators group, named "The Third Eye" presented a special show, The "Third Eye Return" Demonstration Show. The show attracted the audience not only with memorable and thought-provoking physics demonstrations but also a very interesting philosophy embodied in each presentation (S. Mellema, Phy. Edu., Vol. 35, P.375). Now they return to this meeting with more innovations developed in the past 12 years. Their informative, unique and entertaining demonstration show should be again one of the highlights of the meeting.
  • The coolest experiment you teach (beyond the first year)

      • Undergraduate Electronics Laboratory with an Arduino Microcontroller

      • EA01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
      • by Herbert Jaeger
      • Type: Contributed
      • Microcontrollers are found in cars, coffee makers, and alarm clocks, just to name a few. Recently several families of low-cost but powerful microcontrollers entered the stage, e.g. the PIC, Basic Stamp, and the Arduino. The Arduino drew our attention because of its open-source architecture and its ability to be used with Windows, MacOS, and Linux platforms. Programming the Adrduino is quickly learned, even by students with no formal programming experience and instructors with an antiquated Fortran background. We have begun integrating the Arduino microcontroller into our sophomore electronic instrumentation laboratory course and use it alongside LabVIEW which has become a de-facto standard laboratory software. In this talk we introduce the Arduino prototyping platform and showcase its capabilities with example of exercises we perform in our electronics lab.
      • Determination of Carrier Temperature from Junction Current Voltage Measurements

      • EA02
      • Tue 07/31, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
      • by Mohamed Hedi Boukhatem
      • Type: Contributed
      • The carrier temperature differs from the lattice temperature in operating silicon junctions. This paper describes a practical experiment that can be performed by undergraduate students to introduce and understand the concept of the carrier temperature or the kinetic temperature. An application is proposed, for the determination of the semiconductor energy gap at zero K temperature, Eg(0), from the analysis of the pn junction current-voltage characteristic.
  • Two-Year College New Faculty Experience

      • Overview: New Faculty Experience for Two-Year College Physics Instructors*

      • AG01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Scott Schultz
      • Type: Invited
      • The American Association of Physics Teachers has developed an 18-month experience to transform undergraduate physics programs at two-year colleges by developing newly hired physics instructors. The program seeks to equip these new faculty members with the tools, skills, and theory of active engagement techniques that have been developed based on Physics Education Research and successfully implemented at Two-Year Colleges. The lead presenters of the experience are all master two-year college faculty that also serve as mentors for the participants as the new faculty work to implement novel techniques and strategies in the classroom. The culmination of the experience is the commencement conference held in tandem with this national meeting. This talk will discuss the professional development delivered to the participants, the diversity of the group, and the lessons we as leaders have learned from the experience.
      • The TYC-NFE and Me: One Physics Instructor's Evolution from a Sage on the Stage to a Guide on the Side

      • AG02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by Brooke Haag
      • Type: Contributed
      • Four years ago I was the newly minted full-time physics professor at Hartnell Community College in Salinas, CA. I started with the idea of carrying on in the great tradition of my mentor as a renowned lecturer. However, I soon developed a nagging feeling. Was there more to teaching physics than lecturing? The Two-Year College New Faculty Experience definitively answered that question. As a participant in the TYC NFE I have undergone a dramatic evolution. In this talk, I'll describe that process, namely strategies adopted as a result of the experience, what has worked and what still needs work. I'll also discuss outcomes and future plans.
      • Experiences of TYC Professor From Bismarck State College During the New Faculty Experience (NFE)

      • AG03
      • Mon 07/30, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by Anthony Mwene
      • Type: Contributed
      • The focus of my talk is on the changes I have made in my pedagogy due to NFE and ATE project for Physics Faculty (TYC and high school) Workshops. I continue in the tradition of most TYC faculty to modify and adapt curriculum (from different PER groups) to meet my students' needs. I will also present some projects that my students have done mostly in the area of video analysis--some as an end of semester project and others as lab assignments.
      • Emphasizing a Collaborative Classroom Environment in a Studio Classroom

      • AG04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Anthony Escuadro
      • Type: Contributed
      • Since 2010, we have taught all of the introductory physics courses at Harold Washington College in an integrated lecture/lab format in a studio classroom equipped with computers. Since the introduction of the studio classroom, we have successfully implemented several interactive-engagement methods and assessed these methods using a variety of research-based assessment instruments. After participating in the 2011-2012 Two-Year College New Faculty Experience, I attempted to enhance these activities by introducing classroom structures intended to foster a greater sense of collaboration and community among the students. This talk will describe how I incorporated elements of the modeling discourse management technique into our studio classroom setting, as well as detail some of the challenges I faced in fostering a learning community among our students. I will also present my attempts to measure the impact of these collaborative activities using both standard assessment tools and student feedback.
      • Effects of the NFE on New Two Year Physics Teachers

      • AG05
      • Mon 07/30, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Adrienne Battle
      • Type: Contributed
      • The presenter will discuss how the New Faculty Experience (NFE) has affected participants, using responses to a simple survey. Discussion will focus on how the NFE affected the participants' views of Physics Education Research, and how the NFE affected the participants' views of teaching at two-year colleges.
      • Making Active Learning Work in Traditional Spaces

      • AG06
      • Mon 07/30, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Darlene Brake
      • Type: Contributed
      • At Anne Arundel Community College a section of algebra-based introductory physics lecture and lab was offered in a combined lecture/lab active-learning format during fall 2011 and spring 2012. The class met for two hours three days a week and was held in a 24-seat physics lab, whose 40-year old traditional layout presented logistical challenges. As one of five sections, the course needed to cover a common list of lecture topics and lab activities. In this talk I will discuss the successes and failures I had in adapting the physical space and curriculum to incorporate the active-learning techniques I discovered through the New Faculty Experience, and the impact these changes had on student learning.
      • Studio Calculus-based Physics Implemented at a Two-Year College

      • AG07
      • Mon 07/30, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Kristine Lui
      • Type: Contributed
      • While it has been known that active-learning strategies increase learning gains, often implementation is challenging for a novice and requires administrative support. Participation in the New Faculty Experience at Two-Year Colleges (NFE-2YC) during 2011-2012 gave me hands-on skills in several active-learning methods. Support from my institution allowed me resources with which to develop and implement a workshop-based format for the first calculus-based physics course. At my institution, this course has no associated lab component; the workshop format allows students to gain experimental experience as well as develop scientific deduction skills necessary for current and future academic success. This talk will focus on the transition to the workshop format, give some example activities, and describe student feedback.
      • Going YouTubing

      • AG08
      • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Evan Richards
      • Type: Contributed
      • Multimedia resources can be useful tools to meet certain needs of course activities. YouTube can be a particularly versatile resource given the wide variety of video clips available. I have come to view YouTube (no pun intended...) as a handy tool for a few specific purposes that I will discuss.
      • Identifying and Changing Students' Preconceptions in DC Circuits

      • AG09
      • Mon 07/30, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Krista Wood
      • Type: Contributed
      • Inspired by the TYC New Faculty Experience, I implemented a DC circuit activity into my algebra/trig-based introductory physics class and lab. The classroom activity used bulbs and batteries to (a) let students discover how current flows through a circuit by using evidence (bulb brightness) to distinguish the difference in current through series or parallel circuits, and (b) learn to measure voltage and compare voltage drops across bulbs in various arrangements. A new series and parallel lab addressed students' preconceptions and filled a need for an introductory lab to supplement a combination circuit lab. This session will discuss the students' preconceptions revealed during the new DC circuit lab and classroom activity, compare these preconceptions to the literature, and discuss the results on students' conceptual understanding of DC circuits. It will also address the value of learning about your own students' thinking which becomes visible during active engagement learning.
      • Teaching Enhancements at LCCC as a Result of the TYC-NFE

      • AG10
      • Mon 07/30, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
      • by Brian Uzpen
      • Type: Contributed
      • As a participant in the Two-Year College New Faculty Experience (TYC-NFE),I will discuss how I have modified my courses and teaching methods. I will provide anecdotal evidence of my perceived results from the experience, a sample in-class and a sample modified laboratory activity based upon methods discussed in the TYC-NFE. I will discuss student reactions using end-of-semester surveys and analysis of student learning will be discussed using gains on the FCI in a limited number of courses.
  • Undergraduate Research

      • Modeling the Motion of a Magnet in the Presence of a Conductor

      • CJ01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:10PM
      • by Benjamin Irvine
      • Type: Contributed
      • As a magnet moves in proximity to a conductor, the changing magnetic fieldproduces an electric field, and hence an eddy current. The eddy current then produces a magnetic field that opposes the motion. Magnetic braking plays an important role in industry and is used to slow down moving parts of a system without losing energy to friction. The kinetic energy of an object is converted directly into electrical energy, which could be stored for later use. We have developed an analytical model of a cylindrical Neodymium magnet moving through a conducting pipe. Owing to its uniform magnetization, we show the magnet can be effectively modeled by two magnetically charged disks. We derive analytical expressions for the current distribution and the resistive force and compare them to experimental measurements. Since Neodymium magnets have become ubiquitous, our analysis will provide a good benchmark for experimental and computational models used in industry.
      • Hartnell College: a Study in Undergraduate Research at a TYC

      • CJ02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:10PM - 7:20PM
      • by Leo Osornio
      • Type: Contributed
      • In the summer of 2011, during an eight-week summer internship program at Hartnell Community College we successfully constructed two complementary cosmic ray experiments. The first employed NIM electronic modules, the second was constructed as per specifications of a circuit board designed by the Berkeley Lab Cosmic Ray Telescope Project (http://cosmic.lbl.gov/). In this talk I'll present data obtained from both setups including the dependence of the cosmic ray flux on the separation between scintillator paddles and polar angle. In addition, ongoing improvements to the LBL lab board will be discussed. Finally I will include prospects for curriculum development using the cosmic ray experiments.
  • Upper Division Undergraduate Education

      • The Experiences of Women in Physics Education Research Graduate Programs

      • DE01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
      • by Ramon Barthelemy
      • Type: Contributed
      • Though no direct research has documented the number of women in Physics Education Research (PER), studies have suggested the percentage of women in PER is almost double that of physics overall.* This relative over-representation shows that PER may be a leader in recruiting and retaining female graduate students. The study presented here seeks to understand the experiences of women graduate students in PER through in-depth open-ended interviews. By understanding the positive aspects that draw a larger percentage of women to PER it may be possible to construct best practices to make other areas of physics more amenable to students from all underrepresented groups.
      • Adding Distance Learning to an Advanced Undergraduate Physics Course

      • DE02
      • Tue 07/31, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
      • by S. Clark Rowland
      • Type: Contributed
      • Requests for advanced undergraduate physics courses from students who cannot attend classes on campus have motivated us to experiment with various modes of distance learning. In the fall of 2010 our Theoretical Mechanics I course was taught using Adobe Connect. Use of a Hewlett Packard TouchSmart 600 computer allowed me to write on the screen. Each student used a laptop with camera and microphone. Lecture notes were prepared in advance and appeared on the screen with a live picture of each participant. Class participation was similar to usual classes without computers. In the fall of 2011 an agreeable time could not be found for this kind "online" class. To include a remote student asynchronously, a video of each class was made and uploaded to a server for subsequent viewing and discussion by phone. Our experience using these technologies will be discussed.
      • Active Engagement and Interactive Classroom Techniques in Reformed Upper-Division Quantum Mechanics courses: connecting concepts with mathematical processes

      • DE03
      • Tue 07/31, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
      • by Homeyra Sadaghiani
      • Type: Contributed
      • We have reformed an upper?division quantum mechanics course using principles of active engagement and interactive classroom techniques such as peer discussion strategies. The teaching practices, learning goals, and curricular materials were developed and adopted from research in physics education. Conceptual clicker questions, white-board problem solving activities, research-based tutorials, and computer lab sessions were integrated into a two-quarter sequence of a senior level quantum mechanics course at Cal Poly Pomona. Using Quantum Mechanics Assessment Tool (QMAT) we investigated several key student skills at the end of the first and second quarter. As the course focus varied from mathematical process-driven approaches in the context of the quantum wave-function to more concept-driven approaches in the context of quantum spin measurement, we observed some changes in student performance and attitude. We will discuss the implications of this study for the order and selection of topics in teaching undergraduate quantum courses.
      • Active Engagement Materials for Nuclear & Particle Physics Courses

      • DE04
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
      • by Jeff Loats
      • Type: Contributed
      • The past three decades of physics education research have seen the development of a rich variety of research-based instructional strategies that now permeate many introductory courses. Implementing these active-engagement techniques in upper-division courses requires effort and is bolstered by experience. This can impede instructors who might otherwise be eager to use these methods. This particular effort, funded by an NSF-TUES grant (1), aims to develop, test, and disseminate active-engagement materials for nuclear and particle physics topics. We will present examples of the materials being developed, including: a) Conceptual discussion questions for use with Peer Instruction; b) warm-up questions for use with Just in Time Teaching, c) "Back of the Envelope" estimation questions and small-group case studies that will incorporate use of nuclear and particle databases, as well as d) conceptual exam questions. An associated poster will also be presented at the meeting.
      • Eliciting Physics Faculty Expectations for Physics Majors

      • DE05
      • Tue 07/31, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
      • by Renee Michelle Goertzen
      • Type: Contributed
      • As part of a project to investigate the goals physics faculty hold for physics majors, we have interviewed 17 physics faculty about what attitudes and abilities they expect students to have developed by the time they graduate with a bachelor's degree from our institution. Our preliminary analysis of the interviews suggests that some of these goals are both implicit and constructed in-the-moment in response to interview prompts. Understanding the nature of physics faculty expectations will allow us to better assess whether students meet these expectations, as well as whether physics programs standards adequately capture faculty goals. In the longer term, our goal is to investigate whether physics programs are providing sufficient opportunities for students to develop these desired attitudes and abilities.
      • Majoring in Physics or Astronomy? Answer is in Students' Past*

      • DE06
      • Tue 07/31, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
      • by Florin Lung
      • Type: Contributed
      • While investigating the career options expressed by college students, among the ones who opted for physical sciences we discovered an interesting effect. Students born in the U.S. tended to be more associated with astronomy, as opposed to foreign-born students, who are more associated to choosing physics instead of astronomy majors. This result is in line with some previous survey data on physics and astronomy PhD recipients reported by AIP in 2011. Starting from this finding, we further investigated other variables related to students' cultural and scientific experiences that are likely to differentiate between astronomy and physics majors.
      • Resources for Research-based Instruction in Upper-division Physics

      • DE07
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
      • by Bethany Wilcox
      • Type: Contributed
      • The University of Colorado at Boulder is in the process of reforming five of its upper-division physics courses (Electricity & Magnetism 1&2, Quantum Mechanics 1, Classical Mechanics 1, and Optics & Modern Physics Lab) to incorporate active engagement and student centered pedagogies. Our research-based approach to course transformation is founded on (1) investigations of student difficulties, (2) collaboration with faculty to establish consensus learning goals, (3) development of validated, subject specific conceptual assessments, (4) and iterative design of curricular materials. We have compiled online archives of these materials, representing a rich suite of resources for instructional innovation across upper-division physics. In this talk, we will overview these resources with particular emphasis on how the reforms are tailored to each course. Our work also hints at the need for more unified reforms spanning multiple courses to provide a coherent experience for physics majors as they progress through the physics sequence.
      • Teaching Modern Physics to Mathematically Underprepared Students

      • DE08
      • Tue 07/31, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
      • by Deepthi Amarasuriya
      • Type: Contributed
      • Many students take Modern Physics together with Differential Equations I, and Linear Algebra. As Modern Physics relies heavily on concepts and techniques covered in these math courses, it is challenging to teach the physics while students are struggling with the rudiments of the requisite mathematical background. I present some strategies I continue to implement in my Modern Physics course that help me teach the material effectively while helping students build a strong mathematical foundation.
      • What it Means to Work as a Physicist

      • DE09
      • Tue 07/31, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
      • by Magdalen Normandeau
      • Type: Contributed
      • There is a big difference between undergraduate course work and the work done after graduation. To help our students choose the right post-baccalaureate path, it is important that we help them understand this difference and become aware of what it means to work as a physicist. To this end, I included an interview-based project in two upper-level courses. As part of this project, each student investigated the work of a living physicist then interviewed that person to find out more about his/her work and how the interviewee came to be in his/her current position. Students shared their insights with each other at the end of term during a round-table debriefing session, and each student received copies of all reports. I present the logistics involved in this project, share the results of its first implementations, and offer advice and suggestions for anyone wanting to incorporate something similar in their courses.
      • Data Processing of the Frank-Hertz Experiment

      • DE10
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
      • by Yongkang Le
      • Type: Contributed
      • Frank-Hertz experiment is a widely employed teaching lab in modern physics. The first excitation energy is evaluated from the peak intervals in the I-V curve. Puzzling results come forth frequently: the peak interval increases monotonously with the acceleration voltage (VA) and the slope is temperature dependent, as the electrons contributing to the current have a specific energy distribution. Peaks in I-V curve occur when the current decrease caused by electrons undergoing inelastic collision balances the increase of background current (IB) with increasing VA. The increase of IB increasing rate results in larger peak intervals at higher VA. Differentiation of the I-V curve will dramatically reduce the influence of IB variation on the evaluated results. This paper reports the realization of this approach and results obtained. Thus new insights into the classical FH experiment will be further discussed.
      • New Way of Deriving Einstein's Mass Energy Relation

      • DE11
      • Tue 07/31, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
      • by Bharat Chaudhary
      • Type: Contributed
      • Mass energy relation is the most important and most famous equation of thespecial theory of relativity. Every student of physics should know its derivation and be able to derive it any time. The basic principle of its derivation is to find the work done by a force in displacing a body to some distance. In textbooks, it is derived in one step by multiplying the force with the distance and integrating the expression from zero to the distance travelled. The process becomes involved and complicated and difficult to follow and more difficult to remember. I have derived the equation in a new and simple way in two steps. First, I find the expression of force by the relativistic way and then multiply the expression of force with the distance and integrate it from zero to the distance travelled. This two- step process is easy to follow and remember.
  • Using ISLE to analyze simple experiments

      • The Role of ISLE Labs in a Studio Physics Classroom

      • EI01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by David Brookes
      • Type: Invited
      • At Florida International University we have successfully implemented the investigative science learning environment (ISLE) in a studio classroom for three years. Experimentation is the core of the ISLE philosophy, but integrating labs into a student-centered studio classroom was a challenging task. In our implementation we paid attention to the following design principles: 1) We ensured that students were aware of the epistemic purpose of each experiment. 2) We implemented ways for students to share their experimental ideas and results with each other. 3) To promote collaboration, experimentation activities were beyond the capability of any individual student in the class. 4) We made experimentation a part of every aspect of the class, not just labs. I will present results that show that our implementation was successful and that students are displaying behavior that suggests they are starting to think and act in ways that are analogous to those of practicing physicists.
      • ISLE of Change: Labs Before and After

      • EI02
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
      • by Mikhail Kagan
      • Type: Invited
      • How much impact can switching to ISLE have? What if it is only one or two ISLE elements? As a theoretical physicist, I used to underestimate the value of the lab component in my classes. Before learning about ISLE, I thought of a lab as a mere illustration for what had been learned in lectures. Now I consider Lab as an inalienable part of turning my students into scientists, which, to some extent, can drive the course. Starting with fall 2011, I have systematically implemented ISLE labs in my introductory calculus-based physics classes. The primary philosophical shift was toward (much) fewer instructions for students and more flexibility of their experimental process. From the very first lab I had noticed a dramatic change in pretty much every aspect of the lab, starting with the process itself to the style, clarity and quality of my students' lab reports.
      • Using ISLE to Solve Experimental Problems

      • EI03
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Gorazd Planinsic
      • Type: Invited
      • Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) provides a framework forconstruction of new knowledge and for applications of the developed knowledge to experiment-based problem solving. This talk will focus on the latter. An important aspect of using ISLE in problem solving is that students after observing a specific phenomenon need to propose multiple explanations, which they then try to rule out using testing experiments. When searching for multiple explanations, students create links between different physics topics that promote a coherent understanding of the subject, they become more aware of the technical aspects of the observations, they learn to be more patient and not jump to conclusions quickly. Creation of experiment-based ISLE problems is challenging as we need to find experiments that allow students to construct multiple explanations within the given curriculum domain. I will present examples of simple experiments that work as successful ISLE problems at the introductory physics level.
  • Using a Planetarium to Teach Astronomy

      • Methods of Supporting Student Learning in the Planetarium

      • EG01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
      • by Julia Plummer
      • Type: Invited
      • Learning is an active process in which incoming information is mediated byinteraction with prior knowledge and beliefs of the learner. Learning is also shaped by characteristics of the learning environment (including the teacher and peers). This talk presents an analysis of these factors that influence learning outcomes from planetarium programs by drawing on relevant literature about learning in formal environments (e.g. How People Learn, NRC, 1999), informal environments (e.g. Learning Science in Informal Environments, NRC, 2009), and considering the role of spatial thinking and reasoning in the domain of astronomy (e.g. Learning to Think Spatially, NRC, 2006). To illustrate these ideas, we will present a series of studies on what elementary students learn through participation in interactive planetarium programs. This will include discussion of instructional methods, such as kinesthetic engagement and methods of modeling scientific practices, and the affordances made possible by connecting planetarium visits to classroom instruction.
      • Active Learning in a Planetarium Setting

      • EG02
      • Tue 07/31, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
      • by Stacy Palen
      • Type: Invited
      • Teaching astronomy in the planetarium has a number of challenges. From too-comfortable seats to decreased lighting to the often unusual (and static) arrangement of the chairs, it can be difficult to bring the best of collaborative, active learning into this space. Through 14 years of teaching astronomy in planetariums of various shapes and sizes, we have created some useful activities and strategies that overcome these difficulties and turn the experience of class in the planetarium into an interactive free-for-all!
      • Head Mounted Displays in Deaf Science Education

      • EG03
      • Tue 07/31, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
      • by Eric Hintz
      • Type: Contributed
      • Head mounted displays may remove a logistical barrier in science educationfor deaf children - -particularly in planetariums. Deaf children must split their visual attention between a signer and visual learning aids. This becomes more difficult as the viewing area spans a wider range of the student's field of view and is particularly difficult in a planetarium with viewing area that spans a hemisphere. Interpreters seated at the front of the planetarium are inadequate because they do not move to follow the students' visual attention and must be lit. Displaying a video stream or recording of a signer in a head mounted display may allow students to attend to verbal instruction wherever the student looks. We have built a prototype of such a system and are evaluating how to configure the video and hardware for optimal display of a signer using a head mounted display for children.
  • Using research-based high school PER curriculum in teacher preparation

      • PER + Experienced Physics Teacher = New Ideas!

      • DJ01
      • Tue 07/31, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
      • by Jon Anderson
      • Type: Invited
      • More and more, PER drives professional development and teacher preparationand informs those who participate in these endeavors. I will discuss what I have learned while implementing PER-based modeling curriculum into my introductory physics courses after attending three-week modeling instruction workshops at Florida International University in the summers of 2009 and 2010. I will also discuss how PER-based ideas have influenced me in my role as a mentor to pre-service and new physics teachers. This discussion will include what has worked, what hasn't worked, what mistakes I have made, and what temptations I have faced as an experienced physics teacher with an accumulation of curricular materials. Additionally, this talk will explore the role that mentors play in attracting new physics teachers, in helping them through those critical first years, and in retaining them in the profession. PER influences all of these roles.
      • Impacting the Attitudes of Prospective Teachers with Physics by Inquiry

      • DJ02
      • Tue 07/31, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
      • by Beth Lindsey
      • Type: Invited
      • Physics by Inquiry[1] (PbI) is a research-validated curriculum designed tohelp current and prospective teachers (re)learn physics content as a process of inquiry. Its success at improving the conceptual understanding of physics students at all levels has been well-documented over the past 30 years. Recent results demonstrate that the Physics by Inquiry curriculum fulfills another important role in the preparation of future K-12 teachers by improving their attitudes about science, as measured by the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS).[2] I will discuss results indicating that PbI is particularly successful at shifting prospective teachers toward more expert-like attitudes on areas of the CLASS dealing with problem solving, despite the fact that the curriculum does not focus on numerical problem solving in the traditional sense that students expect.
      • Investigative Science Learning Environment as a Framework for Physics Teacher Preparation

      • DJ03
      • Tue 07/31, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
      • by Robert Zisk
      • Type: Invited
      • This talk will describe how Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) serves as a framework for a physics teacher preparation program whose main goal is to help future teachers develop pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in physics. Investigative Science Learning Environment is a guided-inquiry comprehensive learning system that engages students in processes that mirror the practice of scientists constructing knowledge. It is based on the theory of cognitive apprenticeship and formative assessment and relies heavily on multiple representations. These theoretical pillars can not only guide the development of physics curriculum but also help develop cognitive skills. Pre-service teachers who learn PCK through ISLE learn how to engage their students in the construction of knowledge while simultaneously acquiring science process abilities. They learn to scaffold and coach their students through continuous feedback and then slowly remove the scaffolding. They also become acquainted with the wealth of knowledge developed in PER.
      • Designing Modeling Instruction into Pre-service Teacher Preparation

      • DJ04
      • Tue 07/31, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
      • by Eric Brewe
      • Type: Invited
      • As universities redesign and reorganize teacher preparation programs, theyhave the opportunity to build in reformed science courses. At Florida International University the secondary teacher preparation programs were reformulated in 2009. The redesigned program allows students to earn degrees in physics and become certified teachers upon graduation. The experiences teachers have within their program of study greatly influence initial teacher performance, thus we included a reformed physics pedagogy, Modeling Instruction, not only as a recommended introductory physics course but also as a summer methods and professional development experience. We report on both the coherence of the design of the curriculum and look to evidence of graduating teacher performance.
  • Video Analysis in Undergraduate Education

      • Understanding Projectile Motion: Comparing Video Analysis Activities to Other Approaches

      • BE01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
      • by Priscilla Laws
      • Type: Invited
      • The LivePhoto Physics Group has been exploring the impact of guided digital video analysis activities and other instructional methods on student understanding of projectile motion with special emphasis on its graphical representations. A pre-/post- test instrument, the Projectile Motion Conceptual Evaluation (PMCE), was developed for this learning research. In this talk the PMCE will be described along with common pre-conceptions held by introductory physics students that the test reveals. In addition, preliminary results of the impact of various instructional techniques on PMCE gains will be presented for over 1000 students enrolled in 50 introductory physics classes. The instructional techniques explored include use of video analysis, style of instruction (e.g. traditional lecture/lab vs. active learning), and whether 2D motion is introduced during the study of kinematics or after Newton's second law. This research is based on work supported by NSF grants 0089380, 0424063 and 0717699.
      • Advanced Video Analysis for Student Research

      • BE02
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
      • by Aaron Titus
      • Type: Invited
      • Undergraduate research can be defined as students asking interesting questions and finding answers to those questions. Video analysis is one of the most economical and effective experimental techniques to enable students to do undergraduate research, starting with introductory physics and continuing to upper-level physics. Particular features of Tracker--a free cross-platform, open-source video analysis application--allow students to easily change reference frames, compensate for panning and zooming of a camera, auto-track objects, and test a numerical model. Exemplary student projects from various schools will be demonstrated, including research projects from first-year to fourth-year physics students. If you want to hook students on the excitement of independent discovery with a budget of $300 or less (for a camera), then video analysis is for you.
      • Video Analysis as a Tool to Explore Capillary Waves

      • BE03
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
      • by Tetyana Antimirova
      • Type: Contributed
      • Surface tension is one of many topics that over the years quietly disappeared from almost all standard undergraduate physics curricula. Yet, this particular topic is very important at least for the life science programs, because surface tension plays an important role in biophysics and physiology. (Perhaps one of the most dramatic examples is so-called infant respiratory syndrome caused by the lack of lung surfactant in premature babies' lungs, which can be fatal without treatment). Surface tension can manifest itself in capillary waves that propagate on the surface of liquids under certain conditions. We will describe a couple of simple experiments using motion video analysis to study a propagation of such capillary waves and to measure a coefficient of surface tension.
      • Gelatin Jiggles or Determining the Shear Modulus of Gelatin

      • BE04
      • Mon 07/30, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
      • by Craig Jensen
      • Type: Contributed
      • Gelatin has been known to jiggle for some time. Analysis of the oscillations of gelatin as a damped harmonic oscillator will be demonstrated using LoggerPro[1[. These oscillations are then used to determine the shear modulus of gelatin. LoggerPro will also be used to demonstrate resonance of the gelatin system.
      • OpenTrack: A Browser-based Video Tracking and Analysis Tool

      • BE05
      • Mon 07/30, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
      • by Timothy Niiler
      • Type: Contributed
      • OpenTrack (OT)*, is a Firefox-based video tracking application that supports both manual and automatic digitization of video for physics and biomechanics related research and teaching. Compared to many video tracking applications, OT features a flow-based approach to tracking which we have found helpful for students trying to learn the process. OT includes a number of analytic tools including statistics, fitting, and scripting support which can help advanced users with reduction of complex data sets and which can introduce novices to basic coding. A number of labs and pre-recorded videos are downloadable via OT, and there is extensive screencast-based help for users. OT also has an integrated HTML report editor which can automatically import selected graphics from the tracking portion of the program. Additionally, the editor supports graphics editing, a whiteboard mode that allows students to record drawing and derivations, equation rendering using JSMath, tables, video import, and a presentation mode.
      • Passage of Asteroid 2005 YU55

      • BE06
      • Mon 07/30, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
      • by Stephen Luzader
      • Type: Contributed
      • On November 8, 2011, asteroid 2005 YU55 passed closer to the Earth than the Moon. It afforded an opportunity to do a different kind of video analysis. Using a digital camera set to take exposures automatically at a fixed rate, we recorded the motion of the asteroid across the sky over a period of 35 minutes. By measuring the position of the asteroid in successive images, its transverse speed could be determined by using its distance from the Earth, which was obtained from an online ephemeris. Movies made from the individual images will be shown, and the speed results will be presented. This stop-motion type of video analysis can be applied to other phenomena that occur over long time intervals.
  • Video Analysis in the High School and Introductory College Classroom

      • Truth, Beauty, and High-Speed Digital Video  CANCELED

      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:10PM
      • by Joseph Serpico
      • Type: Contributed
      • Truth can be recognized by its beauty and simplicity and high-speed video provides students with both. These videos can be used to generate interest and student anticipation as stand-alone openers or as slow-motion instant replays of demonstration favorites. Because high-speed video allows the student to witness events that take place beneath the eye-brain transmission response time it is a powerful tool for dispelling common physical misconceptions. Additionally, the visual nature of video more intimately ties the data collecting process to the actual physical event. Whereas the portable nature of the camera also makes it an excellent tool for field-based data collection and its versatility makes it an ideal choice for students conducting inquiry-based labs. This session will provide attendees access to actual videos that exemplify each category of classroom and laboratory use.
      • Using Direct Measurement Video to Teach Physics*

      • CF01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:10PM
      • by Peter Bohacek
      • Type: Contributed
      • Direct Measurement videos are short video clips of situations that illustrate physics concepts. Grids, frame counters, and other overlays allow students to make measurements from the videos directly, without needing other video analysis software. When using direct measurement videos, students must identify, and then measure quantities needed to complete their analysis. These videos can be used for open-ended problem solving, as a supplement to lab work, or for quantitative problem solving as an alternative to traditional word problems. When used as a supplement to labs, students learn measurements techniques and uncertainty propagation. These videos can be embedded in online homework systems such as WebAssign or LON CAPA. A collection of these videos has been developed for an introductory mechanics course.
      • Using Video Analysis and Model Roller Coasters in Introductory Physics

      • CF02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:10PM - 7:20PM
      • by Dave Rishell
      • Type: Contributed
      • This paper will report on the lab we do in an introductory calculus-based physics course at Vassar using scale model working roller coasters and video analysis. Students record a video of a cart moving through the course, then import the video into Vernier Loggerpro software and analyze its motion by creating a motion diagram where the cart is modeled as a particle. Before the lab, students have gone over the material in lecture and have had time to work on homework related to the topic, so students are only given very basic guidelines for deriving the pertinent equations. Students predict several quantities, for example the g forces at the top and bottom of a "loop." They then observe the results and explain their findings. Of particular interest is the difference in "g"s between a so-called clothoid shaped loop and a circular loop.
      • Video Analysis of Motion: Jumping Off a Swing Rope

      • CF03
      • Mon 07/30, 7:20PM - 7:30PM
      • by Arunava Roy
      • Type: Contributed
      • Sudents were asked to make a video of a physical situation of their interest with the aim of analysing the motion using video analysis. The primary objective was not to examine any particular physics concept. They rather were encouraged to analyze everyday phenomena involving a rich variety of physics, thus providing a means of motivation and increasing their enthusiasm for the subject. The study presented here concerns one such video where a student jumps off a swing rope into a lake. Various ideas of basic physics can be demonstrated using the above video. In our analysis, particular attention is paid to velocity and acceleration of the person and compared to that of the classic situation, an object in free fall. Other pertinent physics concepts, such as rotational motion, is also explored to complete the investigation. The students' feedback on the effectiveness of this method is also presented. The authors acknowledge support by NSF through the LivePhoto project.
      • Following the Bouncing Ball

      • CF04
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 7:40PM
      • by Marco Ciocca
      • Type: Contributed
      • Video analysis is a research-proven effective tool in physics teaching. Itenhances students' understanding through visualization. As a result they are able to develop a deeper conceptual understanding of the phenomena studied [1,2]. In introductory physics the transition between rotational and translational energy of a rolling object is a topic discussed often, but rarely tested in introductory labs due to the complexity of the measurements. In this work we present an experiment at the introductory level showing the interplay between rotational and translation energy on the flight of a bouncing ball. Work supported in part by the NSF through the LivePhoto project.
      • Electric Field Due to a Thundercloud Using Video Analysis.

      • CF05
      • Mon 07/30, 7:40PM - 7:50PM
      • by Baishali Ray
      • Type: Contributed
      • Electric field measurements due to a thundercloud is one of the major concepts in atmospheric physics research. This topic is not well discussed in introductory calculus-based physics texts.To fully help students understand this difficult concept we extend the video analysis due to a line charge from Physics with Video Analysis by Vernier to include a charged disk. We use video analysis to compute the electric field due to a charged disk and employ curve-fitting techniques to fully analyze the the solution. This idea is then used to calculate the electric field due to a thundercloud using multilayer charged disks and the principle of superposition. The authors acknowledge support by NSF through the LivePhoto project.
      • Video Analysis on Rotation of a Wheel

      • CF06
      • Mon 07/30, 7:50PM - 8:00PM
      • by Cheng Ting
      • Type: Contributed
      • Video analysis can show that the rotation of a wheel has an angular velocity at the center of the wheel and the vector of the angular velocity is at 90 degrees to the plane of the wheel following the right hand rule. For the rolling motion of the wheel on the ground, video analysis will show that there is an instantaneous center of rotation at the contact point of the wheel to the ground. The angular velocity at the instantaneous center is same as that at the wheel center.
      • Punkins, Baseballs and Soccerballs: Roughness, Resistance and Curvature

      • CF07
      • Mon 07/30, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
      • by Timothy Knudson
      • Type: Contributed
      • While there are a number of sources detailing the physics of baseball and soccer, not enough has been written about the physics of pumpkin projectiles. I will present evidence that the drag coefficient on a pumpkin has a typical value of 0.26. I will also argue that the initial speed of a pumpkin can be greater than 600 mph. The video evidence was gathered during the 2011 "Punkin Chunkin Competition." This annual event has been very popular from an entertainment point of view. A number of possible activities show that the "punkin chunkin" field is ripe for measurements and modeling by students with mid range physics abilities.
      • Billiards and Croquet: The Physics of Colliding Spheres

      • CF08
      • Mon 07/30, 8:10PM - 8:20PM
      • by Richard Gelderman
      • Type: Contributed
      • Introductory physics students are expected to understand that when two identical sliding balls collide head-on in an elastic (energy conserving) collision the ball will stop dead, transferring all its energy to the struck ball. So let's investigate how English and spin (i.e., torque) can be used to alter the result. All the remarkable ways that a ball can be struck and react during collisions with other balls provide excellent applications of the physics of force, friction, and angular momentum during a collision.
  • What Works in the Pre-College Classroom

      • An Inquiry into What Works In the Pre-College Classroom

      • BI01
      • Mon 07/30, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
      • by Richard Steinberg
      • Type: Invited
      • To compliment experiences as a college faculty member conducting research into student and teacher learning at the college level, I spent a year as a full time science teacher in an inner city public high school. I was empowered with knowledge of Physics Education Research, well-designed curricula shown to be effective, formal teacher education training, countless hours in high school classrooms, and cultural roots in New York City. Within one day I knew I was overmatched. In this presentation, I will share some of the challenges I encountered and some of what I learned about what works in this environment.
      • Engaging Activities for Students in Pre-College Classroom

      • BI02
      • Mon 07/30, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
      • by Duane Merrell
      • Type: Invited
      • When I started teaching high school in a small rural school, the physics enrollment was 16 students, with only two of those 16 being female. During the next several years the enrollment grew to seven periods of physics and half of the enrollement was female. One year at graduation as I counted the students that I had taught physics I realized that 70% of the graduating class had taken physics during ther high school time. I will outline the things we did to make physics in a rural high school grow and the curriculum programs that were used to support phyiscs students. Things like projects, activities, labs--the whole effort that was made will be shared.
      • What Works in the Pre-College Classroom

      • BI03
      • Mon 07/30, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
      • by Christina Magee
      • Type: Invited
      • Discover ways to bring physics concepts come alive for middle school students through underwater remotely operated vehicles, wind turbines, Lego robots and model rockets. Learn more about a newly created program called Pathways for Technical Careers Academy that enriches the learning of middle school students interested in pursuing careers in engineering and manufacturing. These activities have all been successfully completed in an urban middle school setting.
      • Using PhET Simulations in the Middle School Classroom

      • BI04
      • Mon 07/30, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
      • by Ariel Paul
      • Type: Contributed
      • Initially, the PhET project developed simulations (sims) for high school and college level students, but more recently, we have begun designing and revising sims targeted at middle school students. Our sims provide students with an intuitive and game-like environment which allows for productive scientist-like exploration, rich visualizations, and rapid inquiry cycles. Along with our new design effort, PhET researchers have collaborated with middle school teachers to investigate the effective implementation of sims in a classroom environment. This collaboration currently includes the joint development of 14 activities and video-taped observations of their classroom implementation. Informed by this observation data, we have developed a set of strategies for designing and facilitating student-centered sim activities for the classroom. These strategies span activity scope, structures, pacing, and effective prompts. We will present the broad goals of these activities, our suggested strategies, specific examples, and evidence of their effectiveness.
      • Broadening the Meaning of Progress in Elementary Science

      • BI05
      • Mon 07/30, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
      • by Jennifer Radoff
      • Type: Contributed
      • We argue that progress in learning physics should be understood to encompass more than conceptual gains. In particular, it involves the ways in which students come to understand the disciplinary practices that have emerged within the classroom community. Part of becoming a better science learner involves understanding what it means to be engaged in science within the classroom. This kind of progress cannot be marked by how well students' conceptions come to align with the canon. Rather, we must evaluate this progress by considering the ways students come to participate within the complex and dynamic activity of a classroom. We present analyses of a third grade class's discussions about motion as evidence of this aspect of progress.
      • Modeling a Magnetic Biosensor

      • BI06
      • Mon 07/30, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
      • by Elena Cox
      • Type: Contributed
      • The magnetism unit was presented in a secondary science classroom using a model of a microelectronic magnetic bacterial sensor. The miniaturized bacterial sensor, based upon magnetic properties of nanobeads, was manufactured on a silicon wafer in the Clean Room at the Microelectronics Research Center at Georgia Institute of Technology. The magnetic nanobeads are coated with ligands capable of interacting with specific bacterial cells. When placed in a magnetic field, the nanobeads spin and rotate around the Fe-Ni pins on the wafer trapping the bacteria from a solution. Student hands-on experiments were designed to model the magnetic biosensor.
  • Writing for academic journals

      • Writing for academic journals

      • CE
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 8:30PM
      • by
      • Type: Panel
      • This panel session will provide an overview of four prominent journals that publish research and results in physics education. Representatives from the American Journal of Physics, the Journal of Learning Sciences, the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, the Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, and The Physics Teacher will discuss their different audiences and missions. The panel discussion will provide opportunities to discuss manuscript review processes, the criteria used to evaluate manuscripts, and the various topics addressed by each journal.
  • iPad & iPhone Apps and Mobile Devices in the Classroom

      • An iPad App Textbook for Introductory Physics

      • CD01
      • Mon 07/30, 7:00PM - 7:10PM
      • by Andrew Duffy
      • Type: Contributed
      • In this talk, I will demonstrate an iPad app textbook for introductory physics (actually, two apps, one for the first semester, covering mechanics, and one for the second semester, covering electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics). This is a work in progress, but the project is more than half done. Accompanying each chapter is a set of simulations and animations designed to bring the physics to life, and to take advantage of the interactivity of the iPad. I will also demonstrate new interactive features that, by the time of the meeting, will have been recently added to the app. Interested attendees will also be able to get a code so they can download the app for free.
      • iPAL (In-Class Polling for All Learners): Beyond Clickers

      • CD02
      • Mon 07/30, 7:10PM - 7:20PM
      • by Anne Cox
      • Type: Contributed
      • Students carry with them a variety of web-enabled devices (laptops, smart phones, iPads, etc). Instead of asking them to check these at the classroom door, iPAL encourages students to use them in place of clickers for polling during class. iPAL is a free polling module in Moodle or available through a stand-alone module for non-Moodle schools and requires that the instructor only have a computer. While instructors can write their own polling questions, iPAL also includes a database of ready to use questions (Eric Mazur's ConcepTest questions) for Intro Physics. Bring your smart phone or laptop and see for yourself if you would like to use this technology to increase interaction in your classroom.
      • Converting the iPad into a Virtual Oscilloscope for Physics Pedagogy  CANCELED

      • CD03
      • Mon 07/30, 7:20PM - 7:30PM
      • by Leah Bush
      • Type: Contributed
      • The iPad has been described as a technology that enhances learning due to its interactive and intuitive interface, and familiarity to students. I will focus on the use of the IMSO-104 software application and electronic accessory that converts the iPad into a virtual oscilloscope. The goal was to design, implement, and evaluate introductory electronic experiments that used the iPAD interface and to make a comparison with traditional experiments that use the standard two-channel oscilloscope. Specifically, we report on experiments designed to measure time-constant of an RC circuit. Comparisons were made using post-experiment student surveys and student interviews.
      • Make Learning Mobile in High School Physics  CANCELED

      • CD04
      • Mon 07/30, 7:30PM - 7:40PM
      • by Eric Walters
      • Type: Contributed
      • The iPad (as well as the iPhone and iPod Touch) offers physics educators the opportunity to rethink and reimagine our curriculum from a mobile perspective. This workshop will review the development and implementation of the Marymount School Mobile Learning in Physics Initiative, which has successfully integrated the iPad and iPod Touch into the Physics curriculum. Participants will review a variety of pedagogically sound learning opportunities, including iPad-based "Apptivities" that connect Apps such as Graphicus and Vect Calc to existing content found on the Web and on iTunesU; student-produced "virtual lab reports" using Vernier Video Analysis, iMovie for iOS5 and Numbers for iOS5; use of the iPod Touch in AP Physics as a classroom response system; and the publication of iBooks, using the iBooks Author App by students and teachers to support and extend the learning process. Strategies for assessment will be included; samples of student and teacher products will also be reviewed.
      • Online Video Analysis in HTML5*

      • CD05
      • Mon 07/30, 7:40PM - 7:50PM
      • by Robert Teese
      • Type: Contributed
      • The LivePhoto Physics project is creating a series of short online tutorials, called Interactive Video Vignettes, that combine narrative videos with video analysis and other interactive segments. The vignettes will run on a wide variety of platforms including both mobile devices and desktop computers. After surveying and testing available and emerging technologies for creating vignettes, we chose HTML5 and Javascript. We are using the techniques of software engineering to set up a framework for ongoing software development. The use of a touch-based rather than a mouse-based interface on mobile devices created special problems for designing the video analysis segments. The first vignette will be demonstrated and the development process described.
      • Using Screencasting and Voicethreading to Alter High School Student Roles

      • CD06
      • Mon 07/30, 7:50PM - 8:00PM
      • by Ben Van Dusen
      • Type: Contributed
      • This physics education research study investigates how a high school physics class responds to the inclusion of a classroom set of iPads and associated applications, such as screencasting and voicethreading. The participatory roles of students and the norms and practices of the collective class community were examined. Findings suggest that classroom norms of practices were expanded through the use of iPad technology, to include increased roles of argumentation and collaboration. Findings also suggest that students were more likely to take leadership roles and teaching responsibilities within the technologically enriched classroom, ultimately allowing them to learn more physics. Videos, observations, interviews, and survey responses were analyzed to provide insight into the nature of these transformed classroom and student practices. Implications for the use of technology to engage students in physics will be discussed. Conjectures will be made about how the iPad-assisted learning differs from that of desktop or laptop computers.