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Sessions & Panels
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Bridge and Dual Enrollment Programs with HBCUs and MSIs
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A New Way of Enhancing Diversity in Applied Physics
- DA01
- Tue 01/08, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- by Cagliyan Kurdak
- Type: Invited
- In 2010, the University of Michigan Applied Physics Program launched a Master's degree bridge program designed to prepare students from underrepresented groups for doctoral studies in interdisciplinary research in applied physics, physical sciences and engineering. The program currently has a cohort of seven graduate students and is fully integrated without PhD program. In this talk, I will share some of our best practices that can be used by other programs that are interested in enhancing diversity.
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Building Partnerships to Increase the Success of Underrepresented Minorities in Physics
- DA02
- Tue 01/08, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Vivian Incera
- Type: Invited
- I will describe the coordinated efforts between UTEP and several Degree Granting Institutions (DGIs) to develop a model of partnerships between Underrepresented Minority Institutions and DGIs to increase the number of underrepresented minority students finishing with a master or doctorate degree in physics. The main idea is to develop a well-structured mentoring and supporting model between the participating institutions that can be suitable for partnerships between institutions that are not necessarily geographically close and that has the potential to be institutionalized for sustainable impact.
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Mentoring and Networking in the Fisk/Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program
- DA03
- Tue 01/08, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Arnold Burger
- Type: Invited
- We briefly review the current status of underrepresented minorities in thephysical sciences: The underrepresentation of Black-, Hispanic-, and Native-Americans is an order of magnitude problem. We then describe the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge program as a successful model for effective partnerships with minority-serving institutions toward addressing this problem. Since 2004 the program has admitted 60 students, 54 of them underrepresented minorities (60% female), with a retention rate of 92%. The program has become the nation's top producer of underrepresented minority PhDs in physics, astronomy, and materials science. Moreover the program leads the nation in master's degrees in physics for African Americans, and is one of the top 10 producers of physics master's degrees among all U.S. citizens in general. We summarize the main features of the program including two of its core strategies: (1) partnering a minority-serving institution and a major research university through collaborative research, and (2) using the master's degree as a deliberate stepping stone to the PhD. We also specifically discuss the emerging core theories of the program, including (a) the concept of selecting students with high "performance character," and (b) monitoring the "second derivative" of performance. We discuss our methods to recognize and select for high performance character during the admissions process, and how we cultivate that unrealized potential toward development of successful scientists and leaders.
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AP Physics 1&2 Curriculum Frameworks
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AP Physics 1&2 Curriculum Frameworks
- EF
- Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
- by Martha Lietz
- Type: Panel
- A panel presentation and discussion of the curriculum frameworks for the new AP Physics exams. Members of the AP Physics 1 and 2 Curriculum Development and Assessment Committees (CDACs) will present information about the newly released curriculum frameworks for those courses. There will also be time for a question and answer session. Panel members will include Connie Wells, Deborah Roudebush, Gay Stewart, Scott Beutlich and other members of the CDACs who may be present at the meeting.
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Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall
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Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall
- EXH04
- Mon 01/07, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
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- Type: Exhibit Hall
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Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall
- EXH07
- Tue 01/08, 3:15PM - 3:45PM
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- Type: Exhibit Hall
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Apparatus Gumbo
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A Common "Cents" Lab Activity
- EC01
- Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 7:00PM
- by Duane Deardorff
- Type: Contributed
- This simple laboratory activity provides a basic introduction to measurements and their uncertainties while challenging students to use critical thinking and reasoning skills. By taking measurements of mass, diameter, and the thickness of pennies, students calculate the average density of these coins and often find that their results do not agree with other students or the theoretical value based on the metal composition. These discrepancies motivate students to reconsider the accuracy and precision of their measurements along with their "common sense" assumptions.
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The Massometer: Measuring Mass and Understanding Inertia
- EC02
- Tue 01/08, 7:00PM - 7:10PM
- by Tucker Hiatt
- Type: Contributed
- Mass lies at the heart of mechanics, and mechanics lies at the heart of physics. Inertia, and its quantitative measure as mass, is often the first truly novel and important idea encountered by students in introductory physics. Despite the importance of mass, no classroom tool exists to measure it directly. Such a tool would certainly NOT measure weight. It would measure the inertia of a test object by systematically accelerating that object. A MASSOMETER is a newly proposed device that measures mass by means of the "wiggle test." It uses simple harmonic motion to calculate an object's mass from the measured period of oscillation. A well-made massometer is gravity independent: it will work in any orientation, on any planet, and in deep space. Of course, what's most important is the massometer's ability to measure mass directly while demonstrating to students precisely what inertia really means.
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An Inexpensive Rotary Motion Sensor Students Can Build Themselves
- EC03
- Tue 01/08, 7:10PM - 7:20PM
- by Vadas Gintautas
- Type: Contributed
- Lessons and homework problems involving a pendulum are often a big part ofintroductory physics classes and laboratory courses from high school to undergraduate levels. Although laboratory equipment for pendulum experiments is commercially available, it is often expensive and may not be affordable for teachers on fixed budgets, particularly in developing countries. We present a low-cost, easy-to-build rotary motion sensor pendulum using the existing hardware in a ball-type computer mouse. The design is simple enough for students to build one at the start of a lab and use it to collect data the same day. We demonstrate how this apparatus may be used to measure both the frequency and coefficient of damping of a simple physical pendulum. This easily constructed laboratory equipment makes it possible for all students to have hands-on experience with one of the most important simple physical systems. Furthermore, this apparatus provides a unique experience of building a measurement instrument as part of the lesson.
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Charles Grafton Page and His Shocking Coil
- EC04
- Tue 01/08, 7:20PM - 7:30PM
- by Thomas Greenslade, Jr.
- Type: Contributed
- Charles Grafton Page (1812-1865) was the first American who worked as a full-time electrical experimenter and inventor. Among the instruments that he developed in the late 1830s was the ancestor of the induction coil. This consisted of what we would now call a step-up transformer, with an interrupter in series with the primary coil to produce the necessary pulsating voltage signal. The example in my collection dates from the 1860s and was listed as a "vibrating shocker" in the 1860 catalogue of E.S. Ritchie of Boston. The 1842 edition of Daniel Davis's "Manual of Magnetism" includes it in the section on medical electricity. Devices like this are the precursors of the induction coil whose use led to the discovery of the electron and x rays.
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Faraday Rotation as a Lecture Demonstration
- EC05
- Tue 01/08, 7:30PM - 7:40PM
- by Dale Stille
- Type: Contributed
- Faraday rotation experiments, plane-polarized light through a sample beingrotated by some angle when a magnetic field is applied, have long been a staple of most advanced physics laboratory curriculums but have been plagued by high costs, size, fragility, or operating difficulties of the components used. Technological advances in the areas of diode laser pointers, high strength permanent magnets, and readily available metal doped glass samples, combined with dramatic price decreases for these components now make this experiment easy and suitable for not only any advanced laboratory but also as a lecture demonstration. We will describe the apparatus that we made here at the University of Iowa and how we use it during lectures.
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Series and Parallel: No Longer Just for Resistors
- EC06
- Tue 01/08, 7:40PM - 7:50PM
- by Tibi Dragoiu-Luca
- Type: Contributed
- What happens to the length of time that batteries are useful when placed in series and parallel? This question can be asked, and answered, IN THE LAB! This talk will discuss the series of labs that gives students a working knowledge of the benefits and shortcomings of placing batteries in series and parallel within a working device like a calculator or flashlight. Taking an energy perspective when answering this question allows for understanding that is less theoretical, and more enduring, than traditional methods of instruction.
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What's The Difference? A New Look at Electricity From a Battery's Perspective
- EC07
- Tue 01/08, 7:50PM - 8:00PM
- by John Lewis
- Type: Contributed
- Let's face it, our students will purchase and use many more batteries thanresistors in their lifetime and yet traditional studies in electricity have an inordinate focus on resistors in series and parallel. This Lab Sequence focuses on the energy provided by C, D, AA, and AAA cells, the current and potential difference provided to the circuit, the power of each cell, the amount of energy each can deliver, and the cost of energy provided by such devices.
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Who's at Fault?
- EC08
- Tue 01/08, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
- by Michelle Strand
- Type: Contributed
- Students know all about car crashes, but aren't always aware how physics can be used to reconstruct the accident. In this lab, students take measurements at a simulated crash, talk to witnesses, and use their physics knowledge in teams to determine who was at fault in the accident.
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Writing a Graphite Variable Resistor
- EC09
- Tue 01/08, 8:10PM - 8:20PM
- by David Venne
- Type: Contributed
- Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, is an exotic new material that has been shown to be stronger than diamond and conduct electricity better than copper. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for being the first to obtain single layer graphene. Students in a middle or high school classroom can repeat this groundbreaking experiment without a million- dollar lab facility. The "scotch tape" experiment can be expanded upon by constructing a variable resistor on a CD disc by connecting two Cu electrodes with a battery and a light emitting diode (LED). The CD circuit is used to demonstrate the concept of variable resistance by scribing a pencil between two Cu leads. The LED is turned on once the transferred graphite pieces complete the circuit. The light emission dims as the graphite layers are erased.
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A Low-cost Method To Measure the Speed of Sound
- EC10
- Tue 01/08, 8:20PM - 8:30PM
- by David Kardelis
- Type: Contributed
- The science equipment suppliers offer a nice apparatus to measure the speed of sound using a water column. While this is a nice device, it is relatively expensive, difficult to store, and the students usually make a mess in the classroom. A low-cost alternative to this device will be shown. The device, made out of readily available PVC pipe, has several advantages. Both open and closed pipe resonances can be used. The pipe can be easily expanded to use lower frequency waves and several of the setups can be stored in a small space.
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Astronomy and Earth Science as a Context for Education Research
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Teaching Astronomy Inspired by Education Research
- BD01
- Mon 01/07, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Janelle Bailey
- Type: Invited
- You've heard about astronomy education research (AER). You think somethingabout this might be able to inform your own teaching. But how can you learn about this field without being overwhelmed? What critical background information do you need to know to be able to use research results in your own classroom? Perhaps you want to conduct your own research and contribute to this growing area but don't know where to begin. Focusing on the astronomy or earth science instructor who isn't doing AER but wants to understand the field as a way of improving your teaching, this talk will present an overview of these questions (and their answers!), enlighten you about helpful resources, and prepare you for some of the ideas discussed in the next two papers in the session.
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Teaching Astronomy as Knowledge Construction
- BD02
- Mon 01/07, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Doug Lombardi
- Type: Invited
- You have probably heard about it: constructivism -- or more simply studentknowledge construction. Although there are many variants of constructivism, a basic tenant is that students are active (e.g., cognitively active) learners seeking to make meaning. Constructivist instructional practices are often thought of as "student-centered." Active student knowledge construction is often pitted against the more traditional didactic -- or "teacher-centered" -- instruction. Despite the call from educational research for instructors to incorporate learner-centered strategies into the classroom, didactic methods persist, perhaps due the perceived efficiency of direct information transmission. This presentation will discuss some research-based examples of effective instructional strategies that promote knowledge construction and deep learning about astronomy topics. You do not need to fear constructivism anymore!
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Teaching Problem-solving and Reasoning in Astro101
- BD03
- Mon 01/07, 3:00PM - 3:30PM
- by Thomas Foster
- Type: Invited
- Astronomy is a captivating science, and to be a science it must be taught as more than pretty pictures. For example, the color of the "leading" edges of spiral arms is blue, but why? And for how long? Do you ask these probing questions? Do the students know what is expected for an answer? Science demands evidence-based reasoning, solving problems from basic principles, and the use of mathematics. As an astronomy teacher, you might be imagining your course enrollment plummeting with each of those words. What percentage of students will drop the course because I said "math"? Ironically, it is exactly that type of thinking students should be getting out of their science classes, but don't. This presentation will give a few suggestions on how to teach your students principle-driven, evidence-supported answers. Given that astronomy is captivating, perhaps it is the perfect class to slip in some scientific thinking.
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Best Practices in Educational Technology
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Using Open Source Physics, Moodle and iPads to Teach Astronomy
- EB01
- Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 7:20PM
- by Mario Belloni
- Type: Invited
- At Davidson College we have redesigned our introductory astronomy course to include a wider variety of media and a laboratory for the fall of 2012. This talk will focus on three innovations: Open Source Physics (OSP) programs and tools, Moodle, and iPads. Specifically, we have created simulations and curricular material to aide in the teaching of astronomy from a historical perspective and have organized them within ComPADRE and Moodle. We also use Moodle to deliver Just-in-Time Teaching and in-class peer instruction questions as well as content for blended learning. New computer-based laboratories that use Tracker video analysis to measure angular speed to determine the sidereal day and the solar rotation rate are presented. In this talk we show how to obtain and use our material and propose possible future improvements. The Open Source Physics Project is supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-0442581).
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iPods and iPads in the Laboratory and Classroom
- EB02
- Tue 01/08, 7:20PM - 7:50PM
- by Ian Bearden
- Type: Invited
- In the past two years, we have been experimenting with the use of iPods and iPads in both our introductory mechanics and our advanced laboratory courses. This talk will present some of the experiments our students have done as well as a discussion of the efficacy of using such devices. At present, we are producing a custom "teaching app" that aims to increase student understanding of gravitation through hands on "experimentation" with Lagrange points in the Earth Sun system. The app, together with preliminary results of its efficacy in the classroom, will be presented. Finally, we will show other potentially novel uses of these devices in teaching and communicating physics.
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Tweak your Labs with Arduino Microcontrollers
- EB03
- Tue 01/08, 7:50PM - 8:20PM
- by Eric Ayars
- Type: Invited
- The development of new easily programmed microcontroller systems such as the Arduino has opened a whole new world of opportunity in the area of educational physics lab equipment. Now teachers can build new lab equipment, and modify existing lab equipment, so that it does exactly what they want it to do for their class. I'll present several examples of the versatility and power of Arduinos in the teaching lab, with applications to courses ranging from first-semester physics to senior lab.
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Easy Java Simulations Meets Moodle, Arduino, and (Walks Towards) the iPad
- EB04
- Tue 01/08, 8:20PM - 8:50PM
- by Francisco Esquembre
- Type: Invited
- Easy Java Simulations (EJS) is a modeling and authoring tool that helps teachers and students create interactive simulations of physics processes. We show in this talk some new additions to EJS that help integrate EJS applets with online courses and laboratory activities. In particular, we show how to embed EJS generated applets into Moodle courses, including communication of the applet with the Moodle file repository and collaborative learning. We also show how EJS simulations can send and receive data to/from a number of laboratory equipment such as Arduino and Phidgets (and others to come). Finally, we show work in progress that reuses EJS architecture for tablets. This work will eventually help us quickly port existing EJS simulations at ComPADRE into tablets supporting Javascript and HTML5, such as the iPad and Android tablets.
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Broader Perspectives: Technology in the Classroom
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Technology in the Classroom: A 5,000 Year Old Tradition
- FD01
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 1:30PM
- by Noah Finkelstein
- Type: Invited
- We present a broad framing of technology in the classroom beginning with atheoretical framework for understanding the social and cognitive aspects of student learning that are supported by technology. This framework delineates essential characteristics of technology as a tool: its role in mediating (inter)action, its embedded affordances and constraints, and the roles of context and recursive interaction in social practice. This framework is applied and demonstrated in the examination of one of the most wide-spread science education tools, interactive PhET simulations, which boasts roughly 50M uses across the globe this year. We examine the creation and application of technology in the classroom, focusing on research-based outcomes resulting from both intentional (a priori) and emergent approaches to technology design and use. With the audience, we explore the application of this framework for emerging technologies in education, such as MOOCs and flipped classrooms.
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Design-based Research in Classroom and University with Mobile Devices
- FD02
- Wed 01/09, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- by André Bresges
- Type: Invited
- University of Cologne encourages learning in small workgroups, but is sensitive to meet standards for expected outcome. Solution is a Learning Management System to prepare workgroups and provide data-driven feedback. Prior and following workgroup meetings, students perform mandatory electronic quizzes. The results are discussed in tutor preparation courses, identifying both students' misunderstandings and weaknesses of the lecture. This guides the planning of the groupwork. Process of individual groups is weekly discussed based on results and on supervision. Thus, teacher education students are encouraged to view evaluation not as device for grading, but as a key to develop better lessons. This experience is anchor to follow-up project learning courses. In the Design Based Research project "Planetary Research with iPads" quizzes, supporting material and activities are aggregated into an iBook. Teacher education students design the iBook, guide and evaluate student's activities, and adapt the iBook to meet the design targets.
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Evaluation of SLOOH Space Telescope for Educational Merit
- FD03
- Wed 01/09, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by Daniel Gershun
- Type: Contributed
- Current literature on Internet-controlled telescopes illustrates a technology showing great promise for providing a student-centered, inquiry-based learning environment. To further investigate this emerging technology, we developed a study to determine the academic feasibility of using SLOOH in formal education. This mixed-methods study looks at nine in-service teachers who used SLOOH Telescope (www.slooh.com) during two weeks of an eight-week summer online course on observational astronomy. Inductive analysis of interviews and surveys reveals five categories which describe the most important aspects of the SLOOH experience according to participants: "Images," "Interface," "Classroom Application," "Instructor Impact," and "Logistical Issues." While there are both positive and negative aspects of this particular internet-telescope, analysis suggests that the limiting factor for successful implementation in any classroom pertains to how the technology is incorporated. When properly addressed, SLOOH Telescope can have the potential to capture student interests and engage them in the learning process.
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Interactive Peer Assessment and the Online CPR System
- FD04
- Wed 01/09, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
- by Jeff Funkhouser
- Type: Contributed
- This talk will describe an interactive student peer assessment process conducted within an AP Physics course using released AP Physics materials from AP Central (1) and how that same experience translates to the UCLA Calibrated Peer Review (2) system. Students are introduced to the idea of rubric creation and rubric use in evaluating student free response questions on unit tests and then undertake an exercise to score their peers' papers anonymously. Students determine final scores for all papers through a negotiation process relating student work to the accepted rubric. Reliability of student outcomes to teacher scoring is presented. Students then undertake a similar process using the CPR system which uses an independent calibration process to rate scorer effectiveness before students randomly score each other's papers and then their own original submissions using the entered rubric. Again, teacher scoring of student submissions is compared to student scoring to evaluate accuracy.
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Interactive Video Vignettes in Introductory Physics
- FD05
- Wed 01/09, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
- by David Jackson
- Type: Contributed
- Interactive Video Vignettes are short, single-topic video expositions thatincorporate narration, real-world experiments, and video-analysis activities. A series of these web-delivered vignettes are currently being developed by the LivePhoto Physics Group and are designed to supplement textbook readings as pre-lecture or pre-laboratory activities. Each vignette is under 10 minutes in length and focuses on a single concept to help students overcome common misconceptions and gain mastery of the topic. So far, three vignettes have been produced and tested in introductory physics courses at several colleges and universities. Details of these vignettes will be discussed along with our plans to develop additional vignettes and to determine their impact on student learning.
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Online Social Homework Forum, Incubating Innovative Educational Technology
- FD06
- Wed 01/09, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Chuhee Kwon
- Type: Contributed
- The Social Homework (SHW) is an online, Facebook-style forum where students collaborate in small groups to solve problems with timely feedback provided by peers and instructors. A team of faculty in Physics & Astronomy and Science Education at California State University Long Beach began the project in fall 2011. Starting with an open source forum software, a number of modifications and customizations were made, incorporating formative evaluation, to facilitate student groups and provide participation statistics. The SHW interface (for both students and instructor) will be discussed, as well as an account of the incubation and development of this innovative educational technology.
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Physics Learning Enhanced by Student Creation of MATLAB GUI Tools
- FD07
- Wed 01/09, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
- by Thomas Finke
- Type: Contributed
- For the past seven years Trinity School has been teaching all high school juniors and seniors on three campuses to program in MATLAB. Students write their own code which helps make mathematical manipulations and conceptual ideas concrete. Our approach focuses on the construction of GUI tools-student created computational models of physical phenomena which include a graphical user interface (GUI).[1] This allows students to easily vary values using sliders and text boxes and thereby explore the behavior of the physical system being modeled. This in turn helps in shaping and refining physical intuition. Student-written computational models can also be integrated with laboratory data. We introduce basic numerical techniques that enable the GUI Tools to include nonideal effects like aerodynamic drag, which are often difficult to model analytically. We will describe the structure of our pedagogical approach and show examples of student work.
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Understanding the Electronic Passport: Introducing RFID Technology to German Physics Education
- FD08
- Wed 01/09, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
- by William Lindlahr
- Type: Contributed
- The "Radio Frequency Identification" (RFID) technology is increasingly being used in almost all areas of our modern life. It enables unique identification not only of objects and animals, but even of people ? often without us being aware of it. The applications range from the electronic immobilizer in cars to the recognition of people using smart cards or electronic passports. Development is extremely fast and many novel applications are in preparation, for example as replacement for barcodes. We developed an interdisciplinary physics education project for teaching the functionality and relevance of RFID technology by using data and energy transmission via electromagnetic induction and resonant circuits. After a short presentation on the physics principles of RFID technology, the students construct their own RFID chip cards. By using and analyzing these, they understand how the technology works. In addition, they get to know current applications and reflect on threads of RFID systems.
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Careers in Physics: Alternatives to Academia
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Do Physics, Be Anything: Informing and Preparing Physics Students for their Future Careers
- GA01
- Wed 01/09, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
- by Crystal Bailey
- Type: Invited
- In our current era, society needs an increased representation of physicists in the workforce to help solve the growing number of societal and environment problems we collectively face. And even though a physics bachelor's degree opens the door to an incredible diversity of high-paying and rewarding careers, most physics students are only aware of academic career paths (having mostly encountered only physics professors during their lifetime). For most of these students, their path into physics begins in high school and undergraduate physics classes. Therefore, exposing students to solid career information at these early stages is essential for fostering a connection in students' minds between the abstract physics concepts they're learning and their real-world applications (which translate to job opportunities!). This talk will provide in-depth information about physics career paths outside of academia that are available to those with a bachelor's degree in physics, and will discuss how these options change as one moves through an advanced degree in physics. It will also provide information on resources for educators and mentors who are interested in sharing physics career information with those that they teach and advise.
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Careers and Curriculum: Lessons Learned from AIP's Career Pathways Project
- GA02
- Wed 01/09, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
- by Kendra Redmond
- Type: Invited
- Physics is often perceived as an academic major with no direct path to a job outside of academia, despite its high job placement rate and direct application to energy, medicine, computers, and many other high-tech areas. Since many physics bachelor's degree recipients look for jobs in their geographic region, departments that foster connections to the local STEM workforce and help students develop skills valued by that workforce may well increase their number of majors. The American Institute of Physics is in the midst of an NSF-funded research effort to visit departments that produce significant numbers of physics bachelor's degree recipients who successfully enter STEM employment within one year of graduation, in order to compile and disseminate effective practices for preparing physics students to enter the STEM workforce. This talk will present preliminary results from these site visits.
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Confessions of First-Year Faculty
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Confessions of First-Year Faculty
- FF
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 3:00PM
- by Andrew Mason
- Type: Panel
- "Being a first year physics faculty poses many challenges for which applicants are frequently not prepared when applying for a faculty position. We present a panel of recently hired junior faculty for discussion of this topic for the benefit of current graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career faculty. The panelists will discuss their respective hiring processes, as well as items for which they would have liked to have been more informed and/or better prepared in retrospect. A diverse range of academic institutions and backgrounds are represented on the panel, with the intent to address a wide range of academic career plans. Faculty members who anticipate being involved in upcoming hiring searches are also strongly encouraged to attend."
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Crackerbarrel on Program Guidelines and Learning Objectives
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Crackerbarrel on Program Guidelines and Learning Objectives
- CRK04
- Tue 01/08, 12:15PM - 1:15PM
- by Aaron Titus
- Type: Ckrbrl
- In this Crackerbarrel, participants will have an open, guided discussion on the value and need for professionally recommended college-level program guidelines, learning objectives, and course and program assessment. Physics departments are being asked to articulate learning objectives and measure student learning, and they are looking to professional organizations like AAPT and APS for guidance.
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Cultural Perspectives on Physics Education
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Italian IBL Cultural Perspective Designed Vertical Path on Electromagnetism
- BC01
- Mon 01/07, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Stefano Vercellati
- Type: Invited
- A research-based educational path on electromagnetism was experimented in different contexts (formal / informal) with students of different school levels (from primary to secondary school). In the framework of design-based research the learning path was developed as a corridor in vertical perspective, starting from an analysis of the theoretical framework of the classical electromagnetism and its historical foundation. This cultural perspective was implemented in IBL paths in which the experimental exploration takes an epistemic role in giving experience and meaning of what is an experiment in the physical culture, focusing on building the formal thinking and on the methodological aspects. Empirical research results of the intervention experiments carried out in Italy offer guidelines for teaching at different levels and in particular in secondary school.
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Comparing U.S. and Chinese High School Physics Teaching in Terms of the Use of Inquiry
- BC02
- Mon 01/07, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Sachiko Tosa
- Type: Contributed
- Inquiry-based teaching has been emphasized in the United States as well asin China. This study examines the extent to which inquiry-based teaching is practiced in Chinese high school physics in comparison with U.S. high schools. Data were collected through lesson observations and a teacher survey (N=19). Results show that both U.S. and Chinese teachers are well aware of the importance of inquiry-based teaching. However, in practice, little inquiry-based teaching was observed in the two countries by different reasons. U.S. physics lessons often lacked developing student understanding of physics concepts through thought-provoking questions, while many of the Chinese lessons failed to include opportunities for students to present and test their own ideas. Implications of the findings to improve teacher education in both countries are discussed.
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A Young Chinese Adult Non-Scientist's Epistemologies and Understandings of Speed
- BC03
- Mon 01/07, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
- by Ying Cao
- Type: Contributed
- In science education studies, researchers have thoroughly investigated theepistemologies held by students who are learning science (e.g., Hammer, 1994; Hammer, Elby, Scherr, & Redish, 2005). The research findings, however, have yet to be applied to individuals who are not currently enrolled in science classes. Additionally, these studies have primarily focused on individuals from Western cultures and who are native English speakers. In this paper I examine an individual with different characteristics to see whether the research claims in relation to students' epistemologies still apply. The findings show that previous theoretical frameworks can be used to explain the epistemologies of the individual examined in this study. The case suggests that the explanatory power of the theories may be extended to individuals regardless of the learner's science background, language, education experience, and cultural background. Tentative educational suggestions are proposed at the end of this paper.
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Helping Teachers Learn to Frame Classroom Discourse for Optimal Learning
- BC04
- Mon 01/07, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
- by Colleen Megowan-Romanowicz
- Type: Contributed
- In negotiating a classroom culture that values thinking over answer-getting, teachers must engage in "expectancy violation" with their students early and often in order to bring about new socio-scientific norms in their classroom. If they do not deliberately attend to culture building, the default culture (that values right answers, points, and A's) will certainly prevail. School is a game that students know how to play; to get them to play it a different way, we must change the game. Teachers enrolled in a content-intensive, sustainability-themed Middle School STEM Master of Natural Science program examine the cognitive science literature as they come to grips with the inherent challenges and opportunities that characterize the learning game in a discourse-intensive learning environment. They are learning to play a different game--the "Modeling Game" and in the process learning to negotiate a new cultural paradigm that moves students toward taking responsibility for collective sense-making.
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Effective Practices in Educational Technology
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Dynamic Timeline for High School Physics Courses
- AC01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:10AM
- by Mrinal Bali
- Type: Contributed
- An essential part of a teacher's planning for a course is a timeline--whatis taught when. An ideal timeline lists every task--lectures, labs, assessments, field trips--by date throughout an academic year; links tasks to clearly show what follows what or what is in parallel to what; makes dates not constant but variable if a planned lesson slips; automatically calculates new dates for subsequent tasks but according to the school's holiday calendar and the timetable of a class so that no date is assigned when teacher and class don't meet; flags clashes for lab resources shared between teachers; and also tracks secondary tasks such as scheduling a bus for a field trip. Such a dynamic timeline is possible with software that the engineering industry has been using for decades. This paper details the author's experience in adapting this industrial tool to planning his high school physics courses.
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Effective Use of the Slide Rule In the Physics Class
- AC02
- Mon 01/07, 8:10AM - 8:20AM
- by W. Ronald McCloskey
- Type: Contributed
- In our facility the students are vocational students and there is an immediate need to be skilled at reading scales of all kinds; tapes, steel rules, micrometers, calipers, meters of all kinds, etc. They arrive in physics class unable to quickly adjust to various scale divisions. Using electronic calculators, students tend to NOT take responsibility for their answers. They often respond "That's what the calculator read!" They often give no thought to the order of magnitude of their answer. Most of the physics students have little skill in estimating anything. They have not had to practice estimating. The slide rule addresses much of what the student needs to succeed. 1. Reading varying scales is required and the physic student must think about that many times per class. 2. Estimating their expected answer is required since the slide rule does not provide anything but significant figures. 3. Physics students must take responsibility for their answers since they must place the decimal point (not having an electronic calculator do it for them) 4. The power of tens eventually becomes second nature to the slide rule user.
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Cosmology for Nonscience Majors by Using Web-based Apps
- AC03
- Mon 01/07, 8:20AM - 8:30AM
- by Daniel Smith Jr.
- Type: Contributed
- Cosmology needs demonstrations and simulations for teaching just as other sciences because almost everyone is curious about the origin, contents, structure, and fate of the universe. Such instructional aids should partly lift the veil from a scientific process that seems mysterious enough that many people believe discoveries in cosmology to be arbitrary pronouncements. To help explain the discoveries of dark matter, dark energy, and inflation, several apps have been developed that run in a browser with the free Mathematica plug-in.
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A College-Wide iPad Pilot Group: Learning From Other Departments
- AC04
- Mon 01/07, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
- by Kendra Sibbernsen
- Type: Contributed
- A group of faculty members was invited to participate in a pilot project to use iPads in classes at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, NE. Through monthly meetings, classroom results with varying degrees of success were shared among members of the group. Some of the best ideas for using the technology in the classroom came from unexpected places, such as the automotive department and culinary arts. Some of these apps and techniques for using tablets in innovative ways in the physics or physical science classroom will be presented in this talk.
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One Decade of Evolution in Introductory Calculus-Based Physics at UW
- AC05
- Mon 01/07, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
- by R. Daryl Pedigo
- Type: Contributed
- Large introductory physics lectures have become the norm at many universities, despite evidence that traditional lectures are ineffective for conceptual learning. Various sessions outside the lecture hall, such as innovative labs and tutorials, are widely employed to supplement lectures, and innovative lecture methods are slowly replacing traditional lectures. But resources for such efforts, and for aiding, assessing and grading students, have remained fixed or diminished in the face of increased enrollments. Is it possible to deliver a quality learning experience to hundreds of students taught in different lecture sections by different faculty despite today's financial climate? I report on the evolution of the introductory physics sequence at UW from 2002-2012, including: extensive use of online materials and technology for lecture, lab and tutorial; common midterm exams; and pooled grading across lecture sections.
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Central Force Model and Oscillating Particle Model through Halo Video Game
- AC06
- Mon 01/07, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
- by Igor Proleiko
- Type: Contributed
- This paper follows paper presented at the Summer meeting, further exploring Modeling methodology throught data collected within the Halo video game universe. Particular attention is given to the Central Force Model and Ocsillating particle Model, the topics of future study are being discussed. The longer term goal is to support the entire Modeling curriculum through video games universe.
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A Course in Physics for Video Games
- AC07
- Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
- by Aaron Titus
- Type: Contributed
- In 2012, I created a physics course for nonscience majors called "Physics for Video Games." The course combines experiments, theory, and video game development using VPython. Physics content includes a subset of topics in classical mechanics, such as kinematics, reference frames and relative motion, Newton's laws, inelastic and elastic collisions, and conservation of momentum. For each topic, there is an experiment and programming activity. Many of the resulting programs resemble classic arcade-style games like Pong, Breakout, Space Invaders, Frogger, Lunar Lander, and Asteroids, for example. An outline of physics topics and examples of experiments and programming activities will be presented.
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Our Student's Love Tests
- AC08
- Mon 01/07, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
- by Stephen Collins
- Type: Contributed
- Highly positive student reactions to their course and assessment structurehave encouraged Stephen Collins (author of socraticbrain.com) and Matt Owen (author of "Just tell me the answer" blog) to describe their integrated algebra and physics course for Freshmen at Lusher Charter School (New Orleans). Their unique approach fuses modeling and student centered dialog with technology-enabled Standards-Based Assessment and Reporting. Students take charge of their own learning through online practice and video instruction and complete assessments at their own pace.
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Exhibit Hall
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Exhibit Hall Open
- EXH02
- Mon 01/07, 10:00AM - 6:00PM
-
- Type: None
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Exhibit Hall Open
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Exhibit Hall Open
- EXH05
- Tue 01/08, 10:00AM - 4:00PM
-
- Type: Exhibit Hall
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Exhibit Hall Opening
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Exhibit Hall Opening
- EXH01
- Sun 01/06, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
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- Type: None
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History and Practice in Musical Acoustics
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The Physics of the Piano and How We Study It
- FC01
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 1:30PM
- by Thomas Moore
- Type: Invited
- It has now been over 300 years since the invention of the piano, however, we are still investigating the details of the physics involved in producing its characteristic sound. This presentation will focus on the physics of the piano as well as the techniques used to study it, and will highlight both well-established and more recent developments. Although early studies relied almost exclusively on analysis of the sound, recently electronic speckle pattern interferograms of the sound board, laser Doppler vibrometry of the bridge motion, and high speed photography of the hammer motion have lent considerable insight into the underlying physics. Both the techniques and the insight they provide will be discussed.
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The Progression of Percussion Research: From Chladni to the Present
- FC02
- Wed 01/09, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- by Andrew Morrison
- Type: Invited
- Drums are among the most ancient of all musical instruments and have been found in nearly all cultures across the world. This presentation will cover a selection of major investigations of the acoustics of percussion instruments by a variety of scientists throughout history. Ernst Chladni's efforts to characterize the vibration of plates is well known to the physics teacher and often replicated by physics students in the laboratory. Other scientists who made early contributions to the understanding of percussion instruments include Lord Rayleigh and C. V. Raman. Rayleigh's observations of the acoustics of the kettledrum and bells represented only a fraction of his contributions to acoustics. Raman, who was better known for his work in spectroscopy, made detailed studies of the traditional Indian drum, the tabla. Modal analysis techniques have evolved significantly in recent years. This presentation will include an overview of modern techniques for studying percussion instruments.
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Ultrasound Imaging of Vocal Tract Configuration in Clarinet Playing
- FC03
- Wed 01/09, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by Joshua Gardner
- Type: Contributed
- Vocal tract configuration is an integral, acoustically coupled component of successful clarinet performance. The exact mechanics are however difficult to describe or visualize due to the concealed nature of the system during performance. Music teachers have used vowels to help shape the tongue, yet vowel shapes only approximate the correct tongue shapes as required by different airflow conditions. Ultrasound imaging offers a non-invasive method for imaging the tongue during performance, allowing the examination of performance tongue shape and motion in real-time. Since ultrasound images a single slice of tissue approximately 2 mm thick and the transducer can be stabilized relative to the cranium, measurements of the tongue surface can be taken for quantitative analysis. This presentation includes a live demonstration of ultrasound as a viable means for investigating performance tongue shapes, while revealing key shapes in real-time.
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History and Strengthening of Physics Departments at HBCUs
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Targeted Infusion and Enhancement of the Physics Program at Howard University
- AG01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:30AM
- by Prabhakar Misra
- Type: Invited
- The presentation will provide an overview of the programs and innovations currently under way to increase student retention and enrollment in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Howard University. The targeted infusion effort involves upgrading of instructional facilities, offering peer student stipends for tutorial programs, and making available student-centered recruitment scholarships. The expected outcome will be better-prepared students completing courses in a timely manner and an enhanced learning experience within the department. Such targeted initiatives will help address both retention and enrollment of physics majors and also help expand the department's outreach efforts.
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The Development of Physics at Spelman College
- AG02
- Mon 01/07, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by Derrick Hylton
- Type: Invited
- Spelman College is an HBCU for women with approximately 2100 students. This talk will highlight the history of the Physics Department at Spelman College from its beginning in 1991 to the present. We focus on the increase from one to five faculty members, the growth of physics research, and the creation of curricula based on physics education research, as well as some of the plans for the future. We will also discuss the building of an environment that serves our students well and lessons learned in our development that will be useful to others in attracting and retaining students that are members of under-represented groups.
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Physics at the Mico University College -- -Jamaica's Oldest HCBU
- AG03
- Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Patrick Stephens
- Type: Invited
- This presentation gives a brief history of the Mico University College, often described as the oldest teacher training institution in the Western Hemisphere. It then seeks to locate the Teaching of Physics at this institution within that historical context including a review of the physics curriculum changes over time. The present physics curriculum is discussed and its structure, emphases, and objectives are highlighted along with some of the major problems encountered in its delivery. Plans for the future development of Physics Teaching at the institution are also presented.
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Physics at Xavier
- AG04
- Mon 01/07, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
- by Frank Wesselmann
- Type: Invited
- Xavier University of Louisiana is the only Catholic HBCU in the country, and it is a private institution. This creates a very unique campus environment and comes with a similarly unique set of challenges. Yet, Xavier routinely ranks highest in the nation in the number of African Americans earning Bachelor degrees in physics. I will present an overview of our programs, our department, and the university to illustrate our approach and methods.
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How to Gear an Introductory Physics Course Toward Allied Health Majors
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Teaching Physics for Allied Health Science Students
- DG01
- Tue 01/08, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- by Rod Milbrandt
- Type: Invited
- Many allied health sciences including radiology require a general physics course as a prerequisite or as part of the program of study. Designing such a course means taking into account the sometimes conflicting requests from the program leaders while keeping the class coherent. As a two-year college in the same town as the Mayo Clinic, this course is an important one on our campus. The way we've approached this class will be discussed along with some of the challenges and opportunities involved. In addition I'll try to look at the question of "what do they need' from a medical physicist perspective; I was trained in medical physics and have kept a toehold in that world.
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Teaching Nuclear Physics to Health Professions Students
- DG02
- Tue 01/08, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Jeff Bryan
- Type: Invited
- Teaching nuclear physics at a four-year comprehensive university to students with minimal background in physical science and math can be challenging. Two health professions majors dominate student populations in our nuclear science classes: nuclear medicine technology and radiation therapy. Their degree programs only require college algebra and introductory science before the students take nuclear science courses. This presentation will discuss ways of overcoming these challenges while enhancing student learning. Teaching methods and tools, as well as assessment results, will be presented. Specifically, the development of a textbook (1) for teaching nuclear science at the sophomore level and the evolution of our teaching laboratories will be discussed.
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Sonography and Physics Classroom Crossover Part II
- DG03
- Tue 01/08, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Erick Agrimson
- Type: Contributed
- The Physics Department at St. Catherine University has been offering Physics for the Health Sciences for over 10 years. Of the students who have taken the course, well over 60% were, or are, involved in an Allied Health emphasis. One of the many ways we have adapted the course is to include ultrasound physics. Not only do we talk about waves, but also about phenomena in the optics section that have ultrasonic similarities i.e. refraction, edge artifact and wave interference. We also make connections between electrical resistance and hemodynamics in the course. Since I teach the physics course that the students in the ultrasound sequence take, I will talk about the advantages of the physics and ultrasound physics crossover and how it benefits all of our Allied Health majors.
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Two Levels of Introductory Physics for Allied Health
- DG04
- Tue 01/08, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
- by Nancy Beverly
- Type: Contributed
- Students preparing for Allied Health graduate programs, such as physical therapy, typically are required to take a two-semester, with laboratory, algebra-based introductory physics sequence. The Allied Health professions requiring an associate degree, such as occupational therapy assistant, typically require a one-semester, no lab, conceptual, introductory physics course. The curricular content of each of these courses, developed at Mercy College, focuses on human functioning appropriate to their respective student populations. Comparative examples will be presented.
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Integrated Labs in Conceptual Physics
- DG05
- Tue 01/08, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
- by Dyan Jones
- Type: Contributed
- Our Conceptual Physics course is currently structured as a three-credit course with no associated lab time and primarily serves students from the sports medicine department. This combination provides a unique opportunity to integrate a series of lab activities into the traditional lecture, and to create a biology-inspired set of experiences to help students see the connections of the physics content to their discipline. This talk will highlight the ways in which we go about integrating the labs and the result it has on the pedagogy of the class, including student surveys and observations on how class time is used.
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Implementation and Assessment of Physics by Inquiry
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The Effectiveness of Physics by Inquiry to Teach the Cause of Moon Phases
- AH01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:30AM
- by Kathy Trundle
- Type: Invited
- This investigation compared the effectiveness of the Physics by Inquiry Astronomy by Sight instruction at achieving desired conceptual change among early childhood preservice teachers (n = 157). Three different treatments employed the Physics by Inquiry instruction on moon phases and used data students collected from: (1) a planetarium software program, Starry Night, (2) nature observations and Starry Night, or (3) nature observations alone. Data sources included drawings and intensive interviews. Non-parametric tests of significance revealed that pre- to post-instruction gains were significant for all three treatments across all concepts. The Starry Night-Only treatment demonstrated statistically greater gains for sequencing moon phases than the other two treatments. However, there were no significant differences among the three treatments in regard to participants' abilities to draw scientific moon shapes or in their conceptions of the causes of moon phases. Thus, the three treatments were equally effective in facilitating desired conceptual change.
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PbI as a First-Year Experience for Underprepared Physics Majors
- AH02
- Mon 01/07, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by James Moore
- Type: Invited
- A large percentage of freshman physics majors at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) enter underprepared in mathematics and scientific abilities. These students are otherwise talented, though lacking in preparation, and it is exactly these types of students that we should strive to retain within the STEM pipeline. In this talk, we will discuss the implementation and assessment of Physics by Inquiry (PbI) as a freshman first-year experience for our majors. We present an adaptation of the PbI curriculum that includes an explicit approach to scientific abilities and reasoning. Specifically, we discuss the implementation of pre-class micro-lectures, lab notebooks, and authentic research experiences at the end of major learning units. The combination of PbI with simulated cognitive apprenticeship experiences results in significant gains on the Lawson's Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning, greater retention, and increased success in the subsequent calculus-based introductory course.
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Effects of Inquiry-based Pedagogical Approaches on Student Learning
- AH03
- Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Jennifer Esswein
- Type: Invited
- Physics by Inquiry has been evolving at The Ohio State University for overtwo decades, starting from the University of Washington framework. The changing of national-level standards, equipment options, staff involvement, online possibilities, and experimental innovations have all played a role in the format of the current series of courses offered as a key part of K-12 teacher preparation. In addition, increased focus on relevant research in cognitive science and the development of higher order conceptual thinking has been used to optimize the impact on student reasoning, as well as the learning of core science concepts through various pedagogical approaches. Findings from multiple studies concerning various aspects of the inquiry-based instruction are presented showing impacts not only on students' content knowledge gain, but also changes in students' ability to reason scientifically.
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Using PbI to Teach Science as a Process
- AH04
- Mon 01/07, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
- by Karen Cummings
- Type: Invited
- Over the past decade I have used parts of the Physics by Inquiry curriculum (PbI) in a wide range of introductory physics courses. I consider the PbI introduction to electric circuits to be one of the most worthwhile and versatile piece of science curriculum available. From nonscience majors in a general education course to physics majors in a calculus-based course, students are shown to gain a firm conceptual understanding of the material. Equally important is that the PbI activities engage students at all levels in tasks directly related to critical thinking and the development of scientific models. In this talk I will present conceptual learning and attitudinal assessment results for a range of populations and justify the statements that I make above. I will call on our community to begin a more explicit and sustained dialog about appropriate goals for the science courses we offer to nonscience majors.
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Implementations of Physics for Future Presidents
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Advanced Pseudoscience
- CD01
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
- by Sadri Hassani
- Type: Contributed
- Pseudoscience such as the landing of aliens and Big Foot have their origins in the population at large. Advanced pseudoscience are purveyed by intellectuals and even taught at colleges and universities. In this talk, I look at some examples of advanced pseudoscience and discuss how to make our students aware of it as a way of making them more scientifically aware.
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Future Physics at Princeton University
- CD02
- Tue 01/08, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
- by Carolyn Sealfon
- Type: Contributed
- Since 2005, Physics 115: Future Physics has been offered as a science course for nonscientists who aspire to become influential citizens and decision-makers. Through a nontraditional organization of physics content inspired by Richard Muller's course, Physics for Future Presidents, we strive to challenge all students equally regardless of their high school physics backgrounds. Lectures, labs, problem sets, and a final project are designed to develop students' confidence and skills when applying quantitative and scientific reasoning to real-life situations. We have recently introduced interactive teaching methods, including pre-class assignments for Just-in-Time Teaching, ConcepTests, interactive lecture demonstrations, and group worksheets (tutorials) to practice quantitative skills. Assignments and discussions about the nature of science help us assess the criteria students use to evaluate the credibility of scientific claims, beyond relying on the authority of the source.
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Teaching Future Leaders to Ask the Right Questions
- CD03
- Tue 01/08, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
- by Gerald Feldman
- Type: Contributed
- Physics for Future Presidents (PffP) provides a good motivational framework to introduce non-science students to some basic physics knowledge and to develop analytical and problem-solving skills. We have offered PffP in the fall semesters of 2011 and 2012, and the course has attracted primarily political science and international affairs majors. We have built the course on three main pillars -- energy, nuclear and climate -- which covers about half of the chapters in the Muller textbook. The format of the course involves much interactive discussion, interspersed with simple calculations, as well as several writing assignments. Guest speakers visit the class for expert presentations on a variety of topics. The course also has a weekly lab/recitation session incorporating simple measurements. The primary objective of the course is to develop critical thinking skills and the ability to analyze situations semi-quantitatively. Ultimately, we want the students to cultivate a healthy skepticism and to know what questions to ask when confronted with a problem.
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Philosophy of Science in the Introductory Lab
- CD04
- Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
- by James Simmons
- Type: Contributed
- Often, a goal of college-level introductory science courses is to help students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the nature of science, and of scientific methods appropriate to that discipline. Explicit instruction in these subjects is necessary to develop a better understanding of these topics, but time is limited in an introductory course. This talk describes how careful reflection on aspects of scientific methods and on related issues from the philosophy of science can be integrated into common laboratory exercises.
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Basic Science Behind the Headlines
- CD05
- Tue 01/08, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
- by Sean Bentley
- Type: Contributed
- I will discuss my course "Basic Science Behind the Headlines." Designed not only to generate future presidents, but also more generally (and perhaps more importantly) to generate an electorate with a knowledge of science, the course alternates between learning about science from discussions based on readings in Muller's text to then discussing related issues that are found by the students in news articles. Each student is responsible for finding and posting a link on the class website to at least one article for every topic, with these articles being the basis for in-depth discussion. The class emphasizes the wide-reaching impacts of science and technology on our modern world, and how the issues of science, economics, culture, and politics are difficult to separate when exploring complex questions. The goal is to generate students who will become informed and critical thinkers in their actions related to technological issues throughout their lives.
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Best NYTimes Web-based Physics Applications
- CD06
- Tue 01/08, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
- by John Cise
- Type: Contributed
- For the past four years I have found over four hundred NYTimes articles with excellent applications of physics. They are located at: http://CisePhysics.homestead.com/files/NYT.htm. Articles are edited to fit on a one page word document. Good graphics are enhanced with my added graphics. Each page can serve as a stand alone: Introduction to a physics concept in class, quiz question, or used as student extra credit. Webpages contain: Edited NYTimes article containing a physics application, graphics, introduction, short questions for student solutions and answers to questions. Newer webpages are in PDF format and thus friendly to pc or apple computers. I will present my best NYTimes web physics applications rich in physics variables confirming physics concepts. http://CisePhysics.homestead.com/files/NYT.htm
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Insights and Benefits from Framing a Class as a Discourse Community
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Attending to the Development of a Physics Learning Community
- GC01
- Wed 01/09, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
- by Renee Michelle Goertzen
- Type: Invited
- Past research has demonstrated that students' sense of community is connected with their persistence, the rate at which they stay in college. We similarly expect that students' sense of community impacts whether they remain in their physics classes. We discuss the need to attend to students' sense of community and to the development of a physics learning community and we highlight the importance of both at Florida International University, a Hispanic serving institution. A goal of the reforms implemented by the Physics Education Research Group at FIU has been the establishment of multiple opportunities for entry into the physics learning community. These opportunities include classes using research-based curricula (Modeling Instruction and Investigative Science Learning Environment), a Learning Assistant program, and a growing cohort of physics majors.
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Progress Toward Disciplinary Pursuits in a Third-grade Class
- GC02
- Wed 01/09, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
- by David Hammer
- Type: Invited
- The PER community has come to recognize that learning physics is not only a matter of learning concepts. It is also a matter of taking up, understanding, and developing facility in the pursuits of the discipline, such as of replicable phenomena and of tangible explanations. In this talk we present video snippets from several weeks of children's inquiries about motion, in Sharon Fargason's third grade class, that show evidence of progress in these respects (Radoff, Goldberg, Hammer & Fargason, 2010; Hammer, Goldberg & Fargason, 2012). We suggest that part of the dynamics of this progress was in Sharon's attending and responding to the substance of the students' work, not only to what they were thinking but to what they were trying to do and how they were engaging with each other.
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Evidence Supporting Cycles of Pedagogical Change Through Cogenerative Localized Reform
- GC03
- Wed 01/09, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
- by Natan Samuels
- Type: Contributed
- We present evidence of a high school physics teacher adapting to, and expanding her understanding of her students' confidence, attitudes toward their physics problem solving ability, and whiteboard presentations. Pedagogical changes were observed through classroom videos, artifacts, and teacher interviews recorded during the instructor's semester-long use of the Cogenerative Mediation Process for Learning Environments (CMPLE) formative intervention. In CMPLE, students and instructors act as a discourse community to negotiate, develop, and implement changes to their classroom structure, based on their collective learning preferences. We use Activity Theory to identify the teacher's cyclical change process as 1) the questioning of her past actions and behavior patterns, 2) analyzing the current situation, 3) constructing a new model of behavior, 4) implementing the model, and 5) reflecting on her changes. Implications include reconceptualizing a physics teacher's increased agency as based in her participation in a shared localized reform effort with her students.
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To What Extent are TAs Providing Opportunities for Students to Engage in Discourse?
- GC04
- Wed 01/09, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
- by Cassandra Paul
- Type: Contributed
- Students in large lecture courses of 100 or more students are often provided with an opportunity to engage in discourse in smaller break-out sections of discussion or lab. These sections are often facilitated by graduate student teaching assistants (TAs). In this talk we describe a method for investigating the interactions TAs engage in with students in the classroom, and use this method to discuss the extent to which TAs in a long-standing interactive engagement physics course allow for student-student interactions to place.
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Researching and Presenting a Scientific Article in Sophomore and Junior Level Classes
- GC05
- Wed 01/09, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
- by Nina Abramzon
- Type: Contributed
- Because of the expense and amount of faculty time required, many undergraduate physics students will not have the opportunity to work under a mentor on original research. However, many of the key elements of undergraduate research can be incorporated into courses that are part of the standard undergraduate curriculum, making the benefits of research experience available to a broader audience of students. For example, in our modern physics and optics courses, we gave students the assignment to research and understand a scientific article from the American Journal of Physics, and finally critically discuss in a group presentation to their peers. We will describe this group research presentation experience and present results of student learning and attitude surveys from these courses.
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Instructional Labs that use Sound or Music
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Light as a Model for Fourier Analysis of Complex Sound Waves
- EG01
- Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 7:20PM
- by Heather Whitney
- Type: Invited
- 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.
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Visualizing the Doppler Effect
- EG02
- Tue 01/08, 7:20PM - 7:50PM
- by Tom Bauer
- Type: Invited
- Video recordings of moving objects from digital cameras or cell phones areconverted into *.wav type sound files. These recordings are turned into false color plots of frequency as a function of time by using fast Fourier transforms. The frequency shifts seen in these plots allow the velocity of the object to be determined. The trade offs between sampling frequency, sample time, and resolution will be discussed. The velocity of the object can be found from video analysis of the object and compared to the velocity determined from the sound analysis. Examples of student projects will include analysis of a campus police car, a flying model airplane, a rotating buzzer, and a singing rod. A link to working Matlab code that analyzes a *.wav sound file will be provided as well as an outline of the process needed to write your own code.
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Using Guitars and Loudspeakers to Explain Acoustics
- EG03
- Tue 01/08, 7:50PM - 8:20PM
- by Davin Huston
- Type: Invited
- Acoustics is hard for students to understand due to its invisible nature. Familiar explanations of acoustic phenomena can employ abstract concepts and high-level math, which can be difficult for students to grasp at a beginning level. An approach to help overcome these issues is to use intuitive examples based upon common experiences. From starting with using a simple pop bottle to demonstrate a Helmholtz resonator to building guitars and loudspeakers that demonstrate absorption, diffraction, and reflections in a hands-on fashion. These small-scale examples can be expanded to room acoustics for concert halls, or other large rooms, with little effort. These examples both supply the students with foundational understanding and knowledge about acoustics, but provide them with lasting information that can prove valuable to an audio/video systems designer, an acoustician, a musician, or simply a person who appreciates music.
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Elasticity and Sound Propagation; From the Kitchen to the Lab
- EG04
- Tue 01/08, 8:20PM - 8:30PM
- by Kenneth Pestka II
- Type: Contributed
- This work presents several simple, fun, and engaging introductory laboratories activities that explore the properties of elastic media and are suitable for physics and engineering students. These activities utilize household items such as plastic flatware (spoons, forks, etc.), marshmallows and other commonly found kitchen items in order to explore Hooke's law, Young's Modulus and shear modulus. In addition, sound speed and sound wave propagation, which are governed by the object's elastic properties, will also be discussed.
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Generalizing Musical Instruments
- EG05
- Tue 01/08, 8:30PM - 8:40PM
- by Wendy Adams
- Type: Contributed
- During the past two years we have developed and tested an exploratory lab entitled "How Music is Made" as part of the educational outreach efforts of the Acoustical Society of America. In this lab students make their own straw trombone and cup instrument. They use these instruments along with water bottles, their voices, and both an electric and acoustic guitar to investigate how music is made. Specifically they investigate the source of the sound, how to change the pitch, and how the sound is amplified. The objectives of the lab include understanding the difference between resonance and sympathetic vibration as well as participating in the scientific process with explicit discussion of what it means to do science.
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Visualization of Standing Sound Wave Using Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometer
- EG06
- Tue 01/08, 8:40PM - 8:50PM
- by Junehee Yoo
- Type: Contributed
- A low-cost electronics speckle pattern interferometer was built to visualize standing waves in a pipe. Since Moore (2004) reported the way to build a simple design for an electronic speckle pattern interferometer, many interferograms of vibrating solid bodies have been reported. But interferograms of standing sound waves are rare. A rectangular pipe with 35.5cm, 4.5cm, 4.5cm with transparent acryl was made and up to the 5th mode were observed by the built ESPI.
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Integrating Math & Science to Prepare Pre-College Teachers
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Physics & Geometry Activities for Pre-Service Middle School Teachers
- BE01
- Mon 01/07, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Paul Dolan, Jr.
- Type: Invited
- Where's the Geometry in Physics? What happens when both are taught together? The MSTQE Program at NEIU is an integrated Math-Science program for preparing middle school math and science teachers. The program is especially aimed at the urban environment (Chicago Public Schools) and for inclusion of under-represented groups. The program is a collaboration between NEIU and two of the City Colleges of Chicago (Wright & Truman Colleges). Graduates receive an endorsement in Middle School Math and Science. Physics and Geometry are taught together; physics uses traditional and nontraditional labs and activities. Each core content course consists of a linked course-pair, the science taken concurrently with a pertinent math course, emphasizing the math-science and interdisciplinary connections, and using inquiry activities. This talk will focus on this link, from the point of view of a physicist; the companion talk will focus on this link from the point of view of a mathematician.
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Geometry and Physics Activities for Pre-Service Middle School Teachers
- BE02
- Mon 01/07, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Panagos Papageorgiu
- Type: Invited
- Where's the Physics in Geometry? What happens when both are constructed together? The MSTQE Program at NEIU is an integrated Math-Science program for preparing middle school math and science teachers. The program is especially aimed at the urban environment (Chicago Public Schools) and for inclusion of under-represented groups. The program is a collaboration between NEIU and two of the City Colleges of Chicago (Wright & Truman Colleges). Graduates receive an endorsement in Middle School Math and Science. Geometry and physics are taught together; geometry is taught using classical Euclidean constructions. Each core content course consists of a linked course-pair, the math taken concurrently with a pertinent science course, emphasizing the math-science and interdisciplinary connections, and using inquiry activities. This talk will focus on this link, from the point of view of a mathematician; the companion talk will focus on this link from the point of view of a physicist.
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Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: What’s New? ILDs Using Clickers and Video Analysis
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Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Active Learning in Lecture Including Clickers and Video Analysis
- DH01
- Tue 01/08, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- 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.
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Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Effectiveness in Teaching Concepts
- DH02
- Tue 01/08, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- 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.
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Peer Instruction for Interactive Lecture Demonstrations
- DH03
- Tue 01/08, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Tetyana Antimirova
- Type: Contributed
- Experienced educators know that merely showing the demonstrations does very little to combat common student misconceptions. Research data confirm that demonstrations have very little, if any, effect on student learning. In order to make a difference, the demonstration needs to be embedded into students' activities, such as Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs). However, a common complaint about ILDs is that they require written predictions from students that need to be marked or at least recorded for credits. We find that asking clickers questions related to the demonstration is a reasonable alternative to the standard ILD procedure. Our approach combines Peer Instruction (PI) pedagogy, where the clicker questions themselves are built to collect the predictions about the experiment to be performed. If the real-time data acquisition or recorded video is used, follow-up homework activities could be added. We will provide the examples of activities built around popular experiments in introductory mechanics.
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Clicker-based IDL Approach for Introductory E&M, Waves, and Optics
- DH04
- Tue 01/08, 3:10PM - 3:20PM
- by Richard Gelderman
- Type: Contributed
- We discuss use of clicker response systems, instead of written worksheets to implement a variation on Interactive Lecture Demonstrations. Each student is to use a response system to individually predict the outcomes for a demonstration. Students then collaborate within a group of three to discuss their prediction, using the response system to enter the group's consensus prediction. After observing the demonstration, students in the group compare their predictions to the results, and attempt to explain the phenomena. The response system records the student feedback without requiring time from the solo instructor to mark the responses and enter the data in a gradebook. We will provide the examples of activities built around demonstrations for introductory E&M, waves, and optics content.
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Introductory Courses
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Decreasing Costs, Increasing Gains: Initial Data from a Flipped Class
- EA01
- Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 7:00PM
- by Nathan Erickson, PhD
- Type: Contributed
- Flipping a class can have many benefits such as increase in student knowledge and satisfaction. One positive side effect of this design that is often overlooked, however, is the potential for combating a growing issue at many universities around the country: the rising student costs of college. I will discuss the design of a flipped class reaching 130 students in lecture and covering non-calculus based physics at The University of Texas at Austin. In this class, we were able to eliminate the cost of a textbook and collected some initial data showing no significant loss of student performance. I will also discuss some the anecdotal evidence we received indicating that the students were more than willing to accept this pedagogical change.
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Humor as a Physics Teaching Strategy
- EA02
- Tue 01/08, 7:00PM - 7:10PM
- by Carlos Worner
- Type: Contributed
- Humor is a well founded instrument to the teaching/learning process. Several authors have noted its beneficial influence on the classroom atmosphere and in promoting divergent learning. In this note, we will expose our experience on using this idea as a starting point to teach physics for a general college audience. Previous work on the fundamentals of this approach had already been communicated (see, i.e., Phys. Ed. 45(5) 539-543 (2010)) and now we intend to show some new results in our current work.
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Implementing Studio Physics at Boston University
- EA03
- Tue 01/08, 7:10PM - 7:20PM
- by Andrew Duffy
- Type: Contributed
- At Boston University, we are in the second year of a pilot studio physics implementation embedded within the large algebra-based introductory physics class, in preparation for expanding to large-scale studio implementation starting Fall 2013. Our design incorporates the traditional studio elements of active-learning with pre-class quizzes, worksheets, interactive clicker questions, directed peer learning, and experiential activities. We also are building infrastructure to engage a wider array of physics faculty. In Fall 2012, we had a 35-student studio section, and we were able to compare the performance of those students against the other 385 students in the course, from three different lecture sections. All students did the same pre- and post-tests (FMCE and CLASS), homework, quizzes and the same midterm tests and final exam. We will report on the outcomes, and compare them to the outcomes in 2011-2012.
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Inquiry Learning in the Introductory Course and the AP-B Redesign
- EA04
- Tue 01/08, 7:20PM - 7:30PM
- by Peter Sheldon
- Type: Contributed
- The College Board has undertaken a redesign of the AP Physics B curriculumto better reflect today's understanding of how students should learn science and physics in particular. The new AP courses, Physics 1 and Physics 2, are based on a curriculum framework that has undergone extensive higher-ed review, and that is meant to build a greater conceptual understanding of the physics rather than a breadth of knowledge. The new framework will be better supported by inquiry-based learning. In order to best train our future scientists, students should engage in the same sorts of inquiry methods and activities that scientists do. In this presentation, the author will discuss the importance of inquiry-based learning and how inquiry-based learning will support the goals of the introductory physics courses.
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James Clerk Maxwell as an Educator
- EA05
- Tue 01/08, 7:30PM - 7:40PM
- by Genrikh Golin
- Type: Contributed
- In many works dedicated to Maxwell's life, we can find that his direct teaching accomplishments were much less significant than the scientific achievements of this great Scottish physicist. Maxwell was never an excellent classroom lecturer. However, we obtain a very different perspective on Maxwell as an educator if we step away from the biographical details of his classroom teaching. We can thus try to analyze Maxwell's pedagogical ideas and overall educational approaches, which are reflected in his published documents and books. We then see that, in terms of his ideas on physics education, Maxwell was much ahead of his time and in agreement with today's educational views on teaching physics. We obtain a picture of a professor who is wise and kind and who also has developed an excellent perspective on teaching. This allowed him to present easily and clearly abstract and often hard-to-comprehend material. Furthermore, when he gave his inaugural lecture at Cambridge University in October 1871, Maxwell presented concrete and concise concepts as a part of his methodical plan to prepare students for their future professional development. Modern professors, and even secondary school teachers, can find in Maxwell's writings very good pedagogical advice and a number of useful approaches related to teaching physics.
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An Integrated Lab-Lecture Approach to Increasing Student Engagement
- EA06
- Tue 01/08, 7:40PM - 7:50PM
- by Doug Bradley-Hutchison
- Type: Contributed
- For approximately the past five years we have scheduled several sections of calculus-based physics courses each term so that lab and lecture are integrated. The class is then taught using a mixture of lecture/discussion, activity work (which often is hands on) and labs. Topics are frequently introduced through exploratory activities, or lab so that students can develop a phenomenological sense of the material prior to the development of any formal theory. Lab handouts are written in an open- ended manner so that students draw conclusions without reference to any overriding theory and serve the purpose of setting the stage for material developed through lecture/discussion. Thus students engage in dynamic experimental learning exercises as opposed to being passive listeners. We will present the specifics of several topic scenarios and discuss our conclusions regarding the overall effectiveness of this approach.
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Teaching Introductory Physics Using Integrated Lecture and Laboratory: Lessons Learned
- EA07
- Tue 01/08, 7:50PM - 8:00PM
- by Ntungwa Maasha
- Type: Contributed
- Over the last three years the introductory calculus-based physics course sequence at the College of Coastal Georgia has been taught through integrated lecture and laboratory sessions. I shall outline our experience with the pedagogy and discuss the lessons learned from its use including the apparent advantages and drawbacks associated with the pedagogy. In particular I shall highlight the unique challenges encountered in serving the students during the first course of the sequence.
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Measuring Information Presentation in a Physics Class
- EA09
- Tue 01/08, 8:10PM - 8:20PM
- by John Stewart
- Type: Contributed
- At some level, the performance of students in a science class must depend on what is taught, the information content of the materials and assignments of the course. The introductory calculus-based electricity and magnetism class at the University of Arkansas is examined using a catalog of the basic reasoning steps involved in the solution of problems assigned in the class. These fundamental steps are used to quantify the distribution of informational content within the different elements of the course: laboratory, lecture, reading, and homework. This distribution of content is compared with the instructional outcomes measured by the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism and by course exams to determine the relative efficacies of the various mechanism of presenting the information. Using this characterization technique, an exceptionally detailed picture of the information flow and the information structure of the class can be produced. Variation of the types and the amount of information presented is analyzed over multiple semesters.
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Elements to Enhance Conceptual Understanding in Intro Physics Classes
- EA10
- Tue 01/08, 8:20PM - 8:30PM
- by Abaz Kryemadhi
- Type: Contributed
- We report on some elements we introduced to enhance conceptual understanding of physics in introductory classes. The emphasis has been on interactive methods such as Interactive Lecture Demonstration and peer instructions infused in traditional classrooms. We also report on a screening algebra and trigonometry pre-test in helping us be aware of students who might experience difficulties in these introductory physics classes.
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The Application of Play Theory to Textbook Design
- EA11
- Tue 01/08, 8:30PM - 8:40PM
- by Juan Burciaga
- Type: Contributed
- Though play theory can be an effective paradigm to apply to course design,its application to a static textbook provides many challenges. What are the aspects of play theory that apply to textbook design? How can these aspects be evaluated? What do we gain by applying play theory to textbook structure? An earlier paper ("Textbook Design: An Exploration of Pedagogical Properties of Textbooks", PERC 2012) proposed seven properties that can be used to evaluate textbooks. This paper will present an update of how well those properties are being used in evaluating three physics books that each have distinctly different goals. The perspectives of play theory that can be applied to textbook design are discussed and illustrated with examples from the textbooks being evaluated.
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Introductory Labs/Apparatus
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iLabs: Hands on Investigations with iPads In Introductory Physics Labs
- DE01
- Tue 01/08, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
- by Jacob Millspaw
- Type: Contributed
- Computers and data collection devices are an expensive part of introductory labs. What if students could use their own smart phones or tablets? We have run a set of mechanics-based physics labs using iPads for data collection and analysis. Using motion capture software the iPads function as a versatile replacement for frustrating sonic detectors. The data can be analyzed with a variety of simple apps that can be easily inserted into a document for electronic submission. ilabs are paperless eLabs!
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Measuring the Impulse of a Popper
- DE02
- Tue 01/08, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
- by Sytil Murphy
- Type: Contributed
- Many schools have labs that use conservation of energy to determine the amount of energy stored in a toy popper. However, there is much more physics involved in the "pop" portion. Thus, we extended our analysis of the popper's motion to include looking at the impulse between the popper and the surface it sits upon. To do so, we used a lever connected to a Vernier force probe in order to obtain a graph of the force vs. time while the popper was launching and video analysis to more accurately use conservation of energy to determine the initial velocity. Results will be shown.
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Progressive Lab Textbook for Algebra-based Introductory Physics
- DE03
- Tue 01/08, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
- by Melanie Brady
- Type: Contributed
- At the University of Southern Mississippi, the physics lab education team started a new type of textbook for algebra-based introductory physics labs. It is challenging to teach physics to non-physics major students due to their low math ability and negatively motivated mind setting. Laboratory education highly involves equipment features, student backgrounds, and teaching capacity of the lab instructor. Traditional textbooks do not integrate such factors. One of our strategies is a progressively revisable textbook to improve laboratory education. In-depth discussions resulting in a variety of feedback have been essential for maintaining this innovative textbook.
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Promoting Scientific Reasoning Abilities in the Introductory Physics Lab Course*
- DE04
- Tue 01/08, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by Kathleen Koenig
- Type: Contributed
- Students enter college with wide variations in scientific reasoning abilities. Research indicates that students with formal reasoning patterns are more proficient learners, but unfortunately the typical college course does not significantly impact these abilities. Rather, it is through explicit and targeted instruction in scientific reasoning that students have been observed to make significant shifts. In an effort to better target our students' development of scientific reasoning, we have revised the structure and topics of the activities in our introductory physics lab courses. Students are more involved in the actual design of the experiments and more emphasis is placed on student use of evidence-based reasoning in lab report writing. Online homework and quizzes between lab sessions provide further targeted support. This presentation will describe the new lab curriculum as well as gains made in student development of scientific reasoning. *Partially supported by the National Institutes of Health 1RC1RR028402-01
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Two Lab Activities Related to High Altitude Balloon Launches
- DE05
- Tue 01/08, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
- by Seiji Takemae
- Type: Contributed
- We are developing two lab activities to support high altitude balloon launches. These activities will help students understand the forces involved in the balloon ascent and descent. In one activity, weight is added to a hydrogen balloon until it attains equilibrium. We calculate an expected value of the buoyancy force and compare to the total weight of the balloon in equilibrium. In another activity, the mass of an air-filled balloon is measured and then the balloon is dropped. The terminal velocity is then measured with techniques that will be described. We use the equations for drag force, balloon weight, and buoyancy force to calculate the expected value of the terminal velocity and then compare the calculated and measured value.
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Benefits of Thought Provoking Discussion in Introductory Physics Lab
- DE06
- Tue 01/08, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
- by Amanda Palchak
- Type: Contributed
- College-level students in algebra-based introductory physics labs consistently have similar weak and strong points each semester. Upon completion of my first year as a teaching assistant for these labs at the University of Southern Mississippi, I was able to pinpoint and address the needs of these students successfully. The targeted students lack the ability to intuitively complete their assignments. In order to address this issue I began to administer detailed explanations of the laboratory procedure, followed by "pop questions" that allow for thought-provoking group discussion of the subject matter. These implemented methods have not only enhanced the students' cognitive engagement while performing the laboratory activity, but have considerably improved weekly quiz grades. It is important that teaching assistants at this level do not overestimate a student's understanding of basic concepts. In doing so, students should excel in basic laboratory activities and answer weekly quiz questions with ease.
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Learning Assistant Programs as Vehicles for Course Transformation and Recruitment of Future Physics Teachers
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Learning Assistant Model as a Model for Institutional Change
- FH01
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 1:30PM
- by Valerie Otero
- Type: Invited
- The Colorado Learning Assistant (LA) model was launched at CU Boulder 10 years ago in efforts of increasing research faculty members' awareness and involvement in evidence-based reforms and in the recruitment and preparation of K-12 teachers. Since then the program has been adopted by over 30 physics departments throughout the nation and has demonstrated positive learning outcomes in university physics, increased K-12 teacher recruitment, and increased research-based teaching practices among university faculty as well as among LAs who become K-12 teachers. The LA program has catalyzed the development of a Discipline-Based Educational Research group at CU Boulder and has garnered full financial support from the university. In this presentation, the Colorado LA model is framed as a model for institutional change. Seven components of institutional change will be discussed as they align with the LA model and with current research findings. Future plans for a national-scale research project will be discussed.
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Designing LA Program Instruction and Assessment that Aligns with Our Values: Challenges and New Directions
- FH02
- Wed 01/09, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- by Amy Robertson
- Type: Invited
- What we choose to emphasize and assess in Learning Assistant Programs communicates to our students, our research community, and funding agencies what it is that we value. We face a challenge when values emerge that are not only difficult to articulate and assess but that are also hidden by the emphases and assessments currently in place. In addition to valuing teacher recruitment and retention, programmatic growth, and student learning -- all outcomes that we hope for and have documented over the past decade -- Seattle Pacific University values outcomes of our LA Program that we do not yet know how to measure, such as the formation of science teacher identity, the development of proximal formative assessment skills that lead to productive shifts in practice, and participation in a community with shared early teaching experiences. I will discuss how we are working to translate all of the outcomes we value -- those that we already document and those that we want to-- into new research directions and instructional choices at Seattle Pacific University, as well as share some of the challenges we are facing.
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Development of a Learning Assistant Program at Cal Poly Pomona
- FH03
- Wed 01/09, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by Homeyra Sadaghiani
- Type: Contributed
- The Cal Poly Pomona Department of Physics & Astronomy has adopted the University of Boulder Colorado Learning Assistant (LA) Model since 2011. We recruit physics and engineering majors with a strong physics background to serve as LAs in introductory physics courses to further promote their interest in a teaching career. In order to support the LAs in their exploration of teaching, the faculty mentors provide training and supporting structures. We will report on our challenges and achievements.
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Implementing a Peer Instructor (Learning Assistant) Course at Louisiana State University
- FH04
- Wed 01/09, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
- by Michael Cherry
- Type: Contributed
- The introductory first year non-calculus-based physics course at LouisianaState University currently has approximately 750 students in three large lecture sections. In order to supplement the large lectures, small (20-25 students) recitation sections have been added. Following the Learning Assistant model at Colorado, these recitation sections emphasize concepts and are managed by undergraduate Peer Instructors. The experience and lessons learned during the initial two semesters of the program are described.
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Operation Watchtower: The Learning Assistant Program at SDSU
- FH05
- Wed 01/09, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
- by Joel Rauber
- Type: Contributed
- The learning assistant program in physics at South Dakota State Universitybegan in spring 2010 and just completed its sixth semester of operation impacting 26 LAs. The program will be presented as a case study of an implementation significantly constrained by resource and bureaucratic factors. The impacts on students involved in the LA program will be discussed.
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The Role of Learning Assistants in Sustaining Course Innovations
- FH06
- Wed 01/09, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Charles De Leone
- Type: Contributed
- Learning Assistant (LA) programs are often described as catalysts for course transformation. This talk describes an LA program's role in sustaining an existing non-traditional course. The CSUSM Physics Department's introductory physics course for life science majors features non-traditional content sequences and pedagogy; a model-based approach introduces energy before force, and most class time is spent on small group work and whole class discussions. This course was established prior to the CSUSM LA program, but its continued implementation relied on a select set of instructors. In this talk we will discuss the role that Learning Assistants can play in sustaining such course innovations by facilitating the transition to a broader set of faculty who are new to the course.
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Building Institutional Connections with a Learning Assistants Program
- FH07
- Wed 01/09, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
- by Edward Price
- Type: Contributed
- Learning Assistants (LA) programs are catalysts for course transformation and teacher recruiting. While these goals are also important at two-year colleges, most LA programs are at four-year institutions. We are extending the CSU San Marcos LA program to nearby Palomar Community College, in order to advance course transformation and teacher recruiting at both institutions while building connections between them. This talk will describe the program and early outcomes from this effort.
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Students' Perceptions of Learning Assistants' Contributions to Physics Course Success
- FH08
- Wed 01/09, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
- by Manher Jariwala
- Type: Contributed
- The Learning Assistant program is one of many different active learning strategies we have integrated into our physics courses at Boston University. We explored students' perceptions of the effectiveness of different active learning strategies in the classroom, including the use of Learning Assistants, Teaching Fellows, worksheets, and the textbook, through a large-scale self-report survey of students in the spring of 2012. Using a dependent variable of students' "perceived ability for course success," we found that demographic variables such as gender, ethnicity, and language spoken at home did not have an effect on perceived success. However, the physics course the student was in, and the specific activities of the Teaching Fellow and Learning Assistant, did have a significant effect on students' perceived success. The multiple concurrent strategies used in college courses create a challenging environment for measuring the effectiveness of any one program. We will share our strategies going forward.
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Mentoring Minority Graduate Students
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Simple Solutions for Advancing Diversity in Physics and Astronomy
- GF01
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 1:30PM
- by Hakeem Oluseyi
- Type: Invited
- The fields of physics and astronomy have long been criticized for possessing a lack of ethnic and gender diversity. This talk will present examples of successful programs and the strategies and techniques that have been used to produce the type of diversity long sought after. Recommendations for moving forward will also be presented.
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Walking the Walk: Mentoring for Success
- GF02
- Wed 01/09, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- by Roy Clarke
- Type: Invited
- The early years of graduate studies are often very stressful. The challenge of balancing difficult coursework with teaching duties, while making the transition from passive receptor to active creator of knowledge, is particularly difficult. These demands must be met against an often turbulent backdrop of personal relationships and family responsibilities. Given these competing priorities, success, or at the very least survival, requires an extraordinary degree of discipline and time-management skill on the part of the student, and a good deal of empathy and guidance from research advisors. All of this suggests that graduate programs must be active partners in the process of mentoring and advising graduate students, particularly in the early stages of graduate studies. In this presentation I outline the steps that the University of Michigan's Applied Physics Program has taken to help students over this difficult transition period and to improve retention and success at this critical stage.
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Key Elements in Mentoring Minority Graduate Students
- GF03
- Wed 01/09, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Diola Bagayoko
- Type: Invited
- Based on a synthesis of experiences over the last 15 years, we have arrived at a few key elements which seem to be critical in successfully mentoring minority graduate students. One preliminary step is to make the distinction between intrinsic, intellectual abilities, practically limitless, and the actual knowledge and skills base. The determination and deliberate removal of possible shortfall in the latter constitute a key element. So dictates the hierarchical or taxonomic structure of knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The adequacy of an assistantship or fellowship support to permit full time commitment to studying and to research is another key element. Academic, social (possibly including a critical mass of minority students), and professional integrations add to the previous elements to constitute a basic, pentagonal paradigm for success in mentoring minority graduate students. Questions, it is hoped, will help elucidate further some of these five key elements.
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Models of Lab Instruction/Curricula from Around the World
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Physics Laboratory Curriculum and Teaching Practice at Fudan
- AI01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:30AM
- by Yongkang Le
- Type: Invited
- In comparison, the graduates from Chinese universities are often considered to be well-prepared in theory and computation, but poorly trained in laboratory practice. It is the unshirkable resposibility of the faculties in charge of laboratory courses to change the situation. With the increasing support from the authority, we undertook changes during the past decade: including optimizing the laboratory curriculum, establishing new teaching laboratories, improving the teaching method, etc. This talk will cover the following topics: 1. Brief introduction of the physics undergraduate program and physics education related conferences in China. 2. Physics laboratory courses offered at the physics teaching lab of Fudan Univeristy and our consideration on students' ability development in a physics teaching lab. 3. Our transform on the laboratory curriculum and teaching practice at Fudan aiming to integrate as much research element into teaching.
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Particle Traps in Modern Physics Education
- AI02
- Mon 01/07, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by Klaus Wendt
- Type: Invited
- Techniques to trap charged and neutral species, i.e. ions, atoms, and elementary particles, are essential tools for the tremendous progress in quantum physics and state-of-the-art applications. In particular electrically charged particles are easily confined by overlaying ac and dc electric fields in "Paul Traps". This technique can be impressively demonstrated by constructing and analyzing simple traps for macroscopic particles, i.e. lycopodium seeds, which is possible in the classroom -- even as hands-on experiments. In this way, stimulating tutorials on various aspects of modern physics, including quantum optics and quantum computing, accelerator physics or antimatter handling according to Dan Brown´s "Illuminati", can be significantly enriched. We discuss educational versions of "Paul Traps" with different geometries, constructed for the purpose of education, visualization and as exhibits -- mostly with commercially available parts, and present a particle accelerator model and the antimatter trap model of the permanent exhibition "Univers de particules" at CERN, Geneva.
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Low-Cost Hands-on Research in the Developing World
- AI03
- Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Mark Shattuck
- Type: Invited
- The Hands-On Research in Complex Systems Schools[1] are designed to introduce graduate students and young faculty from developing countries to table-top scientific research on problems at the frontiers of science. Experiments on physical, chemical, and biological systems are conducted with modern yet inexpensive digital instrumentation, and the laboratory work is complemented by mathematical modeling and data analysis using Matlab. The two-week-long schools provide an interactive experience with hands-on research involving experiments with real-time computer data acquisition and associated computational modeling. Lectures and hands-on experiences focus on complex systems in the physical and life sciences. This research is inherently interdisciplinary, and topics range from biological networks to spatial patterns in fluids to laser chaos.
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International Comparison of an Online Medical Physics Laboratory
- AI04
- Mon 01/07, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
- by Ralf Widenhorn
- Type: Contributed
- We will describe the results of a comparative study conducted at the Heinrich-Heine University (HHU) in Düsseldorf, Germany and Portland State University (PSU). The physics practicum for medical students at the HHU has used online laboratories since 2003. Students have the choice of attending the regular laboratory or to conduct the experiment using the multimedia online learning environment. On average 30 percent of the students take at least one of the online learning modules during the course of the practicum. In 2012, we transferred the learning module on geometrical optics and the human eye to Portland State University, where it was used for a laboratory for pre-health majors. During a pilot study in 2012 we compared the results of 45 students at HHU and 34 students at PSU. The assessment includes: pre- and post-tests, demographic information, and students' opinion and use of the online learning module.
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Science Teaching Program for Students of Low Socioeconomic Status
- AI05
- Mon 01/07, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
- by Jiyeon Park
- Type: Contributed
- Helping students with socioeconomic disadvantage is important not just forthe individuals but also for the society because the society can have a larger talent pool. We have been running a program to help middle school students of low socioeconomic status with mathematics, science and writing. We selected students based on their school teacher?s recommendation just before they graduated from the elementary school. In addition to teaching subject contents, we also have mentors who are in charge of free classes which are designed to help students with all kinds of questions from school subjects to personal matters. We plan to have students stay in the program for two years during their first and second grade, with exceptions for a few top students who will enter the third year when we will help them to apply to science high schools. We want to share and discuss our experience at the meeting.
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Modern Physics in the High Schools
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LIGO's Resources for Educational Engagements with Distant Locations
- CC01
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by Dale Ingram
- Type: Invited
- LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, operates active outreach programs at detector sites in Louisiana and Washington that connect students and teachers to gravitational wave physics. LIGO also makes available a number of resources for k-12 personnel whose locations are distant from the detectors. This session will explore these distance-learning opportunities and offer ways for teachers from across the U.S. and in international locations to connect to the search for gravitational waves. Some of the primary distance-based strategies that LIGO has utilized to date include the Web-based LIGO Electronic Laboratory (e-Lab -- one of the I2U2 project's set of e-Labs), videoconferences, virtual observatory tours, and web-based resources to accompany the classroom use of the movie "Einstein's Messengers." K-12 personnel whose locations are not close to LIGO's detector facilities might be situated near a research group from the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, a circumstance that might offer a different route to face-to-face interactions.
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LIGO Science Education Through Immersion in a Working Observatory
- CC02
- Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Amber Stuver
- Type: Invited
- The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in Livingston, LA and Hanford, WA searches for gravitational waves, which are ripples in a gravitational field, or ripples in space-time, caused by massive objects, like colliding black holes and supernovae, undergoing incredible accelerations. The direct detection of gravitational waves will open a new field of astronomy by allowing humans to "see: the Universe in a new way. The LIGO Science Education Center (SEC), a 5,000 square-foot facility co-located at the Livingston Observatory, seeks to connect this active scientific research to students and teachers through immersion in inquiry activities and interactions with scientists illustrating the process of science at the observatory. This presentation will focus on LIGO's science and the resulting SEC programs for high school students and teachers.
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Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall
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Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall
- EXH03
- Mon 01/07, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
-
- Type: Exhibit Hall
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Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall
- EXH06
- Tue 01/08, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
-
- Type: Exhibit Hall
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Online Homework Services and Issues
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Online Homework Services and Issues
- ED
- Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
- by Tony Musumba
- Type: Panel
- Basic features of current online homework systems. Panelists will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of online homework systems. We hope to have a conversation about our experiences with online homework systems: the good, the bad and the ugly. Some panelists will talk about why they do not use online homework systems.
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Online Physics Courses
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Realization, Research, and Promise for Free Online Courses
- GB01
- Wed 01/09, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
- by David Pritchard
- Type: Invited
- RELATE's(1) Mechanics Online has been offered twice, the second time aimed at physics teachers. It will be described and compared with other online and blended courses. Key variables are target audience, registrants, attrition, improvements, student use of available resources, learning, and overall user satisfaction. We have successfully blended our online course with our on-campus course. Such blending relieves teachers of the need to prepare lectures on basic facts and procedures, leaving class time to concentrate on tutorial-style interactions with small student groups. Online courses offer opportunities for sophisticated research. Applying machine learning algorithms to data from the MITx MOOC on circuits and electronics (~8,000 students finished) has revealed 19 distinct skills that students need to solve problems. We validated its assignment of required skills for problems by correctly predicting 80% of the homework problems students actually consulted while doing the midterm based on the skills required for the midterm questions.
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Online Physics Courses: Exemplars, Trends, Opportunities and Challenges
- GB02
- Wed 01/09, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
- by Robert Steiner
- Type: Invited
- Online physics courses offer remarkable opportunities for student access as well as curricular and pedagogical innovation. However, such courses also raise fundamental questions, including questions about instructor roles and support for inquiry-based teaching methods. This session will provide an overview of the landscape of online physics courses, including examples of some current offerings. Various approaches to course design, development, implementation, and evaluation will be reviewed. Both opportunities and challenges of online courses will be explored within the context of some recent trends, including flipped classrooms, open source materials, massively open online courses and mobile computing. The presenter directs online and blended teacher education programs at the American Museum of Natural History and is a member of the adjunct faculty at the City University of New York's Queens College. He is the co-author of Mathematics for Physics Students and currently serves as the chair of the AAPT's Committee on Educational Technologies.
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Data-Driven Strategies for Student Success in Online Physics Courses
- GB03
- Wed 01/09, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
- by Curtis Shoaf
- Type: Contributed
- Can students learn physics online? Do they learn differently? Are studentsthat enroll in online courses different from students in the general population? Are there indicators of student success in online physics courses? What are students' attitudes toward online physics courses? I will answer these questions based upon data collected from a fully online algebra-based physics course. I have been teaching, and continually developing, a fully online college physics course at Parkland College for six years. More recently, I have been collecting targeted data to make future data-driven improvements to the course. I will share the results of my data and future plans for the courses based on the data collected.
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Peer Instruction for the Online Classroom
- GB04
- Wed 01/09, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
- by Cynthia Sisson
- Type: Contributed
- One of the challenges of teaching online is in bringing effective aspects of face-to-face teaching to the online experience. In this talk we discuss the process of implementing a Peer Instruction cycle in an online conceptual physics course, and how (and why) that process has evolved over three semesters of teaching online.
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Radical Physics: A Novel Online Video Course
- GB05
- Wed 01/09, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
- by Tucker Hiatt
- Type: Contributed
- According to the AIP, two-thirds of U.S. students never take a year-long physics course. Radical Physics is a novel online-video introductory course that will appeal to a sizable portion of the un-physicsed two-thirds. It will also help full-year students who have inexperienced teachers or who just want a second view of essential material. Radical Physics, created by the the nonprofit "Wonderfest," offers several improvements over the Khan Academy model: (1) its principal instructor has 35 years of experience; (2) it promotes use of the PhET online laboratory simulations; (3) it has a look-you-in-the-eye "talking head" format that draws the viewer in -- as television news has been able to do for over fifty years. Radical Physics also benefits from, on-screen demos with PASCO equipment, from occasional interviews with Stanford and UC Berkeley experts, and from critical analysis of compelling action movie scenes.
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Opportunities for High School Teachers Abroad
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Opportunities for High School Teachers Abroad
- GE
- Wed 01/09, 3:30PM - 5:00PM
- by Tiberiu Dragoiu
- Type: Panel
- Often physics teachers from United States are recruited to teach in American Schools and International Schools throughout the world. A representative(s) from recruiting agency(ies) would discuss about the interviewing and hiring process, contract agreement, as well as other useful tips you need to know when considering teaching physics abroad.
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Physics Teachers Are Needed for International Schools Abroad
- GE01
- Wed 01/09, 3:30PM - 5:00PM
- by Ralph Jahr
- Type: Panel
- Information about American and international schools in countries around the world will be presented. The type of curriculum, language of instruction, type of students, and the multinational communities they serve will be highlighted. Much of the session will be devoted to specific questions about international schools coming from the participants and more in-depth information can be presented based on the particular interests of the participants. There is high demand for excellent American / international schools for dependents of multinational businesses, the diplomatic corps, and residents of the host country who wish to have their children attend highly selective colleges and universities after graduation. Leadership opportunities present in American / international schools will also be discussed. Ralph Jahr was a physics teacher and an administrator in international schools for more than 20 years. He is currently working with Search Associates to staff international schools abroad.
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Outreach Conducted by SPS and SPS Undergraduate Research and Outreach
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Science Outreach Through SPS Chapters at Two Year Colleges
- BB01
- Mon 01/07, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Ajay Narayanan
- Type: Invited
- Two year colleges are well positioned to communicate the opportunities provided by higher education to the local community. Students, staff and faculty at the Green River Community College physics and astronomy department have been involved in outreach for many years. Our SPS chapter in particular has excelled at conveying the excitement of science to elementary school children. This presentation will touch upon some details of our experience in taking science to the community.
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SPS Science Outreach Catalyst Kits
- BB02
- Mon 01/07, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Melissa Hoffman
- Type: Invited
- Every year the Society of Physics Students (SPS) produces a Science Outreach Catalyst Kit (SOCK) to be used by SPS chapters throughout the country to start up or stimulate community engagement. This year the theme of the SOCK is "Fabric of the Cosmos", inspired by the Brian Greene book and NOVA documentary of the same name. The Fabric of the Cosmos Kit explores the "Cosmic" invisible fields of gravity and magnetism. To explore systems and phenomenon related to gravity, the SOCK includes a large piece of spandex and various spheres of different sizes and densities. To explore magnetic fields and forces, the SOCK includes several different types of magnets such as bar magnets and multi-pole magnets. An added bonus, ferrofluid is also included in the kit for further explanation. The prepared lessons are geared to accommodate a range of grade levels, from 3rd grade to college level.
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A Model of Transient Response and Persistent-Photoconductivity in Al:ZnO:Al Planar Structures
- BB03
- Mon 01/07, 3:00PM - 3:10PM
- by Laura Covington
- Type: Contributed
- We have investigated the photoconductivity and transient response of polycrystalline thin films grown via thermal oxidation of dc sputter deposited Zinc metal films. Ultraviolet photodetectors of a metal-semiconductor-metal planar structure were fabricated via sputter deposition of aluminum contacts. When exposed to ultraviolet light, ZnO photodetectors respond by a primary sharp increase in photoconductivity, followed by a more gradual rise to the point of saturation. When the photodetectors are removed from electromagnetic radiation, typical relaxation times for decreasing photocurrent are observed to be in the range from hours to several days, in a phenomenon known as persistent photoconductivity. By isolating specific growth characteristics, we were able to determine several critical factors that may be controlled in an effort to manipulate the occurrence of persistent photoconductivity. Additionally, we present a phenomenological model of photoconductivity transients, in which transient recoveries are fitted with a linear combination of two exponential decay functions.
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Is Big Time "Wraslin" Real or Choreographed?
- BB05
- Mon 01/07, 3:20PM - 3:30PM
- by Thomas Haff
- Type: Contributed
- Is Big Time "Wraslin" real? This activity/demo with students uses pork blade steaks and Vernier Motion Detectors to indirectly measure accelerations and thus forces when one steak collides with another. As the students file into class I make sure that they do not step on my "dinner." Their curiosity is stimulated wondering what is going to happen with the steaks. By using data, the students calculate the force required to stop the steak when one free falls to a collision with another steak on the ground. This is modeled and extrapolated to a "wrasler" jumping off a corner turnbuckle and doing a deep-knee drop onto an opponent's spine. Slow motion "wraslin" is viewed and analyzed. It is a fun and motivating way to get the students to measure velocities, accelerations, and forces to determine whether the sport is choreographed or not.
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Overview of High School Physics in the U.S.
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Overview of High School Physics in the U.S.
- AE01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:30AM
- by Eric Banilower
- Type: Invited
- Horizon Research Inc. conducted the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME), the fifth in a series of surveys dating back to 1977. These surveys provide valuable insights on the status of high school physics on a national level. Results from the 2012 NSSME will be shared in this session, focusing on the background of high school physics teachers, their perceptions of content and pedagogical preparedness, and their classroom practices. Changes over time from previous surveys will also be shared as appropriate.
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Modeling Instruction Workshops: A Robust Framework for Science Teacher Professional Development
- AE02
- Mon 01/07, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by Kathleen Harper
- Type: Invited
- A collaboration between a high school physics teacher and a university physicist led to the creation of Modeling Instruction in the early 1990s. A grant from NSF-funded multiple national workshops in the mid to late '90s, and from there, Modeling has spread through grass-roots efforts, directly impacting approximately 5500 teachers through workshops all around the country. This includes nearly 10% of the nation's physics teachers. These workshops have been shown to have strong positive impacts on teacher content knowledge, classroom pedagogy, and student learning. In addition, they have created strong and supportive professional networks, both at the local level and nationally. This talk will give a brief synopsis of the program's history, an overview of the Modeling framework, a description of a typical workshop, and data on the current state of Modeling Instruction in the U. S. and planned future directions.
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Training In-Service High School Physics Teachers in Iowa
- AE03
- Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Jeffrey Morgan
- Type: Invited
- Many schools in our state are small, with one to two teachers tasked with teaching all science courses. We're frequently contacted by school districts throughout the state seeking physics teachers, or science teachers with a physics endorsement. To address this shortage and the need for teachers who can teach multiple sciences, the University of Northern Iowa Physics Department has conducted several multi-year programs designed to train science teachers in other disciplines to be physics teachers, and strengthen the pedagogical content knowledge of existing physics teachers. Participants work through content using both Modeling Instruction(1) and PRISMS Plus(2), then discuss and practice pedagogy. In addition, they are provided with various teaching resources, including access to probeware and laptop computers. We will discuss our most recent program, Iowa Physics Teacher Instruction and Resources (ITPIR), describing the design and delivery in the program, participant feedback, and results from our research into teacher and student learning.
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An Analysis of the Current State of High School Physics in Texas
- AE04
- Mon 01/07, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
- by Jess Dowdy
- Type: Contributed
- Presentation includes an overview of the instructional patterns originating from the 2007 Texas requirement to include physics in the graduation requirements for virtually all high school students. The research presented centers on analysis of state certification data, state overview reports, and various statistical methodologies. Patterns are emerging, so that predictions may be made for the future of physics teaching in Texas. This talk may be of interest to those from other states, as the push for physics in Texas, may lead other states to consider similar strategies in high school science requirements.
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Physics Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow at HPHS Texas
- AE05
- Mon 01/07, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
- by Beverly Trina Cannon
- Type: Contributed
- HP is rated high by the Department of Education in Texas. It is centered in a suburb that is surrounded by the city of Dallas. The community is economically wealthy and the parents have achieved high levels of academic success. The students receive unlimited encouragement from their families for success and often have their own expectations for high achievement. So physics as a course completed in their 11th grade year has received the bumps and bruises in this environment. Hear the saga of its past, the present situation, and the prediction for the future which will respond to the state's end-of-course exams.
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Understanding Career Paths: Tracking Physics Teachers in Texas
- AE06
- Mon 01/07, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
- by Jennifer Mount
- Type: Contributed
- Many states are experiencing a shortage of qualified physics teachers, duein part to attrition (teachers leaving the field). The problem, however, becomes more complicated, when shortages are examined by school type, e.g., by the socioeconomic status (SES) of the school community. Even if there is no shortage overall, there may be shortages in specific areas. I examined a statewide dataset of Texas secondary science teachers from 2003-2008. I analyzed the data to identify attrition and migration (moving school to school) of Physics teachers vs. the SES of the schools where they taught, using vector maps to represent the flow of teachers into and out of schools. I found a strong migration pattern toward schools with higher (but not the highest) SES, meaning that lower SES students were more likely to have novice teachers. My results have implications for the equitable distribution of teachers.
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PER: Investigating Classroom Strategies
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Autonomous Choices and the Student Experience in Introductory Physics
- AD01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:10AM
- by Nicholas Hall
- Type: Contributed
- The effects of autonomous choices on the student experience in a large-enrollment undergraduate introductory physics course were investigated from a self-determination theory perspective. A controlled study tested how restructuring the course to allow more autonomous choices by the students changed certain aspects of the student experience. This was done by comparing two sets of classes, one in which students were given significantly more opportunities for autonomous choice than the other. It was found that more autonomous choices led to large differences between women and men in interest/enjoyment in learning physics, with women becoming less interested than men. Additionally, only in the set of classes with more autonomous choices did the change over time in students' reasons for taking physics correlate with performance, where coming to study physics more because they wanted to (less because they had to) correlated with higher performance.
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Fostering Future Members of the Physics Community
- AD02
- Mon 01/07, 8:10AM - 8:20AM
- by Sissi Li
- Type: Contributed
- Physics teachers do more than help students understand and apply physics concepts -- they also show students what it means to be a physicist in a community. As recognized members of the academic and disciplinary communities, teachers and other mentors can be in positions to help students understand the communities they are joining by pursuing their major. The choice of practices established in the classroom, the language used to discuss physics, and attitudes about other sciences serve both to inform students about the communities they are joining and also shape the role they might play. We report a case study of a thermal physics course as a community where ideas about what it means to join the physics community as a physicist are supported throughout the instruction interactions. We will showcase how students interpret the subtle and sometimes unintentional cues from the instructor to shape their ideas about becoming a physicist.
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Increases in Problem Solving and Conceptual Understanding Without Sacrificing Content
- AD03
- Mon 01/07, 8:20AM - 8:30AM
- by David Webb
- Type: Contributed
- Four large sections of intro-physics for physical scientists are compared.One section (treatment) was organized so that students worked to learn the classical ideas connecting forces and motion over the first six weeks of the 10-week quarter and then used the final four weeks to apply those principles to algebraically complicated physical problems. The other three (control) sections learned ideas at essentially the same time as calculations. The treatment group and one of the control sections were taught by the same instructor, had identical curricular materials, and this instructor was blind to the comparison measure, the final exam. After controlling for GPA as well as for incoming conceptual understanding, the treatment group was found to perform significantly better on the final exam than the control group taught by the same instructor and, by a similar measure, the treatment group performed significantly better than any other section.
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Eye Movements While Interpreting Graphical Representations of Motion
- AD04
- Mon 01/07, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
- by Jennifer Docktor
- Type: Contributed
- An important skill for proficient problem solving is the fluent use of multiple representations of information (e.g. text, equations, pictures, diagrams, and graphs). In this study, introductory physics students and graduate students viewed several kinematics graphs on a computer screen and were asked to match a region of the graph with a text description of motion. The graphs were carefully designed to elicit common student difficulties with graph interpretation. We compare subjects' performance on the items, their reasoning criteria, and eye movements recorded using an eye tracker.
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Initial Assessment of a Curriculum on the Physics of Biomedicine
- AD05
- Mon 01/07, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
- by Warren Christensen
- Type: Contributed
- Undergraduate educational settings often struggle to provide students withauthentic biologically or medically relevant situations and problems that simultaneously improve their understanding of physics. Through exercises and laboratory activities developed in an elective Physics in Biomedicine course for upper-level biology or pre-health majors at Portland State University we aim to teach fundamental physical concepts such as light absorption and emission, and atomic energy levels through analysis of biological systems and medical devices. We report on the effect engaging students in tasks with real medical applications has had on their conceptual understanding of light and spectroscopy through analysis of their responses to open-ended questions. The nature of the activities gives students opportunities to use the medical apparatus and unpack the underlying physical concepts. Additionally, we use the Colorado Learning Attitudes toward Science Survey to determine the extent to which student attitudes toward learning science are changing through the course.
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Assessment of Effectiveness of Studio-Mode Instruction in Algebra-based Physics Courses
- AD07
- Mon 01/07, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
- by Archana Dubey
- Type: Contributed
- While the success of the studio mode of instruction in calculus-based physics courses is now well demonstrated, the same cannot be said for algebra-based courses. Keeping this in mind, a study has been conducted on algebra-based electricity and magnetism courses in which studio and lecture sections were taught by the same instructor, using the same text book. Students’ understanding of the magnetic forces has been assessed using common quiz questions. This presentation will highlight students’ performance when the problem is asked in a condensed versus divided form. In an effort to assess the relative effectiveness of the two modes of instruction, results of the Survey of Electricity, Magnetism, Circuits and Optics (SEMCO) will also be presented.
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Research-based Active-Learning Instruction in Physics*
- AD08
- Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
- by David Meltzer
- Type: Contributed
- The development of research-based active-learning instructional methods in physics can serve as a model for creation of evidence-based instructional practices in all science fields. Based on a recent review [1], we define these methods as those (1) explicitly based on research in the learning and teaching of physics, (2) that incorporate classroom and/or laboratory activities that require students to express their thinking through speaking, writing, or other actions that go beyond listening and the copying of notes, or execution of prescribed procedures, and (3) that have been tested repeatedly in actual classroom settings and have yielded objective evidence of improved student learning. We describe some key features common to methods in current use. These features focus on (a) recognizing and addressing students' physics ideas, and (b) guiding students to solve problems in realistic physical settings, in novel and diverse contexts, and to justify or explain the reasoning they have used.
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Longitudinal Standing Wave Tutorial for a Physics of Music Class
- AD09
- Mon 01/07, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
- by Jack Dostal
- Type: Contributed
- The Longitudinal Standing Wave (LSW) Tutorial is a PER-based curriculum that helps students to develop their understanding of sound waves using marked springs, tuning forks, pipes, and plenty of discussion. Though originally designed for the two-semester introductory college physics class, I have recently used this tutorial as a laboratory exercise in a general education Physics of Music class. The group discussions in these two classes of students have interesting similarities and differences. Some of these are a result of students' prior knowledge about sound, while others are affected by the course material covered prior to the tutorial. Observations from my Physics of Music class and comparisons to a standard introductory physics class will be presented. Some subtle apparatus issues will also be addressed.
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Reflection on Problem Solving: Application to Life Science Majors
- AD10
- Mon 01/07, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
- by Andrew Mason
- Type: Contributed
- Recent studies have shown that reflection upon physics problem solving remains a difficult task for physics majors to learn how to do properly. The PER community has recently begun an intense effort to address reform in introductory physics courses for the life sciences. Given that the majors frequently chosen by students in this course involve a different domain of content knowledge, it is of interest to probe ability to reflect on problem solving for these students. Plans for a study, based upon recent research on self-diagnosis exercises with calculus-based physics students (1), will be discussed for a second-semester algebra-based physics course, for which the student population consists of mainly life science majors and also computer science majors. References: (1) E. Yerushalmi, E. Cohen, A. Mason, and C. Singh, Phys. Rev. ST-PER 8, 020109 and 020110, 2012.
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Testing Problem Solving through Multiple Choice
- AD11
- Mon 01/07, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
- by Jessica Graber
- Type: Contributed
- Large lecture courses and grading time constraints force many instructors to use multiple-choice exams, and many students will encounter multiple-choice exams determining entrance into post-secondary education or career paths. However, research shows that student test preparation does not occur at a deep knowledge level for multiple-choice tests compared to hand-graded exams using worked out problems. Most instructors prefer worked out problems on exams for pedagogical reasons even if it is practically not possible. To increase the efficacy of multiple-choice problems in assessing actual problem-solving skills, I compare the two types of questions on the same test to determine what features of the problem solving skill set best predict overall problem solving capabilities.
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PER: Student Reasoning
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A Taxonomy of Infinitesimals in First-Semester Introductory Physics
- FB01
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 1:10PM
- by Joshua Von Korff
- Type: Contributed
- Physicists use infinitesimals (dx, dV, dM) in a variety of ways. In first-semester introductory physics, the "d" can refer to at least two types of infinitesimals: first, a change in a physical quantity over time or space; second, a small quantity associated with a small amount of space. Students who receive instruction about only one type of "d" will still be unfamiliar with other types. We develop the change vs. amount distinction by providing examples of student representations for both types. Students may use diagrammatic, graphical, and symbolic representations differently to depict changes vs. amounts. Diagrams that portray changes show time, space, and matter differently than diagrams that portray amounts. We conclude by suggesting that calculus-based physics courses should either explicitly distinguish the different types or attempt to eliminate all references to amounts. This work supported in part by NSF grant 0816207.
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An Instructional Strategy Arising from the Resources Framework
- FB02
- Wed 01/09, 1:10PM - 1:20PM
- by Andrew Elby
- Type: Contributed
- The Misconceptions framework for describing students' intuitive knowledge [1] has been criticized on multiple grounds [2], but it has one clear advantage: it connects closely to an instructional strategy of eliciting, unsettling, and displacing students' incorrect ideas [3]. The Resources (Knowledge-in-Pieces) framework [4], by contrast, connects to vague instructional suggestions such as "help students refine and restructure their intuitive ideas," which provides limited help to tutorial writers, other curriculum developers, and instructors. In this talk, I will present what I hope to be a clear, generative strategy for curriculum writers and instructors, a strategy that corresponds to one particular cognitive mechanism of conceptual change within the Resources framework. I illustrate this instructional strategy with examples from tutorials that have contributed to documented conceptual gains.
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Conceptual Understanding Relies on Reasoning Ability
- FB03
- Wed 01/09, 1:20PM - 1:30PM
- by Brian Pyper
- Type: Contributed
- Even interactive classrooms sometimes give short shrift to the importance of reasoning in conceptual change. We often assume our students are high-level reasoners and teach accordingly, when research shows many of our students are not post- or even formal-operational. My data show the use of teaching techniques and materials to encourage reasoning results in improved conceptual understanding.
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Effectiveness of a 3D Interactive Demonstration of EM Plane Waves
- FB04
- Wed 01/09, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
- by Ximena Cid
- Type: Contributed
- Electromagnetic (EM) plane waves are arguably one of the most difficult and abstract ideas taught in an introductory physics course. Instruction on this topic typically involves the use of both three-dimensional diagrams (shown in two dimensions) and mathematical representations. Both of these representations rely heavily on the ability of students to visualize electric and magnetic fields in space and to visualize how they change over time. This presentation will focus on an investigation of an EM plane wave in free space that was used in conjunction with Tutorials in Introductory Physics(1) at the University of Washington. 1 Tutorials in Introductory Physics, 2002, 1st Edition (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. *This work has been supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-0733276.
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Electric Field Lines and the Superposition Principle of Electric Field
- FB05
- Wed 01/09, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
- by Genaro Zavala
- Type: Contributed
- The electric field and the superposition principle play key roles in the understanding of physical phenomena in Electricity and Magnetism. A very common representation of the electric field is with electric field lines. We conducted an experiment with the objectives of identifying the effect that electric field lines have over the superposition principle, and analyzing the different diagrams that students use to represent the electric field. The experiment consisted in the administration of three versions of a test with open-ended questions about the electric field on a particular case. The tests were administered in a private Mexican university in the spring semester 2012 to 288 students taking the course of Electricity and Magnetism upon completion of the topic of Electrostatics. Students presented only one version in a random way to be able to compare results. Results showed evidence that electric field lines have a negative effect on some students' comprehension of the superposition principle, that many students do not have a coherent framework when arguing the superposition principle using electric field lines, and that students who used vector representation instead of electric field lines representation have a higher tendency toward applying correctly the superposition principle.
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Examining Students' Reservations about Forces
- FB06
- Wed 01/09, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
- by Jennifer Blue
- Type: Contributed
- This is an investigation of the consistencies, or lack thereof, in how students apply their knowledge about Newtonian forces after instruction. Students were asked to draw all the forces on both an accelerating car and on a passenger riding in that car. Then they were asked to identify why the car accelerated. They sometimes invent forces, or labeled things as forces that are not actually forces (i.e. "motion", "momentum", "inertia"), giving up on the idea of real forces so that they could make Newton's Second Law work. In addition, students were given the Force Concept Inventory.* I will see how student performance on the Force Concept Inventory, particularly the items about the nature of forces and about Newton's second law, relates to their performance on the car and passenger problem.
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Exploring Cognitive Acceleration Through Physics
- FB07
- Wed 01/09, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by John Clement
- Type: Contributed
- Using the published Lawson test I pre- and post-tested students to determine if they improved their thinking skills. This was done both at a private high school and at a two-year college. All classes were taught using PER methods, primarily Modeling. ILDs and some other PER materials were also used. Some very small gain was sometimes seen in high school, but not reliably. Using some of the ideas of Shayer and Adey in 2YC courses produced improved results. Students first have to be convinced that they can improve their thinking. Then the various thinking skills need to be brought out explicitly. The thinking skills also should be separated from just the physics thinking. In other words there needs to be explicit bridging. Beyond the increase in general thinking skills, physics gain was observed to be in the IE range, but is limited by the achieved thinking skills among other factors.
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Influences on Student Reasoning Due to a Provided Outcome
- FB08
- Wed 01/09, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
- by Jeffrey Hawkins
- Type: Contributed
- Many instructional physics practices, such as some traditional lecture demonstrations, provide students with an outcome and ask them to think of reasons that outcome occurred. Other practices, such as Interactive Learning Demonstrations[1] ask students to predict and explain what outcome will occur before demonstrating the outcome. We have been investigating the impact of providing students with the outcome, rather than asking them what they think will happen, on the reasoning students use to explain what will occur. We administered written questions to introductory calculus-based students via an online pretest system. We find that providing students with the outcome often causes them to express different reasoning than students who are asked to select which outcome they think will occur. We also find that the different reasoning elicited by providing students with the outcome can be productive reasoning (e.g. reasoning based on definition), or unproductive reasoning(e.g. compensation reasoning[2]).
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Student Gestures about Complex Wave Functions for One-Dimensional Potentials
- FB09
- Wed 01/09, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
- by Catherine Schiber
- Type: Contributed
- A quantum wave function for a particle in a one-dimensional potential may be purely real at some instant, or there may be no such instant, depending on the potential. When the time dependence of the wave function is factored in, any function will surely have both real and imaginary parts. The complex nature of the wave function in these cases is perhaps best shown using three dimensions rather than with a two-dimensional drawing. We asked upper-division quantum mechanics students in an oral exam to show with their hands what the shape of wave functions for various potentials would look like, and how these functions would evolve in time. We analyze the students' gestures to understand their thinking; in particular, we investigate the difference between gestures that trace static structures and those that represent dynamic evolution, and how students extend mathematical knowledge from two-dimensional contexts into three.
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When Does a Group Ignore their Own Question?
- FB10
- Wed 01/09, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Alex Barr
- Type: Contributed
- The growth of tutorial- and discussion-style recitation sections has made group work an integral part of many physics classrooms. Goals for group work often include increasing student agency and encouraging students to ask their own questions. Once asked, these questions can either be taken up or be disregarded by the group as a whole. What factors influence this decision? We analyze an interaction between three teachers in the Energy Project at Seattle Pacific University in which the question of what makes a material magnetic is first disregarded and then later taken up for an extended discussion. We examine the teachers' framing of their activity to help understand when and why this question is taken up by the group.
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Student Understanding of Foundational Ideas in Quantum Mechanics
- FB11
- Wed 01/09, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
- by Paul Emigh
- Type: Contributed
- Quantum mechanics requires a conceptual framework substantially different from the classical picture students develop in introductory physics courses. We are examining student thinking on several foundational topics in quantum mechanics, including black-body radiation, wave-particle duality, and the Stern-Gerlach effect. Excerpts from interviews, pre-tests, and post-tests will be used to illustrate some of the conceptual and reasoning difficulties we have identified among both introductory and upper-division students.
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PER: Topical Understanding and Attitudes
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A Comparison Between Ninth Grade Modeling Instruction Physics Students and Ninth Grade Biology Students'
- CB01
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
- by Kathy Malone
- Type: Contributed
- The scientific reasoning skills and mathematical ability of ninth-grade students taking a freshman biology and a freshman physics classes were compared. The biology class was inquiry oriented and used the BSCS curriculum. The physics class was taught using the Modeling Instruction pedagogy and did not use a textbook. The scientific reasoning skills were assessed using Lawson's Classroom Test for Scientific Reasoning while the mathematical abilities were assessed using a test designed for the project. The Modeling Instruction physics students outperformed the BSCS students at a satistically significant level.
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Categorizations of Energy: Forms, Carriers, Types, and Transfers
- CB02
- Tue 01/08, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
- by Sarah McKagan
- Type: Contributed
- Energy is ultimately unified, but manifests in a variety of ways. Most national and state standards, textbooks, and other instructional materials emphasize forms of energy as an important tool for categorizing the manifestations of energy. However, the new Framework for K-12 Science Education, the basis for the Next Generation Science Standards, cautions against talking about forms of energy as "misleading." This caution aligns with recommendations from some science educators, who support the use of "energy carriers" as an alternative to energy forms. We discuss the distinctions between the multiplicity of alternatives to energy forms, and the advantages and disadvantages of these different methods of categorizing energy. Depending on how we teach them, students may use any of these categorizations of energy as meaningless and superficial lists to be memorized, or as important tools for making sense of the properties of systems and the mechanisms by which these properties change.
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Winter Break Effect in General Education CLASS Results
- CB03
- Tue 01/08, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
- by David Donnelly
- Type: Contributed
- The Winter Break Effect is a shift in student attitudes toward more expert-like during the break between the first semester and second semester of a course. We have CLASS data from a two semester general education course that seems to demonstrate a Winter Break Effect. However, more detailed analysis of matched responses between the end of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester indicates that no significant shift in overall favorable percentage occurred between the first and second semester. We do however observe a statistically significant decrease in the overall unfavorable percentage. This shift persists throughout the second semester of the course.
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Testing Student Misconceptions in Energy, Momentum and Rotational Dynamics
- CB04
- Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
- by Andrew Dougherty
- Type: Contributed
- For over 20 years, David Hestenes' diagnostic, the Force Concept Inventory(FCI), has been used in college physics courses to gauge student understanding of Newtonian concepts. This multiple-choice test was developed to aid in designing courses that help students overcome erroneous beliefs. While the FCI has proven invaluable for this purpose, courses oftentimes cover topics that go beyond the scope of the test. In order to broaden coverage, items addressing energy, momentum and rotational dynamics have been created to fit seamlessly with the FCI. This study reveals the development of these questions, starting with administering open-ended questions to reveal misconceptions, which were then analyzed to produce optimal multiple-choice items. Item Response Theory (IRT) was used as an aid in developing the questions and distractors, as well as to determine item difficulty with respect to existing FCI items.
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General Physics Enterprise Impact on Expert Identity Development
- CB05
- Tue 01/08, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
- by Idaykis Rodriguez
- Type: Contributed
- Specific expertise in a topic of physics is inevitably influenced by the general enterprise of physics. Using the theoretical framework of Communities of Practice and more specifically the concept of boundaries between local communities and the larger enterprise, we show how changes in paradigms of the larger biophysics field influence a physics research group and the individual expert identities constructed. Data were collected from an ethnographic case study of a biophysics research group weekly research meeting. Focusing on boundary interactions between the biophysics research group and visiting experts from other communities that share a common analytical software, we show how such exchange across community boundaries influence a shift in research of the group and of its individual members as well.
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Panel: Reports from the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
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Panel: Reports from the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
- CG
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 10:00AM
- by Juan Burciaga
- Type: Panel
- The annual Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics began at the University of Southern California in January 2006 with 29 undergraduate women from 12 universities. But the conference has grown and the 2013 conference will take place in 6 regional conferences bringing together hundreds of women undergraduates in a unique environment to highlight the study of physics. The panel will consist of organizers, speakers and undergraduate women who will speak on the goals, how the conferences are organized, and what the attendees learned at the meetings and how it has impacted their study of physics.
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Goals and Reflections: The Northeast Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
- CG01
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 10:00AM
- by Ariel Ekblaw
- Type: Panel
- The Northeast Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (NCUWP) provides a supportive and empowering atmosphere for young physicists to connect with peers and with female role-models in the field. We hope the event inspires attendees to pursue careers in physics and to embrace an invigorated vision for the future of women in science. From talking to participants and analyzing our surveys over the past four years, we have accomplished these goals and we strive to continue achieving them in the future. Throughout the conference and program activities, we encourage a dialogue on the challenges and opportunities for women in physics and engineering fields. At Yale, the conference has inspired the Women in Physics organization, dedicated to connecting undergraduates to career and educational resources and developing a community on campus. Inspired by the NCUWP at MIT in 2011, Ariel Ekblaw served as a principal organizer of NCUWP 2012 at Yale University.
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Overview and Initial Insights into the Impact of the Conferences
- CG02
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 10:00AM
- by Gayle Buck
- Type: Panel
- The first Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics occurred in 2006, with the number of locations growing from one in that year to six in 2012. Accordingly, the number of participants grew from 29 that first year, to 672 in 2012. In 2013, the number is expected to grow again to approximately 700 participants across six different host institutions. Over the years, the conferences have been evaluated on a site-by-site basis, with the results suggesting very positive impacts. Beginning with the 2012 conferences, a large-scale evaluation was implemented. The initial findings provided us with a better understanding of the summative impact of the conference in regards to the established goals. More importantly, the findings provided new understandings in regards to the impact of the various conference components that supported or hindered progress toward those goals. These best practices, and their value for future conferences, will be shared and discussed.
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Two Year Experience with the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
- CG03
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 10:00AM
- by K Renee Horton
- Type: Panel
- This talk represents a two year experience attending the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics as an invited speaker. It reviews the positive impact associated with attending, presenting and interacting with undergraduates and some graduates at different stages of their academic career. Each year provided a different outlet to share my experiences, first as a graduate student and the last time as a new PhD. The conference has served as a very positive impact on myself and the other attendees.
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Women's College Meets Women's Conference
- CG04
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 10:00AM
- by Amelia Plunk
- Type: Panel
- For many women who attended the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics the weekend was refreshing, empowering, and inspiring. For me, it was eye-opening. Having a background at a women's college meant that I had an awareness of the struggles of women in physics, while having experienced few myself. Being given the opportunity to attend the Northeast CUWiP allowed me to hear the stories and experiences of my peers and to adapt and apply them to my own trajectory. In this informal talk I will bring to the table my unique experience as a student from a women's college at the CUWiP. I will discuss some of the viewpoints I brought with me, and many more of those with which I walked away. Finally I will present sage advice straight from the conference, and will develop on this idea a plan for expanding the scope of the CUWiP.
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Panel: Where's The Pedagogy In Lab?
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Panel: Where's The Pedagogy In Lab?
- DF
- Tue 01/08, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Dean Hudek
- Type: Panel
- Instructional labs have been an integral part of physics education for a very long time; arguably since the creation of the discipline. However, to date there is no clear concise agreement on what knowledge the students should to take away from their time in the lab or what pedagogical approach is most effective? Not knowing the answers to these questions makes it difficult to justify the significant expense - lab equipment, lab rooms, lab staff – and time commitment – time students spend in lab and writing reports. Does this ambiguity make our instructional labs vulnerable to budget cuts? Are we providing the best learning environment to our students? In this session, 4 panel members will have 10-15 min to express their views on this topic. The remaining time will be spent on audience questions and open discussion. I hope you can join us. Note: This is a continuation of the panel held at the winter 2012 meeting - Ontario California - “What is the point of the instructional lab?"
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Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Preservice Teachers
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Integrating Pedagogic Content Knowledge Across a Pre-service Teacher Program
- GD01
- Wed 01/09, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
- by Laird Kramer
- Type: Invited
- Pedagogic Content Knowledge (PCK) unites the content and pedagogy that arenecessary for effective instruction in a specific subject area. Florida International University (FIU) has integrated PCK skill development into their restructured physics teacher preparation program. PCK development begins in the introductory physics course sequence, all of which include research-driven curricular reform. The development continues throughout the Learning Assistant (LA) program, developed at the University of Colorado Boulder, where preservice teachers and those considering teaching careers participate in authentic physics teaching experiences that provide rewarding experiences and develop teacher identity. PCK is explicitly developed across the physics teacher preparation program culminating in a modeling instruction pedagogy course. PCK is further strengthened by the nature of the programs that are collaborative across the Colleges of Arts & Science and Education and award physics bachelors’ degrees plus teacher certification to future teachers. The program, along with its development, will be presented.
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PCK at Kennesaw State University
- GD02
- Wed 01/09, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
- by David Rosengrant
- Type: Invited
- Kennesaw State University is the third largest university in the state of Georgia. With the creation of our MAT program in physics five years ago, we have become the largest producer of physics teachers in the state of Georgia graduating nearly 20 teachers in the first five years. One of our strengths is our six-credit hour graduate course focusing specifically on physics pedagogical content knowledge. In this class time, we cover content labs, instructional strategies, designing assessments, lessons, units, technologies, issues in science, problem based learning, nature of science, physics education research and hands on practicum teaching experiences. In this talk, we briefly talk about the MAT program and a detailed analysis and reflection of what this specific course entails.
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Physics Preparation for Preservice Elementary Teachers
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Elementary Program Re-design I: Creating a New Major for Teachers
- EI01
- Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 7:20PM
- by Eleanor Close
- Type: Invited
- In 2007, a group of faculty at Seattle Pacific University set out to design a major that would prepare future elementary teachers in all six core content areas they would be required to teach, and in particular to increase their relevant preparation in science and mathematics. The process of creating the new major was a two-year collaboration between multiple departments within the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the School of Psychology, and included the development of six major concentrations corresponding to the six core elementary school content areas. The creation of the new major more than doubled the number of required mathematics and science courses for elementary certification candidates. Results from the first few years of the new major show a dramatic increase in the number of students choosing to focus on science and mathematics.
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Elementary Program Re-design II: Integrating Physics Content and Methods
- EI02
- Tue 01/08, 7:20PM - 7:50PM
- by Lezlie DeWater
- Type: Invited
- As part of the re-designed elementary teacher preparation program at Seattle Pacific University, students are required to take a sequence of two program-specific physical science courses, usually in their first year, and a science methods course also taught by physics faculty, usually in their fourth year. In addition, students who choose the Natural Sciences concentration are required to take at least two credits of science teaching practicum, which typically consists of serving as a Learning Assistant in the physical science courses during their second or third year. This sequence of experiences has been transformative for a number of students; we will describe the sequence through the lens of student stories.
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Hands-On-Science: Integrated, Inquiry-based Science for Pre-service Elementary Teachers
- EI03
- Tue 01/08, 7:50PM - 8:20PM
- by Sacha Kopp
- Type: Invited
- Much has been discussed about the need for better science curriculum and training for teachers of elementary school classrooms. Future elementary school teachers at UT Austin gain their degree from the College of Education, with significant credits earned in math and science. I will discuss a new inquiry-based curriculum in integrated natural sciences (physics, chemistry, geology, biology, and astronomy) introduced for these teachers. I will discuss transitioning curriculum over to an inquiry class, the challenges of student mastery given the required broad curriculum, and in tailoring a curriculum and assessment to achieve goals of greater teacher self-efficacy in science instruction. Data on pre-service teacher content mastery will be presented, as well as data on self-efficicacy.
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An Inquiry-based Course in Chemistry and Physics for Pre-service Teachers
- EI04
- Tue 01/08, 8:20PM - 8:50PM
- by Michael Loverude
- Type: Invited
- Physics/Chemistry 102, "Physical Science for Future Elementary Teachers" is one of three courses that were developed at California State University Fullerton as part of an NSF-funded initiative to enhance the science content understanding of prospective teachers; the other courses cover geology and biology. Phys/Chem 102 is taught in a weekly six-hour lab format, with enrollment limited to 26 students per section and little or no lecture instruction. The course emphasizes learning science in context and a strong focus on conceptual understanding. The intention is that prospective teachers will see science as an interconnected discipline with real-world implications, rather than a collection of facts and equations. In this talk, we describe the course and its development, present research on student understanding for students in this course and similar-level lecture courses, and examine the present and future prospects for the course.
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Physics and Society
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Emptiness and the Nature of Knowledge in Physics
- CA01
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by Dewey Dykstra
- Type: Invited
- In the Buddhist philosophy known as the Middle Way* knowledge has certain similarities to the nature of knowledge in Physics. Buddhism is a religion without a supreme being. Buddhists are left to work things out for themselves. The four fundamental beliefs that identify Buddhism contain no specific directions as to how to behave in order to pursue this basic set of beliefs. Buddhism is an empirical belief system. While some might object, Physics is also an empirical belief system. In Physics we are also left to work out our explanation of the physical world. It is not unreasonable that similar understandings of the nature of knowledge might occur in these two empirical belief systems both based in human cognition. Emptiness, the central concept in the Buddhist Middle Way, will be described and linked to an understanding of the nature of knowledge from 20th - 21st century Physics.
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Physics and Society Crackerbarrel
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Physics and Society Crackerbarrel
- CRK01
- Mon 01/07, 6:30PM - 7:30PM
- by Steve Lindaas
- Type: Ckrbrl
- Join your colleagues for an informal discussion of how AAPT members can contribute to the teaching of such physics-related societal issues as energy use, global warming, nuclear power, resource extraction, and pseudoscience.
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Policy & Advocacy for Physics Education and PER
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Why Leaders in Physics Education Must Communicate the Right Message to Students
- DD01
- Tue 01/08, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- by John Rice
- Type: Invited
- In spring 2009, the University of Texas had 192 physics majors. Now there are 442. John Rice, owner of CommonSense Communications--a Baton Rouge marketing, public relations and advertising firm, and Sacha Kopp, physics professor and senior associate dean for the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas, based a campaign on what students said drew them to the major, would keep them in the major, and what repelled them from it. This data was collected through focus groups of both physics majors and science and math majors who said they would not major in physics if you held a gun to their head. Rice went on to conduct focus groups, write marketing plans, and create campaigns for four more university physics departments. He has also conducted focus groups at community colleges and high schools. In part, the data collected revealed: 1. Though high school students taking advanced science classes rate their high school physics highly, less than five percent will choose to major in physics. 2. 80 percent of senior physics majors cannot name three careers that can be pursued with a physics background other than teaching at a university and conducting research 3. At California State University San Marcos, 60 percent of STEM majors said they did not feel like they were aware of all the careers associated with their majors; 53 percent said if they knew about other careers associated with math and science majors they would consider something other than their current major and 84 percent said seeing research first hand would affect their choice of major to some degree. This presentation will provide specific suggestions and strategies to high school and college physics educators about how to communicate messages that will help students ensure that they get what they want from physics and everything the academic pursuit has to offer. Rice believes that if more physics education decision makers do this effectively it will result in more majors. If you have seen this presentation before, you should consider seeing it again since it will focus more on the specifics of what you can do as an educator and how to do it.
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The Faculty Role in Advocacy: What, Why, And How
- DD02
- Tue 01/08, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Scott Franklin
- Type: Invited
- The Capitol Hill environment is completely unlike that in the halls of academia, and advocating for science policy requires a style of communication quite different from scientific discourse. Nevertheless, the experience, while challenging, can be extremely rewarding, and change how one approaches changing our educational system. Fortunately, there are a growing number of resources that faculty can draw upon to make the process easier and more effective. I will discuss my first trip to Capitol Hill, including the details of setting up and managing appointments with congressional aides, and the resources I found useful during my visit. I'll also describe the initial culture shock and how I quickly came to appreciate the intensity and clarity of the visits. In addition to providing a roadmap for other faculty wishing to advocate for science policy, I'll describe additional resources that are in development.
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Teacher-centered Systemic Change in the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership
- DD03
- Tue 01/08, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Michael Wittmann
- Type: Invited
- As part of the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership (MainePSP, an NSF-funded MSP project*), members of the University of Maine and several non-profits are working with school districts to enact change in middle-school physical science instruction. The setting is rural, with schools separated by long distances, and often only one or two science teachers per school. The MainePSP uses a "bottom-up" change mechanism to support a community of teachers who are implementing a vertically integrated science curriculum. The beliefs and practices of the teachers impact school administrative decisions that support the curriculum reform. We provide evidence of a strong teacher community, our model of systemic change, and conjectures about how the teacher community might be influencing district-level decisions about physical science instruction.
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Post-Deadline Talks
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Using Video Analysis to Classify Student Discussions During Peer Instruction
- FI01
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 1:10PM
- by Laura Tucker
- Type: Contributed
- Numerous studies show courses taught using Peer Instruction have higher learning gains on standardized assessments. Yet we have very few measurements of what happens during the peer discussion component of this pedagogy. When students are told to discuss a physics question with a neighbor, do they do so? If so, do they have a substantive conversation about the physics, or just a brief exchange of answers? To address these questions, we recorded every student discussion in nearly every lecture of an introductory physics course at a major research university. Through both large-scale manual coding efforts and smaller-scale qualitative analysis, we have identified common interactional patterns and measured the frequency of each interaction type. In addition, we have measured the proportion of time students spend in on- and off-task discussions. We will discuss these results and implications for the classroom.
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p adic q integral and some family of L functions and their applications
- FI02
- Wed 01/09, 1:10PM - 1:20PM
- by YILMAZ SIMSEK
- Type: Contributed
- In this paper we present a study on a p adic q L functions using p adic q integral which interpolate Bernoulli and Euler numbers at negative integers. We will give some application related to these functions and numbers in Mathematical Physics.
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Creating their Own Learning Experiences: EMPACTS and Physical Science
- FI03
- Wed 01/09, 1:20PM - 1:30PM
- by Capitola Phillips
- Type: Contributed
- Non-science majors in an Introductory Physical Science course learn basic science concepts through project based, self directed learning experiences. The EMPACTS (Educationally Managed Projects Advancing Technology/Teamwork and Service) model of engagement provides a collaborative learning environment, where students use technology to research and apply science concepts within the framework of a college level physical science course. Diverse teams of students (no more than 4) create science activities and models that are used in peer instruction activities and presentations as well as shared with area K-6 science, math and GT instructors. In addition, education (pre-service teachers) majors work with local school mentors as they adapt college level physical science content and activities to K-12 grade levels.
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Physics Lecture Demonstrations and Student Conceptual Change
- FI05
- Wed 01/09, 1:50PM - 1:50PM
- by Kelly Miller
- Type: Contributed
- Demonstrations (demos) are vital components of most undergraduate physics courses. Despite their prominence, research has shown that students learn little, if anything from lecture demos. Worse, some research suggests depending on the delivery, demos can even contribute to students? misconceptions. We analyze one delivery method that requires students? predictions of lecture demonstration outcomes in introductory mechanics and electricity and magnetism at two large research universities. We compare students? predictions before having seen the demonstration to what they report as having observed both right after the demonstration and several weeks later. Students? post-demonstration explanations of the physics behind each demonstration are also analyzed. Triangulation of these data points lead us to better understand how students? pre-instructional beliefs influence their interpretation and memory of physics lecture demonstrations. This can mitigate the ?disconnect? that has been shown to exist between what instructors think they are demonstrating and what students actually observe/remember.
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ENGY320: A Renewable Energy Course at Colorado School of Mines
- FI06
- Wed 01/09, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
- by Chuck Stone
- Type: Contributed
- Renewable energy is a vast field quickly garnering public attention. Faculty, staff, and researchers within the Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at Colorado School of Mines have developed an energy minor curriculum with a track dedicated to renewable energy. The physics department has developed an upper division undergraduate engineering course (ENGY320: Renewable Energy) for this minor that focuses on fundamental physical principles underlying energy processes and the application of these principles to practical calculations. It relies on a solid background in calculus, chemistry, physics, and thermodynamics? emphasizes quantitative analysis? and introduces and applies many important analytical tools.
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Poster Session I
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Poster Session I
- PST1
- Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 9:15PM
- by
- Type: Posters
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Poster Session II
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Poster Session II
- PST2
- Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:45AM
- by
- Type: Posters
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Pre-High School
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LIGO Science Education Center and the Middle School Student
- CF01
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by William Katzman
- Type: Invited
- The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in Livingston, LA and Hanford, WA search for gravitational waves, which are ripples in a gravitational field, or ripples in space-time, caused by massive objects, like colliding black holes and supernovae, undergoing incredible accelerations. We expect the direct detection of gravitational waves to open a new field of astronomy by allowing humans to "see" the Universe in a new way. The LIGO Science Education Center (SEC), a 5,000 square-foot facility co-located at the Livingston Observatory, seeks to leverage the resources of LIGO in order to inspire the next generation of scientists. This presentation will focus on LIGO Science Education Center's inquiry-laden outreach to younger audiences (grades 5-8), which comprises almost half of LIGO-SEC's on-site school visitors.
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Outreach in Rural Native American Communities
- CF02
- Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Julie Callahan
- Type: Invited
- The challenge of providing outreach to K-12 science communities poses interesting problems under the best of conditions. Serving our underrepresented groups in the most rural of areas presents a unique set of issues that can be supported using novel approaches. ASPIRE has partnered with schools in Browning, MT to provide outreach to some of their K-12 students. Providing support and opportunity to rural and underrepresented group is a challenging and rewarding problem to address. Learn how we have implemented semi-formal program to engage and support students from these unique populations by sharing information about cosmic ray research from Telescope Array.
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Physics of Atomic Nuclei for Middle and Elementary Classrooms
- CF03
- Tue 01/08, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
- by Lynn Arnold
- Type: Contributed
- The Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD, is providing infrastructure and support to scientists installing large detectors a mile underground that will advance our understanding of the structure, history, and fate of the universe. Regional educators at all levels and in all disciplines are exploring ways to excite and inspire students about STEM careers through the science happening in their backyard. In the summer of 2012, a one-week teacher professional development workshop, "Physics of Atomic Nuclei in the 21st Century Classroom," explored online resources for delivering modern physics contents to K-12 students. The workshop was a follow-up to an earlier workshop that used a more traditional lecture and hands-on activity format. In this joint presentation, the instructor of the course plus two participants will present lesson plans and follow up lessons learned for introducing modern physics to 5th and 8th grade classrooms.
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"Science Is Fun" Field Trip for Elementary School Graduates
- CF04
- Tue 01/08, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
- by Michael Ponnambalam
- Type: Contributed
- In May 2011, we launched the "Science Is Fun" Field Trip for our Elementary School Graduates. We gave the little ones an opportunity to discover, experience, and enjoy the beauty and fun in science, through the use of lively and interactive demonstrations, experiments and computer simulations. They were given a chance to enjoy science for two hours, and discover for themselves that i) Science is fun, ii) Science is cool, and iii) Science is good for them. The program was extremely successful, and has become a popular annual event.
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Preparing Teachers for Technology Needed in Teaching Physics
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Technology Integration as a Means to Enhance Teaching and Learning
- BH01
- Mon 01/07, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Howard Glasser
- Type: Invited
- Technology changes rapidly and it can be challenging for physics teachers and teacher preparation programs to keep pace. It is especially difficult to find ways to meaningfully incorporate digital resources into instruction in ways that enhance teaching and learning. This talk will focus on how teachers and teacher preparation programs can address this issue. I will share ways they can integrate digital resources into their classes in ways that will further develop students' skills in broad areas that transcend specific science content. These skills can include things like collaborating, communicating, and demonstrating understanding. Teachers will be able to better enhance and assess students' content knowledge using various digital resources if they can learn how technology can be used to develop these broader skills.
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Physics Teaching 2.Uh-Oh
- BH02
- Mon 01/07, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Frank Noschese
- Type: Invited
- Physics teachers have always been ahead of the curve when teaching with technology. But are we using technology the best way possible? How can we help prepare new physics teachers to effectively incorporate technology in their instruction? We'll take a critical look at popular tech tools like YouTube, probeware, interactive whiteboards, video games, etc. in the classroom and beyond.
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Preparing Our Future High School Physics Teachers for Their Physics Classrooms
- BH03
- Mon 01/07, 3:00PM - 3:30PM
- by David Jones
- Type: Invited
- My own personal physics teaching journey has given me many teaching experiences that have informed my views on teaching physics and informed my views on the use of technology in the high school physics classroom. I will discuss some of the following questions and ideas in my talk. What does "technology" look like in a high school classroom? What are appropriate uses for "Hi Tech" or "Low Tech" teaching activities for the high school classroom? How to enhance already established good physics teaching ideas with a little technological tweak. I will also provide some input on how to better prepare future teachers on the challenges that they will face in a high school teaching environment and comment on the skills needed in order to negotiate their new world of the physics classroom and the physics lab stockroom.
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TYC-New Faculty Experience: Professional Development with Technology Applications
- BH04
- Mon 01/07, 3:30PM - 3:40PM
- by Todd Leif
- Type: Contributed
- 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. This talk will discuss the professional development delivered to the participants specifically targeted at the inclusion of the technology applications that were demonstrated during the program experience.
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Prerequisite Issues in Introductory Courses
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Prerequisite Issues in Introductory Courses
- CRK03
- Tue 01/08, 12:15PM - 1:15PM
- by John Cise
- Type: Ckrbrl
- Pre-requisites are essential for success in Introductory physics courses.This session Will cracker barrel Per-requisite issues ....especially per-requisite checking by Colleges.
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Recruiting and Retaining Physics Students
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Networking Nights; a Tool to Improve the Retention of Women
- BG01
- Mon 01/07, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by Jolene Johnson
- Type: Contributed
- For the past five years Women in Physics and Astronomy (WiPA) at the University of Minnesota has organized a women in physics undergraduate event that brings together students from up to 15 different institutions to network and learn about opportunities in physics and related fields. Many small colleges in the area have small physics departments with only a handful of female majors. This can lead to female students feeling isolated within their departments. We developed this annual event to both overcome some of this isolation and allow students to explore future education and career options in physics and engineering. In this talk I will present the most effective format we have discovered for these events, and well as outcomes and feedback.
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Project W.I.S.E. - Recruiting Students into S.T.E.M.-Fields by Community Service
- BG02
- Mon 01/07, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
- by Gregory DiLisi
- Type: Contributed
- We describe the design and implementation of our Project W.I.S.E. partnership, a multi-institutional collaboration that assembles interdisciplinary teams of high school students charged with developing S.T.E.M.-focused community youth-programs. Our goal is to promote young women's interest in S.T.E.M. through an early, positive exposure to informal science education. The project serves as a model of how high schools can collaborate with universities and informal learning centers to build strong, successful youth-program partnerships that serve the local community. Our project is innovative in its youth-development strategies, the targeting plan for diverse audiences, and the focus on women's contributions to aviation and space flight. The project also gives high school students rare but powerful opportunities to contribute directly to the quality of life in their community and to work in multi-disciplinary, multi-generational teams.
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Using Invention Sequences to Narrow the Achievement Gap in Introductory Physics
- BG03
- Mon 01/07, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
- by Suzanne White Brahmia
- Type: Contributed
- Physics instruction typically emphasizes mathematical formalism, often at the expense of sensemaking. Too many students resort to memorization strategies, approaching physics as a match-the-equation activity. Invention tasks, originally developed by Schwartz et. al. and adapted to physics contexts, present students with open-ended situations in which they must work in groups to devise ways to mathematically characterize physical situations. These tasks provide a bridge between the mathematical procedures ubiquitous in physics and a conceptual understanding of the principles that underlie them. A collaboration between Rutgers, WWU, and NMSU has developed sequences of invention tasks designed to develop mathematical reasoning skills that are expected and often lacking in introductory physics students. Because socioeconomically disadvantaged districts often have weak mathematics programs in the middle and high school levels, these tasks seem to be particularly beneficial to students from underrepresented groups. We present early results on this work with mathematically underprepared and female students.
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Teaching and Organizing for Success
- BG04
- Mon 01/07, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Daryao Khatri
- Type: Contributed
- In teaching College Physics I and II and several other advanced courses, we have discovered that three strategies are critical to maximize students' success and retention. The first is the inductive method of teaching that includes engaging students with professors continuously during lectures and/or presentations. The second one is the physical organization of the content by both professors and students in a 3-D-ring binder. The third one is the organization of teaching and students' assessment into eight categories: (1) review of critical math skills; (2) review of course skills; (3) list of topics to be taught for a given topic or chapter; (4) class-room problems; (5) points to remember; (6) exit questions; (7) practice homework; and (8) priming homework. The first five topics are included on a daily and/or chapter agenda, and the last three are included on a separate student handout. We will share data that have been collected over a period of five years for students' evaluations and their successes and retention.
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Introductory Calculus-based Physics for Underprepared Students
- BG05
- Mon 01/07, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
- by Dean Richardson
- Type: Contributed
- Part of the mission of Xavier University of Louisiana is to admit some students who are not fully prepared for the rigors of college- level courses. A different approach is needed in order for these students to reach the necessary level of competency by the time they graduate. Some of the methods used in our introductory physics sequence for physics majors will be discussed. These include specific implementations of in-class problem solving, detailed lab reports and homework.
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Reforming the Introductory Physics Course for Life Science Majors VIII
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Physics of Medicine (POM)
- AF01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:20AM
- by Nancy Donaldson, Ph.D.
- Type: Invited
- In 2009, Rockhurst University established a Physics of Medicine Program designed to deepen students' understanding of physics as it is applied to medicine. Through a focus designed to build upon introductory physics principles to an application of physics to medicine, Rockhurst's POM Program has been successful in attracting students from different disciplines into upper-division physics courses. In POM, students study the physics principles involved in analyzing human physiological and anatomical function, the detection/diagnosis of disease and the subsequent treatment plan. Active-learning courses include a mixture of hands-on work, experimentation, research and project design, lectures, problem solving, guest speakers from the medical community and field trips to view medical imaging equipment and nuclear medicine facilities. Rockhurst University and Loyola Maryland University received a collaborative NSF TUES grant in May 2012 to develop three upper-division active learning modules in fiber optics in medicine, pressure in the human body and nuclear medicine.
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How Can Biologists Learn to Love Physics?
- AF02
- Mon 01/07, 8:20AM - 8:40AM
- by Jay Nadeau
- Type: Invited
- Many biologists see introductory physics as a "weed-out" class to be endured, and do not make the connection between the fundamental principles of physics and many common biological problems and techniques. At the same time, these evolving quantitative techniques make it more and more necessary for biologists to have a firm grasp of physical principles and of quantitative methods such as dimensional analysis and statistics. One of the biggest conceptual hurdles occurs during the introduction of electricity and magnetism (E&M) and wave optics. Students who have readily mastered elementary mechanics are often overwhelmed by the abstract and "invisible" nature of E&M. This situation is not aided by engineering-specific test questions that appear to have little to do with biology. In my talk, I present some basic biological systems that can be used to illustrate principles of optics and E&M in a rigorous way.
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Physics for the Life Sciences at the University of Michigan
- AF03
- Mon 01/07, 8:40AM - 9:00AM
- by Timothy McKay
- Type: Invited
- In 2006 the University of Michigan Department of Physics began reforming our Introductory Physics sequence for life science and pre-professional students. The new course we have created, Physics for the Life Sciences, is a two-semester sequence focusing on the physical principles that are most important for living systems. This sequence, with its accompanying labs, has now replaced our traditional algebra-based track, and enrolls around 900 students per term. Rather than a traditional textbook, the course utilizes a coursepack of original material created at Michigan, all of which is available to those interested in seeing what we've done. In this presentation I will describe the organizing goals of our new course, provide an outline of its general content, and present a summary of student and faculty responses to this new approach.
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- Sun 01/06, 7:00AM - 4:00PM
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Research Paradigms in PER
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Piagetian and Ethnographic Influences in Physics Education Research
- EE01
- Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 7:20PM
- by Rachel Scherr
- Type: Invited
- My present theoretical framework combines constructivist learning theory, ethnography, and perspectives from embodied cognition. Its Piagetian roots are evident in a focus on the logic and structure of learners' existing knowledge about concepts and a commitment to learners' ideas always having some seed of correctness. Meanwhile, because of the ease of video recording in classrooms, the available evidence shows knowledge as an interactional practice, in which knowledge and understanding are evident in what people do to learn together. My interactionist perspective includes theories of embodied cognition, in which the body is a site for the dynamic production of meaning and actions, and the interpretive tradition in ethnography, in which the phenomena of interest for learning are the meaning of activities for the participants. These theoretical perspectives combine in a research methodology that can include pre- and post-testing, but is centered on detailed video analysis of learner interactions in semi-natural settings.
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Once Upon a Data Set: Telling Stories through Data Representation
- EE02
- Tue 01/08, 7:20PM - 7:50PM
- by Danielle Harlow
- Type: Invited
- Paradigms and professional visions are often invisible -- even to the researcher. Here, I discuss how choices across multiple research projects make visible a professional vision and theories of cause. We focus on understanding how children and teachers develop and engage in creative and improvisational thinking while teaching and learning science. Expecting learners to develop and present unanticipated ideas presents numerous challenges for how to collect data and how to find and tell the stories in the data. Representing data in multiple ways allows different aspects of a classroom context to be seen. In this presentation, I show how multiple ways of representing qualitative and quantitative data result in different things to see.
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How Do Researchers Decide What to Study and How to Study It?
- EE03
- Tue 01/08, 7:50PM - 8:20PM
- by Paula Heron
- Type: Invited
- The Physics Education Group at the University of Washington typically investigates student learning in an iterative cycle in which basic research, classroom instruction, and the development of instructional materials are inextricably linked. Research articles sometimes portray the cyclic nature of the process but rarely in enough detail for readers to understand the many decisions that were made at each point. Explicit discussion of guiding principles is usually sacrificed in favor of descriptions of results. Thus the conceptual framework in which this research takes place is usually implicit. In this talk I will attempt to make this framework explicit by discussing the principles, preferences, values and beliefs that motivate my research and guide its progress.
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The Study of Student Responses to Questions: Assumptions and Inferences
- EE04
- Tue 01/08, 8:20PM - 8:50PM
- by Andrew Heckler
- Type: Invited
- In our lab we analyze large numbers of student responses to questions commonly found in classroom assessments. From our perspective, it is necessary to collect relatively large data samples in controlled studies in order to isolate effects of one or two factors of interest from a relatively large number of potential factors that may affect student responses. In addition to our own assumptions underlying our research, I will discuss the often overlooked assumptions needed to claim the existence of patterns in student answers, the problematic inferences about "concepts" or other high-order mental structures hypothesized to cause patterns in answers, and the ripening need to unpack and specify the manifold meanings subsumed by the term "understanding" so that these meanings may be consistently used in research and practice. For better or worse, these issues are often an artifact of the use of conventional tests and the interpretation of their results.
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Sustainability in the 21st Century
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Constructing a Sustainable Foundation for Thinking and Learning About Energy in the 21st Century
- CH01
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by Stamatis Vokos
- Type: Invited
- Sustainability is the capacity to endure and continue flourishing. Intellectual sustainability involves the construction of ideas, strategies, and beliefs that will support ongoing intellectual engagement throughout a learner's lifetime. The Energy Project at Seattle Pacific University works with K-12 teachers to help them build an energy understanding that is both personal and intellectually sustainable. We will describe instructional strategies that promote the construction, negotiation and representation of foundational energy ideas. These strategies help teachers engage in subtle, rigorous, and productive discourse about energy with their colleagues and with their students. In this way, the Energy Project is working with teachers to lay the intellectually sustainable groundwork that will be critical for addressing the energy challenges of today and tomorrow.
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Sustainable Energy Degree Programs in New Jersey's Two-Year Colleges
- CH02
- Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Brian Holton
- Type: Invited
- For the last few years, a consortium of two-year colleges along with a fewfour-year institutions have been working together to develop degree programs for students wishing to pursue careers in sustainable energy in the state of New Jersey. Our state is diverse in population in terms of race, socio-economic status, and population density. While a relatively small state, New Jersey encompasses urban, suburban and rural areas with colleges in all of these. Does one size fit all and can very different colleges offer similar programs? Armed with a two-year degree in sustainable energy, what do our students do with these? We will describe how our colleges are working together in sharing resources and in developing successful sustainable energy degree programs to meet the country's growing energy needs.
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Teacher Training/Enhancement
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Alabama Professional Development Project, Alliance for Physics EXcellence (APEX)
- DC01
- Tue 01/08, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
- by Jim Nelson
- Type: Contributed
- The National Science Foundation has awarded a physics educational enhancement grant to Alabama A&M University and its partners: AAPT/PTRA Program, Huntsville City School System, University of Alabama, Drake State Technical College (DSTC), and Alabama Science In Motion (ASIM) to conduct a five-year project addressing the secondary physics needs of Alabama. This project, entitled "Alliance for Physics Excellence" (APEX), will increase the number of undergraduates in physics who plan to become teachers, the professional development of in-service physics teachers, and the number of underrepresented individuals who study and teach physics at all levels of the Alabama educational system. APEX envisions transforming physics education in Alabama by enabling physics teachers to acquire a deeper knowledge of physics content and employ more effective pedagogical strategies based on physics educational research, thus enabling students to achieve higher knowledge gains. Come meet APEX leaders who will share their vision and details of the project.
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PhysicsTeachersNYC -- A New, Local, Modeling-Focused Learning Community
- DC02
- Tue 01/08, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
- by Fernand Brunschwig
- Type: Contributed
- PhysicsTeachersNYC, a year-old affiliate of the American Modeling TeachersAssociation (ModelingInstruction.org), has over 100 teacher-members in NYC, communicating via a lively Google Group and website (PhysicsTeachersNYC.org). PhysicsTeachersNYC meets at Columbia Teachers College and has conducted 11 highly successful teacher-led three-hour weekend workshops and one three-week summer Modeling Mechanics Workshop. We will document the process by which PhysicsTeachersNYC began and the high level of activity and interaction. Reasons for success lead back to the fact that the group is locally-originated, classroom-oriented, and modeling-focused, with teachers determining the topics and leading the workshops. The workshops are intense, "hands-on" sessions: teachers work through Modeling Instruction lessons including experiments in "student mode" and then discuss the pedagogy in "teacher mode." We will spell out the implications and possibilities for teachers elsewhere interested in generating additional locally oriented initiatives from the grassroots, whether focused on Modeling Instruction or other interactive-engagement approaches.
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UCA STEMteach: Transforming a Teacher Education Program
- DC03
- Tue 01/08, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
- by Stephen Addison
- Type: Contributed
- The University of Central Arkansas is a cohort 4 UTeach replication site. The effort was driven by state needs to increase the numbers of teachers being produced in the STEM disciplines. The productivity of physics programs across the state has been particularly low. Lessons learned and strategies developed to implement a UTeach replication site on a compressed schedule will be presented. Strategies to attract more physics students into high school classrooms will be included.
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Helping High School Teachers Teach Atoms
- DC04
- Tue 01/08, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by Gordon Aubrecht
- Type: Contributed
- As a university professor interacting with high school teachers, I have tried to help teachers with accessing content without dictating how teachers should teach. In observing ninth-grade physical science classes, it was clear to me as an outside observer that attempts to teach atoms and the periodic table were not reaching students. This did not seem clear to the teachers themselves. We used grant funding to help teachers learn about their students' thinking through use of formative assessments the teachers analyzed. The assessments were developed with teacher assistance. The physical science assessments were not focused at the subject of atoms but addressed parts of the subject. After teachers had analyzed the students' assessments, they spontaneously expressed dissatisfaction with what students learned about atoms and asked us for assistance in making changes. We present some details of the process in this talk.
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New Instructor Training Program at West Point
- DC05
- Tue 01/08, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
- by Pete Exline
- Type: Contributed
- In the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (D/PANE) at the United States Military Academy (USMA), the junior faculty consists largely of active duty US Army officers sent to graduate school for a tqo-year Master's Degree program in Physics or Nuclear Engineering and then to West Point for a three year tour as an instructor. While this model is great for bringing current military experience into the classroom, it creates almost 30% turnover in the department's faculty each year. With only six weeks from new instructor arrival to the start of classes, D/PANE has developed a "New Instructor Training" (NIT) Program to rapidly equip them with the pedagogical concepts and practical experience to successfully lead a classroom. This presentation describes the structure of the NIT Program and discusses the continuing faculty development efforts throughout the academic year.
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The Role of Reflection in a Content-Based Professional Development Program*
- DC06
- Tue 01/08, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
- by Donna Messina
- Type: Contributed
- Effective science education reform requires bringing inquiry teaching and learning to the forefront in K-12 schools. To successfully do so, teachers need the opportunity to participate in meaningful professional development that develops their content and pedagogical content knowledge. During the Physics Education Group's five-week Summer Institute in Physics and Physical Science, teachers work through modules of Physics by Inquiry relevant to the grades they teach to develop these understandings. In addition, they are prompted by specific instructional strategies to reflect on their own teaching practice and ways in which they can creatively affect their students' learning experiences. This talk will explore these strategies and provide insight into the ways in which the teachers' practice and their students' learning is affected. *This work has been supported in part by the National Science Foundation.
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Understanding Physics Learning Assistants' Perspectives on Teaching, Reflection, and Expertise
- DC07
- Tue 01/08, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Geraldine Cochran
- Type: Contributed
- At Florida International University we have implemented a learning assistant (LA) program based on the Colorado Learning Assistant Model (Otero, Pollock, Finkelstein, 2010), designed to help prospective and pre-service science and mathematics teachers to develop pedagogical content knowledge, develop as reflective practitioners, and gain experience in teaching early in their academic careers. As a part of the program, LAs are helped to develop reflective practice. We believe that reflective practice is a kind of deliberate practice that helps novice teachers to hone their teaching skills as they strive toward expertise in teaching. To better understand the needs of our LAs in this development we interviewed a number of them to better understand their perspectives in regard to teaching, reflection, and expertise.
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Learning Assistants at the University of Alabama
- DC08
- Tue 01/08, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
- by Stan Jones
- Type: Contributed
- We describe the transition from undergraduate teaching assistants to learning assistants at the University of Alabama. A key component of the program is early exposure to physics teaching in the department as well as in local high schools. Our program integrates activities with the Alabama Science in Motion program, which makes lab equipment available to all interested high schools statewide. LAs demonstrate a greater interest in high school teaching than was found with the traditional TA program. LAs were found to be more enthusiastic in participating in courses where reformed teaching was present.
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Teaching in High Schools of Districts with Limited Resources
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Lending a Helping Hand: Making Learning Possible in Resource-Poor Schools
- BA01
- Mon 01/07, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- by Anderson Sunda-Meya
- Type: Invited
- We describe the four-year collaboration and partnership between the Physics Department at Xavier University of Louisiana and some local high schools. In the 2011-12 school year, 90 percent of public school students in New Orleans were African American and 85 percent were eligible for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program. This project is a service learning undertaken by students in the Introductory General Physics class. Teams of three to six students work with one teacher for the entire semester to tutor students, or run experiments in science classes. These service-learning activities are designed to integrate science, education, research, and civic engagement. We will highlight the results and the challenges faced in this service-learning project.
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Engaging Secondary Students in Physics Understanding Using Local Hardware Stores
- BA02
- Mon 01/07, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Duane Merrell
- Type: Invited
- Ideas for engaging secondary physics student with low cost, to no cost equipment that is available to everyone. We will see the equipment in use through video of students and teachers using the equipment. Motion labs with paper dragracers Newtons Laws with paper and pop bottle rockets Impulse momnetum with pumpkins and clay pidgeons, eggs Waves with a variable speed drill and more.
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The Jazz of Physics Teaching
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The use of Woodwinds in Jazz
- AA01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:30AM
- by Gordon Ramsey
- Type: Invited
- Since the early twentieth century, woodwinds have been used extensively injazz. Clarinets, being higher pitched and having a smoother sound, are perfect for the high accompaniment of Dixieland Jazz. Saxophones, with their rich, ?almost human? timbre provide an excellent voice for many kinds of jazz. The combination of saxes and brass supply a perfect point-counterpoint discussion in Big Band or other forms of jazz. What are the technical features of the woodwinds that make them perfect for these roles? This talk covers the timbre and physical quantities of woodwinds that answer this question and how they can be taught. Many live demonstrations will emphasize these points.
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The Drumbeat of Jazz in Physics
- AA02
- Mon 01/07, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by Harvey Leff
- Type: Invited
- Rhythms are a fundamental part of human life and especially of music. We lock onto repetitive beats, tap our toes, and shake our heads to rhythmic pulsations. The backbone of the music we hear is often the beat of drums, from the dynamic timpani rolls of symphony orchestras to the triplets of jazz and blues. I focus here primarily on the modern drum kit used in jazz (snare, tom-tom, bass drum, high-hat, ride and crash cymbals) and the remarkable kettledrum. I'll elaborate on some of the physics involved with each, and play audio and video clips illustrating their use in jazz. For more in-depth, extended examples, you might visit one of the many jazz clubs in New Orleans!
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Painting the Clouds with Sunshine -- The History of Jazz Banjo
- AA03
- Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Bob Swanson
- Type: Invited
- The banjo's use in jazz has waxed and waned. In the Dixieland jazz style of the early 20th century, both the 4-string and tenor banjo were widely used, albeit primarily for rhythmic support. By mid-century, as jazz gained a solid footing as a uniquely American art form, the banjo largely disappeared from jazz music, at the same time becoming synonymous with another form of American music ? bluegrass. In recent years, banjoists such as Bela Fleck have mined the melodic possibilities of the 5-string banjo to make it again a featured instrument in jazz. This talk will highlight the history of the instrument in jazz music, the interesting acoustics that make the instrument so versatile, as well as performances of some examples of jazz pieces on both 4- and 5-string banjo.
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Vocal Technique in Jazz
- AA04
- Mon 01/07, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
- by Ingo Titze
- Type: Invited
- Vocalists are able to adjust their technique to adapt to instrumental accompaniment, use of electronic amplification, and varied emphasis on rhythm versus melody. Vocal timbre mimics that of brass and woodwind instruments used in jazz. Vibrato is variable, as opposed to continuous in operatic singing. Pitch is kept at low to medium high to preserve verbal intelligibility. Occasional roughness is used to mirror the blaring of wind instruments. Scatting allows the singer to become a pure instrumentalist, not being inhibited by phonemic rules of spoken language.
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The Role of Integrated Lab Activities in Introductory Courses
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Physics Without Lectures: Workshop Physics and Explorations in Physics
- FG01
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 1:30PM
- by David Jackson
- Type: Invited
- Workshop Physics is an innovative, introductory physics curriculum in which lectures and laboratory activities are combined into three two-hour sessions per week. I will provide an overview of this curriculum from the perspective of a long-time user and present some results of student learning gains that have been taken over the years. I will also discuss how this curriculum model has been extended to an introductory course for nonscience majors called Explorations in Physics. Explorations in Physics extends the Workshop method to include extensive student-directed projects, placing students in the role a scientist to give them an in-depth experience with the process of science.
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Reconstructing Authentic Science Through Modeling Labs
- FG02
- Wed 01/09, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
- by Eric Brewe
- Type: Invited
- Model building, validation, deployment, and revision are fundamental processes of science according to the Modeling Theory of Science. An overarching goal of science is to identify patterns -- either through theoretical or experimental investigation. The Modeling Theory of Instruction avers that students should reconstruct these authentic scientific practices in the classroom. Accordingly, the role of the laboratory in University Modeling Instruction is twofold. The primary role is to promote the search for patterns, either by introducing phenomena which are the basis for new models or by motivating revisions in existing models. A secondary role is to validate the conceptual models built in the introductory course. We argue that these roles necessitate flexible use of classroom space and time which is provided by a studio-format class.
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Integrating ISLE Labs into a Studio Physics Classroom: Opportunities and Challenges
- FG03
- Wed 01/09, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
- 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. The goal of ISLE is to help students develop scientific habits of mind. For students to value and appreciate this goal, we decided that experimentation could not be separate from other class activities, but must become an integral part of every aspect of the class. I will discuss some of the design principles that I believe made our implementation successful, focusing particularly on a) ways in which we tried to capitalize on the collaborative nature of the studio classroom, and b) how we integrated experimentation into our assessments. I will present results that show that students are displaying behavior that suggests they are starting to think and act in ways that are analogous to those of practicing physicists.
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Integrating Lab Activities in SCALE-UP -- No Single Best Way
- FG04
- Wed 01/09, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
- by Jon Gaffney
- Type: Invited
- SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies) utilizes specially designed classroom spaces to enhance student learning. Although specific classroom designs vary, they typically share many of the following features: multiple large circular tables that seat students in small groups, advanced technology including computers and multiple projectors, abundant whiteboard space, and no front to the classroom. In SCALE-UP courses, instructors typically "flip" the class by focusing on student activities including problem-solving exercises and laboratories. Each adaptation of SCALE-UP is unique; there is no single "best way" to integrate labs; indeed, due to the configuration of the room, it can be challenging to use traditional laboratories in the SCALE-UP class. In this talk, we will see multiple different approaches for including labs in introductory physics courses taught with the SCALE-UP method. We will explore some of the challenges and offer some suggestions for using labs in your own SCALE-UP style class.
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Tracker: Video Analysis
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Sharing Video Experiments with Tracker Digital Libraries
- CE01
- Tue 01/08, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
- by Douglas Brown
- Type: Invited
- Sharing is an important component of learning. This talk will show how to access and create shared collections of videos and video experiments using the free Tracker video analysis and modeling tool. Tracker's Digital Library (DL) browser makes it easy to browse and open high-quality videos and experiments in online collections from ComPADRE, LivePhoto, physics departments and teacher workshops. And your students can now share their own experiments with their peers, instructors or the world by zipping and cataloging them for the DL browser using Tracker itself. Tracker is available for the Windows, Mac and Linux platforms from Cabrillo College at http://www.cabrillo.edu/~dbrown/tracker/ or from the ComPADRE Open Source Physics collection at http://www.compadre.org/OSP/.
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Interesting Projects Using Tracker Video Analysis
- CE02
- Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
- by Rhett Allain
- Type: Invited
- Video analysis makes any project more exciting and interesting. In this talk, I will go over my favorite examples of video analysis including (but not limited to): video analysis of Angry Birds, using video analysis to spot faked videos, determining the height of a space balloon, and examining the download progress bar on your computer.
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The Physics of Angry Birds
- CE03
- Tue 01/08, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
- by Rebecca Howell
- Type: Contributed
- Want to make exploring mechanics fun? Angry Birds is a popular smart phoneapp that was recently released as an online game through Google Chrome. Using free software, students and instructors can capture the computer screen as a video file. Using the amazing and free Tracker program, the motion of the birds can be analyzed. Once the motion of a bird is tracked, the projectile motion, kinetic energy, potential energy and momentum can be calculated. Most students are familiar with the game and enjoy having an opportunity to explore the physics of the gaming world. Additionally, this application teaches students how to use Tracker, which many will use in the future to analyze other video clips.
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Tracking the Coriolis Force
- CE04
- Tue 01/08, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
- by Anne Cox
- Type: Contributed
- This talk presents a ready-to-use laboratory activity using Tracker for both video analysis and video modeling of the "fictional" Coriolis force. Students use video analysis to track the motion of a ball in a rotating reference frame. Then they build a model of the motion using Tracker's modeling tools and compare experiment to theory. Resources are available on Compadre (http://www.compadre.org/osp/items/detail.cfm?ID=12042).
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Twentieth Century Physics in the First Year
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A Journey of Discovery: Teaching Particle Physics First
- DB01
- Tue 01/08, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
- by Donald Smith
- Type: Contributed
- I will present a description of our calculus-based introductory physics class that begins with modern physics. We confront the students with surprising data that force them to revise their intuitive models of the world. We have sometimes begun with particle physics, using a quasi-historical approach to guide the students to develop the standard model themselves. The process also works with optics, as the students must embrace and abandon the ray, wave, and photon models of light in turn. We finish the semester with a treatment of Special Relativity. I will present the advantages and challenges inherent to this approach in a small liberal arts college setting. In our experience, bringing 20th-century physics in at the beginning lets students see right away that physics is an active field filled with mysteries while also giving them the thinking skills to develop as scientists.
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1900-Planck's Miraculous Year
- DB02
- Tue 01/08, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
- by Aleksandr Goltsiker
- Type: Contributed
- The concept of quanta was introduced by Planck through three ground breaking papers during the miraculous year of 1900. We will describe his introduction of the h constant, the development of the formula describing the Black-body radiation and, finally the derivation of the formula that introduced, for the first time, the discreteness of energy.
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Spandex Models for General Relativity: Folklore, Facts, and Fun
- DB03
- Tue 01/08, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
- by Gary White
- Type: Contributed
- Many texts tout the use of taut rubber sheets with heavy spheres on top asuseful way to visualize aspects of general relativity. In this talk, after summarizing some results discovered by my students and me regarding the shape of stretched spandex when attached to a circular boundary with a heavy mass suspended from the center, I'll indicate how this shape dictates what kinds of orbits will be observed when viewing marbles rolling on the surface*. After discussing the limitations of this Spandex model of Newtonian gravity, I'll move to discuss how the Spandex can be used to model Einstein's view of gravity, exploring in a semi-quantitative way Wheeler's oft-cited quote: "Matter tells space how to curve. Space tells matter how to move."
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Undergraduate Student Investigations in Modern Physics
- DB04
- Tue 01/08, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by Kenneth Cecire
- Type: Contributed
- QuarkNet has developed student investigations centered on particle and cosmic ray physics and the use of data from experiments. These have potential for use in undergraduate physics to bring in new content that helps students learn how physics research works. We will introduce investigations and examine online resources.
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Using Astronomy to Teach Physics at Gustavus Adolphus College
- DB05
- Tue 01/08, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
- by Charles Niederriter
- Type: Contributed
- In an effort to improve retention in introductory physics courses for physics majors and pre-engineers, the faculty at Gustavus Adolphus College have begun teaching the first physics course differently. As many students struggled with the use of calculus, particularly integral calculus, in that course, we decided to avoid significant amounts by careful choice of topics. As it turned out, the topics chosen for that course could easily be fit into a theme of astrophysics. So, in the fall of 2011, we began teaching "The Cosmic Universe" as the first course in our four-course introductory sequence. In this talk, we will report on the contents of this new course and its associated lab. With results from only two classes available, only preliminary assessment data are available. But, we will discuss the impressions of the students and faculty involved.
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Upper Division Undergraduate
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Assessing "Thinking Like a Physicist"
- FE01
- Wed 01/09, 1:00PM - 1:10PM
- by Eleanor Sayre
- Type: Contributed
- A major goal of undergraduate education in physics is fostering "thinking like a physicist" among physics majors. Precise definitions and observational markers have been elusive, especially at the upper-division level. I present some elements of what "thinking like a physicist" entails, and some discourse markers for identifying when students are more likely to be physicist-like. The markers are applicable across contexts. I suggest instructional strategies to promote students thinking like physicists, and promote a specific assessment strategy -- oral exams -- for measuring it.
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Active Learning Course Materials for Upper-Division Electrodynamics (E&M 2)
- FE02
- Wed 01/09, 1:10PM - 1:20PM
- by Charles Baily
- Type: Contributed
- Favorable outcomes from ongoing research at the University of Colorado Boulder on student learning in junior-level electrostatics (E&M 1) have led us to extend this work to upper-division electrodynamics (E&M 2). We describe our development of a set of research-based instructional materials designed to actively engage students during lecture (including clicker questions and other in-class activities); and an instrument for assessing whether our faculty-consensus learning goals are being met. We also discuss preliminary results from several recent implementations of our transformed curriculum, and offer some insights into student difficulties in advanced undergraduate electromagnetism.
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Interviews and Assignment Analysis of Undergraduate Students Entering Quantum Mechanics
- FE03
- Wed 01/09, 1:20PM - 1:30PM
- by Brian Thoms
- 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 both faculty members and students entering a QMC in the Physics & Astronomy Department of Georgia State University. Faculty interviews probe expectations of senior undergraduate students’ background in mathematics, physics, and quantum mechanics concepts before entering a QMC. The interviews with students examine student preparation for the course, expected material, and impressions of the faculty expectations. The interviews we conducted may provide students with a “map" for areas that will help strengthen the knowledge and skills obtained in their QMC. The Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey was offered and assignments were collected and analyzed. We will report on interview data and its comparison to assignment analysis and diagnostic results in an effort to highlight predictors for success in the QMC.
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Let's Talk About the Senior Thesis!
- FE04
- Wed 01/09, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
- by Jean-Francois Van Huele
- Type: Contributed
- Is the senior thesis the most significant learning experience physics and astronomy (P&A) departments can offer their majors? Or is it a most time-consuming imposition on P&A faculty? Should the thesis research experience be limited to those who are contemplating graduate work in P&A? Is undergraduate research a drain on a department's graduate efforts? What are the key components of a successful thesis experience? And how do students feel about the thesis requirement? As we keep searching for answers after more than 20 years of senior theses in P&A at Brigham Young University, we reaffirm our commitment to the program, and invite reactions from the audience.
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Magnet Falling Through Conducting Pipe: An Improved Analytical Approach
- FE05
- Wed 01/09, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
- by Matthew Kemnetz
- Type: Contributed
- We present an analytical study of magnetic damping. In particular, we investigate the dynamics of a cylindrical neodymium magnet as it moves through a conducting tube. Owing to the very high degree of uniformity of the magnetization for neodymium magnets, we are able to provide completely analytical results for the EMF generated in the pipe and the consequent retarding force. Our analytical expressions are shown to have excellent agreement with experimental observations.
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Parallel Computing in the Upper Division
- FE06
- Wed 01/09, 1:50PM - 2:00PM
- by Steve Spicklemire
- Type: Contributed
- Introducing parallel computing in an undergraduate curriculum not directlyrelated to computer science has multiple challenges. Students often have limited computing experience and essentially no knowledge of concepts like parallelism or object oriented programming. During the second semester of the regular quantum mechanics sequence we've employed a novel approach to parallel programing that permitted undergraduate physics majors to write non-trivial parallel codes that performed efficiently on distributed memory cluster computers using the python programming language. A brief description of the strategies involved and the results of student projects will be discussed.
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Proton, Electron, Sun, Earth
- FE07
- Wed 01/09, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
- by David Keeports
- Type: Contributed
- Despite vast differences in scale, the Earth-Sun system is a quantum mechanical system highly analogous to that electron-proton system that is the hydrogen atom. The Schrödinger wave equations for the two systems are identical except for the identity of constants. Thus, hydrogen's quantum numbers n, l, and ml, its energy and orbital angular momentum formulas, and its wavefunctions also apply to Earth following the modification of a few constants. Orbiting Earth well illustrates the correspondence principle: Its truly quantum mechanical behavior appears classical because its quantum numbers are very large. It will be demonstrated that Earth's three quantum numbers collapse to a common very large quantum number, and that this common quantum number implies hydrogen-like wavefunctions consistent with Earth's spatial probability distribution.
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Simulating the Conference Experience in Upper Division Theory Courses
- FE08
- Wed 01/09, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
- by Hunter Close
- Type: Contributed
- How can undergraduate students get more involved in AAPT and APS meetings at the regional and national levels? The barrier to participation can seem impossibly high to many students: They need to find a faculty member to work with, establish an appropriate project, generate original research, and present their work to an audience of experts in a potentially terrifying oral presentation format. We are trying a format for upper division theory classes, in which we conduct weekly "conference sessions" to simulate conference conditions and help lower the barrier between students and conference participation. In order to support these conference sessions as preparation for real conferences, we developed a coherent framework involving many components (with detailed policy decisions): group problem sets on a small number of hard problems, condensed oral presentation with questions, and opportunities for extension of solutions to include original insight.
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Undergraduate Research and Identity Development
- FE09
- Wed 01/09, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
- by Paul Irving
- Type: Contributed
- As part of an ongoing research project that is primarily investigating upper-level physics student identity development with physics, we examine the case of a single student's journey toward the development of a physics identity. During the initial stages of analysis of a longitudinal study of several upper-level physics students we identified the interesting case of "Sally" whom at the beginning of the study had identified herself as a chemist but then as the study progressed began to develop a greater sense of identity and awareness of the position she occupied in the physics community. In a subsequent interview Sally wrestles with her self about the community that she primarily identifies with. This indicates the struggle of upper-level students to build a concrete identity and also the role that participating in undergraduate research can have on identity development.
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Use of an STM/AFM in the Undergraduate Physics Curriculum
- FE10
- Wed 01/09, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
- by Walter Jaronski
- Type: Contributed
- We recently obtained a high-quality scanning probe microscope, with both scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) modes. We are primarily interested in the pedagogical uses of this machine, to complement coursework and for use in undergraduate projects. Although the operation of the machine in the two modes is similar, STM and ATM are based on different physical principles, and experimentation with both modes helps to elucidate and differentiate these principles. Of course, these differences also affect the choice of technique for a given surface. There are also many subsidiary lessons to be learned, in areas such as piezoelectricity, feedback electronics, and image processing. Finally, there is the end result: the images themselves. These images assist students in visualizing atomic-scale structures and allow them to study nanoscale surface features of materials. We will share some of our ideas and experiences with incorporating this technology into our curriculum.
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Using Expert Solutions to Map a Thermodynamics Maze
- FE11
- Wed 01/09, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
- by Mary Bridget Kustusch
- Type: Contributed
- One of the challenges that upper-division students face in dealing with thermodynamics is the multitude of ways one can deal with the sea of partial derivatives. We conducted interviews with experts (faculty and graduate students), asking them to solve a challenging thermodynamics problem in order to better understand what is required to successfully solve these problems. This presentation discusses a procedural task analysis that uses these expert solutions to identify three choices that must be addressed in order to solve the problem: (1) what mathematical formalism to use, (2) which energy equation(s) to employ, and (3) how to deal with variables that are held constant (entropy, in this case). Any successful route through the problem must address these decision points and could be categorized in terms of these choices. The physical and mathematical sense-making surrounding these decisions will be addressed in a separate presentation.
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Upper Division/Graduate Courses
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Using Modeling to Emphasize Quantitative Thinking in the Laboratory
- AB01
- Mon 01/07, 8:00AM - 8:10AM
- by Benjamin Zwickl
- Type: Contributed
- Modeling, the practice of developing, testing, and refining models of physical systems, is gaining support as a key scientific practice, and is included in the new Framework for K-12 Science Education released by the National Research Council. Modeling has already been integrated into introductory courses such as RealTime Physics, Modeling Instruction, and Matter & Interaction. However, there have been limited attempts to integrate modeling in the upper-division. We present modeling as a holistic approach for emphasizing quantitative thinking in the upper-division laboratory, which is accomplished by focusing on the relationships between fundamental principles, quantitative predictions, limitations of the model, data, and the physical apparatus. Practical examples (drawn from optics experiments) and tips for incorporating modeling into your existing labs will be included.
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Student Connections between Multiplicity and Macroscopic Entropy
- AB02
- Mon 01/07, 8:10AM - 8:20AM
- by Michael Loverude
- Type: Contributed
- As part of an ongoing project involving research and curriculum development in upper-division thermal physics, we have investigated student understanding of the concept of entropy and the approach to thermal equilibrium. In the thermal physics approach, the second law of thermodynamics is motivated by an extended examination of statistical properties and entropy is first introduced in terms of multiplicity. In the current talk, we present data from written problems in which students are asked about entropy and multiplicity in the context of interacting bodies. In particular, we will show responses that suggest that the link between multiplicity and entropy can be more challenging for students than might be expected.
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Examining Graduate Student Understanding of Rotating Reference Frames
- AB03
- Mon 01/07, 8:20AM - 8:30AM
- by David Cassidy
- Type: Contributed
- Understanding noninertial frames of reference and the genesis of the force-like effects perceived within them has long been an obstacle for students of both upper-division undergraduate and graduate mechanics. To elucidate why this may be, a characterization was required of student conceptual and formalistic understanding of rotating and inertial reference frames. We conducted think-aloud problem-solving sessions with post-mechanics graduate students; who were tasked with comparing several situations from both the fixed and rotating frames. From these comparisons and subsequent open-ended recall interviews, several alternate conceptions emerged to a saturation. Among other things, these conceptions involved the existence and genesis of force-like effects in both frames of reference, and the existence and conservation of momentum. These emergent characteristics may suggest a pedagogical solution to these problems, and the limitations and successes of traditional instruction.
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p-adic q-integral and some family of L-functions and their applications
- AB04
- Mon 01/07, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
- by YILMAZ SIMSEK
- Type: Contributed
- p-adic q-integral and some family of L-functions and their applications YILMAZ SIMSEK In this paper we construct a p-adic q-L functions using p-adic q-integral which interpolate Bernoulli and Euler numbers. We will give some application in Mathematical Physics.
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The Advanced Lab: Modern Techniques in a Research-Type Environment
- AB05
- Mon 01/07, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
- by Andra Troncalli
- Type: Contributed
- Our advanced lab is a junior-level elective whose purpose is to strengthenour students' experimental research skills. In order to achieve this goal, students are introduced to modern techniques: phase sensitive detection, temperature measurement and control, and instrument interfacing through LabVIEW. Once trained in using the equipment, students design their own experiments in order to investigate the relevant properties of the materials under study. Specific topics include high temperature superconductivity, diode laser, and Faraday rotation. The approach is more similar to that used in a research setting, rather than in a traditional classroom.
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An Advanced Laboratory in Beta Spectroscopy Utilizing a Solenoid-type Magnetic Spectrometer
- AB06
- Mon 01/07, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
- by Fred Becchetti
- Type: Contributed
- As part of a planned upgrade to our advanced physics teaching laboratoriescovering topics in modern physics, we have developed a beta-spectroscopy laboratory that utilizes a high-acceptance permanent-magnet solenoid-type magnetic spectrometer. The apparatus can be constructed at modest cost, permitting multiple setups as required in the new laboratory planned. In addition, the high collection efficiency (typically x10 or more relative to a dipole-based spectrometer) greatly facilitates a complete set of measurements during typical laboratory periods using exempt quantities of radioactive materials. The data obtained illustrate the important features of beta decay, including determination of an upper limit for the neutrino mass as well as the need for a relativistic treatment for the beta particle energy and momentum spectra.
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Complementary Nuclear and Optical Scattering Experiments as a Capstone Laboratory
- AB07
- Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
- by Jessie Petricka
- Type: Contributed
- A series of scattering experiments has been developed to serve as the capstone experiments in an upper-division undergraduate laboratory. We have combined a measurement of Compton scattering and of Mie scattering to reinforce common ideas using complementary approaches and the appropriate apparatus. The traditional Compton lab introduces nuclear measurement techniques to verify the simple angular and energy distribution, whereas the Mie scattering lab presents a complex optical scattering phenomenon that is visible to the eye yet computationally tractable. Skills in these labs focus on precision measurement, automated data collection, background suppression and instrumental calibration. In the capstone portion of the lab, students are asked to revisit the analysis and theoretical fitting of one of the two labs to better fit the accepted model. This task includes techniques in nonlinear chi-squared fitting, experimental optimization to recollect data at critical points, and computer modeling of extended geometry effects.
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Estimating the Boltzmann Constant from Simulations of Settling Brownian Particles
- AB08
- Mon 01/07, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
- by Jeffrey Groff
- Type: Contributed
- Brownian motion can be studied by observing micron-sized polystyrene spheres in aqueous solution using a microscope. The size of these particles is such that the rate of diffusion is similar to the rate of advection due to gravity. This work focuses on using a theoretical model of the gravitational settling of Brownian particles to analyze experimental data that consists of the concentration of one-micron diameter polystyrene spheres at specific vertical positions in a depression slide as a function of time. The theoretical model simulates the experiment using a one-dimensional advection-diffusion equation. Using a simulated annealing algorithm, simulations are used to estimate the Boltzmann constant by fitting the experimental data. This experiment is suitable for undergraduates in an upper-level advanced physics laboratory or biophysics laboratory.
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What Physics Means - Philosophy
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What Physics Means - Philosophy
- CRK02
- Mon 01/07, 6:30PM - 7:30PM
- by Shawn Reeves
- Type: Ckrbrl
- What physics means to instructors and what it means to students can be questions of philosophy, and we instructors may make the theoretical framework of physics more explicit in our instruction. This crackerbarrel is an open discussion of not only the philosophy of physics but philosophizing as part of learning and research. Everyone seeking or providing ideas on strengthening that learning should come, whether it be through habits of mind, eradicating pseudo-science, seeking principles or unification, expanding the scope of physics curriculum, practicing political or economic models, addressing cultural needs, or questioning the relationship between physics and other sciences.
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