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Agenda Preview

Posters

• Astronomy

  • • The Big Ideas in Cosmology

    • PST1A01
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Kimberly Coble
    • Type: Poster
    • Powerful new observations and advances in computation and visualization have led to a revolution in our understanding of the structure, composition, and evolution of the universe. These gains have been vast, but their impact on education has been limited. Determining the range and frequency of "alternative conceptions" is an important first step to improving instructional effectiveness. Through analysis of pre-instructional open-ended surveys (N = 1270), follow-up interviews (N = 15), and other assessments (N ~ 60), our research group has been classifying students' ideas about concepts important to modern cosmology, including the distances, structure, composition, age, expansion, and evolution of the universe. Informed by our research on student learning, we have created a series of web-based cosmology learning modules in which students master the scientific concepts and reasoning processes that lead to our current understanding of the universe, through interactive tasks, prediction and reflection, experimentation, and model building.

  • • Modeling the History of Astronomy: Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Tycho

    • PST1A03
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Todd Timberlake
    • Type: Poster
    • The Copernican Revolution is an astronomy course for non-science majors atBerry College. The course begins with simulated observations of the night sky and then proceeds to an examination of several historical models that were proposed to explain these observations. This poster describes how students actively engage with computer simulations to gain a deep understanding of the Ptolemaic and Copernican models of our solar system. Sudents then have the opportunity to model their own unique planetary system. Each student receives a personalized Easy Java Simulations program depicting the motion of a "Sun" and several planets against background stars. Students make the measurements they need and then construct both Ptolemaic and Copernican models for their system. Students also investigate the relationships between the Ptolemaic, Copernican, and Tychonic models and evaluate these models in the context of early 17th cntury knowledge of astronomy and physics. More information is available at http://facultyweb.berry.edu/ttimberlake/copernican/.

  • • Cosmology for Nonscience Majors by Using Web-based Apps

    • PST1A02
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Daniel Smith Jr
    • Type: Poster
    • 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.

  • • Introducing the Newtonian Gravity Concept Inventory

    • PST1A04
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Shannon Willoughby
    • Type: Poster
    • Multiple-choice Concept Inventories have become important tools in Astronomy Education Research for assessing student learning and the effects of instructional interventions. We introduce for the Newtonian Gravity Concept Inventory (NGCI), a 26-item research validated instrument to quickly and effectively assess introductory college astronomy students' understanding of gravity. The conceptual focus of the NGCI covers four conceptual domains: (1) Independence of gravity from other factors, (2) Application of the force law (including mass and distance proportionality relationships, (3) Behavior at certain thresholds (such as low mass and high distance limits, as well as atmospheric boundaries), and (4) Directionality, including superposition. After three iterations of testing and refining, the NGCI has proven to be both a reliable and valid instrument. As evidence, we present a full statistical analysis of overall instrument reliability, item difficulty and discriminatory power, supplemented with qualitative information from think-aloud student interviews and expert review.

• Just Labs

  • • A Mechanical Analog of NMR

    • EH01
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Gregory Adams
    • Type: Poster
    • There are a number of different forms of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) - scanning magnetic field, scanning rf frequency, and pulsed rf. The trouble is that the NMR is a black box system in which it is difficult to visualize what is physically happening. What is resonance in NMR? Using plastic spheres with embedded Nd Magnets rotating in an air-bearing, two large plate magnets to set the guide magnetic field and a pair of Helmholtz coils to the "rf" excitation fields we are able to mechanically simulate each of the different types of NMR so that the students can gain insight into how NMR works.

  • • Experiments from Nanocamp

    • EH02
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Joseph Kozminski
    • Type: Poster
    • The Lewis University Nanotechnology Experience introduces students entering thier junior or senior year of high school to nanotechnology through a hands-on summer camp. The students explore the nano-scale and applications of nanotechnology through various lab activities such as synthesizing and studying quantum dots and using nanoparticles to make stained glass. They learn about the nano-world through macro-scale analogs like studying non-Newtonian fluids (e.g. corn-starch and water) as analogs to nanofluids. They also run experiments in light and optics in order to better understand how nanomaterials can be studied and characterized. We will present several of the experiments conducted in the Nanotechnology Experience. These experiments are accessible to high school and college students at all levels and can be adapted for use throughout Physics and Chemistry curricula.

  • • Instructional Labs in Modern/Materials Physics

    • EH03
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Gabriel Spalding
    • Type: Poster
    • We will discuss a course where students take on six of the following: LabVIEW programming for GPIB control of instrumentation; DC measurement of milli-ohm samples (2-probe vs. 4-probe); Lock-in measurement of resistivity; Elastic moduli measurements (uniform vs non-uniform strain); Diffraction of light by 1D, 2D and 3D crystalline arrays (with microwaves); Wave Nature of Matter: Quantized Conductance of gold wire nanocontacts (Mechanical Break Junctions); Particle-like Behavior of Localized Electrons: Coulomb Blockade with gold nanoparticles; Modes of coupled oscillators; Detecting Phonon Modes in Si Tunnel Diodes at Low-Temperature; Temperature dependence of Hall Effect; Extracting Boltzmann statistics from sedimenting colloid; Measurement of 1/f noise; Examination of Johnson noise; Blinking Quantum Dots; Examination of ordering: g(r) and S(k); Curie Temperature of Gadolinium (and thermoelectric temperature control).

  • • Laser Spectroscopy of Play-Doh

    • EH04
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Poster
    • Using readily available 635nm, 532nm and 405nm laser pointers, we examinethe fluorescence spectra of various color Play-Doh samples. The spectra are analyzed using a simple spectrometer made of a web-cam and a section of DVD. We present the spectrometer, and the laser induced fluorescence of the Play-Doh as an activity that helps students understand color, spectra, laser spectroscopy, and the energy of light.

  • • Measuring Dielectric Constants in a Parallel Plate Capacitor

    • EH05
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Poster
    • One common and seemingly simple laboratory investigation of capacitance consists of inserting multiple sheets of paper (or other thin dielectric materials) between two conductive plates and measuring the capacitance of the system. The separation of the two plates is nominally determined by the number and thickness of the individual dielectric sheets. The end result of this investigation is to determine the dielectric constant of the sheet dielectric. Unfortunately, this is seriously flawed because of air trapped between the dielectric sheets. The calculated dielectric constant is too low because it is of a composite material or air and the dielectric sheet. We present a simple method of performing these measurements that does not have these shortcomings and provides more accurate values for the dielectric constant. Better yet, the described investigation is even simpler for students to perform.

  • • Modified Experiments in the Introductory Laboratory

    • EH06
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Joel Berlinghieri
    • Type: Poster
    • As part of a comprehensive four-year laboratory experience the introductory physics courses use experiments designed around PASCO sensors to capture measurements and Data Studio® and Excel® to analyze these data. We will review four experiments that use modified equipment and sensors and we will show sample data and results from each. 1. A simple pendulum experiment uses a modified rotation sensor for measuring time period as a function of oscillator amplitude. 2. A moment of inertia experiment accounts for friction in the rotation bearing. 3. A buoyancy experiment handles objects with densities more and less than the buoyant fluid. 4. A thermal expansion experiment uses a temperature sensor and rotation sensor mounted on a modified expansion apparatus. More information can be found in the department's laboratory manual* and on the department's website#.

  • • Study of Magnetic Force in the Faraday's Law Experiment

    • EH07
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Tatiana Krivosheev
    • Type: Poster
    • We present a quantitative study of the magnetic force between a falling magnet and a solenoid in a classic Faraday's law experiment. It is customary to refer to this effect as negligible, and we will show if this is indeed the case. Two approaches are utilized: direct measurements performed by using PASCO photo gates and graphic analysis.

  • • Using Modeling to Emphasize Quantitative Thinking in the Laboratory

    • EH09
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Benjamin Zwickl
    • Type: Poster
    • 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.

  • • Verifying the Wiedemann-Franz Law in the Undergraduate Lab

    • EH10
    • Tue 01/08, 6:50PM - 8:50PM
    • by Patrick Polley
    • Type: Poster
    • The Wiedemann-Franz law ties together the disparate phenomena of electrical and thermal conduction in metals. In our work we develop two inexpensive and robust methods for measuring the electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of three metals; aluminum, copper, and zinc. We measure the thermal conductivities using a transient method in which the temperature of a metal rod is measured after one end is immersed in a water bath. The electrical resistivity is measured in the steady state by determining the resistance of various lengths of wire. The variation in electrical resistivity from a low value of 18 n?.m for copper to a high value of 59 n?.m for zinc covers a range that is followed by their thermal conductivities of 385 W/m.K for copper to 110 W/m.K for zinc. The values we obtain verify the Wiedemann-Franz law and demonstrate the central role of electrons in these two processes.

• Labs/Apparatus

  • • Acoustic Analog to Level-Splitting Route to Band Gaps

    • PST2A01
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Timothy Canalichio
    • Type: Poster
    • Demonstrations of quantum phenomena are difficult to attain for underfunded departments or with advanced lab budgets. To visualize such phenomena, analogies are beneficial. Acoustics is cost-beneficial, and the acoustic wave equation is equivalent to the Schrödinger equation in time-independent situations. This led us to attempt an acoustic analogy to the infinite square well with delta well perturbations. We mimic the level splitting route to band gaps, as demonstrated by Cohen-Tannoudji, by using sound waves in an array of PVC tube sections separated by metal diaphragms. We demonstrate congruence between the acoustic and quantum systems and demonstrate the formation of acoustic band gaps.

  • • ilabs' Hands on Investigations with ipads In Introductory Physics Labs

    • PST2A03
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Jacob Millspaw
    • Type: Poster
    • 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!

  • • Workshops for the Education of the Concept of Light Reflection

    • PST2A05
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:45AM
    • by Juan Tapia
    • Type: Poster
    • In this work we show the didactic experiences of the achievement of workshops for the education of the concept of light reflection directed to primary and middle school students. The target of the workshop is the securing of significant learning of a playful way. Realizing experimental demonstrations and by means of the exchange of questions and answers the student is capable of forming for himself the real concept of the phenomenon in question, eliminating the intuitive and incorrect ideas on the above mentioned phenomenon. Finally, using homemade materials the student carries out an experiment with which it reinforces the acquired knowledge.

  • • Recurrent Studies: Bringing Flavor into Physics Labs

    • PST2A02
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Mikhail Agrest
    • Type: Poster
    • Further development of the methodology of recurrent studies [1] in the practice of teaching introductory physics labs and in studio-style teaching that was first proposed in 2001 will be demonstrated. Bringing flavor into the learning process it became very popular among the author's students and colleagues after numerous presentations at SC Academy of Science, SACS AAPT, SC Science Counsel, AAPT, and other forums. It came to the apogee in 2009 when the publication [2] was named number one among the top 10 most read articles of TPT in May 2009 [3] and led to the next publication in TPT [4] in 2011 with the following firing of the author from the College of Charleston as "not an exemplary teacher" in 2011. The audience will have a chance to receive recommendations how to convert the lab of their suggested topic into recurrent study format. Hard copies of lab descriptions will be available.

  • • There Might be Giants?

    • PST2A04
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Jacob Millspaw
    • Type: Poster
    • Ever ask a student about giants? What happens as people get extraordinarily tall? Is there a limit to a person's maximum height? Sure, we developed a simple experiment for students to do using some lab weights and lots of spaghetti. The spaghetti is used as a model for bones and the students can examine the strength of the bones varying the length and the cross section. This simple lab allows students to explore the question of giants (...the limitations on human growth). While exploring this question, the students are introduced to a variety of lab-related skills: measurement, data taking, uncertainty, and graphical data analysis.

• Lecture/Classroom

  • • Color-Coded Algebra

    • PST1C01
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Bradley McCoy
    • Type: Poster
    • One challenge during problem solving is distinguishing between known and unknown variables in algebraic equations. A color coding system helps reduce cognitive load, clarifies algebra strategy, and serves as a useful tool for identifying needed equations.

  • • Hands-on Activities in Large Enrollment Courses

    • PST1C03
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Edward Price
    • Type: Poster
    • We are developing a new conceptual physics curriculum, called Learning Physics (LEP), that is suitable for large-enrollment classes. LEP is based on the small enrollment, discussion, and lab-based Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum. LEP students spend approximately 50% of the class time working in small groups, conducting simple hands-on experiments, using computer simulations, and periodically sharing their predictions, observations and conclusions via clicker questions or by emailing diagrams to the instructor. We have implemented LEP in classes of 80-100 students. This poster will present some of the activities included in LEP, and the management and pedagogical challenges (and solutions) of including hands-on activities in large enrollment settings.

  • • Development of Science Learning Strategy for Serious Games

    • PST1C05
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Youngseok Jhun
    • Type: Poster
    • We have developed a series of science learning strategies that can be applied in serious Internet games. As a first step, we examined the attractions that catch the gamers' eyes and make them immerse in the game. Then the strategies were set up that relate the attractions to the learning of core ideas difficult for students to accept. Informal science education theory was an important part of the research. Induced strategies of learning core concepts are repeated exposure, visualization, making slow motion pictures, relating to everyday experiences, and showing various examples, etc. In addition, the games can take parts as fields of inquiry where gamers can find out a bundle of science knowledge related to their own life. So they can make their unique meanings. A game on force and movement for middle school students has been developed by way of showing examples of applying the strategies.

  • • Helping Students Understand the Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem

    • PST1C07
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Jacob Millspaw
    • Type: Poster
    • We present a simple investigation using a modified "fan cart" that allows students to explore and discover the relationship between work and kinetic energy. The fan cart is modified so that it can be turned on at one location and turned off at a second location. Launching the cart along a track so that it has an almost constant speed, and then triggering the fan for a known distance while monitoring its position using a sonic position sensor allows us to determine a relationship between the force exerted by the fan, the distance traveled, and the final speed of the cart (after the fan has been turned off).

  • • Science and Literature: An Integrated Learning Environment

    • PST1C09
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Kristi Concannon
    • Type: Poster
    • A Learning Community is a common educational experience, with the benefitsof enhanced academic and social opportunities. It is often easier to integrate subjects like art and history or theology and philosophy, but what about science? To what other disciplines does it readily speak? In Fall 2011, a Learning Community on the theme “Visions of the Future” was created at King’s College that allowed students to satisfy their Core Science and Core Literature requirements. The courses were scheduled back-to-back, in the same classroom, for maximum course integration. Students were assigned common readings from works of science fiction, and the science behind the science fiction was examined. Physics topics included space travel via warp drives and wormholes, futuristic weapons, flying cars, and teleportation. This poster will present an overview of the integration of the two courses, a sample of course readings and assignments and an assessment of the integrated course objectives.

  • • Writing Narratives to Enhance Problem Solving Skills

    • PST1C11
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Bill Schmidt
    • Type: Poster
    • One of the biggest challenges students encounter while learning physics isdemonstrating mastery of problem solving. In order to enhance student self-confidence and aptitude in problem solving, our general physics students are required to write reflective narratives that describe how they think and reason through a problem. The goal is to make the learning process explicit through the use of written narratives. In order to provide peer feedback and interaction, students review other student narratives for clarity. The narratives are used in conjunction with pre- and post-Force Concept Inventory scores to assess critical thinking and metacognition skills. At the end of the semester, students describe how the extent and quality of their narratives have changed over time. Results will be presented and discussed.

  • • Advance Pseudoscience

    • PST1C02
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Sadri Hassani
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster describes advanced pseudoscience, gives examples of it--including college disciplines teaching it--and presents ways of using it to make our students more scientifically aware.

  • • Novel (Extra Credit) Project for the Physics Classroom

    • PST1C04
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Sytil Murphy
    • Type: Poster
    • During the fall 2011 semester, I adapted the H.S. photo contest as an extra credit project in my physics courses. As a follow-up to this, in the spring 2012 semester, I asked students to somehow depict physics which cannot be photographed. Students were allowed to use any media they chose. Submissions were initially sorted by me and then the final winners of the contest were decided by a class vote. Submissions will be shown as well as discussion on the process.

  • • Enhancing Learning Through Research in Introductory Physics

    • PST1C06
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Natalia Schkolnikov
    • Type: Poster
    • Transition of Hampton University to a research-intensive institution requires from faculty and students more engagement in research than they had in the past. Students from underrepresented groups in science and engineering often have a hard time mastering the necessary mathematics and physical laws required by these courses. In an attempt to increase student success in the physical sciences, we have implemented “Learning through Research” in introductory physics classes. Our students are engaged in research through carefully crafted presentations whose topics are assigned at the beginning of each semester. The choice of a research presentation topic for each biology, pharmacy, architecture, or music engineering student depends on his/her major. The students enhance their learning through these presentations since they are required to present the results of their research on relations between physical laws and contemporary principles of their disciplines. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF HRD?1137747).

  • • Lessons From Educators Before and After All that Jazz

    • PST1C08
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Alice Hawthorne Allen
    • Type: Poster
    • Independent of the PER research encouraging a trend away from "traditionally taught lectures," many of us must utilize traditional lecture and lab teaching slots or formats. Some current pedagogy can be modified successfully for lecture use. Other pedagogy from the past, like that of M. Montessori and C. Mason, can still be utilized in highly effective ways. As has also been noted, the type of assessment used makes a difference in the student outcomes. Simple suggestions that have made a significant difference in my lecture and lab style classes and notable outcomes will be presented.

  • • Using Context-Rich Problems to Elicit Group Work Outside the Classroom

    • PST1C10
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Frances Mateycik
    • Type: Poster
    • Problems designated as "context rich" are ill-structured, real-world relevant, and often challenging enough that it is very difficult for students to complete the problem singularly. Forty calculus-based physics students were asked to complete these collaborative activities once per week, with their group, primarily outside of the classroom. They were given 30 minutes of laboratory time to work together, where clarification questions may be asked of the instructor, but finalized solutions were to be generated outside the class time. Emphasis was placed on continuing this task as a group, and further questions to the instructor were only to be posed face-to-face with all group members present. This poster will present any observable performance changes between sections that do and do not offer context-rich problem solving tasks. The goal is to determine whether this task may be less class-time intensive, and yet maintain its effectiveness as a collaborative problem solving exercise.

  • • Reciprocal Influences of Iron Bar Magnets According to the Alignments

    • PST1C12
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Chaewook Jhun
    • Type: Poster
    • It is known that the magnetization in iron is so vulnerable that it can beeasily changed by external magnetic field. However, we seldom are able to find the data about the procedure of the variation of magnetization due to the time. So experiments were done to find out the co-relation of bar magnets according to their alignments. The experiments consisted of four parts: align two ion bar magnets in parallel, meeting same poles and opposite poles, make two iron bar magnets form a shape of capital T, and approach a neodymium magnet to a iron bar magnet. The variations of magnetization were measured by folded thin films filled with magnetic material called magnetic viewer. If a normal iron bar magnet is seen through the magnetic viewer, the boundary of two poles can be seen with white band perpendicular to the magnet. But the boundary bands can be shifted parallel to break the symmetry, can be tilted to make a diagonal lines. In certain circumstances, more than 3 boundary bands appeared in the magnet, and it means that more than 2 north or south poles appeared. These deviations could be related to the magnets' alignment condition.

• Other

  • • An Undergraduate Experiment Testing a Platform Concept for Atmospheric Re-entry

    • PST2E01
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Cynthia Galovich
    • Type: Poster
    • An undergraduate experiment was designed, modeled, and tested to investigate the process of atmospheric re-entry of a small probe. One of the important considerations for space exploration involves the structural challenges experienced by spacecraft upon returning to Earth. The experiment was launched on a suborbital Improved Terrier Orion sounding rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and successfully deployed a small aluminum capsule at apogee (about 120 km). The experiment was funded by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium as part of an ongoing undergraduate research program in space physics. The flight served as a proof-of-concept test for the capsule design with the hope of it being an effective platform that could be used for future undergraduate research.

  • • Recruiting and Retaining Women in Physics in Central Arkansas

    • PST2E03
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Stephen Addison
    • Type: Poster
    • Over the last ten years the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Central Arkansas has experienced considerable growth. The number of women physics graduates had been notable, and has often represented half of each graduating class. Strategies developed to recruit and retain these students will be presented with a particular emphasis on strategies that were successfully deployed to increase the number of women physics graduates.

  • • Supporting PER as a Physics Department Chair

    • PST2E05
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Laura McCullough
    • Type: Poster
    • With the growth of PER and the hiring of PER faculty in many physics departments, there is a need for discussion of how a department chair can support PER faculty and research. With this poster, I will share some strategies I have found helpful as a department chair in supporting PER in a department that includes both traditional and educational physics research. I encourage discussion and sharing of best practices, as well as examples of non-supportive environments, during the poster presentation.

  • • Using Plumbdads-Quarkles to Examine Student Understanding of Scientific Practice

    • PST2E02
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Timothy Grove
    • Type: Poster
    • Many of my colleagues have lamented students' inability to examine, analyze, and gain meaning from measured data. To examine student thinking, a hypothetical set of data was given to students relating the fictional quantities of plumbdads and quarkles. These two quantities were used rather than physically observable parameters so that students could not "gain insight" through Internet searches (Wikipedia, Google search, etc.) or through the index of a book. The developed exercise, which will be presented here, asks students a series of questions regarding the "collected data" and two researchers opinions about the same data. One researcher behaves much like a scientist while the other researcher reacts more like a pseudo-scientist with an unwavering and unshakable preconception. Student understanding of basic science aspects (such as certainty, predictive vs. reactive, Occam's razor) are probed.

  • • Musical Instruments on the Cheap!

    • PST2E04
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Wendy Adams
    • Type: Poster
    • Come make a straw trombone and a multi-functional cup instrument with me!You may have seen these instruments before but have you used them to teach the Nature of Science? As part of the educational outreach efforts of the Acoustical Society of America interactive lessons on resonance, sympathetic vibration and some aspects of the nature of science have been created around these instruments. Stop by and check them out or share your ideas for teaching with these fun make and takes.

• Physics Education Research

  • • Cognitive Acceleration Using PER

    • PST1D01
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by John Clement
    • Type: Poster
    • Using the ideas of Shayer & Adey in their design of a cognitve acceleration program, and PER curricula gain has been observed in general thinking in both high school and college courses. But it would seem that just using PER alone may not be enough. Students first have to be convinced that they can improve their thinking. Then the thinking skills have to be explicitly set aside from just the physics curricula. It is possible to get gain on FCI or FMCE without any gain in overall thinking, but it is not possible to get high gain on these tests without high scores on the Lawson published Piagetian test. References: Lawson, "Science Teaching and the Development of Thinking"; Shayer & Adey "Really Raising standards"

  • • General Physics Enterprise Impact on Expert Identity Development

    • PST1D03
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Idaykis Rodriguez
    • Type: Poster
    • 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.

  • • U.S. Schools vs. Asian Schools: Cultural Differences and Physics Education

    • PST1D05
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Boris Korsunsky
    • Type: Poster
    • The authors discuss the differences between the Asian and the US high school cultures and realities and the effect these differences have on physics education in the two systems. The authors draw on the results of an extended visit to China by Glazenburg and the survey of the students from Asia currently studying in the US conducted by Korsunsky.

  • • Students' Difficulty in Distribution of Charged Insulators

    • PST1D07
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Min ju Kim
    • Type: Poster
    • Students consider electrostatics is easy to understand because they often experience it in everyday life. But according to previous studies, they have difficulties after completing the electromagnetic section in an introductory physics class. That is why the electrical phenomena contained in introductory physics is something mostly about metal after first section of electromagnetic and the charge that causes electrostatic is invisible. In this paper we investigated concretely what difficulties are in many various situations where charged insulators and metal are involved. These persisted even after classes.

  • • Physics for Ninth Graders: Pitfalls and Discoveries

    • PST1D09
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Boris Korsunsky
    • Type: Poster
    • Drawing on more than a decade of experience in teaching a ninth-grade honors physics course in an affluent suburban high school, I will present the curricular and policy changes introduced as the results of the ongoing effort to survey the students and their parents about their perceptions of the course. The results of some of the recent surveys and their possible implications will be discussed as well.

  • • Introducing Research Experiences in a Community College

    • PST1D11
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Chitra Solomonson
    • Type: Poster
    • As more students seek to gain admission to universities, fewer seats are becoming available to them due to increasing budget cuts. Thus admission is becoming increasingly competitive. At the same time, more and more students are relying on community colleges to serve as a stepping stone to college. Introducing research experiences early on has short and long-term benefits. Experience in research is becoming an important component of STEM undergraduate programs in four year schools. Introducing them in a two-year college will enable our students to transfer successfully to a four-year university. Research experiences have also been shown to deepen students' resolve in persisting in STEM fields especially for underrepresented populations.1 In this project (funded by NSF DUE-1141339), faculty members at Green River Community College are collaborating with faculty members at the University of Washington to develop and implement research-like lab modules in the cutting edge fields of Organic Photovoltaics (OPVs) and Organic Light Emitting Devices (OLEDs).

  • • Initial Characterizations of Transformative Experiences in Undergraduate Physics

    • PST1D13
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Brian Frank
    • Type: Poster
    • Transformative experience (TE) is a theoretical construct intended to capture and assess the extent to which science concepts learned in the classroom shape everyday meaning-making and engagement with science outside of the classroom. We are investigating TE in a range undergraduate physics courses using a mixed-methods approach, including survey development to measure depth and prevalence of TE, case studies to better understand the nature of TE as embedded in individual students' lives, and video ethnography to refine hypotheses about how TE is fostered in different settings. We present our initial attempts to characterize the nature and range of TE in two science courses for future elementary school teachers. Through these characterizations, we explore questions of how science content, family relationships, classroom agency, and technology help to shape the boundary between science classrooms and everyday life.

  • • Research into Student Understanding of Architectural Structures Principles

    • PST1D15
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Deborah Oakley
    • Type: Poster
    • The field of architecture requires practitioners to be conversant in numerous subjects, including the physical structure of a building and the underlying principles of structural engineering/material historically challenging for students. These are concepts first encountered in introductory physics classes, specifically in mechanics. Physics education research, among other fields, demonstrates that learning may be improved if students' prior knowledge is taken into account; however, similar research in architecture is presently lacking. This poster will present results from two components of an ongoing study to identify students' knowledge of, and subsequently improve instruction in, the subject of architectural structures. First, 163 students in 100-level architecture courses responded to open-ended surveys prior to instruction. Second, 36 students in a 300-level structures course completed multiple-choice surveys both pre-and post-instruction. Preliminary results indicate that many students enter the courses with an incomplete understanding of mechanical principles that must be considered for effective instruction.

  • • Consequences of Attempted Clarifications of Force Concept Inventory Questions

    • PST1D17
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Wendy Adams
    • Type: Poster
    • We have conducted think-aloud interviews with students as they grappled with questions on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Doing so has shown us that the difficulties they have with some questions have nothing to do with their understanding of physics. These difficulties involve diagrams, notations, and vocabulary that make perfect sense to physics teachers but can easily confuse beginning students. We modified several of the FCI questions to improve clarity and administered it to two sections of introductory physics students. Here we report on the results of that experiment and compare them with several years of archival data generated with the canonical FCI.

  • • Characterizing Student Metacognition: A Case Study Approach

    • PST1D19
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Andrew Boudreaux
    • Type: Poster
    • At Western Washington University, efforts are under way to create an environment conducive to building student ability to engage in metacognitive thinking, that is knowing and thinking about their own learning. While most educators agree that this ability is important, it is not usually explicitly taught and research has shown that traditional teaching methods can actually push students away from this kind of thinking. We scaffold this ability in our guided-inquiry lab curriculum through structured reflection on predictions and observations. To build concrete vision of what metacognition looks like in student work and behavior, this poster exemplifies low, emerging, and high-level metacognition through the development of student case studies that rely on classroom video and interview transcripts, survey responses, and students' reflective writing. We hope these case studies can be used by faculty and students to qualitatively gauge metacognitive ability.

  • • Autonomy and the Student Experience In Introductory Physics

    • PST1D21
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Nicholas Hall
    • Type: Poster
    • The role of autonomy in the student experience in a large-enrollment undergraduate introductory physics course was investigated from a self-determination theory perspective. A correlational study tested whether certain aspects of the student experience correlated with how autonomy supportive (vs. controlling) students perceived their instructors to be (e.g., the instructor listened to how the student would like to do things). Students who perceived their instructors as more autonomy supportive tended to become more interested in learning physics, become less anxious about taking physics, come to study physics more because they wanted to (less because they had to), and perform better (for a subset of students). A controlled study tested how restructuring the course to allow more autonomous choices by students changed the student experience. More autonomous choices led to large differences between men and women in interest/enjoyment in learning physics, with women becoming less interested than men.

  • • Thinking Process of Science Teachers in a Scientific Contradictory Situation

    • PST1D25
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Ji Won Lee
    • Type: Poster
    • We hypothesize the thinking process of 18 science teachers in explaining the contradictory situation. They observed the Experiment I and II which are contradictory to each other, but the two experimental results are scientifically correct; thus, none of these results can be ignored. We let them explain personally by writing and drawing, and then we ask the 2nd explanation after peer discussion. However, there is no progress. After seeing another hint using a charge sensor, they were in disarray because their fundamental concept was shaken. There was only one teacher reminding the correct answer, even though other teachers also knew about it. It is necessary to have the essential expertise, abundant contextual knowledge related to specific concept to solve the problem creatively rather than interrupting by specialty of expert.

  • • Categorizations of Energy: Forms, Carriers, Types, and Transfers

    • PST1D27
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Sarah McKagan
    • Type: Poster
    • 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.

  • • Assessment of the Effectiveness of an Interactive Engagement Approach

    • PST1D29
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Michi Ishimoto
    • Type: Poster
    • The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) were used to examine the effectiveness of students' conceptual learning in terms of teaching strategies and students' preexisting knowledge in Japan. The 663 students were divided into groups based on teaching approaches: Two groups were taught with a traditional approach, and one group was taught with IE strategies. The pre-test and the post-test scores were analyzed based on the following information about students: (1) the type of instruction strategies employed in an introductory mechanics class, (2) the university mathematics placement test score, (3) the type of high school physics curriculum taught, (4) the type of university entrance examination written (some students are admitted to university based on the recommendation of their high school without having to write an academic aptitude test), and (5) the national aptitude examination score.

  • • Force Concept Inventory for a Fully Online Physics Class

    • PST1D02
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Erik Jensen
    • Type: Poster
    • Chemeketa Community College administered the Force Concept Inventory (FCI)as a pre-test and post-test to three classes of introductory physics students in fall term of 2011. The classes consisted of algebra-based physics in both campus-based and fully online formats as well as a calculus-based physics class on campus. All three classes were taught by the same instructor, though the students were not randomly assigned. Normalized gains in algebra-based physics were slightly higher in the online class (36% versus 28%). This suggests that online classes can be at least as effective at teaching concepts, despite considerable skepticism in the physics education community. Gains for calculus-based physics were much higher (68%), which supports the contention by Coletta and others that student characteristics are an important independent variable. Results of a repetition of this experiment in fall term of 2012 and a description of the online class will also be provided.

  • • Measuring Information Presentation in a Physics Class

    • PST1D04
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by John Stewart
    • Type: Poster
    • 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.

  • • Symbolic Forms for Infinitesimal and Finite Quantities in Introductory Physics

    • PST1D06
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Joshua Von Korff
    • Type: Poster
    • Most integrals in physics involve the product of a finite and an infinitesimal quantity. For instance, x=?v dt, where "v" is finite and "dt" is infinitesimal. We classify these finite and infinitesimal quantities using symbolic forms, a concept developed by Sherin. Infinitesimal quantities such as dt can be viewed as a difference, in this case a difference between two times, t2 ? t1. However, infinitesimal quantities such as dM, a small amount of mass, cannot be viewed as a difference. Likewise, a finite quantity such as "v" is easy to view as a ratio, dx/dt, whereas a finite quantity such as "F"is not. We analyze examples of our own instructional methods and our students' responses to them using this framework. We suggest that instructors should consciously select and discuss the symbolic forms that they wish their students to be familiar with. This work supported in part by NSF grant 0816207.

  • • Reconciling "Energy" and "Free Energy"

    • PST1D08
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Benjamin Geller
    • Type: Poster
    • Biology and pre-health science students encounter a disconnect between "energy" as described in introductory physics courses and "free energy" as described in their biology and chemistry classes. The relationship between these two concepts is made visible when students are asked to reason about the energy of a thermally isolated ideal gas that is allowed to freely expand to twice its original volume. While the gas has the same energy before and after expansion, it does not have the same free energy or the same capacity to do work on its surroundings. In this presentation, we discuss student data that calls for the design of an interdisciplinary task that asks students to reconcile these two notions of energy. Issues of energy degradation and entropy naturally arise in any such reconciliation, making the scenario well-suited for broader discussions about the connection between energy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

  • • Modeling Hidden Circuits: an Authentic Research Experience in Two Hours

    • PST1D10
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by James Moore
    • Type: Poster
    • Two wires exit a black box that has three exposed light bulbs connected together in an unknown configuration. The task is to determine the actual circuit configuration without opening the box. In this two-hour authentic research experience, we adopt the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) method of instruction to navigate students through the process of making models, developing and conducting testing experiments that can support or falsify models, and confronting ways of distinguishing between two different models that make similar predictions. We present examples from student-generated notebooks, where teams of students can be seen doing authentic science process to solve a research question. We also describe a twist that requires students to confront new phenomena, requiring revision of their model and incorporation of new ideas never previously explored in the coursework.

  • • Peer Influence on Student Physics Learning: In Class And Beyond

    • PST1D12
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Sissi Li
    • Type: Poster
    • Active engagement learning environments are built on the ideas that learning is a social activity and that students learn better by directly developing understanding instead of passively receiving knowledge. In asking our students to work in groups during class, we allow them opportunities to be influenced by their peers; additionally, we communicate implicitly that learning from and with peers is valuable. In a series of interviews with physics majors in a thermal physics course, we explore the classroom social relationships by asking students about a student in the course who has been most influential to their physics learning. The findings indicate that while some of the relationships were established prior to the course, the group learning setting strengthened both old and new relationships. Additionally, the students' perception of how their learning is influenced by their peers is varied and significantly supported by interactions and circumstances outside the classroom.

  • • Evidence Supporting Cycles of Pedagogical Change Through Cogenerative Localized Reform

    • PST1D14
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Natan Samuels
    • Type: Poster
    • 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.

  • • Do Proportional Reasoning Skills Affect Student Performance in Introductory Astronomy?

    • PST1D16
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by April Hankins
    • Type: Poster
    • At California State University Fullerton, we are in the process of applying research-based reformed instruction in introductory astronomy, including use of lecture tutorials and think-pair-share activities. In order to assess the effectiveness of the reformed instruction, we have collected assessment data about students' conceptual understanding. As part of our analysis, we assessed students' understanding of proportional reasoning using items developed by Boudreaux, Brahmia, and Kanim. The purpose of this poster is to investigate the relationship between students' proportional reasoning skills and their score on the LSCI (Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory, Bardar 2007). Students were given free response items on proportional reasoning in which they had to answer mathematically and then explain their answer. Responses on this survey were compared with the pre- and post-tests of the LSCI with their total gain. We will analyze and present data to show the extent to which a student's performance on the proportional reasoning assessment relate to the student performance and gain on the LSCI.

  • • Computer Coaches for Problem Solving: Application to High School Physics

    • PST1D18
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Andrew Mason
    • Type: Poster
    • Computer modules are currently being developed in conjunction with the University of Minnesota(1) to train students in a calculus-based introductory physics course in an expert-like physics problem-solving framework. One of our research goals is to be able to implement the modules in different class settings. To this end, we discuss an ongoing study in which Arkansas teachers are interviewed as they use a subset of the Minnesota modules adapted for an algebra-based physics course. Discussion revolves around the feasibility and adaptability of the coaches as described by the teachers in the case study. Future plans include using this information to adapt the coaches as necessary for trial among volunteers in local high school physics courses.

  • • Learning Objectives Based Assessment and Student Study Habits

    • PST1D20
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Todd Zimmerman
    • Type: Poster
    • Learning Objectives Based Assessment (LOBA) is a different grading paradigm from the traditional points-based grading system. A key component of LOBA, which is based on Standards Based Grading, is allowing students to make mistakes and learn from them and it focuses students on mastering concepts rather than accumulating points. This poster will discuss the results of a study of how students' study habits for assessments change under LOBA in introductory calculus-based and algebra-based physics courses.

  • • Practices in Physics and Technology (PP&T) Grade 10

    • PST1D22
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by James Redmond
    • Type: Poster
    • Practices in Physics and Technology (PP&T) is a laboratory- and algebra-based physics curriculum for 10th grade, designed and tested at the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG) of the University of Hawaii. PP&T developers recognize that physics is a necessary intellectual base for modern chemistry and biology. Distinguishing features of the PP&T program: --Materials cover basic physics and engineering and technology practices. --Is aligned with the NRC Framework. --Concepts and skills developed are accessible to all students in a normal heterogeneous high school classroom. --Concept development is initiated in the laboratory and refined in the dynamics of student group interaction. --Mental modeling is approached through problem description, prediction, and experimentation followed by argumentation and search for generalizations recorded mathematically, pictorially, and written. --Experiments use standard laboratory and digital equipment. --Assessment of student progress is tied to a concept-and-skill inventory that keeps a detailed log of student development.

  • • Analyzing Perspectives and Learning Motivation on Peer Instruction Processes

    • PST1D24
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Jung Bog Kim
    • Type: Poster
    • This research will show how Peer Instruction (PI) has influence on students through analyzing the responses to PI processes. Data was collected by the survey that is composed of questions of Lickertis scale and open ended questions. The survey has been done with university students who are taking introductory physics courses and major physics courses. Students are asked their opinion to each step in PI processes which are pre-vote, peer discussion, re-vote, and explanation of answer. The pre-vote causes thinking and an interest. The discussion gives a chance to share, examine, and apply thinking. The re-vote checks on a reaction and gives an opportunity for feedback. The explanation of answers helps to solve curiosity and confirm the concept. PI activates not only students' cognition and meta-cognition strategy, but also helps to raise motivation in participating actively to class.

  • • Ten Results of PER that Every Physics Instructor Should Know

    • PST1D26
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Sarah McKagan
    • Type: Poster
    • Over the last few decades, researchers in Physics Education Research (PER)have made enormous advances in understanding how students learn physics most effectively and in developing teaching methods that dramatically improve student learning. The PER User's Guide (http://perusersguide.org) is a growing web resource that translates, summarizes, and organizes the results of PER in an accessible and useful way for busy educators. This poster summarizes the results of PER that are most important for practicing physics educators to know and apply in their classrooms, and solicits feedback for an article detailing these results on the PER User's Guide. The goals of this article are to explain the research behind each result in enough detail that readers can easily understand why we believe each result to be true, and to offer suggestions for how to incorporate each result into their teaching.

  • • Physics Energy Is Not Chemistry Energy Is Not Biology Energy

    • PST1D28
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Vashti Sawtelle
    • Type: Poster
    • At the University of Maryland, we are engaged in redesigning an introductory physics course to be more relevant for life science majors. In doing so, we must consider the many representations and languages these students may bring with them for considering energy from not only everyday life experiences, but also from their other science courses. This presentation will examine the differences in the way energy is discussed and represented in the disciplines of physics, chemistry, and biology. We argue that simply being exposed to these different languages and representations does not help students move between or coordinate these different languages. We examine student data from first semester discussions of energy in kinematics scenarios and contrast that with students struggling to connect ideas about energy in thermodynamic contexts. We will show how an example of our curricula that is being developed helps supports students in building these connections.

• Physics and Society

  • • A Quasi-Qualitative Analysis of Time-Compressed STEM Course Pedagogy

    • CA02
    • Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by Gerardo Giordano
    • Type: Poster
    • The number of time-compressed, or length-shortened, college courses continues to rise. The appeal of these courses began with the desire to accelerate learning, but has grown to include making use of typical university and college down time, including weekends. Research has demonstrated that there are best-practice pedagogical techniques designed specifically for this type of course that lead to good learning experiences. The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics community has also begun to utilize courses that are shorter than traditional length courses. Best practice pedagogy for these courses is still a contested topic and much research remains to be done. Using a literature review of time compressed and science course pedagogy, a series of suggested pedagogical practices are discussed. Their application to two time-compressed summer physics courses is qualitatively examined and found to be in agreement with previous reported results in terms of learning outcomes, and instructor and student satisfaction.

  • • Photovoltaics at Davidson College -- a Community-based Learning Project

    • CA03
    • Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by Tim Gfroerer
    • Type: Poster
    • In the fall of 2012, our junior-level electronics class conducted an investigation of photovoltaics at Davidson College. We started by touring the new 100 KW installation on the campus sports complex. Then we employed a solar cart (built by the physical plant using a spare 300 W panel) to study the circuitry required to store and utilize solar energy. The cart facilitated an in-depth examination of the practical, electrical, environmental, and thermal issues inherent in photovoltaic energy conversion. We concluded the study with a public exhibit at the local (Town of Davidson) farmer's market.

  • • The Fluid Mechanics Lessons of Hurricane Katrina

    • CA04
    • Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by Peggy Bertrand
    • Type: Poster
    • Physics B fluid mechanics can be taught successfully using the catastropheof Hurricane Katrina as the unit theme. Some of the devastating effects of the storm are examined at a basic level using concepts such as hydrostatic pressure, buoyant force, fluid flow continuity, and the Bernoulli effect. The emphasis, beyond just physics, is the interrelated impact of natural physical phenomena and human engineering upon both the coastal environment and human population. Ways to use information about hurricanes, especially Katrina, as a theme for a fluids unit are suggested, and sample qualitative and semi-quantitative problems are presented. A culminating activity, in which students develop presentations describing aspects of fluid mechanics within a social context, is suggested. The author is a native of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, taught the unit for several years, and published it in a feature article in The Science Teacher in 2009.

  • • Vision of Teachers in Physics Programs in Mexico About Skills in Physics

    • CA05
    • Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by Mario Ramirez
    • Type: Poster
    • The Latin American Tuning project was developed in 2004 and studies the competence in different programs. In particular, the physics programs were studied in 12 countries including Mexico. However, Mexico participation was low (just 16 people¡), and so the results are not totally valid for the country. This research shows the results of asking teachers in physics programs in Mexico their opinion about what are the most important and most carried out skills in physics programs, based on the 22 competences proposed in the Tuning Project. The skills were divided into four categories: 1) More Important and more made it, 2) Less important and more made it, 3) Less important and less made, and 4) More important and less made. With this analysis we found that skills like capacity to pose, analyze, and solve physical problems, both theoretical and experimental, through the use of numerical, analytical, or experimental methods are very good values for the teachers, while capacity to participate in advising and drawing up science and technology proposals in subjects of national economics and/or social impact are not considered important or made in the physics programs in Mexico.

  • • What Science Should Liberal Arts Students Know?

    • CA06
    • Tue 01/08, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by Kristi Concannon
    • Type: Poster
    • There is an increasing level of accountability in higher education to justify student experiences and outcomes. At King's College, students must complete two natural science courses in our Core Curriculum. Traditionally, the first of these requirements has been a course introducing science's "Greatest Hits": genetics and evolution, conservation laws, and simple chemistry. Recently, the course was redesigned to remove emphasis from science content and to place it, instead, on science context. In this course, students cover the process of doing science: establishing a testable hypothesis, designing an ethical and meaningful experiment, analyzing data, drawing conclusions and undergoing peer review. More importantly, students learn what distinguishes science from other disciplines and learn critical thinking skills for evaluating pseudoscientific claims, with the ultimate goal of preparing them to become better consumers of science. This poster will outline the course objectives and content, the embedded course assessments and an analysis of course outcomes.

• Post-Deadline Posters

  • • Analyzing the Motion of Coupled Oscillators using the WiiMotion Plus

    • PST2F01
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Romulo Ochoa
    • Type: Poster
    • The Wii console utilizes a very powerful controller for game-playing. The Wii Motion Plus was introduced in May of 2010. In addition to the accelerometers and Bluetooth interface found in regular Wiimotes, it contains gyroscopes that measure the rate of rotation along 3-axes, X (pitch), Y (roll), and Z (yaw), up to ±2,000°/s. Open source code, such as GlovePie, allows PCs with Bluetooth capability to detect the information sent out by the controller. We have designed several experiments that make use of this device. Up to three Wiimotes are used simultaneously to measure the motion of a compound pendulum and of coupled pendulums. Normal modes have been determined where appropriate. Results of our experiments compare well with those predicted by Newtonian mechanics.

  • • Early Teaching Experiences Builds Future Physics Teachers at Virginia Tech

    • PST2F03
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Alma Robinson
    • Type: Poster
    • The need for more physics majors and improved K-12 physics education is clear. Through the PhysTEC project, a national program to recruit and train future high school physics teachers, the Virginia Tech Physics Department and School of Education have partnered together to encourage physics students to participate in a multitude of early teaching experiences at both the K-12 and collegiate levels. This poster will outline the programs offered at Virginia Tech and describe how early teaching experiences have encouraged physics students to consider teaching as a career, improved their own content understanding as well as pedagogical content knowledge, and reformed both university and K-12 classrooms to be more student-centered and engaging. Students earn course credit by taking the Physics Teaching and Learning class and/or by participating in our Learning Assistant, Physics Outreach, Enriched Physics Outreach, and Robotics programs.

  • • Using Instructional Videos in Introductory Physics

    • PST2F05
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Vasudeva Aravind
    • Type: Poster
    • I used screencast instructional videos in the introductory physics class. These videos were made with Camtasia software and uploaded on the Internet using sites such as youtube and Vimeo. Data Analytics performed on these video views show that these videos were useful not only to students in my classroom, but also to many others in different parts of the world.

  • • The Next Generation Science Standards: To What Extent are Modern Physics Concepts Included?

    • PST2F06
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Tugba Yuksel
    • Type: Poster
    • Developments in nanotechnology and their applications to daily life have canalized people?s attention to subatomic-level particles and their behaviors. Different features of such particles are used in many fields from medical treatments to manufacturing. Concerning the need for understanding subatomic-world, physics educators have recently argued that some quantum physics concepts (QPCs) should be introduced to students starting from high school (Ireson, 2000). Based on these arguments, we focused on current state-level standards and the first draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to examine the extent to which they address QPCs. The NGSS essentially define the minimum of what all students should learn by the time they finish high school. In this study, we (a) compared how QPCs are addressed in state-level standards versus NGSS; and (b) analyzed the alignment of QPCs in NGSS and state-level standards with current secondary physics textbooks. We conclude with implications for secondary physics.

  • • Promoting physics teaching through PoCOM (Practical On-site Cooperation Model)

    • PST2F08
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Jongwon Park
    • Type: Poster
    • This study described how physics educators cooperated with physics teachers with the aim of enhancing physics teaching. To do this, we developed PoCOM (Practical On-site Cooperation Model). In this model, we used 'Bottom-up' approach where physics teachers themselves figured out what to improve for their teaching. Then physics educators and physics teachers developed an 'alliance' to consult and prescribe each other with the purpose of improving physics teaching through cooperation. This cooperation does happen practically onsite where physics teachers reflect on what they wanted to improve, what they improved, and what they would improve in the next class through realistic approach. For this study, we developed K-TOP (Korean Teacher Observational Protocol) to make profiles of physics teachers' teaching in naturalistic situation. In this presentation, we will introduce how physics teaching was actually improved, various characteristics found in the process of improvement, and also the reasons why sometimes the improvement failed.

  • • Student Think-Alouds As An Instructional Technique

    • PST2F10
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:45AM
    • by Jeffrey Phillips
    • Type: Poster
    • In order to improve their problem-solving skills, students enrolled in an introductory mechanics section recorded think-alouds and analyzed previously recorded think-alouds throughout the semester. Livescribe digital pens made the recording and sharing of think-alouds very easy for students and instructor. Instead of focusing on the refined end product of problem-solving or written solutions, these assignments addressed cognitive and metacognitive aspects of the problem-solving process, such as understanding the question, creating a plan, executing the plan, and self-monitoring one?s own thinking. Results of pre- and post-instruction surveys, sample think-alouds, and Force Concept Inventory data will be presented.

  • • Creating Experiments for Physics Teachers Education

    • PST2F02
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Anna Solomey
    • Type: Poster
    • We created physics experiments designed for physics teachers to help bringunderstanding to the physics problems that we are studying. Part of it was made for physics education teachers, faculty demos and a help room. This includes: motion, forces, energy, rotation, thermodynamics, electricity and optics experiments. The goal is to facilitate their education through hands on experiences.

  • • Using Video Analysis to Classify Student Discussions During Peer Instruction

    • PST2F04
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Laura Tucker
    • Type: Poster
    • 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.

  • • Early Exposure to Major Physics Topics: Introductory Physics Re-Ordered

    • PST2F07
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Jill Randall
    • Type: Poster
    • The University of New England uses a studio approach to teaching introductory physics based on "Modeling Instruction." The approach has shown promising results in increasing student retention (currently at 90%) and academic success. We rearranged the order in which introductory physics concepts were presented to further the students' understanding of "the big picture." For example, previously we followed a traditional order of kinematics, dynamics, etc. Unfortunately many students would latch on to and memorize formulas, such as the equations of kinematics, covered early in the semester. Later on, superior solutions employing energy and momentum conservation would be ignored in favor of the aforementioned equations, even when inappropriate to do so. We are trying to break this cycle through early exposure of major physics concepts followed by spiraling back, in order to help students better organize their physics framework and to systematically review earlier developed ideas in slightly new contexts.

  • • Teaching the Physics of Sensors in Smart Phones

    • PST2F09
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Al Adams
    • Type: Poster
    • I have begun including discussions of sensors found in smart phones in theintroductory and intermediate physics courses that I teach. Much of the physics required to understand the operation of these sensors can be found in standard textbooks; in some cases supplementary material must be prepared and provided our students. In this poster session I will review the most popular sensors now included in smart phones, summarize principles of operation, and suggest ways to exploit these sensors to enhance the learning experience for students. Examples include, but are not limited to, magnetic field measurement, the 3-axis accelerometer, GPS devices, and gyroscopes.

• Pre-college/Informal and Outreach

  • • How to Start a Science Festival

    • PST2D01
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Peter Sheldon
    • Type: Poster
    • In 2009, the Randolph College Society of Physics Students started the Randolph College Science Festival with a $700 donation from a local company and a few departmental dollars. The Festival is a weekend of science-based activities, and all events are free and open to the public. Randolph College is in central Virginia, in a city of 70,000. In three years, the Festival has grown to an event with 1500 attendees and contest submissions from 800 K-12 students. The Randolph College SPS Chapter runs the event with the help of 105 college student volunteers. We would like to share our success and ideas, and would also like to learn ideas from others about festival-type activities and fundraising.

  • • AAPT's PhysicsBowl -- A Contest for High Schools

    • PST2D03
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Michael Faleski
    • Type: Poster
    • The PhysicsBowl is an annual contest for high school students. The contestitself is 40 multiple-choice questions in length to be answered in no more than 45 minutes In 2012, there were more than 5000 students participating from approximately 260 schools across the world. In the past few years, schools have competed from the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Italy. Prizes are awarded to both the students and schools for high performers. This poster is to give high school teachers more information about the contest.

  • • Bauder Endowment Outreach Projects

    • PST2D02
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Paul Zitzewitz
    • Type: Poster
    • The Frederick and Florence Bauder Endowment provides grants for the development and distribution of innovative apparatus for physics teaching, funds to obtain and/or build and support traveling exhibits of apparatus, or funds for local workshops. Up to approximately $500 is available to fund local workshops for teachers who spread the use of demonstration and laboratory equipment. This poster will exhibit the work of prior grant recipients who are unable to attend the meeting to present the results themselves. Come and see what small grants can do and explore ideas you might have for projects.

  • • Radical Physics: A Novel Online Introductory Course

    • PST2D04
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Tucker Hiatt
    • Type: Poster
    • According to the AIP, two-thirds of U.S. students never take a year-long physics course. Radical Physics is a novel online 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 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 occasional interviews with Stanford and UC Berkeley experts, and from critical analysis of compelling action movie scenes.

• Reforming the Introductory Physics Course for Life Science Majors VIII

  • • Introductory Physics for the Pre-Physical Therapist

    • AF04
    • Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by Nancy Beverly
    • Type: Poster
    • Students preparing for Physical Therapy graduate programs typically are required to take the same two semesters, with laboratory, algebra-based introductory physics sequence that many pre-med students take. Although both student populations benefit from a focus on human functioning and biological processes, these student populations often have different academic preparation as well as different curricular needs. Comparative examples and curriculum modifications will be shown.

  • • Physics in Biomedicine: An Elective Course for Pre-Health Majors

    • AF05
    • Mon 01/07, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by Grace Van Ness
    • Type: Poster
    • We describe the curriculum development of the Physics in Biomedicine course at Portland State University. This course addresses a gap in the number of intermediate-level algebra-based physics courses for pre-health majors in the United States. The curriculum was developed by a physicist though the community engagement of students, physicians, clinical and basic science researchers. Course activities include a combination of regular and guest lectures, hands-on exercises, web-based activities, discussions, and a poster information session highlighting an aspect of physics in medicine at a local science museum. Demographic data revealed that the majority of students were biology majors, followed by science and physics majors. Approximately two-thirds of students were pursuing a career in medicine, while a smaller proportion of students were pursuing a career in scientific research. Furthermore, this course sparked motivation for continued self-study by engaging students into biomedical physics-related educational research projects.

• SPS Undergraduate Poster Reception

  • • Computational Modeling and Video Analysis of a Kicked Football

    • SPS01
    • Sun 01/06, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Kevin Sanders
    • Type: Poster
    • The motion of a football is not characterized by ideal projectile motion because it is significantly affected by drag and spin. In this experiment, a regulation football was kicked end-over-end in a vertical plane, and high-speed video was used to analyze its motion. The video was analyzed with Tracker software to determine the effect of drag on the path of the football. It was found that the drag force and gravitational force were not sufficient to describe its motion. The path of the football also showed something of a lift force, likely due to the Magnus effect. A numerical model was developed using a classroom cluster of Macs to approximate the solution using a brute force method. The results of this and a comparison to a possible analytic solution will be presented.

  • • Determining DNA Breaks Due to Neutron Radiation

    • SPS02
    • Sun 01/06, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Linda Poplawski
    • Type: Poster
    • The amount of radiation that a human being is safely allowed to receive isdetermined from a linear curve extrapolated from unfortunate events in which large doses were delivered, such as atomic accidents. In order to determine if the body reacts to neutron radiation in a different way, such as with a threshold, DNA breaks were examined. Large doses of neutron radiation, from a neutron generator, were given to plasmid DNA placed in a copper holding block to determine if there are any damages in the DNA specifically due to radiation. The irradiated DNA was then analyzed using gel electrophoresis and measurements were taken from those images. Assumptions have been used in order to create a simpler calculation of the radiation given and to determine an approximated dose received by the plasmid DNA.

  • • Simulation Studies of the Helium and Lead Observatory (HALO)

    • SPS03
    • Sun 01/06, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Nikki Sanford
    • Type: Poster
    • Simulation studies for were conducted for the Helium and Lead Observatory (HALO), the supernova neutrino detector at SNOLAB, Sudbury, Ontario. HALO consists of 79 tons of lead, with 128 3He counters which detect the scattered lead neutrons resulting from incoming neutrinos. Improvements were made to the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation?s geometry by the addition of water boxes and plastic baseboards, which serve to reflect scattered neutrons back towards counters, and shield against outside neutrons and gammas. Several box designs were created, and the resulting event detection efficiencies and labeling of 1n and 2n events were studied. It was found that these additions cause a 2% efficiency increase, a slight improvement of correctly labeled events, and are a significant improvement to the HALO simulation.

  • • Spin-Orientation Calculations for a Generalized Dipolar System

    • SPS04
    • Sun 01/06, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Justin Leighty
    • Type: Poster
    • The 2D dielectric phases and phase transitions of adsorbed dipolar molecules are modeled using a spin-1 Ising model in the mean-field approximation. The model includes electric dipole interactions between a central unit cell and its 1st 100 nearest neighbors. Mathematica was used to program iterations through sets of indices, to calculate the net spin orientation for a given coverage, temperature, and for a range of input parameters. Graphs were also produced to show how the interaction parameters (J, H, and L) change as the number of nearest neighbors range from 1 to 100.

• Teacher Training/Enhancement

  • • PhysicsTeachersNYC -- A New, Local, Modeling-Focused Learning Community

    • PST2B03
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Fernand Brunschwig
    • Type: Poster
    • 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.

  • • Improving Teaching of College Physics Courses Through Lesson Study

    • PST2B05
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Sachiko Tosa
    • Type: Poster
    • A number of instructional strategies to improve college-level physics courses have been developed and implemented over the decades. However, sustaining an effective use of innovative teaching techniques would not be easy because physics faculty members are often isolated and would not have opportunities to analyze their teaching. This study examines the use of the Lesson Study professional development model for improving physics teaching at a state college. Members of the group co-plan, observe, and discuss large-lecture physics classes at the introductory-level. The focus was on the use of clickers and Peer Instruction. Faculty's attitudes toward collaboration and inquiry-based teaching were measured by pre-/post-program responses to a survey instrument (N=14). The preliminary results indicate the process helped faculty members feel more comfortable asking their colleagues questions about their teaching. It also helped them see teaching in a more student-centered way. The need for collaborative effort like this is strongly advocated.

  • • Perception of Physics Teachers in Mexico about Competences Model

    • PST2B07
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Mario Ramirez
    • Type: Poster
    • The teachers in physics programs are one of the most reticent groups to adopt the competences model. In particular, the Physic and Mathematics Superior School of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico (ESFM-IPN) has like a mission forming teachers in physics and mathematics to the institute, being a contradiction reject the educational institutional model (based in competences) in their own programs. The reasons to reject the competences model are varied, since unknowledge until absence of capacitation about the model. In curious that the teachers did not identify clear what is a competence? Before to reject only the term, because when the word was changed of "competence" to "skill" the attitude was totally different. On the other aspects the teachers shows reserved about the success of model while will not made a evaluation after some generation of students working this kind of model

  • • Conceptual Learning in a Training of Trainers Workshop on Active Learning of Thermodynamics and Fluids

    • PST2B09
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Genaro Zavala
    • Type: Poster
    • In this paper we report the results of the evaluation of conceptual knowledge showed by participants at a workshop for training of trainers on Active Learning of Thermodynamics and Fluids (AATyF-2011). The evaluation was carried out by a multiple-choice conceptual test of 35 questions administered at the beginning and the end of the workshop. These pre- and post- workshop data revealed that these physics teachers' content knowledge improved at the end of workshop but still showed they had some conceptual difficulties. During this workshop the participants reflected individually and in small groups on the preconceptions of their own students on the topics of the workshop. These participants were able to describe some of the most common student preconceptions on subjects of Flotation and hydrostatic pressure, but not in gases. We describe the main results and their possible implications on student learning.

  • • Lessons from a Summer PET Course for In-service K-12 Teachers

    • PST2B11
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Justin Snook
    • Type: Poster
    • In summer 2012, 15 K-12 teachers from struggling, low-income schools in anurban school district attended a two-week, credit- bearing course at SUNY Buffalo State College using the Physics for Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum by Goldberg et al. The course featured whiteboard driven discourse and significant use of technology and hands-on activities, all of which were unfamiliar to the participants. We report on pre- and post-PET diagnostic data and student learning journals. Additional course characterization from video and instructors' comments will be included, and self-reported classroom impacts will be presented. Findings and lessons learned will be presented for this and similar courses.

  • • Preparing Teachers for the Next Generation Science Standards with "A LOT of Science"

    • PST2B02
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Jennifer Docktor
    • Type: Poster
    • The "A LOT of Science" project at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse involves 30 in-service elementary and middle school teachers in summer institutes and ongoing professional development (PD) weekend workshops on topics in physical science. The project is funded by a U.S. Department of Education Math Science Partnerships Program grant through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Year one of the PD was designed to integrate the Framework for K-12 Science Education and draft Next Generation Science Standards into activities, specifically for topics of Matter, Force and Motion, and Energy. Teacher feedback and assessment results for the first year of the project are presented.

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

    • PST2B04
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Todd Leif
    • Type: Poster
    • The American Association of Physics Teachers has developed an 18-month experience to transform undergraduate physics programs at two-year colleges by developing newly hired physics instructors. The program seeks to equip these new faculty members with the tools, skills, and theory of active engagement techniques that have been developed based on Physics Education Research and successfully implemented at Two-Year Colleges. The lead presenters of the experience are all master two-year college faculty that also serve as mentors for the participants as the new faculty work to implement novel techniques and strategies in the classroom. The culmination of the experience is the commencement conference held in tandem with this national meeting. This poster will discuss the professional development delivered to the participants, the diversity of the group, and the lessons we as leaders have learned from the experience.

  • • Evaluation of Physics by Inquiry Programs for K-12 Teachers*

    • PST2B06
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Robert Endorf
    • Type: Poster
    • We report on our continuing evaluation of the effectiveness of the Physicsby Inquiry[1] professional development programs for K-12 teachers conducted at the University of Cincinnati. The study is based on data acquired from over 500 teachers that have completed either the 13 quarter-credit-hour graduate course in Physics by Inquiry for teachers in grades 5-12 or a separate 7 quarter-credit-hour course for teachers in grades K-5. Both programs have been effective in increasing the teachers' science content knowledge and their understanding of scientific inquiry. The teachers also gained significantly more confidence in their ability to teach inquiry-based science lessons. An important consequence of the programs was the teachers' evaluation that their students had performed better after they had implemented inquiry-based science activities in their classrooms. * Supported by The Improving Teacher Quality Program administered by the Ohio Board of Regents. 1. L.C. McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington, Physics by Inquiry, John Wiley & Sons (1996).

  • • Dimensions of a Funded PhysTEC Project: California State University's PHYSICS AT THE BEACH

    • PST2B08
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Chuhee Kwon
    • Type: Poster
    • The California State University Long Beach (CSULB) Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) project is in the last-year of the PhysTEC funding. We have built a successful model for a Physics Teacher Network involving physics majors, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and university faculty in a comprehensive urban minority-serving university. The PhysTEC project was a catalyst that transformed the culture of the department. We will present various dimensions of the CSULB PhysTEC project and specific activities, e.g., recruitment, outreach to area high school teachers, and connecting with other projects and programs. Also the sustainability plan beyond the PhysTEC funding will be discussed.

  • • The Impact of Learning Assistants on Student Learning and Engagement

    • PST2B10
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Sarah Garcia
    • Type: Poster
    • The Learning Assistant Program at Cal Poly Pomona Department of Physics & Astronomy recruits students with interests in teaching to work with physics instructors in freshman and sophomore level courses. The Learning Assistants (LAs) lead small group discussions in lecture, labs, and recitation courses. On this poster, we will explain the existing the LA program and report on its impact on enhancing students' engagement in reformed courses. Furthermore, we will discuss the benefits of the program on LAs' own content knowledge and their overall preparation as prospective future teachers.

• Technologies

  • • Effect of Online Pre-tests on Performance in Inquiry-based Physics

    • PST2C01
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Andrew Dougherty
    • Type: Poster
    • The addition of online pre-tests as a primer for learning is studied in anintroductory inquiry based physics course designed for pre-service K-12 teachers. The questions are designed to address misconceptions, elicit thinking about the material covered in the upcoming week, and to alert students to the physical principles essential to the class material. The pre-tests are paired with an online post-test component to both measure student gains as well as reinforce student learning. The pre-tests are completed and machine-graded at the beginning of the week during which the content is covered in class, while the post-tests are short answer corrections to the pre-tests completed at the end of the week. The relationships between online tests and the learning of course content are investigated to determine a model for predicting success in the course.

  • • Parallel Computing in the Upper Division

    • PST2C03
    • Wed 01/09, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Steve Spicklemire
    • Type: Poster
    • Introducing parallel computing in an undergraduate curriculum not directly related 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.

  • • Screencasting in College Physics

    • PST2C02
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Chadwick Young
    • Type: Poster
    • Students today face a barrage of online videos, but their capacity to viewand consume these are phenomenal. The use of video tutorials, screencasts, and video logs in an introductory physics course can be immensely useful and effective for the students' learning experience. I will present the use of screencasting and video-logs in a physics course. I will provide information about free resources that make screencasting and vlogs easy for the teacher and student.

  • • Karplus "Physics Textbook on Web" One Semester's Progress and Pitfalls

    • PST2C04
    • Wed 01/09, 11:00AM - 11:45AM
    • by Fernand Brunschwig
    • Type: Poster
    • Introductory Physics by Karplus went on the web as a free e-book in preliminary form August 2012 (fernwig.org, "guest" login and password). It is readable with laptops, tablets, and smartphones. A unique method of publication integrates the features of printed textbooks (equations, tables, graphics, sidebars . . .) and opens door to multimedia (live web links, videos, simulations, . . .). The publication method limits clutter and allows individual authors to publish and revise on the web. A survey (tinyurl.com/karplussurvey) of teachers and students reveals the potential and issues particular to physics e-textbooks. The current state of the book will be demonstrated, including features in development: 1) Teachers adding material, omitting/rewriting sections and publishing their "remix"; 2) Teachers sharing added/rewritten materials; 3) Teachers and students rating elements of the book; 4) Teachers sharing "recipes" for deployment; 5) Producing PDFs and e-books in "native" format for Kindles, Nooks, and other readers.

• Upper Division and Graduate

  • • What Should You and Your Students Know About Advanced Writing in Physics And Astronomy?

    • PST1B01
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Jean-Francois Van Huele
    • Type: Poster
    • Every year in Physics and Astronomy at Brigham Young University (BYU) we administer a pre- and post-test in an advanced writing course in the discipline, taught by physics and astronomy faculty to majors writing their senior thesis. The test, just like the course, is inspired in part by the AIP style manual http://www.aip.org/pubservs/style/4thed/toc.html and by actual examples taken from theses drafts from previous editions of the course. Here we present the latest version of the test and give the audience an opportunity to take it, compare their answers and scores with those of typical BYU seniors, and give feedback on the experience. What does one really need to know to write well in physics?

  • • Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Small Biomolecules in Water

    • PST1B03
    • Mon 01/07, 7:45PM - 8:30PM
    • by Hye-Young Kim
    • Type: Poster
    • Vecar is a newly synthesized amphiphilic antioxidant biomolecule [1]. Vecar molecules are composed of vitamin E and Carnosine which are linked via a carbon chain of varying lengths. The number of carbon atoms in the chain can vary from 0 to 18. We have preformed molecular dynamics simulations to study the micellization of these amphiphilic molecules, Vecar, in water. Our research mainly focuses on the dependence of micelle formation on the chain length. The findings and their possible application for drug delivery will be discussed. This research is supported by Louisiana BOR grant (LEQSF(2012-15)-RD-A-19) and by the Louisiana Optical Network Institute (LONI). [1] C. Astete, D. S. Meador, D. Spivak, and C. Sabliov, Synthetic Communications, DOI: 10.1080/00397911.2011.632829 (published online in 20 April 2012).

  • • Exploring Expert Navigation of a Thermodynamics Maze

    • PST1B02
    • Mon 01/07, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Mary Bridget Kustusch
    • Type: Poster
    • Several studies in recent years have demonstrated that upper-division students struggle with partial derivatives and the complicated chain rules ubiquitous in thermodynamics problems. In order to better understand what is necessary to successfully navigate these problems, we conducted interviews with experts (faculty and graduate students), asking them to solve a challenging thermodynamics problem. This poster presents the physical and mathematical sense-making employed by these experts as they attempted to solve this problem. Particular emphasis is given to the questions asked, tools used, warrants employed, and the value placed on different conclusions.