Call for Papers

2020 Summer Meeting: July 18-22 — Grand Rapids, Michigan

Committee on Research in Physics Education

K-12 PER

(Committee on Physics in High Schools)

If you conduct research on the learning of physics concepts by K-12 students, please submit an abstract to this session.

Physics Education Research in Labs

(Committee on Laboratories)

The "DBER report" in 2012 identified that there had been very little research on lab education. However, with a national movement to rethink physics lab instruction, the physics education research community seems to be investing in this fruitful and exciting research area. This Invited/Contributed session aims to showcase the diverse and emerging research efforts on lab instruction.

Committee on Apparatus

PIRA Session: Engine Physics

This session is seeking talks about ANY kind of engine. The talks could share some of the physics involved, the pedagogy of utilizing engines, the difference between engines, the history of engines, actual engines, models of engines, etc. Basically, we want to highlight engines as a wonderful way to teach some cool physics and engage students.

Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education

Transforming Physics Curricula to Include Computation

(Committee on Research in Physics Education)

In teaching physics courses that encompass a broad array of content, finding time to develop students' computational skills can be a challenge. Departments encourage development of computational skills in various ways, including offering courses that integrate computation into physics content areas, teaching numerical methods as a specific course, and/or requiring programming coursework. How has your department integrated computation into your program? What computational skills and environments do you prioritize, and how do you balance computational methods with traditional content mastery?

Committee on Educational Technologies

Computer Modeling and Computation in Labs

(Committee on Laboratories)

The three pillars of physics are theory, experiment, and computation. There are numerous excellent examples of pairing theory and experiment or theory and computation, but not as many exemplars of how to combine experiment with computational modeling. If you have an experiment with a significant computational modeling component, please submit a poster.

Integrating Computation into High School Physics

(Committee on Physics in High Schools)

Are you teaching computation, computing, and/or computer modeling in your high school physics classes? If so, we want to hear from you! Share your experiences, successes, and pitfalls with your colleagues!

Committee on Laboratories

Best Practices for Developing Scientific Thinking, Reasoning, and Decision-Making Abilities

(Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges)

Scientific reasoning focuses on fostering higher end skills involving reasoning and decision-making abilities. Various methodologies are being implemented in different settings, including labs and active learning environments. This session focuses on best practices in the development and assessment of students' scientific reasoning and decision-making skills, as well as dissemination of related curriculum and teaching practices to promote these skills.

Committee on Physics in Pre-High School Education

New Curriculum by K-12 Outreach Programs

(Committee on Professional Concerns)

What new pieces of curriculum are spreading into schools, and informal and after-school programs? Some programs are bringing 21st century science directly to K-12, others are shattering stereotypes about what physicists do. Bring news from your program about new apparatus or new lessons or new topics, and presenters and audience will discuss the dynamic field of physics and physics education.

Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education

Tools for Data Analysis

(Committee on Laboratories)

Data analysis methods are at the core of many areas of physics research, yet are not always an explicit focus or goal in the undergraduate physics curriculum. Do students learn data analysis methods in your courses? What tools and pedagogical methods do you use? We invite contributions addressing any of the above questions in any level of physics course.

Committee on Educational Technologies

Tools for Teaching Computation in Physics

Physicists use a multitude of tools for teaching computation in physics, including programming languages, spreadsheets, symbolic computing packages, online platforms, as well as tools for creating sound and visualization effects in simulations. This session will feature presentations from a panel of practitioners using various tools and techniques as applied to computational problem-solving in the classroom. There will be a round-table exchange of ideas with the panel following the presentations.

Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education

Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences (IPLS)

(AAPT)

We are soliciting contributed posters on new pedagogies and resources for the course on Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences (IPLS). Please consider submitting a poster on your work in the IPLS course involving labs, problems, assessment tools, simulations, resource material, … or any other aspect of the IPLS teaching/learning environment.

Finding and adapting IPLS materials from the Living Physics Portal

(AAPT)

If you have found materials or ideas on the Living Physics Portal that you have tweaked, modified, or otherwise adapted for your institution's particular circumstances, please share your experiences by contributing to this session.

Committee on Research in Physics Education

Exploring the Implementation of the NGSS Framework in Undergraduate Science Disciplines

New in undergraduate physics and science courses is the integration of the K-12 NGSS Framework and relevant curriculum. This session aims to elucidate strategies for implementation of the NGSS Framework into undergraduate science settings and research into its efficacy for improving student learning. Please share with us your experiences regarding the development of curriculum or research projects surrounding the integration of NGSS materials into undergraduate physics and science courses.

Committee on Graduate Education in Physics

Graduate Education in US- Thinking about Admissions, Diversity, Content Knowledge, and Institutions

Physics graduate education is an important area of research as it shapes the field of physics and its future practitioners, both in terms of their content knowledge and research skills, as well as their teaching practices. This session is designed to host presentations of research projects aiming to identify ways that could help foster a more diverse and inclusive environment in graduate education and discuss ways that could help improve students' content knowledge of topics in graduate physics courses. We are also looking for presenters to discuss institutional/departmental practices that could help improve students' experiences and increase retention, as well as presentations related to designing professional development for graduate students on effective teaching.

Committee on History and Philosophy in Physics

Science and Religion

In this session, we call for discussions about the relationship and interaction between science and religion; in particular, discussions from perspectives of philosophy and history are encouraged.

What, Why and How of Scientific Literacy?

In this session, we'd like to invite discussions on the importance and stat quo of scientific literacy in K-12 educations.

Committee on Educational Technologies

Effective Practices in Educational Technology

We seek talks detailing the use of modern educational technologies in the teaching of physics at all levels. Technologies may include everything from augmented reality to zip files, not to mention social media, simulations, screencasts, specialized software, and other things that begin with "s." Focus can be on tools, pedagogies, or even (gasp) students. Share what works for you!

Exploring Virtual and Augmented Reality in Physics Education

(Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education)

If you use Augmented or Virtual Reality (collectively eXtended Reality or XR) in your classroom, please share your ideas and applications by contributing to this session. Presenters are encouraged to bring their XR activities to the session to allow attendees to try them during the demonstration segment, as talking about XR rarely does the experience justice.

Harnessing the Power of Big Data in the Age of Online Learning

(Committee on Research in Physics Education)

Online and digital learning technologies are not only rapidly transforming the way we teach and learn, they also provide us with an unprecedented amount of data on students' learning behavior and outcomes. This session invites speakers who work at the intersection of educational data mining, learning analytics, and physics education research to share their interests and discoveries.

Computational Thinking in Physics

Science standards like the NGSS consider "computational thinking" to be a key practice of science and engineering work. Physics instruction is considered by many to be further along the path of integrating computational thinking than other disciplines. We are looking for presenters to describe projects that include computational thinking as a learning goal.

Committee on Teacher Preparation

PhysTEC: Building Institutional Support and Leadership for Teacher Preparation

To reduce the severe national shortage of physics teachers, secondary education programs need to garner their institutions’ commitment and support specifically for physics teacher education (PTE). In some cases, PTE programs need to be built from scratch. Successful programs also require building collaboration among leaders in physics and education departments. This session will feature lessons learned for garnering that support and collaboration in different institutional contexts. You are invited to contribute your own stories about improving PTE.

Committee on Science Education for the Public

Museum and Building Lobby Science

Lobbies of office buildings, colleges, schools, and museums are an excellent place to interact with people, set up exhibits and interactive science experiments. We want to hear from you about your own experience with “lobby science” and your ideas how to engage people in lobby settings.

Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges

Art of Teaching Diverse Learners

A classroom can have students with diverse backgrounds, identities, preferences, and experiences. As an instructor one has to make sure that not only the process of instruction is ever evolving but the diverse needs of students are reflected in one's teaching philosophy, and instructional approach. Share with us what you are doing to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in your classroom.

Favorite 1st Day Activities

Please share your first day activities with the broader AAPT community so that we all can learn from each other! Spend 10 minutes sharing your activity so that others can get ideas for their own classes!

Share-A-Thon II (The Sequal)

(Committee on Science Education for the Public)

An Active Learning Tool or Lesson used in a Two-Year College Classroom that you can't live without. Presentations are to be 10 to 15 minutes in length.

Communicating Sensitive Topics in the Classroom

(Committee on Women in Physics)

The aim of this session is to provide ideas, resources, and strategies for instructors when having sensitive discussions in the classroom, such as those around, politics, ethnicity and race, religion, gender, etc.

AAPT SPS

SPS Undergraduate Poster Session

The Society of Physics Students (SPS) invites undergraduate students to share their research work or outreach efforts in poster format.

Committee on Educational Technologies

Exploring Virtual and Augmented Reality in Physics Education

(Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education)

If you use Augmented or Virtual Reality (collectively eXtended Reality or XR) in your classroom, please share your ideas and applications by contributing to this session. Presenters are encouraged to bring their XR activities to the session to allow attendees to try them during the demonstration segment, as talking about XR rarely does the experience justice.

Committee on Contemporary Physics

General Relativity in the High School Classroom

(Committee on Educational Technologies)

General Relativity is generally deemed too advanced for high school students. However students consistently come to class with questions about this exciting topic. This session seeks speakers who have had success teaching content related to general relativity in their high school classrooms. Share your approach, activities, and the hurdles you have encountered when teaching General Relativity.

Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges

How Curt Hieggelke Contributed to Physics Education

Curt Hieggelke had a long and distinguish career and contributed to physics education in many ways. In this session we would like to hear from you on how Curt contributed to your physics education.

Committee on Physics in High Schools

Addressing Gender Bias in AP and other Upper Level High School Physics Courses

We are seeking sessions abstracts from both college and K12 faculty that address both theoretical frameworks and ground tested structural and curricular approaches that have improved both the participation and achievement of all students in these upper-level high school courses.

AAPT

K-12 (Intro UG, AD UG) Physics Courses and Labs in the Shadow of COVID19

Please contribute papers highlighting the range challenges and successes experienced, including pedagogical strategies, evaluation and assessment techniques, educational fatigue and stress, and issues of equity and inclusion.

Remote Delivery of Advanced Physics Labs Lessons and Victories

Please contribute papers highlighting the range challenges and successes experienced, including pedagogical strategies, evaluation and assessment techniques, educational fatigue and stress, and issues of equity and inclusion.

Remote Delivery of High School Labs: Use of Existing Teaching Resources.

Please contribute papers highlighting the range challenges and successes experienced, including pedagogical strategies, evaluation and assessment techniques, educational fatigue and stress, and issues of equity and inclusion

Remote Delivery of Introductory Physics Labs Lessons and Victories

Please contribute papers highlighting the range challenges and successes experienced, including pedagogical strategies, evaluation and assessment techniques, educational fatigue and stress, and issues of equity and inclusion.