or type control-F to use a browser search for this page

Posters

• Astronomy Poster

  • • Teaching Seasons When Distance Does Matter

    • PST1A01
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Mary Brewer Sherer,
    • Type: Poster
    • When teaching the cause of the seasons on Earth, the main misconception isthat the distance changes from the Sun dictate the seasons. Multiple studies and teaching lessons have been developed to help dispel this misconception. In my astronomy and astrobiology courses, most students can correctly identify the cause of the seasons on Earth, but when trying to apply this framework to extra-solar planets, their gaps in deep understanding show. Many extra-solar planets have such elliptical orbits that the distance from their star does cause seasons, yet students do not always have the tools available to decide which factors are important. Through a light sensor and an Arduino, I have developed a lab that allows students to vary both the angle of the light and the distance to understand how much each affect the radiation at a planet's surface.

  • • The Niels Bohr Institute Youth Lab Exoplanet Mystery Box

    • PST1A03
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Ian Bearden, Marta Mrozowska,, Jo Verwohlt,, Axel Boisen,, Jimmy Hansen,

    • Type: Poster
    • We have developed an Arduino controlled, 3D printed orrery, which, when observed with a photosensor (the light sensor on an IOLab, for example) can be used to illustrate how exoplanets are detected using the transit method. Each orrery has two "orbits" with interchangeable planets so that students can investigate the relationship between planet size and transmitted light from the "star" which they orbit. In our model, the "star" is a large light bulb. After students become familiar with this simple system, they take data from an orrery (hidden in the mystery box) which has an unknown number of planets of unknown size. When the students finish analyzing these data, the mystery box is opened and the results compared with the now visible model.

  • • Evaluation of an Interactive Undergraduate Cosmology Curriculum

    • PST1A05
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Kimberly Coble, Aaron White,, Dominique Martin,, Patrycia Hayes,, Lynn Cominsky,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Big Ideas in Cosmology is an immersive set of web-based learning modules that integrates text, figures, and visualizations with short and long interactive tasks as well as labs that allow students to manipulate and analyze real cosmological data. This enables the transformation of general education astronomy and cosmology classes from primarily lecture and book-based courses to a format that builds important STEM skills, while engaging those outside the field with modern discoveries and a more realistic sense of practices and tools used by professional astronomers. Over two semesters, we field-tested the curriculum in general education cosmology classes at a state university in California [N ~ 80]. We administered pre- and post-instruction multiple-choice and open-ended content surveys as well as the CLASS, to gauge the effectiveness of the course and modules. Questions addressed included the structure, composition, and evolution of the universe, including students' reasoning and "how we know."

  • • The Impact Crater at Middlesboro, KY

    • PST1A02
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Bob Powell, Ben Jenkins,

    • Type: Poster
    • The authors visited the astrobleme at Middlesboro, KY, on their way home after S17 meeting of AAPT at Cincinnati, OH. The Middlesboro crater is 4.8 km in diameter and was formed less than 300 million years ago. Its identification as an impact site was confirmed in 1966 when Robert Dietz discovered shatter cones in sandstone; shocked quartz was later found. Early travelers, including Daniel Boone, found the relatively flat basin easy to travel after crossing the Cumberland Gap. The authors visited the town's exhibit about the event and photographed the circular form from Pinnacle Overlook in the nearby mountains.

  • • Building a Radio Telescope after ALPhA Immersion Experience

    • PST1A04
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Erin De Pree,
    • Type: Poster
    • Constructing a small radio telescope for our advanced lab course has lead to unexpected benefits. In addition to offering several students research and construction experience, the machining skills developed are leading to a new course on metalworking for instrument making. We will discuss the unexpected challenges of learning metal machining skills from scratch, integrating multiple sets of instructions and notes, and the progress to date. The telescope is currently on schedule to join the experimental line up in our advanced lab course in the spring 2019 semester. We will also publish a complete instruction manual later in 2019. The telescope was originally designed by Alan Rogers at MIT's Haystack Observatory and modified by Carl Akerlof at the University of Michigan. The Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA) immersion course in summer 2016 lead by Carl Akerlof made this project possible.

• Get Started! Integrating Computation into Courses at Any Level

  • • Programming Modules for Algebra-based Electromagnetism: Using Coding to Enforce Physics Concepts*

    • BD05
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM

    • by Richelle Teeling-Smith, Chris Orban,, Chris Porter,

    • Type: Poster
    • We present a series of electromagnetism programming modules that can be easily integrated into an algebra-based introductory physics course. These modules are game-like, browser-based (requiring no software installations), and are designed to highlight the physics aspects of an interactive simulation code while obscuring other details, making them ideal for beginner programmers. We will describe the effort to probe the impact of these coding activities on student conceptual learning using a series of animated questions inspired by the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment. These activities and assessments are currently being used in introductory physics classes at Mount Union and OSU Marion, as well as in a number of high school physics classrooms across Ohio.*The STEMcoding Project is supported by the AIP Meggers Award and internal funding from OSU.

  • • STEMcoding Project: Bringing the Hour of Code to the Physics Classroom*

    • BD06
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM

    • by Chris Orban, Richelle Teeling-Smith,

    • Type: Poster
    • Despite the success of code.org and the hour of code(TM), very little content currently exists to integrate coding into introductory STEM courses even though computer science is now designated as a "core subject". In fall 2017, the STEMcoding project released an hour of code activity (go.osu.edu/hourofcode) on the physics of video games and started a youtube channel (go.osu.edu/STEMtube). Importantly, a high percentage of the people featured in the videos come from underrepresented groups in STEM, and we try to ensure that it is mostly undergrads on screen, rather than professors or post-docs. This poster provides an overview of the coding resources that are freely available, summer training opportunities for teachers and future plans. *The STEMcoding Project is supported by the AIP Meggers Award and internal funding from OSU.

  • • Use of Computation in Upper Level Mechanics at Winona State

    • BD07
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM
    • by Sarah Phan-Budd,
    • Type: Poster
    • The physics department at Winona State has been expanding the use of computation across the physics curriculum. This poster will focus on the upper-level mechanics course which has recently been refreshed to include a computational portion implemented using Jupyter notebooks. We will discuss updated computational activities used both during class time and as homework assignments. We will also discuss how the physics department and other faculty members in the college of science and engineering have been training and supporting their fellow instructors to enable them to include more computation in their courses.

  • • Challenges in Creating Accessible Materials for Online Physics Courses

    • BD08
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM

    • by Yuri Piedrahita, Carina Rebello,, N. Sanjay Rebello,

    • Type: Poster
    • Nowadays there is an increasing presence of online courses in all fields of science, and particularly physics. Making such courses accessible to individuals with visual or auditory difficulties is imperative. Therefore, transforming common class materials from face-to-face classes (e.g., PowerPoint slides, or Word documents) to accessible materials is one of the firsts tasks towards designing an effective accessible online course. Although current reading programs have achieved relevant advances in accessibility, they still present a variety of limitations. For example, the inability of such reading programs to differentiate between say vertical lines in text, which in math represent the absolute value, but in physics might also represent the magnitude of a vector quantity. We spotlight the challenges found during the process of making the class materials of a Modern Mechanics course accessible, offering potential solutions with the aim to support others undertaking similar efforts.

  • • Engaging Physics Students with Computation and Visualization

    • BD09
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM
    • by Jay Wang,
    • Type: Poster
    • In this presentation we discuss integration of computation and visualization into the physics curriculum to actively engage student's learning. We will focus on sophomore and higher level classes where numerical computation is an integral component of the coursework. For example, introductory quantum mechanics is arguably the place where students benefit the most from computation only a handful of problems could be solved exactly in closed-form solutions, and virtually no time-dependent problem is accessible without computer simulation. Yet important concepts such as time-evolution of coherent states and tunneling are difficult to visualize and grasp to beginners of quantum mechanics. We describe activities that emphasize both computation and visualization within the Jupyter Python environment. We also describe creating an interactive computing and visualization environment with IPython widgets to make the activities more effective (see http://www.faculty.umassd.edu/j.wang/ for sample activities).

  • • Initiating Computation in the Introductory Lab

    • BD10
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM
    • by Andrew Gavrin,
    • Type: Poster
    • As part of a department-wide effort to introduce computational methods across the curriculum, I have begun to develop and implement computational experiences for the labs in our introductory course sequence. The first computational experiences students see are based on PhET simulations.* They use these to get a sense of what it means to do an "experiment" on a system someone else has already modelled. In later exercises, they use excel to develop their own models. To date, I have developed and classroom tested two PhET based experiments (both in mechanics) and two excel-based projects (one each in mechanics and E&M).

  • • Integrating Computation into Introductory and Intermediate Optics

    • BD11
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM
    • by Ernest Behringer,
    • Type: Poster
    • Optics provides many opportunities for integrating computation into the physics curriculum. Several computational activities, touching on geometric and physical optics, will be presented that can help students learn and apply optical concepts while achieving many of the learning outcomes described in the AAPT recommendations for the laboratory curriculum and for computational physics. While completing these activities, students use spreadsheets and structured language programs to generate and represent numerical data, to represent experimental data, to compare the predictions of theoretical models to experimental results, and to use models to predict outcomes in new situations. A subset of these activities, covering shadows, rainbows, and laser beam profiles, are available at the Compadre website for the Partnership for Integration of Computation into Undergraduate Physics.

  • • Integrating Computation into Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

    • BD12
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM
    • by Marie Lopez del Puerto,
    • Type: Poster
    • Computation and statistical mechanics go hand in hand. I have integrated several short computational (and even some experimental!) projects into an upper-level Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics course at the University of St. Thomas. While relatively easy to code, these projects help illustrate and clarify fundamental ideas (equilibrium, multiplicity, probability distributions, etc). Several example projects are presented in this poster.

  • • Jupyter Notebook: A Natural Fit for Integrating Computation into Many Courses

    • BD13
    • Mon 07/30, 1:30PM - 3:30PM
    • by Steve Spicklemire,
    • Type: Poster
    • From "Scientific Computing" and "Intro Electronics" to "Quantum Mechanics"and "Advanced Lab" the "Jupyter Notebook" provides a flexible foundation for integrating computation into a variety of classes. Some of the relevant features of Jupyter Notebooks will be highlighted and a diverse set of examples provided.

• Introductory Physics for Life Science: Pedagogy and Practice

  • • Modeling and Simulation for the Life Sciences

    • AG04
    • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
    • by Peter Nelson,
    • Type: Poster
    • Life-science students are introduced to modeling and simulation on day oneusing a physical "marble game" modeling diffusion. Students then work through a self-study guide introduction to Excel and write their own kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulation of the marble game in a blank spreadsheet. In this guided-inquiry exercise, students discover that Fick's law of diffusion is a consequence of Brownian motion. Subsequent activities introduce students to: algorithms and computational thinking; drug elimination and radioactivity; semi-log plots; finite difference methods (and calculus); the principles of scientific modeling; model validation and residual analysis. Thermodynamics is introduced using kinetic models of osmosis, ligand binding, ion channel permeation and phase equilibria. IPLS students without calculus are not afraid of Excel. They have been able to implement Monte Carlo and finite difference models of topics that usually require ODEs and PDEs. Sample chapters are available for free at http://circle4.com/biophysics/chapters/

  • • New Development of Physics Courses Optimized for Life Science Majors

    • AG05
    • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:30AM

    • by George Trammell, Katsushi Arisaka,, Elizabeth Mills,, Joshua Samani,, Shanna Shaked,

    • Type: Poster
    • Beginning with extensive course development over two years, and pilot courses offered beginning in fall 2017, the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) Physics & Astronomy program has implemented a new Introductory Physics for Life Sciences (IPLS) series representing a crucial undergraduate education program serving ~1800 students/year. This effort has resulted in the introduction of new courses, the parallel development of new and modern biologically oriented lab experiments, as well as lecture demonstrations, all with an emphasis on evidence-based pedagogical methods. We summarize our efforts so far and present an analysis of available assessment data.

  • • Transitioning a 300-student IPLS Course to Team-based Learning

    • AG06
    • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
    • by Brokk Toggerson,
    • Type: Poster
    • Over the past years, we at UMass-Amherst have been transitioning six 100-student sections of a first-semester introductory physics for life science (IPLS) course into a team-based (TBL) model following Michaelsen et al. Here we present an overview of our first efforts to teach the second semester of the sequence in the same style. Due to institutional constraints, the second semester of the sequence has 300 students per section and is taught in a traditional lecture hall. A discussion of how we handled some of the logistical challenges of teaching in a TBL mode in this space will be touched upon along with a discussion of the particular IPLS features and some notes on future plans

  • • Application of Team-Based Learning to a First Semester IPLS Course

    • AG07
    • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:30AM

    • by Brokk Toggerson, Heath Hatch,, Christopher Ertl,, Paul Bourgeois,

    • Type: Poster
    • We present the current status of an effort at UMass, Amherst to transitionthe first semester of our large IPLS course to a team-based learning format following Michaelsen et al. while simultaneously adjusting the topics and skills covered to apply to our population. We will present our motivations for the transition, key features of our course's structure, and an overview of the largest departures in content from a typical algebra-based introductory course. We will also discuss new developments towards a dedicated free and open-source textbook for our course based upon the OpenStax College Physics text.

  • • Creating a Survey on Moving Fluids for Life Science Students

    • AG08
    • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:30AM

    • by Dawn Meredith, James Vesenka,, Daniel Young,, Rebecca Lindell,

    • Type: Poster
    • We present several questions and student-generated distractors for a conceptual survey on moving fluids that is currently under development. This survey is aimed at life students and focuses on concepts of viscosity (including Hagen-Poiseuille law), Reynolds number, continuity, flow rate, and Bernoulli's principle.

  • • Investigating Students' Resources on Diffusion with Experimental and Computational Activities

    • AG09
    • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:30AM

    • by Daniel Weller,* Kathleen Hinko,, Vashti Sawtelle,

    • Type: Poster
    • At Michigan State University, we have created an Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences course that utilizes the studio model of physics, with a particular focus on the topic of diffusion. As part of this course, we developed an experimental microscope activity to complement a computational activity that models the diffusive motion of particles in solution. In this microscope activity, students would form a hypothesis about the motion of various microbead solutions and design an experiment to validate these hypotheses. We present work that analyzes student responses to pre- and post-lab questions from a resource theory perspective. Specifically, we present findings highlighting how students perceived the realistic or idealistic nature of the two activities. This work forms the foundation for combining physical lab activities with computational modeling in a way that maximizes student engagement and comprehension.

  • • IPLS at Georgia Tech

    • AG10
    • Mon 07/30, 10:00AM - 10:30AM

    • by Nicholas Darnton, JC Gumbart,, Jennifer Curtis,

    • Type: Poster
    • Georgia Tech recently implemented a new IPLS "flavor" of our calculus-based introductory physics sequence. In adapting the University of Maryland, College Park framework to our target audience (biology, chemistry and neuroscience majors), we increased the number of online and written problems while reducing the scope of labs to allow for longer recitation sessions. Anecdotally, we observe enthusiasm for this approach, with enrollment growing with each subsequent offering. However, problems arise for students switching between IPLS and the traditional sequence mid-year.

• Labs/Apparatus

  • • London Lab Group

    • PST1B01
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Scott Dudley,
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster provides an update on the effort to form a laboratory users group among local physics teachers. One key aspect of the effort were funds provided by a Bauder Grant which allowed the distribution of IOLab devices across the group.

  • • Physiological Response of Localized Cooling of the Skin Recorded by Thermal Imaging

    • PST1B03
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Haraldur Audunsson, Lilja Indridadottir,

    • Type: Poster
    • The use of thermal imaging to demonstrate some basic principles of physicsis becoming a common practice in introductory physics courses. This is in part stimulated by greater access to thermal cameras, due to lower cost, ease of use, and by the increasing number of potential demonstrations. However, applications of thermal imaging in exploring human physiology and consequent quantitative modelling do not appear to be as many. In our poster we will give one example of using thermal imaging to observe the physiological response after localized cooling of the skin on the forearm. The thermal images provide data for quantitative mapping of the local physiological thermal response, which can be used to engage students in constructing simple numerical models for both the lateral scale of the stimulation and a response time.

  • • Simple Introductory Lab Activities on Measurements, Uncertainties and Graphing

    • PST1B05
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Gilbert Kuipers,
    • Type: Poster
    • These were inspired to demonstrate the science behind post-harvest fruit and vegetable process equipment. Today's machines automatically grade and sort materials using weight, size, shape, color, density, and other physical characteristics. The necessary materials are easy to obtain and inexpensive. Although fresh items dry out; dried beans, pasta, polished decorative rock pebbles, etc. can be reused. By measuring the dimensions and masses of individual potatoes and of individual unshelled peanuts the students produced models to reject foreign objects based on the concept of density as done with gravity tables or can be done with weight and photography. The concept of variation was introduced by recording the mass of a weighing dish as each item was added. The slope of the graph gave the average mass per item and the change in mass as each item was added gave the individual masses for further statistical analysis.

  • • The Niels Bohr Institute $100 Gamma Ray Spectrometer

    • PST1B07
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Ian Bearden, Axel Boisen,

    • Type: Poster
    • We present a very inexpensive gamma ray detector based on LYSO scintillator coupled to a Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). The detector is powered by 4 9V batteries connected via a voltage regulator Such a power supply is both rather inexpensive and has very low noise compared to most low cost laboratory power supplies. We will discuss the design and construction of the detector as well as possible uses in laboratory courses from introductory to advanced level.

  • • Use an iPhone Accelerometer App to Evaluate Various Sport Helmets

    • PST1B09
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Hsuan Labowsky, Caleb Shi

    • Type: Poster
    • Using an iPhone Accelerometer App, students evaluate the impact force of various sport helmets. The "impact force" is created by dropping a helmet from a fixed height onto the floor. As opposed to standard helmet testing that measures external force, the iPhone is fastened inside the helmet to simulate the effect on the brain. The app records the acceleration components as a function of time. The data is transferred to and graphed in an Excel spreadsheet. Graphs show the "free fall" and the "impact" regions, although an app with a data collection rate greater than the available 30Hz is desirable. After testing an unmodified helmet, the students then add foam and/or crumple zones in attempts to improve cushioning. Students exercise the scientific method in data collection/interpretation and draw meaningful conclusions. The experiment is particularly timely/meaningful in light of the concern over sports-related concussions.

  • • Lab Activity of Projectile Motion Using Tracker

    • PST1B13
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Sechan Yoon,
    • Type: Poster
    • The Tracker video analysis and modeling program provides excellent opportunities for students to investigate and learn about kinematics and dynamics. A lab activity for projectile motion and pendulum motion is developed for students to use the Tracker program to analyze the motion and find the initial velocity. Using a table with a simplified finite difference method, students can compare to the Tracker program data and understand how the Tracker program works better. A set of inquiries is used to estimate the related physical quantities like time and range of the object without directly using kinematics equations and to investigate the differential equations and its solution.

  • • Custom-built Vibrating Sample Magnetometer for Materials Characterization*

    • PST1B15
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Bryan Augstein, William Zimmerman,, Jeffrey Klupt,, Dr. Vera Smolyaninova,

    • Type: Poster
    • A vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) is an instrument used to measure magnetic properties through sinusoidal vibrations of a magnetized sample in a uniform magnetic field. As the sample oscillates, a voltage is induced in two stationary pick-up coils. This voltage is proportional to the magnetic moment of the sample, and can be measured to a high degree of accuracy using a lock-in amplifier. This design was first proposed by Simon Foner and has been successfully used throughout the years in physics laboratories. This approach was used to create a vibrating sample magnetometer for materials characterization. The design of the VSM suitable for characterization of ferrofluids will be discussed.

  • • Elevating Measurement, Error, and Statistics to Prominence in the Introductory Physics Lab

    • PST1B17
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by John Walkup, Roger Key,

    • Type: Poster
    • Although measurement theory is a part of most introductory physics labs, its treatment is often superficial and relegated to mostly significant figures and percent error calculations. The latter is especially problematic, as comparisons to known/accepted values is relatively rare in real-world lab activities. The authors have instead shifted focus away from calibration tasks (i.e., comparing results to known values), elevating the importance of measuring random error to dominance. The authors will address NIST and ISO standards on error analysis, updated measurement vocabulary, and how traditional lab manuals are often outdated, inconsistent, and wrong. The authors will showcase lab activities centered on teaching students to understand (1) the connection between resolution, sensitivity, and variability, (2) the distinction between uncertainty and standard deviation, and (3) how the standard deviation, standard error, and confidence intervals drive experiment. One such experiment uses a competition atmosphere in a manufacturing process, akin to Six Sigma, designed to meet real-world, industrial objectives.

  • • Fitting Parameter Uncertainties

    • PST1B23
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Robert Deserio,
    • Type: Poster
    • Simple expressions are presented for the uncertainties in model parametersobtained from fitting programs. They require the uncertainties of the input data and the construction of the Jacobian matrix as the derivative of each fitted value with respect to each fitting parameter. The formulas are demonstrated for data from our muon lifetime experiment where Poisson-distributed input data is governed by an exponential decay. The Microsoft Excel Solver program is used to perform properly weighted fits using either of two equivalent techniques: one based on the maximum likelihood principle and the other based on the iterated least squares method. Excel's built-in array formulas are then used to obtain the parameter covariance matrix, from which the uncertainties are determined. Parameter uncertainties based on the Delta x^2 = 1" rule are also determined and shown to be in agreement.

  • • Things to Consider When Updating Introductory Physics Labs

    • PST1B25
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Darwin Church
    • Type: Poster
    • There are multiple reasons why introductory physics labs need to be updated, and there are different approaches to consider in the process. A good place to start, if you are considering revising physics labs, is the American Association of Physics Teachers Recommendations for the Undergraduate Laboratory Curriculum. It is an excellent resource and includes student learning outcomes on which to focus. The challenge is to implement them with the limitations often faced with laboratory instruction. Having recently updated two semesters of introductory physics labs, this presentation will examine some of the reasons to update labs and common approaches that are popular today. The advantages and disadvantages of each will be highlighted.

  • • Muon Telescopes for First Year Physics Students

    • PST1B02
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Ian Bearden,
    • Type: Poster
    • We have had a number of students build muon telescopes based on both GM tubes and scintillators for their quasi-independent first year research projects. This poster will summarize our experiences with such projects. Possible designs for and preliminary results from a muon detector inexpensive enough that it is possible to procure a "class set" for introductory relativity labs will also be presented. Finally, we discuss how one could incorporate the building of such detectors in the advanced lab for use in introductory labs.

  • • Rigorous At-Home Experiments with the IOLab for Introductory E&M

    • PST1B04
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Shawn Weatherford, Robert DeSerio,

    • Type: Poster
    • Introductory physics experiments for the online learner have been designedto be performed at home with an aim towards achieving student outcomes comparable to those from traditional on-campus laboratories. This presentation features selected at-home experiments piloted for the initial offering of an algebra-based introductory physics laboratory course focusing on electricity, magnetism, and optics for UF Online, a program providing fully online bachelor degrees. Utilizing the IOLab, a wireless dynamics cart with a suite of onboard sensors suitable for investigating physics principles with a laptop, paired with a custom materials kit, students construct an experimental apparatus and make sense of data collected with the IOLab and analyzed with Microsoft Excel. Rigorous labs include resistivity measurements using bare wires, the distance dependence of magnetic field strength from dipoles and quadrupoles, and the temperature dependence of power dissipated by an incandescent bulb. One or more of these labs will be presented in detail.

  • • Teaching Physics Lab to Online Students

    • PST1B06
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by John Long, Kenneth Chenery,

    • Type: Poster
    • One of the biggest challenges in teaching physics online is delivering labinstruction and practical skills to off-campus students. Since 1996, Deakin University in Australia has delivered an introductory physics course simultaneously to both distance/online and on-campus cohorts in engineering. Many of the off-campus students live in remote areas. The course has a significant lab component, worth 30 percent of the total assessment, and currently containing five experiments. We present a number of methods that we have employed to deliver lab experiences to off-campus students. These include weekend on-campus lab classes, remote-controlled experiments, video-presented experiments, real-time experiments broadcasted through web-conferencing, at-home electronics kits, and at-home experiments where students assembled their own materials. What worked and what did not will be discussed, as well as further suggestions and ideas. Our experience shows that it is possible to produce the same learning outcomes in lab for both online and on-campus cohorts.

  • • Transcending Your Discipline: A Transdisciplinary Laboratory Course Provides Context and Quantitative Literacy Skills that Contribute to STEM Retention

    • PST1B08
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Sarah Formica,
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster describes an introductory, one-semester, transdisciplinary labcourse that integrates concepts across biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, and develops basic quantitative literacy and stimulates student interest in STEM more effectively than traditional introductory lab courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. Students in the transdisciplinary lab showed higher quantitative reasoning and literacy gains than students in traditionally-taught science labs, and those gains were statistically significantly different between transdisciplinary students and traditionally-taught biology students. Retention rates of students in the transdisciplinary lab were also compared to students in the control groups and show that student retention in a STEM discipline was higher for students who participated in the transdisciplinary lab. These results suggest that a transdisciplinary approach to STEM lab classes benefits students by improving their mathematical reasoning skills and compelling students to continue with their STEM education.

  • • Using a Rubric to Teach Design Skills in Junior Lab

    • PST1B10
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Karen Williams,
    • Type: Poster
    • Students are required to choose and design their own short research project in Junior Physics Lab. Students submit a proposal that I accept or reject. If rejected I guide them to a more viable project. The project is presented as their final exam. It is graded using an Inquiry and Analysis Value Rubric designed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Items assessed are topic selection, background from sources, the design process, the analysis, the conclusions of the project, and the limitations and implications of the findings. I find it a good rubric to assess the design of a project.

  • • A Series of Optics Laboratory Projects Using Student Cell Phones

    • PST1B12
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Steven Sahyun,
    • Type: Poster
    • Modern cell phones have a number of optical properties useful for investigation in a student laboratory setting. This poster describes a series of laboratory activities involving student's smart phones for an optics course designed for third- and fourth-year undergraduates. Students investigated the index of refraction of the glass screen, color and display properties of the screen and flash lamp, sensor and lens characteristics, and used their phones as microscopes and spectrometers. This series of laboratory activities was developed so that students would have several laboratory experiments over the course of the semester as a way to relate to course material and to better appreciate the many optical properties in an object they carry and use on a daily basis.

  • • Boosting Student Engagement in the Introductory Physics Lab through Competition

    • PST1B14
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by John Walkup, Roger Key,

    • Type: Poster
    • Students often complete lab activities, but then fail to demonstrate any tangible understanding of the physics concepts targeted in the lesson. The authors surmise that much of the problem centers on students' passive approach to performing lab activities, where all work is stopped once they deem their results "good enough." In response, the authors have recast the lab activities as competitions, where students use the existing traditional lab activities as mere practice runs for students to brainstorm the most effective approach toward besting their lab classmates' performance. Such lab activities involve far less dependence on instructions and much more reliance on discussion and planning. The authors have found elevated levels of student resourcefulness and engagement. Furthermore, student evaluations have generated almost uniformly positive attitudes toward the competitive approach, even though students admitted increased frustration and pressure. Time demands on the lab teaching assistant are also significantly reduced.

  • • Delayed-Choice Interference Experiment for the Entangled-Photon Undergraduate Laboratory*

    • PST1B16
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Enrique Galvez, Jhonny Castrillon,, Boris Rodriguez,, Omar Calderon-Losada,

    • Type: Poster
    • We have developed a new undergraduate laboratory experiment with time-energy entangled photons that exploits the concept of delayed choice in quantum interference. Photon pairs produced by parametric down-conversion are entangled in energy and momentum. One photon is sent through a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. It reaches a detector immediately after exiting the interferometer. The energy-entangled partner is sent through a long optical fiber to an energy filter followed by a detector. The delayed-choice of filter bandwidth determines whether one sees interference or not. The experiment involves adding only a few optical components to an existing correlated-photon undergraduate laboratory. The experiment makes the students confront fundamental concepts of quantum interference.

  • • Even More Physics Experiments Using Your Smartphone

    • PST1B18
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Arturo Marti, Martin Monteiro,, Cecilia Cabeza,, Cecilia Stari,

    • Type: Poster
    • Smartphone usage has expanded dramatically worldwide in recent years. Indeed, it is everyday more frequent to use smartphones as clocks, cameras, agendas, music players or gps. More remarkable is the habit, especially among young people, of bringing their smartphones every time and everywhere. It is impressive that smartphones usually incorporate several sensors, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers. Although these sensors are not supplied with educational intentions in mind, they can be employed in a wide range of physical experiments, especially in high school or undergraduate laboratories. Moreover, experiments with smartphones can be easily performed in non-traditional places as playgrounds, gyms, travel facilities, among many others. We show some of the capabilities of the smartphones and discuss some interesting physics experiments using them. The selected experiments involve accelerometer, gyrometer, magnetometer, luxometer and proximity sensors. It is worth mentioning that this technology allows the simultaneous use of different accelerometers. Additional information: http://smarterphysics.blogspot.com.

  • • Explanation of Rotation Mechanism of Liquid Film Motor Via Ions

    • PST1B20
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Hongzhi Zhu,
    • Type: Poster
    • We present a qualitative explanation of the rotation mechanism of the liquid film motor via movement of ions. Principle of electrolytic cell is introduced into our model, in which the essence of the crossing current in liquid is the directional movement of ions and as soon as an ion has reached the electrode, electrons are exchanged so that the ion loses its charges. Several quantitative analytic results involving the speed of rotation and the threshold voltage of the crossing current are obtained. We find that the interaction of the electrolytic cell and the polarization equilibrium maintained by the external electric field causes stable one-way flows in two sides along the electric field in adverse directions. The flows of ions lead to the rotation of the whole film. Though traditional theories via polarization of molecules can both explain the holistic rotation, Our theory can perfectly explain the local flow in high concentration film which could hardly be explained by traditional theories , and most experimental phenomena observed in direct current electric fields are interpreted well.

  • • Faradaymeter: Arduino-based Precision Instrument for High School Labs for Electromagnetism

    • PST1B22
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Sidharta Vadaparty,
    • Type: Poster
    • Electromagnetism is central to advanced physics and should be internalizedby high school students through hands-on experiments. However, concepts like Faraday's law are first demonstrated through qualitative experiments but quickly transitioned to memorization of formulas. Additionally, commercially available instruments which can fill this learning gap are often prohibitively expensive. In this presentation, we introduce an instrument, the Faradaymeter, which measures the induced voltage in a coil by a changing magnetic field. The Arduino-based electronics allow students to collect data without the necessity of an oscilloscope, making it affordable, customizable and open-sourced. This platform encourages students to design their own creative experiments and quantitatively rediscover the laws of electromagnetism: Faraday's Law, Biot-Savart's Law, and Lorenz's Law. Students can do this by adjusting the following variables: angular speed of a rotating magnet, the distance between the coil and the magnet, the diameter of the coil, and length of the wire used.

  • • Interference of Control of Variable Skills with Causal Reasoning

    • PST1B24
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Lindsay Owens, Kathleen Koenig,, Lei Bao,

    • Type: Poster
    • Understanding how to create a controlled experiment, as well as using causal reasoning to synthesize experimental results are critical skills in the laboratory setting. Students' abilities to interpret what caused an experimental outcome were evaluated in think-aloud style interviews. Interviews were conducted with a variety of algebra-based and calculus-based students in introductory physics lab courses. The majority of interview participants showed difficulty in answering this causal reasoning task and treated the task as if it were instead testing their control of variables (COV) knowledge. The use of a second causal reasoning task confirmed that students' COV-reasoning skills were interfering with their causal reasoning abilities. Results from these interviews were used to provide meaning to quantitative data obtained from a post reasoning test administered to all students in the introductory lab courses. The quantitative data echoed the answer selections of the interview participants for both causal reasoning tasks.

• Lecture/Classroom

  • • Method of Solving Time Problems in Harmonic Oscillator

    • PST2A01
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Quy Pham,
    • Type: Poster
    • Time is an important factor in solving physics problems. In the General Physics program for K12 students, the harmonic oscillator occupies a large part of the mechanical oscillator, the mechanical wave and the alternating current. Incorporating the trigonometric ring into the calculation of time factors will help students understand the concept of oscillator much better and easier. Through this article, I would like to introduce some simple but effective methods for physics learners to understand problems of harmonic oscillation most easily.

  • • Project Yellow Light: Physics and Social Issues in Chicago

    • PST2A03
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Johan Tabora,
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster explains a culminating kinematics project in a 9th-grade physics course at a public high school. The project problematizes the physics implications of Chicago's 3-second yellow light and uses the socio-scientific issues framework to empower students to make complex decisions at the interface of science, technology, and society. Furthermore, the project hopes to develop science agency where students use their scientific knowledge to enact change in themselves and their environment. Students use kinematics concepts to evaluate the 3-second light time and use their findings to explore the related socio-political issues. Examples of issues are the locations of Chicago's red-light traffic violations, Illinois' income tax structure, and other city-levied fees and taxes.

  • • Role of Characteristics of Bodies in Newton's Third Law of Motion

    • PST2A05
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Ajay Sharma,
    • Type: Poster
    • The third law establishes universal equality between action and reaction. The law is practically expressed in terms of forces. In third application of third law at page 20 of the Principia, Newton stated, "If a body impinges upon another and by its force change the motion of the other, that body also will undergo an equal change, in its own motion, towards the contrary part. Mathematically forward velocity of target, Vforward = ( Uforward - Ubackward ) m/M If target is heavier and remains at rest e.g. a ball impinges a heavy body then Vforward =0, Uforward =Ubackward or projectile must rebound with initial velocity. In this case characteristics, nature, compositions of bodies ( steel , rubber , spring , chewing gum) are practically and experimentally significant. These can be taken in account if law is generalised i.e. reaction is proportional to action through coefficient of proportionality.

  • • Special Relativity as Part of the First-Year Introductory Physics Course

    • PST2A07
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Alice Churukian, Reyco Henning,, Stefan Jeglinski,, Duane Deardorff,

    • Type: Poster
    • At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we have incorporated aunit on Special Relativity into our first semester introductory physics course required for students of the physical sciences (chemistry, math, computer science, applied science, and physics majors). The course is taught in a lecture/studio format where students attend a 1-hour lecture and a 2-hour studio twice per week. Students spend two and a half weeks studying everything from simultaneity to relativistic momentum, focusing primarily on conceptual understanding through the use of space-time (Minkowski) diagrams. We will present a sample of the materials used in both lecture and studio, insights into the challenges of introducing Special Relativity at the introductory level, and comments from students enrolled in the course.

  • • Student Perspectives about Active Learning in German Physics Lectures

    • PST2A09
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Cynthia Heiner,
    • Type: Poster
    • Research indicates that students learn more in an interactive learning environment. Yet despite the increasing empirical evidence, the active teaching and learning techniques are rarely tried in German higher education institutions. I report here on German students' opinions towards pre-class online assignments ('Just in Time Teaching') and in-class Peer Instruction via clickers in an introductory mathematical physics class. Furthermore, I will discuss the cultural differences in the education systems as well as how best to encourage students to engage with active learning in Germany.

  • • Teaching Strategies for Dynamics in Introductory Physics

    • PST2A11
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by J.C. Yoon,
    • Type: Poster
    • Learning dynamics in introductory physics, students have difficulty in building connection between kinematics and dynamics and identifying the objects associate with force due to the ambiguity of force notation. The concept of applying force is introduced earlier in kinematics and the motion of an object is consistently analyzed and connected to net force using inquiries with plain English. As a common practice of omitting the roles of objects in force notation for simplicity causes trouble in free-body diagrams and Newton's laws of motion, every force in the lecture is labeled by which object force applies and on which object the force applies at a cost of elegant notation. Also, as many students find it difficult to come up what forces should be considered in a free body diagram, a list of possible forces is presented for them to check out and select the appropriate forces.

  • • Teaching Strategies of Kinematics in Introductory Physics

    • PST2A13
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by J.C. Yoon,
    • Type: Poster
    • Teaching introductory physics to students with minimal experience of physics classes in secondary schools, the class curriculum for kinematics in the lecture has been modified to effectively cover the contents from the basics of kinematics including lab activities. The motion of an object is consistently presented with a motion diagram with inquiries on position, velocity, acceleration, and net force using plain English and the concepts of calculus. The motion diagram is investigated with a table to record the data and they are plotted in terms of time. Since students struggle with the plots for these physical quantities that are presented individually or at random order in the lectures or tests, the plots of position, velocity, and acceleration are always presented in the same order as a set in the lecture and assignments. The plots are analyzed with slope in differentiation format and area using a simple Riemann sum.

  • • The Triplets Paradox. About Acceleration in Special Relativity

    • PST2A15
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Martín Monteiro,
    • Type: Poster
    • In this work a didactical approach about the well known twins paradox is discussed. In a simple and visual way it is shown that two systems could go through the same accelerations and yet end up having different times at the end of their trips, pointing out that the amount of acceleration is not the key of the problem. The change of inertial reference frame is highlighted to understand the issue together with the role of acceleration in special relativity and the twin paradox in particular.

  • • What Bad Puzzles Teach Us About Good Science

    • PST2A17
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by David Morgan,
    • Type: Poster
    • Nowadays it's common to encounter "logic" puzzles online that pose as mathematical exercises, and frequently Internet commenters will argue over the right answer for days or weeks at a time. Often it is because these puzzles are, in fact poorly-designed as mathematical statements, and the "right answer" is ambiguous at best. But while they may fail as math problems, they succeed as examples of inductive reasoning in the sciences, and underscore the fact that scientific theories are always "underdetermined" by the available data. This poster gives an example of one such puzzle, along with suggestions for classroom discussions on topics such as theory construction, theory testing, underdetermination, simplicity, and falsification.

  • • A First-Year Experience Program in Physics

    • PST2A19
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by John Simonetti,* Alma Robinson,, Kasey Richardson,, Shadisadat Esmaeili,, Courtney Vengrin,

    • Type: Poster
    • First-year physics majors at Virginia Tech take the introductory calculus-based sequence, taught with a student-centered approach, in a SCALE-UP classroom. In addition, our program includes a parallel sequence designed to enlarge the students' view of physics beyond the introductory curriculum and give them the skills they need to succeed as undergraduate physics majors, and beyond. This additional course sequence, also taught in a SCALE-UP classroom, is called "Thinking Like a Physicist," and includes explicit work on solving Fermi problems and other open-ended, ill-defined problems. They also learn systematic procedures for solving "end-of-chapter" problems, selected concepts in calculus, and numerical computations. Other topics investigated include research in the department and career paths. We will present our results from pre- and post-testing using various instruments including the Force Concept Inventory, Conceptual Survey in Electricity and Magnetism, and the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey.

  • • Active and Engaged Learning: Lessons from the Rookie Semester

    • PST2A21
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Toni Sauncy,
    • Type: Poster
    • The introductory calculus-based physics course at Texas Lutheran University has been transformed from an "active" learning "traditional" format into a hybrid-inverted learning environment through the use of web-based video and simulation tools. Reluctance to change the format of the course quickly became enthusiasm as the potential for learning (by the instructor) became apparent. Lessons from this first time modified flipper, along with the student response to the revised pedagogy will be discussed.

  • • An Integrated Career-Development Curriculum for College Physics Majors

    • PST2A23
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Joshua Grossman, Erin De Pree

    • Type: Poster
    • We present a curriculum in which college physics students engage in careerexploration and perform activities to develop skills for career advancement. We embed the curriculum in conventional physics courses, plus special program-wide events. This emphasizes the central importance of these skills for students and requires all students to develop these skills. While some material draws from the Careers Toolbox for Undergraduate Physics Students, developed by the American Institute of Physics and the Society of Physics Students, our curriculum is significantly more expansive, covering more career phases, plus including additional skills and activities. The Phys21: Preparing Physics Students for 21st Century Careers report by AAPT and the American Physical Society touched on this curriculum in its case study of best practices in our department. Besides providing more details on the curricular content, we will also present impacts from its implementation.

  • • Complete Introductory Physics Courses Online

    • PST2A25
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Byron Drury, David Pritchard,, Zhongzhou Chen,, Isaac Chuang,

    • Type: Poster
    • Evidence suggests that blending online and on-land teaching in some sort of flipped classroom results in more learning than either extreme. Unfortunately, optimally combining online, in-class, weekly homework and quizzes, and on-paper activities presents a formidable and time-consuming organizational challenge for the instructor. We are assembling sets of these resources into complete courses for intro mechanics and E&M at both algebra- and calculus-based levels. These can be flexibly assigned in the open-source online platform - edX.org. Importantly, student interaction data are recorded in BigQuery; we extract problem difficulty and time on each resource, and can improve the course through research. These courses will be available as Customizable Courses this fall, and possibly in Canvass. Ultimately we will use the Harvard DART system to allow teachers to assemble courses from a library with descriptive and performance metadata about each resource. Volunteers are solicited for beta-testing and for curating existing resources.

  • • How Are the Women Scientists Academic Trajectories?

    • PST2A27
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Isabelle De Lima,
    • Type: Poster
    • It is usual in physics classes the use of historical approaches to highlight the participation of important men. However, in Brazil, there are few studies about women's role and trajectory in physics. To join teaching, history of physics and the participation of women in science, we promoted a debate to thinking about 'how are the women scientist's academic trajectories?' To this, we presented Lise Meitner's trajectory, as an example. We highlighted important aspects of her life that helped us to start discussions with high school students. Then, to this presentation, we will report how this activity happened, what were the student's feelings and opinions before, during and after activity. We found students recognized similarities among women scientist's carriers, whether they are researchers, teachers or professionals in the technical area. It was possible to think over the barriers in our carriers and encourage students to think they could be a scientist.

  • • Practical Sigma/Delta Relation for Teaching Single-Slit Diffraction Uncertainty Principle

    • PST2A02
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Richard Zajac,
    • Type: Poster
    • Illustration of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in terms of single slit particle diffraction is common in introductory texts. Such a presentation is conceptually and qualitatively useful, but is often confusing for students to apply numerically due in part to the differing interpretations of sigma and Delta presented in different texts and online resources, along with apparently differing definitions of the Uncertainty Principle. A simple scheme is presented to dissambiguate and apply these terms numerically. This scheme has been successfully used by students in the Alg/Trig-based introductory course with good accuracy, without the need to substitute alternative results from a "more rigorous" treatment, as is common in several texts.

  • • Sparking Interest in STEM

    • PST2A06
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Kathleen VanBaren,
    • Type: Poster
    • According to a 2012 article in International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, "Students are making choices in middle school that will impact their desire and ability to pursue STEM careers. Providing middle school students with accurate information about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) careers enables them to make more knowledgeable choices about courses of study and career paths" (Vanessa L., Heulskamp, & Siebert, 2012). In order to give all middle school students in our school an opportunity to learn more about STEM fields, activities involving robotics, computer programming, and electronics have been integrated into the eighth grade general science course. The poster provides examples of these projects over the last few years.

  • • Standards-based Grading: Assessing the Assessment

    • PST2A08
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Katrina Black,
    • Type: Poster
    • In standards-based grading systems, student grades are based on mastery ofcourse objectives rather than a percentage of points earned on each particular assessment. Since spring 2017, I have used standards-based grading in an algebra-based introductory physics sequence for technology majors. I reflect on three semesters of standards-based grading, including how the grading scheme has evolved, practical considerations for choosing assessment questions and recording grades, and student responses to the system.

  • • Teaching Strategies for Calculus Review in Introductory Physics

    • PST2A10
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by J.C. Yoon,
    • Type: Poster
    • The concept of calculus is briefly summarized with physics examples in thefirst lecture of introductory physics. The most topics in limits and continuity is avoided, and one simple point is emphasized that most functions in nature and in physics course are continuous and differentiable. The differentiation of function is roughly translated as slope, that is, rise over run, to find out the change of output compared to that of input, but it is presented with functional format instead of x, y coordinates. And it is demonstrated with linear and parabola functions with numbers. Using an example of speed, the integration of motion is introduced as summation of the change of distance per unit time, which is often overlooked as we consider integration as area only. A couple of Riemann sum with linear functions are used to demonstrate how the integration works.

  • • Teaching Strategies for Trigonometry Review in Introductory Physics

    • PST2A12
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by J.C. Yoon,
    • Type: Poster
    • For introductory physics, trigonometry is reviewed in the first lecture toestablish the understanding of trigonometry on the basic concepts of physics with one main techniques of trigonometric identities. Using an example of physics application, the concept and purpose of trigonometric function are redefined with physically meaningful interpretations. In many physics applications in the following lectures, these interpretations make the students consider the purpose of trigonometric functions in selecting the appropriate functions, instead of using mathematical definition of trigonometric functions as a routine. Also, one set of rules in trigonometric identities is selected and used for the whole course to make it more effective and faster in dealing with physics applications.

  • • The Process of Learning and Assessment in Activity-based Physics Classrooms

    • PST2A14
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Yuehai Yang, David Kirkendall,, Suman Neupane,, David Brookes,

    • Type: Poster
    • Multiple assessment instruments have been implemented in an activity-basedphysics course at Oregon Institute of Technology. In and outside of the classroom, students work together on a variety of learning activities with the assistance from supplemental instructors and are offered ample opportunities to participate in this active learning process. Assessment data are collected through Gradescope, an AI assisted grading tool, as well as traditional surveys. The result of this analysis is useful to identify important impact factors which contribute to student success in reformed introductory physics courses.

  • • Using Social Deduction Games to Help Understand Physical Concepts

    • PST2A16
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Matt Olmstead,
    • Type: Poster
    • As part of our physics senior seminar course, the students are doing an in-depth research project in which they focus on one area of physics that has not been discussed in their previous courses and have several different projects based off of this including a paper, presentation, and poster. There are additional smaller assignments, one of which includes adding a scientist from their project into a social deduction game. In the game, each student is initially given a secret role; some are good and some are bad. During the course of the game, each role does one thing: swapping roles, looking at another role, getting a new role, etc. At the end, a vote is performed to see if one of the bad characters can be identified. This game has been modified to include the scientists from their projects and figuring out what sort of abilities fit these characters.

  • • A Curriculum to Address Under-Representation and Culture in Physics

    • PST2A18
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Moses Rifkin, Chris Gosling,, Dana Hsi,

    • Type: Poster
    • Motivated by our shared desire to address under-representation in physics,we have created a flexible, modular curriculum designed to help physics teachers bring conversations about science and society into our classrooms. In this session, we will preview the curriculum, share preliminary data demonstrating its influence, and reflect on our experiences. Attendees will have an opportunity to download curricular resources, and will learn how to join our working group going forward. Together, we offer students and teachers a guided means to consider the culture of physics in order to create a more welcoming community.

  • • Acceleration-centered Physics: Sharp Departure from the Traditional Free-Body-Diagram

    • PST2A20
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by John Walkup,
    • Type: Poster
    • Traditional problem-solving in physics involves students following a step-wise method where they create a free-body diagram and then attempt to solve the problem by examining known and unknown variables. The cognitive gap to the next step, formulating equations that govern the forces and motion encountered in the problem, is large and daunting, often leaving students grasping for any equations they can find that incorporate a matching set of known and unknown variables. The author has reformulated the traditional problem-solving method by elevating the acceleration as a gateway between cause, described by Newton's laws, and effect, described by equations of motion. (In essence, the acceleration in mechanics is regarded in much the same way as the state vector in quantum mechanics.) Such an approach has the advantage of providing students with a path toward successful completion of the entire problem from start to finish. It also highlights the Deterministic relationship between cause and effect. Finally, this approach is robust, being applicable to every (or nearly every) Newtonian force problem likely to be encountered by introductory physics students. In this poster, the author will present this new problem-solving scheme, then show how it applies to linear acceleration, centripetal acceleration, and angular acceleration problems with relative ease.

  • • An Inquiry Based Biophysics Course for Non-majors

    • PST2A22
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Christina Othon,
    • Type: Poster
    • The development of a college-wide, general education curriculum alleviatedpressure to offer 100-level introductory physics courses for non-majors. This opened the opportunity for us to reconsider the type general education courses most needed to serve other disciplines at the institution. Ripon College has a large number of elementary and secondary education, health pre-professional, exercise science, and pre-engineering students. We developed an inquiry-based learning course that had no prerequisites that could satisfy the physical education needs of our education majors while providing a soft entry into the physics curriculum for our health pre-professionals. The course emphasizes hands-on activities that build quantitative reasoning skills and promotes a firm understanding of matter and physical properties of biomaterials. The course is populated by students of a wide mathematical and scientific background. We present results regarding the value of the course content for the target student populations.

  • • Assessing Understanding Using Student-Created Video Tutorials

    • PST2A24
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Bradley Gearhart,
    • Type: Poster
    • Most high school students carry in their pockets a powerful tool for learning and assessment. Today's smartphones and tablets allow students to explore and generate content in ways that were impossible just a decade ago. Fortunately, many schools are now embracing this new tool for expression and consumption and looking for new and creative ways to engage and assess student understanding. This poster will explore my use of student-created video tutorials for assessing their understanding of forces. Students record everyday scenarios and then create a tutorial video applying concepts and tools developed in class to describe and explain their everyday occurrence.

  • • Interpreting and Solving Problems Using Inequalities

    • PST2A28
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Jonathan Bennett,
    • Type: Poster
    • "Inequality problems," in which a physical quantity (such as a static friction force) can assume a range of possible values, provide interesting and instructive opportunities for students to practice problem-solving skills. Standard textbook approaches to solving such problems tend to examine only limiting cases (for example, the situation where the static friction force has reached its maximum possible value). We consider several common introductory problems and illustrate how a more general approach to solving inequality problems leads to more complete, interesting and instructive solutions, while only modestly increasing the mathematical complexity of the analysis.

• Other Poster

  • • Physics to Visually Impaired Children: A Brazilian Experience

    • PST2B01
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Isabelle De Lima, Luzia Mota,, Beatriz Velame,, Josileide Oliveira,, Roseane Santos,

    • Type: Poster
    • One of the challenges in physics teaching is to find ways to present physics to visually impaired people. We are working on a project that intends to bring science to visually impaired children, specifically focusing on ideas about light. A part of this project was developed in the National Week of Science and Technology, an annual event that happens in Brazil. In this presentation, we will report this experience. Based on studies and in other projects, we developed activities on how a rainbow occurs. For this, we presented a video with an audio description about the explanation for the rainbow; after that, the children built a tactile prototype of the decomposition of light; finally, we did a storytelling session of the important scientist's life. We noticed the children's interest and curiosity during this variety of activities. Besides, it was possible to teach physics to visually impaired children with this approach.

  • • The Effects of the Length of Junctions Between Balls

    • PST2B05
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Hao Xin Sun,
    • Type: Poster
    • If a chain initially rests in a container above the ground and pulled overthe rim of the container, the top of the chain will rise up above the container, which is called a "chain fountain." Since researchers did not include the effects of junctions between balls, former models fail to predict the experimental results when using chains with balls in different shapes. In our experiments, the relation between the steady-state chain height and the length of junctions of the chain is analyzed experimentally and theoretically. Data is collected by using chains with junctions of different lengths while their other physical parameters are constant during experiments. Meanwhile, the weight of junctions is relatively small compared with the whole chain, so its impact is neglected during our analysis. We map the Height-Length of Junctions diagram and the measurements for different chains coincide with our theoretical analysis.

  • • Doing Research with Undergraduates in a Bachelor's-only Physics and Astronomy Department

    • PST2B07
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Matthew Semak, Cynthia Galovich,, Richard Dietz,

    • Type: Poster
    • For many disciplines, it appears that the number of undergraduates involved in research is increasing. One can certainly argue that this is true for physics and astronomy. This is encouraging given the range of benefits students gain from such an experience. At the University of Northern Colorado, we have been fortunate to have undergraduate research as a component of the program for over 30 years. However, many students are overcome by classwork and do not see research as a viable option during their undergraduate career. Indeed, some are weary of approaching such a challenge given their limited experience with such a process. Moreover, without the extensive research efforts, facilities, graduate student mentors, and other important resources associated with graduate institutions, can an undergraduate program provide a meaningful research experience for its students? Indeed, the lack of funding devoted to student projects and the often-limited external collaborations can have students wondering about opportunities of which they were not aware. They also ask if they have been given the full range of tools for current and future success. These are frequent questions. We would like to present some possible answers by telling you about some of the journeys in research we, along with our colleagues, have taken with our undergraduates. With persistent attention to the evolving needs of our students along with an understanding of our advantages and limitations, we believe our program has substantial positive outcomes to report.

  • • Latent Colonialism and Exclusionary Culture

    • PST2B09
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Danny Doucette,
    • Type: Poster
    • Although physics is a practice and body of knowledge that has historicallydrawn on people and cultures from around the world, many of our words and symbols today belie this reality. Instead, our field has lionized the work of white Western men while adopting, without fairly crediting, contributions from across the world and through time. In this sense, we might think of contemporary physics instruction as a colonial enterprise. Problematically, some of our language and signifiers send messages that may be responsible for perpetuating negative experiences and stereotypes that result in inequities and poor diversity in our field. This poster will dissect examples; propose modes of talking, teaching, and doing physics that move beyond colonial norms; and present ways we could use a critical approach to the history of physics as a tool to inspire positive growth in physics culture.

  • • OER Learning and Assessment Modules Formatted as Moodle Quizzes

    • PST2B11
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Robert Greeney,
    • Type: Poster
    • I have developed a wide variety of physics learning and assessment exercises to be shared, used, and enhanced over time through peer collaboration among physics instructors. These exercises are authored in the format of Moodle Quizzes. The exercises are easily shared with anyone who has access to Moodle Learning Management System (LMS). Motivation for this initiative includes: a) Enhanced learning of physics, b) Convenient and effective assessment vehicles that promote learning, c) Easily shared and used OER learning and assessment exercises, d) Promote creative and productive collaboration among physics instructors, e) Quality cost saving options for faculty and students, and f) Contribute to the growth and improvement of OER in physics.

  • • Research Opportunities for Underrepresented Students in Earth & Space Sciences*

    • PST2B02
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Prabhakar Misra, Susan Hoban,, Belay Demoz,, Blanche Meeson,, William Farrell,

    • Type: Poster
    • This early opportunities research program is funded under the auspices of the NASA Minority University Research and Education Other Opportunities Project (MUREP) and is a partnership between Howard University, University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. It engages underrepresented STEM students in cutting-edge Earth & Space Science-focused research under the mentorship of seasoned NASA researchers throughout the academic year, and a full-time 10-week research internship during the summer at NASA Goddard. Since its inception in August 2016, the project has benefited 12 early career Howard University undergraduate STEM students. *Financial support from MUREP NASA Award Number NNX16AC90A is gratefully acknowledged.

  • • Stratospheric Temperature Changes Observed During the 8/21/2017 Total Solar Eclipse

    • PST2B04
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Erick Agrimson, Kaye Smith,, Gordon McIntosh,, James Flaten,

    • Type: Poster
    • We present additional results related to stratospheric temperature measurements taken before and during the August 21st, 2017 total solar eclipse. St. Catherine University and the University of Minnesota, Morris, collected data from six high-altitude balloons (HABs) launched during the two days prior to the eclipse and on the eclipse day. The overall atmospheric changes between pre and eclipse day flights were significant; an observed cooling of over 10 degrees Celsius in the stratosphere. We also observed a measurable change in temperature at the tropopause boundary. Temperature measurements were collected via a "wake boom" a structure, which characterizes the magnitude and extent of the thermal wake below an ascending balloon using over 20 temperature sensors, set at intervals along a horizontal carbon fiber rod.

  • • Women's Leadership in Physics Education

    • PST2B06
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Laura McCullough,
    • Type: Poster
    • When people discuss the representation of women in physics, we often focuson enrollments and degrees. This data is readily available and is important to our discussion. We rarely talk about leadership positions in physics and women's participation in these roles. In this talk I will share data about the numbers of women in various leadership positions in physics education: editors, research group directors, professional organization roles. This data is more difficult to gather because of the short-term nature of people's time in these roles. But a snapshot in time of this data provides important information for the discussion of under-representation in physics.

  • • Further Research on the Spring Pendulum

    • PST2B08
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Yan Huang, Hua Yuan,, Ze Tang,

    • Type: Poster
    • When a pivot of a spring pendulum starts moving along a horizontal circumference, the movements of the bob attached to the spring exhibit different patterns. We use difference method to do theoretical analysis concerning length and movement of the spring, and our numerical results correspond with that. In the low angular velocity regime, the dynamic system of the spring pendulum shows various bifurcations. When the stiffness coefficient becomes larger than a certain degree, the system turns into chaos.

  • • Nonlinear Analysis of a Popsicle Stick Bomb

    • PST2B10
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Chengzhi Cai,
    • Type: Poster
    • A large potential energy can be released when weaving the stick bomb. However, in the experiment of the popsicle stick bomb, we find that repetitive experiments lead to a great uncertainty in measurement. It is because that when stress exceeds the threshold, popsicle sticks experience yield phenomenon which means plastic deformation and disability of returning to the original state. In this case the pattern of stress and strain is a nonlinear function. The experiment explores the law of nonlinear variation in the popsicle stick bomb. The experimental data is measured by using popsicle sticks with different sizes and different materials. Meanwhile, we use the same group of sticks in a series of experiments. The deformations of the sticks ranges from big values to small values. We also map the Stress-Strain diagram. Finally, we get the range of linear variation and the rule of nonlinear variation. Materials also impact results.

  • • Role of Characteristics of Bodies in Newton's Third Law of Motion

    • PST2B12
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Ajay Sharma,
    • Type: Poster
    • The third law establishes universal equality between action and reaction. The law is practically expressed in terms of forces. In third application of third law at page 20 of the Principia , Newton stated "If a body impinges upon another and by its force change the motion of the other, that body also will undergo an equal change, in its own motion, towards the contrary part. Mathematically forward velocity of target, Vforward = ( Uforward - Ubackward ) m/M If target is heavier and remains at rest e.g. a ball impinges a heavy body then Vforward =0, Uforward =Ubackward or projectile must rebound with initial velocity. In this case characteristics , nature , compositions of bodies ( steel , rubber , spring , chewing gum ) are practically and experimentally significant. These can be taken in account if law is generalised i.e. reaction is proportional to action through coefficient of proportionality.

• Physics Beyond the Core

  • • Computationally Concretizing Thermal Physics for IPLS -- From Spatial to Energy Spreading

    • GI03
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by Ariel Abrashkin, Ariel Steiner,, Samuel Safran,, Edit Yerushalmi,

    • Type: Poster
    • Biological cells consist of molecules in aqueous solution, serving as a thermal reservoir. The analysis of such systems relies on the laws of thermodynamics, and the conceptualization of energy and its associated entropy. We suggest an instructional sequence in which thermal contact is presented in terms of energy diffusion in the system, in analogy to a more concrete context – particle diffusion involving spatial entropy and the second law. Working in a framework of non-interacting particles, having only kinetic energies, enables a simple and concise definition of temperature and thermal equilibration. To illustrate our approach, we demonstrate a simulation-based discovery activity in which students investigate thermal contact between particles occupying the same volume, relevant to biomolecules in solution. Next, potential energy arising from interparticle interactions, crucial for structure formation (e.g. membranes, vesicles), is introduced. In this context, we derive the Boltzmann factor accounting for interactions from the first and second laws.

  • • Computationally Concretizing Thermal Physics for IPLS -- Paving the Way

    • GI04
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by Haim Edri, Samuel Safran,, Edit Yerushalmi,

    • Type: Poster
    • Central position papers present a challenging task -- the inclusion of thermal physics as part of the IPLS course. We present the first unit in an introductory science curriculum that uses computational tools to explain the random nature of multi-particle-systems, crucial in statistical physics, while taking into account students' limited prior knowledge. The unit focuses on diffusion – an important generic characteristic of ions in solution and many other biomolecules, engaging students in constructing a series of computational models intended to align the stochastic nature of random walks with their prior knowledge of Newtonian mechanics. Students analyze the development of particles' trajectories in time at different time scales. This analysis serves to justify the shift from deterministic model of the motion of one or two particles in vacuum, to a model of colloidal particle dominated by frictional and stochastic forces, resulting from the interactions with the many-particles of the solvent.

  • • Computationally Concretizing Thermal Physics for IPLS: Goals, Dilemmas, Choices

    • GI05
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by Edit Yerushalmi, Ariel Abrashkin,, Haim Edri,, Elon Langbeheim,, Ariel Steiner,

    • Type: Poster
    • The physics of mesoscale structure formation -- how do many molecules organize themselves into large-scale assemblies -- is at the heart of biological physics. We present the dilemmas and choices underlying an introductory curriculum that gradually builds the knowledge structure required to address this question. The research-based-curriculum was tested in a course for interested and capable high-school students, and refined over three implementation cycles, introducing several shifts from traditional curricula to meet students' limited prior knowledge: Dynamics presented with a focus on motion dominated by frictional and stochastic forces. The step-by-step evolution of many-particle-systems, dominated by spatial randomness, towards equilibrium, is analyzed and pictured by means of computational models. Introductory level equilibrium statistical thermodynamics is presented in the context of particle diffusion involving spatial entropy; as a precursor to analogous treatment of thermal contact. Finally, Monte-Carlo simulations serve to concretize analytical models of structure formation in systems where interactions compete with randomness.

  • • Computationally Concretizing Thermal-Physics for IPLS -- From Dynamics to Equilibrium Statistics

    • GI06
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by Ariel Steiner, Ariel Abrashkin,, Sam Safran,, Edit Yerushalmi,

    • Type: Poster
    • Computational dynamical models were used in the first unit of an introductory science curriculum to concretize the shift from Newtonian dynamics to particle diffusion modeled as a random-walk. In the second unit of the course this is followed by the abstract statistical-thermodynamics treatment of non-interacting systems assuming equal probability of all microstates (spatial configurations). This unit demonstrates the superfluous nature of the random-walk model for diffusion, accounting for the time-evolution of all particle trajectories, when used to describe equilibrium. Students compare the long-time averaged density distributions of random-walk vs. Monte-Carlo simulations anchored in the equal probability assumption and realize that both lead to constant density. Students justify the assumption by examining spatial sampling in a random-walk model for the relevant measurement timescales. This analysis sets the stage for later discussions of entropy and the second law as-well-as analysis of other systems relevant to life sciences, such as polymeric macromolecules.

  • • Space Weather Awareness Helps Engage and Retain Students in Science

    • GI07
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by Anna Chulaki, Yaireska Collado Vega,

    • Type: Poster
    • Recent advances in the young field of space weather allow scientists to paint a picture of the daily life of the Sun and its influence on our electromagnetic environment. Using physics-based models we predict the propagation of solar storms through the solar system and their arrival at Earth, other planets and satellite missions. CCMC provides college undergraduates with an extraordinary learning experience of planetary dimensions and immense visual beauty by engaging them in space weather forecasting and forefront research via cutting edge models and tools. Young forecasters gain awareness of our wider environment, an understanding of the fundamentals of the Sun-Earth system and knowledge of the impacts of space weather on humans and technological systems. We would love to share our experience and resources and partner with teaching institutions to promote space weather awareness to younger audiences as a means to recruit and retain young people in science.

  • • Educational Issues Details Pertaining to Claims about Anthropogenic Climate Change

    • GI08
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
    • by Laurence Gould,
    • Type: Poster
    • Many arguments have been made that — as a result of human activities that emit greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide) — there is a dangerous trend of increasing global temperatures resulting in events such as melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and increased storms. This talk draws on topics from a one-semester freshman seminar course taught at the University of Hartford in 2009, 2014, and 2017. The course was devoted to a critical-thinking approach to the topic of Anthropogenic Climate Change. The presentation will — through an analysis that includes some of those arguments and methodologies — show how curious people can seek a deeper understanding of the issues and thus enhance their ability at scientific enquiry. The material should be of particular interest to students and educators.

  • • Engineering Physics Field Session at Mines: Incorporating Open-Ended Problem Solving

    • GI09
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by Chuck Stone, Vince Kuo

    • Type: Poster
    • Following their sophomore year of studies, physics majors at Colorado School of Mines enroll in a 6-week, 6 credit hour summer course, Field Session Techniques in Physics. The course introduces students to the design and fabrication of engineering physics apparatus and involves intensive individual participation in the design of machined system components, vacuum systems, electronics, optics, and applications of computer interfacing systems and computational tools. It includes supplementary lectures on safety, laboratory techniques, and professional development, along with visits to regional research facilities and industrial plants. This poster presentation will describe how the Mines Physics Department has incorporated open-ended problem solving in Field Session Learning Modules and nurtured student independence and creativity in problem-solving processes.

  • • Preparing Students for Long-Term Open Inquiry Projects -- Students' Perspective

    • GI10
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by David Perl,* Edit Yerushalmi,

    • Type: Poster
    • The advanced high school physics course is commonly directed towards a high stake exam. A three-year course, titled INQUIRY-PHYSICS, takes place in Israeli education system as an addition to the traditional physics course. It intends to bypass the difficulty of integrating open ended inquiry activities into test oriented setting. This timeframe allows for a gradual learning progression, developing inquiry practices in contexts that span from 1-2 lessons to a yearlong research project. I will describe the findings of an artifact-based interview that took place few months after the students launched their work on the research project. Student were asked to identify inquiry practices they have encountered earlier in the course and reflect on their fruitfulness. In particular, which of these practices they perceive as crucial to experience before engaging in a long term project. I will discuss these findings in view of the learning goals and design principles of the teachers.

  • • Using the NSF S-STEM Grant to Improve STEM Student Success

    • GI11
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by Tom Carter, Barbara Abromitis,, Susan Fenwick,, Tom Schrader, Richard Jarman

    • Type: Poster
    • The College of DuPage, a large two-year college in suburban Chicago, secured a grant from the National Science Foundation's S-STEM program in 2016. The allowed COD to award full scholarships to up to 60 students majoring in chemistry, physics, or engineering over five years. Along with the scholarship, a key goal of the program was to provide the students academic support to aid them in completing a two-year program for graduation or transferring to a four-year institution. A central feature of the project is the use of a STEM Student Success Coach who will provide individual, cohort, program-specific, and interdisciplinary guidance as a cost-effective way of addressing attrition in STEM disciplines at the community college level. Quantitative/qualitative data will inform program decisions, resulting in a replicable model, disseminated through a variety of professional outlets. A second feature of the proposal is the use of research internships that will leverage existing partnerships with four-year institutions and national laboratories.

  • • The Principia's Second Law of Motion, and Euler's F=ma

    • GI12
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
    • by Ajay Sharma,
    • Type: Poster
    • Newton had given Second Law Of Motion in the Principia (1687) at page 19 as "The alteration of motion is ever proportional to the motive force impressed; and is made in the direction of the right line in which that force is impressed." Newton did not give any equation for the law as it was not tradition at that time. While explaining law after definition Newton did not write word acceleration (rate of change of velocity) as it was not imagined at that time ( not in known and unknown quantities) . Newton defined 'quantity of motion' mv at page 2 and expressed motion as velocity at page 9. Thus mathematical form of second law turns out to be F =m(v-u) or F =(v-u). F=ma was given by Euler and can be seen at Index no E479 at page 223 at website of MAA where Euler's original works are archived.

  • • No One Became a Physics Major to Research Blocks on an Inclined Plane

    • GI13
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
    • by Richard Gelderman,
    • Type: Poster
    • Robin became a physics major to work on teleportation. Chris wants to study cosmology (though his inability to pass calculus 2 might limit him to cosmetology). So why do we keep them bogged down with the cartoon physics of the 18th or 19th century? The Western Kentucky University physics program now starts with Introductory Modern Physics, where atoms, quantum effects, and relativity are introduced without calculus. Juniors and seniors complete their required electives with fully developed lab courses dealing with astrophysics, materials science, nuclear, and/or multidisciplinary science for this millennium's Homeland Security.

  • • Why Sir Isaac Newton was Sitting Under the Apple Tree…

    • GI14
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
    • by Mikhail Agrest,
    • Type: Poster
    • When Sir Isaac Newton was sitting under the apple tree thinking about the Universe an apple fell on his head and he invented the first Newton's law… Was it Newton's acceptance of Rene Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum" ? Why in the world Sir Isaac Newton was still sitting under the apple tree thinking about the Universe instead of doing something useful to feed his family. Wasn't Newton himself giving credit for his first law to Galileo for seeing that the zero net force leads to rest, or uniform motion? It is essential that in teaching physics we bring to the students' attention that Newton's approach brought physics to the level of understanding of similarity of events that look very different and differences of events looking very much similar. Sir Isaac Newton didn't "invent calculus to solve mathematical problems," but to make concepts of physics be visible through similarity and differences.

  • • Computationally Concretizing Thermal Physics for IPLS -- From Energy to Complexity

    • GI15
    • Wed 08/01, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

    • by Elon Langbeheim, Samuel Safran,, Edit Yerushalmi,

    • Type: Poster
    • Structural complexity is quintessential to biological systems that containmany interacting molecules (e.g., cell membranes, cytoskeleton). The derivation of analytical models that explain structure formation in biological systems requires mathematical treatments of entropy and internal energy which may be beyond the reach of introductory students. Monte-Carlo computational models are an alternative path for the analysis of such biological systems. A lattice-based Monte Carlo simulation samples the configurations of the system by starting from an arbitrary configuration, and then alters the location or orientation of each component (e.g., lipid molecule) using random steps. Each step can then change the potential energy of interaction through the variation of the separation of a given component and its neighbors. The Boltzmann factor is used to calculate the acceptance probability of each step, based on the change in potential energy. We will demonstrate how students use this method for modeling processes in complex biological systems.

• Physics Education Research

  • • Visual Representations of Classroom Activity: What Captures the Essence?

    • PST1C38
    • Sun 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Adrienne Traxler, Eric Brewe,, Kelley Commeford,

    • Type: Poster
    • Decades of evidence about science education show that a strict lecture format--or any other primarily transmissionist teaching style--is an ineffective way to learn. Researchers must now develop new vocabulary to move beyond simple dichotomies such as "lecture vs. active" and to describe the diversity of teaching practice. As an early step in this effort, we present observation data from the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) gathered in a class using Tutorials in Introductory Physics. We contrast several representations of this data drawn from the literature, each of which highlights and obscures different features of classroom events. This work is part of a larger project to characterize several prominent active learning curricula in physics, build standardized profiles of their classroom activity, and connect these profiles to the student social network structures that emerge.

  • • Motivational Characteristics of Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Minority Students in Introductory Physics Courses

    • PST1C01
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Zeynep Kalender, Emily Marshman,, Timothy Nokes-Malach,, Christian Schunn,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Many hypotheses have been put forth to explain the under-representation and under-performance of historically marginalized racial and ethnic minority students in physics. While much research has focused on the relations between prior knowledge and performance, less work has examined the potential interactive role of student motivation. In particular, expectancy value theory posits that students' beliefs about their expectations for success (e.g., self-efficacy) and the value they associate with an academic task (e.g., intrinsic interest) influence their persistence and performance. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal analysis of students' motivational characteristics in introductory physics courses by administering surveys at three points during the year. White, Asian, and underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students' self-efficacy and interest in physics are reported, and implications for instruction are discussed.We thank NSF for the support.

  • • PIE-C: Physicists Interviewing Engineers about Computation

    • PST1C03
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Thomas Finzell, Sameer Barretto,

    • Type: Poster
    • Computational problem solving has become a fundamental pillar across all STEM fields; it is now virtually impossible to work in research and/or design without using some form of computation. Despite the ubiquity of computation, there is a great deal of variance in how computers are used to solve problems in the different STEM fields. As part of a broader campaign to integrate computation into a large "physics for engineers" lecture course, we interviewed faculty from both physics and (several) engineering departments, to get a better understanding of their views on computation, both professionally and in the classroom. We present results from these interviews, which shed light on the differences in computational philosophies among professionals in different STEM fields. This data can be used to help inform how computation in "physics for engineers" courses can be better aligned with engineering practices.

  • • Retention of Knowledge Gained in Introductory Physics

    • PST1C05
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Michael Orleski,
    • Type: Poster
    • Standardized concept inventories given as pre-tests and post-tests are a common way to measure knowledge gains by students in courses. Students participating in this study were given the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) a third time approximately one semester after their first-semester introductory physics course ended in an attempt to gauge longer-term retention of content knowledge. The normalized gain scores calculated using pre-test and post-test scores are compared to normalized gain scores calculated using the pre-test and the third attempt. At Misericordia University there are two distinct populations who take algebra-based introductory physics. Occupational Therapy students used for this study experienced an integrated, investigative curriculum called LEAP while Pre-Doctor of Physical Therapy students used a traditional curriculum with lecture and a separate lab. The study attempts to determine if there is a difference in retention between these two different teaching styles.

  • • Student Attitudes in Introductory Physics: Quantitative Trends Across Courses

    • PST1C09
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Robin Gordon,* Whitney Faries,, Benjamin Dreyfus,

    • Type: Poster
    • Student attitudes and beliefs toward physics can be influenced by a variety of factors. How a student feels towards physics can contribute to their success and understanding of the course. We present quantitative data from the first and second semester of both algebra-based and calculus-based physics courses. Students in these classes took the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) at the beginning and end of the course. We analyze relationships between CLASS results and (1) course grades, (2) concept inventory scores, (3) course type and (4) student major, and contextualize these results within larger datasets from LASSO (Learning About STEM Student Outcomes). This analysis sheds light on the ways that different populations of physics students may experience a different impact from the course.

  • • Student Objections to and Understanding of Non-Cartesian Unit Vector Notation in Upper-Level E&M

    • PST1C11
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Brant Hinrichs,
    • Type: Poster
    • The upper-level E&M course involves extensive integration of vector calculus concepts and notation with abstract physics concepts like field and potential. Students take what they learned in math and apply it to help represent and make sense of the physics. Previous work showed that physics majors at different levels (pre- and post- E&M course, 1st year graduate students) had great difficulty using non-Cartesian unit vector symbols appropriately in a particular context. Since then we have developed a series of problems students work on in groups and discuss as a whole class to help them confront and resolve some of their difficulties. This poster presents those problems, typical in-class group responses, and three years of post-test data. Results show that students have (i) a very strong initial negative reaction to the vagueness of the r-hat symbol, and (ii) an improved functional understanding of the notation as demonstrated by a better ability to use the symbols correctly.

  • • Student Questions in Science, "Scientific" Methods, and Self-Determination Theory

    • PST1C13
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Jim Tisel,
    • Type: Poster
    • What questions do fifth-grade students pose when they undertake relativelyunstructured investigations? What patterns exist in these questions? The presenter did a within-case and cross-case analysis of 351 written and oral questions that were generated by 24 students during one 40-minute period of student investigation of pendulum motion. A framework of analysis that used the Self-Determination (Deci and Ryan, 1981) categories of autonomy, competence, and relatedness proved to be effective in understanding the motivation behind the questions and the role they played in the investigations. Key similarities and differences between the approaches used by students and the Lawson (2003) hypothetico-predictive model of science were identified. The results of this study will help educators to effectively plan inquiry instruction for students.

  • • Students' Reasoning Paths Through the Lens of Dual Process Theories*

    • PST1C15
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Brianna Santangelo, Mila Kryjevskaia

    • Type: Poster
    • When faced with unfamiliar situations, students are more likely to rely onintuitive reasoning rather than formal knowledge and skills developed during instruction. In order to pinpoint specific factors and instructional circumstances that lead to productive and unproductive reasoning strategies, we have been developing sequences of questions that allow for the disentanglement of student conceptual understanding, reasoning, and intuition. We used these sequences in introductory algebra-based and calculus-based Mechanics courses at a large research university. The Dual Process Theories (DPT) of reasoning are used to interpret students' responses. Written answers, explanations, and self-reflections (viewed through the lens of DPT) reveal student approaches to reasoning: reliance on intuition, development of heuristics, use of confirmation bias, and other reasoning decisions that lead to the final answer. *This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DUE-1431857, DUE-1431541, DUE-1431940, DUE-1432052, DUE-1432765.

  • • Supporting Teaching Autonomy in the New Faculty Workshop

    • PST1C17
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Stephanie Chasteen, Rajendra Chattergoon,

    • Type: Poster
    • Over the past 10 years, the use of active learning in physics classrooms has become more mainstream. We have noticed a possible effect of this change in our disciplinary culture through the evaluation of the New Physics and Astronomy Faculty Workshop (NFW)1, in that many faculty come to the workshop already highly interested and motivated in using active learning. We have also observed complaints from some faculty participants who feel overly "persuaded" of the utility of active learning during the course of the workshop. We interpret these results within a framework of participant autonomy: To feel intrinsically motivated, participants must feel in control of their own teaching decisions and persuasion can be seen as not autonomy-supporting. We will highlight results from the past 3 years of NFW evaluation, including participant characteristics, outcomes, and feedback, and how changes in the NFW program have better supported participant autonomy.

  • • Surviving STEM: Pathways to Getting a STEM Degree

    • PST1C19
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Steven Wolf, Ryan Mezera,, Sarit Johnson,, Kevin White,

    • Type: Poster
    • There have been multiple national calls to create more STEM majors (e.g., PCAST 2014). In order to achieve this goal, STEM faculty need to understand what draws students to our discipline, and what can push them away from it. There are many factors that contribute to successfully obtaining a four-year college degree. A survival analysis will model the time to an event, in this case either dropping out or graduation. Kaplan Meier, Nelson Aalen, and Cox proportional hazard models will be used to develop survival, lifetime distribution, and hazard functions to see how different factors contribute to students progress in pursuit of STEM degrees at ECU over a four year period. Determining factors that have a high-event density will help to identify groups most at risk in order to promote retention.

  • • The Effect of Giving Explicit Incentives to Correct Mistakes on Subsequent Problem Solving in Quantum Mechanics*

    • PST1C21
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by chandralekha Singh, Ben Brown,

    • Type: Poster
    • One attribute of experts is that they learn readily from their own mistakes. Physics experts are unlikely to make the same mistakes when asked to solve a problem a second time, especially if they have had access to a correct solution. Here, we discuss a study spanning several years in which advanced undergraduate physics students in a quantum mechanics course were given the same four problems in both the midterm exam and final exam. Approximately half of the students were given incentives to correct their mistakes in the midterm exam and they could get back up to 50% of the points lost on each midterm exam problem. The solutions to the midterm exam problems were provided to all students but those who corrected their mistakes were provided the solution after they submitted their corrections to the instructor. The performance on the final exam on the same problems suggests that students who were given incentives to correct their mistakes significantly outperformed those who were not given an incentive. The incentive to correct the mistakes on the midterm exam had the greatest impact on the final exam performance of students who performed poorly on the midterm exam.

  • • The Nature of Teacher Talk in Faculty Online Learning Communities

    • PST1C23
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Alexandra Lau, Melissa Dancy,, Charles Henderson,, Andy Rundquist,

    • Type: Poster
    • The New Faculty Workshop Faculty Online Learning Community (NFW-FOLC) supports approximately 10 NFW participants in the year following their participation in the workshop. Members of the NFW-FOLC meet biweekly via a video conferencing platform to hear from experienced practitioners of various teaching techniques as well as to discuss their teaching with their peers. During some meetings, participants have an extended period of time to share a "State of the Classroom" update with their cohort and gather feedback on challenges they are encountering. One of the main goals of the NFW-FOLCs is to promote sustained and high-quality implementation of Research Based Instructional Strategies. It is thus important for us to know how FOLC cohort members are talking about their teaching and responding to each other's talk. In this poster we report on our analysis of the quality and characteristics of "State of the Classroom" updates from a selection of NFW-FOLC members.

  • • Transforming to Three-Dimensional Learning Across Institutions

    • PST1C25
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Lydia Bender, James Laverty,

    • Type: Poster
    • There have been many attempts to transform physics courses in sustainable ways, but little research on how to effectively make change. Three-dimensional learning (3DL) is currently being implemented in several college classrooms with varying levels of success. This suggests that the different environments and cultures have an effect on the implementation and sustainability of 3DL. We are working to understand the barriers that hinder the transformation to 3DL-courses. This research is centered on members of a faculty learning community that investigates and discusses implementing 3DL in their classrooms. The purpose of this work is to determine what factors encourage and discourage faculty from adopting 3DL frameworks, and how adopting this framework changes student outcomes across institutions. Identifying these factors will help us understand how cultures and classrooms can be efficiently transformed to 3DL.

  • • Truly Representative Samples for Conceptual Evaluation Instrument (CFI) Development

    • PST1C27
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Rebecca Lindell, Dawn Meredith,, James Vasenka,, Daniel Young,

    • Type: Poster
    • While developing the methodology to create the Fluid Motions Conceptual Evaluation Instrument (FMCIE) for use with the introductory physics for life science (IPLS) courses, we realized that to produce a reliable, valid, and fair conceptual evaluation instrument, we needed a truly representative sample of students from IPLS courses throughout the country at both private and state schools. We needed a sample that represented the variety of different students taking such a course, as well as where they took the course. In this poster, we will outline the methods utilized to create this representative sample to ensure representation of the different populations who take IPLS across the country.

  • • Undergraduates Learning of Basic Physics Curriculums and Influence Factors Correlation

    • PST1C29
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Shihong Ma, Chenlu Shen,

    • Type: Poster
    • This paper tracks the performance of freshmen in the process of undergraduate basic physics course, including a pretest of physical concepts at the beginning of the first semester and periodical tests to continuously examine students' level of curriculum knowledge and teaching gains. The test results reflect gender differences and regional characteristics. We analyze the correlation of influence factors on learning of content knowledge. Detailed research on regional characteristics of students is conducted through comparing senior high school textbooks and syllabus from different areas, especially focus on the analysis of course content differences among Shanghai, Zhejiang and Shandong, as well as the corresponding test results and gains of undergraduate students from the three provinces. The result comes out that freshmen's periodical test score is positively related to their background of content knowledge to some extent, however, it shows no significant relevance with subsequent physics learning gains.

  • • Unique Assessments in the BLiSS Physics Course for Life Sciences

    • PST1C31
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Vashti Sawtelle, Kathleen Hinko,

    • Type: Poster
    • Creating a physics course by blending elements of research-based transformations requires a strategic approach to assessment. At Michigan State University we have developed an introductory physics sequence for life science students with goals of connecting the disciplines of physics, biology, and chemistry and building positive relationships with physics. To achieve these goals, we employ a Modeling Instruction physics curriculum in a studio-style classroom format, and we incorporate both computational simulations and experimental data analysis of complex biological phenomena. The unique learning environment created by the blending of these curricular, structural, social, and physical elements necessitates that we consider our assessment of students very carefully. In this poster we present on our overall approach to assessment in this course and how it aligns with our learning goals and course activities. We also describe several modifications to typical assessments in transformed classrooms, including video lab reports and Twitter whiteboard meetings.

  • • Using Grounded Cognition to Improve Physics Diagrams

    • PST1C33
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Amber Sammons, Jacob Cermak,, Raymond Zich,, Rebecca Rosenblatt,

    • Type: Poster
    • Diagrams are ubiquitous in STEM. These diagrams vary from problem solving tools (like force diagrams) to ways to visualize concepts (like fields) or understand the math (like graphs). While a fair amount of research has been done on student difficulties with these diagrams, only a small amount of research has been done on ways to improve these diagrams. In this study, we used grounded cognition theory to explore modifications to physics diagrams so that students naturally perceive the correct physical concepts when viewing the diagrams. Specifically, we investigated how color variations to motion maps affected student ability to rank velocity and acceleration at different times and what illustrations of pipe fluid dynamics can best improve student understanding of the Venturi effect, i.e. the pressure and speed relationship. Findings indicate that these modified images are not easier as pre-test items but yield better student learning when paired with feedback.

  • • Variations in Conversational Routines Across Two Faculty Communities

    • PST1C35
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Adriana Corrales,* Chandra Turpen,, Fred Goldberg,, Meghan Clemons,, Edward Price,

    • Type: Poster
    • Across educator professional development efforts, there is significant momentum around building professional learning communities. More research however is needed on how the design and emergent norms of such communities enable or constrain particular learning opportunities for educators. In this presentation, we share a comparative analysis of the conversations unfolding in two distinct faculty communities (associated with the Next Generation Physical Science and Everyday Thinking Faculty Online Learning Community project [1]). We choose to focus on moments in their online conversations when seemingly similar issues or topics arise (e.g. concerns about pacing). By comparing these moments, we demonstrate important differences in how the instructional problem is posed and in the conversational routines across these two groups. We illustrate how these differences open up and close off opportunities to learn [2].

  • • Views about Experimental Physics in a Large Introductory Laboratory Course

    • PST1C37
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Benjamin Pollard, H. Lewandowski,

    • Type: Poster
    • Laboratory courses are key components of most undergraduate physics programs. In addition to reinforcing physics concepts, these courses often aim to achieve some or all of the following learning outcomes: developing students' experimental skills, engaging students in authentic scientific practices, and inspiring students' interest and engagement in physics. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS) is a research-based assessment that measures students' views about strategies, habits of mind, and attitudes when doing experiments in lab classes. During a complete transformation process of the large introductory laboratory course at the University of Colorado Boulder, we collected over 600 student responses per semester to the E-CLASS survey both before and after implementing the course transformation. We report on changes in E-CLASS responses before and after instruction from both the traditional and the transformed course.

  • • Visualizing Changes in Conceptual Understanding Through Patterns in CSEM Responses

    • PST1C39
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Ryan Tapping, G. Peter Lepage,, Tomás Arias,, N. Holmes,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) has been utilized to measure learning gains in electricity and magnetism (EM) physics courses, where students' overall scores on the CSEM are typically used for analysis. However, such comparisons do not identify particular content or concepts that are learned or misunderstood by students from the course. To address this issue, we have generated network-like graphs for each question, where responses at pre-test and post-test are represented by nodes connected with edges to display how student answers changed before and after instruction. We will present preliminary data from CSEM responses from over 1600 students in Cornell University's introductory EM physics courses across five years (10 semesters) of both traditional and active learning classrooms. We visualize and quantify patterns in responses showing how specific concepts are understood and applied by students, and what potential misconceptions may be prevalent even after instruction.

  • • What Counts in Laboratories: Developing a Practice-based Identity Survey

    • PST1C41
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Kelsey Funkhouser, Marcos Caballero., Paul Irving,, Vashti Sawtelle,

    • Type: Poster
    • An essential step in the process of developing a physics identity is the opportunity to engage in authentic physics practices. Physics laboratory courses are generally structured as a place for students to gain experience with physics practices. This makes laboratory courses an ideal place to look at the impact these authentic science practices have on students' physics identity. As part of the development of a practice-based identity survey, we have interviewed students in a variety of physics lab classes, from intro algebra based to advanced lab, to gain insight into their interpretations of different commonly discussed practices. To ground our survey in students' experiences, we have asked questions about what these practices mean to the students. We present our findings on how students interpret these practices and situate themselves with respect to the practices as an indicator of their physics identity.

  • • Who Declares a Physics Major? – A Study of Physics Pathways

    • PST1C43
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Cabot Zabriskie, John Stewart,

    • Type: Poster
    • Most physics programs graduate very few students annually and improving these numbers is critical to both meeting societal needs for physics degree holders as well as for the long-term survival of physics departments. Understanding the pathways into, through, and out of a physics major is a necessary step toward improving retention of physics students to graduation. In this study, we investigate the demographic makeup of students at West Virginia University who have declared a physics major at any point in the past 15 years. In our analysis a number of distinct pathways are identified leading to multiple outcomes ranging from successful completion of a degree in physics to attrition out of the university. Categorization of these pathways and the properties of students who take each path can be used to adapt the physics program to the needs of students with different academic backgrounds and identify areas of program weakness.

  • • Writing in Physics as a Mediator for Conceptual Change

    • PST1C45
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Antoinette Stone,
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster reports the essay analysis of a targeted writing assignment, designed to examine how well physics students developed a more complex conceptual framework regarding models of friction and to the extent the task mediated critical thinking to achieve that framework. The assignment directed students to write an essay that examined the results of other student's misconceptions about friction, by reading research articles that reported classroom dynamics involving these students and their misconceptions. This study linguistically examines sentence structure and use of lexicon, to evaluate learning as modeled by conceptual change through negotiation of conceptual conflict and misconception.

  • • Adaptation-validation Inventory of Metacognitive Skills with Adolescents who Study Physics

    • PST1C47
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Oscar Jardey Suarez, Luz Divia Rico Suarez

    • Type: Poster
    • The main point of this article is to socialize the result of the adaptation and validation of the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) to be used with adolescents who are studying physics in Middle School (High School) in Bogotá-Colombia. The MAI, initially proposed by Schraw & Denninson for youth and adults, is composed of two Supercategories: Knowledge of Cognition (Declarative Knowledge, Procedural Knowledge and Conditional Knowledge) and Regulation of Cognition (Planning, Organization, Monitoring, Debugging and Evaluation) ; another Super Category called affective (Anxiety) has been added. The expanded context of the MAI was focused on the area of physics, each item took its domain on a Likert scale between 1 and 7 and validation of statistical order was compared with the results of Huertas, Vesga & Galindo finding comparable values in the different super categories as well as their components, obtaining a total alpha of 0,941.

  • • Archimedes Principle After 2268 Years

    • PST1C49
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Ajay Sharma,
    • Type: Poster
    • Although Archimedes principle is confirmed, yet its qualitative applications in rising, falling and floating bodies in natural state ( when no other forces than buoyancy and gravity act) are painstakingly analyzed. Here equations involve only densities of body and medium; and compared. Other factors like shape of body, viscosity of medium, magnitude of medium and body, surface tension etc. are neglected. In theoretical derivation of principle (u=VDg), body is regarded as symmetric, there is no role of above factors. Under one feasible condition (when density of sheath , medium filled in floating artifact is equal to density of medium in which it floats) , then volume of medium filled in artifact becomes indeterminate, from principle. If principle is generalized, i.e. upthrust is proportional to weight of fluid displaced, U=C VDg ), then exact results are obtained. 'C' also accounts for elusive factors and can be confirmed in precise experiments.

  • • Assessing Students in Planning Investigation

    • PST1C51
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Hien Khong, James Larverty,

    • Type: Poster
    • Assessing students' learning plays an important role in education. The "Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol" (3D-LAP) has been introduced as a way to support the development of assessment tasks in physics that assess both the process and concepts of physics. Engaging students in planning investigations is an important practice in the process of physics that we need to assess. In order to figure out how to assess this scientific practice, we first identified the steps that go into planning investigations in physics. From this, we have identified the products that are observable in written assessments that could be used as evidence that students are able to plan investigations. We are using these observable products to design physics assessment tasks that align with the practice. This research will inform the development of new assessments focused on how well students can do physics, not just what they know about physics.

  • • Assessment of Hybrid Flipped Classroom Teaching

    • PST1C53
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Steven Wild, Heather Yu,

    • Type: Poster
    • Many instructors have adopted flipped classroom teaching to some extent. We have implemented in our introductory physics courses a hybrid flipped-lecture approach. Students in our class are required to watch videos for selected topics and complete an online quiz before coming to each class. Class periods consist of mini-lectures, which then provide students more time for questions and discussion. To assess the effectiveness of our hybrid flipped classroom teaching, we first compared the percentages of correct answers for questions with and without flipped teaching. Second, we track student responses to some similar questions at various points in a semester. Our findings about the effectiveness of flipped classroom teaching in preparing students for class discussions and in improving learning skills as well as retaining knowledge are presented.

  • • Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Learning in Several Introductory Physics Tracks

    • PST1C55
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by James Wu, Catherine Crouch,, Benjamin Geller,

    • Type: Poster
    • We examine survey data on student attitudes, self-efficacy, demographics, and learning in Swarthmore's three different introductory physics tracks (for life science students, engineers, and prospective majors). We report how these variables relate to student learning in these different contexts, with a particular focus on seeking beginning-of-semester information that might help identify students who are likely to struggle, and whether that information suggests any possible interventions. We also examine which students demonstrate improvements in attitudes and self-efficacy, and which stay the same or decline.

  • • Coulomb's Law: Not a One-on-One Game to Students

    • PST1C57
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by David Maloney,
    • Type: Poster
    • We investigated students thinking about the interaction of two positively charged objects when other charges or objects were introduced between them. We constructed a sequence of five tasks where a variety of spherical shells were placed around one of the two charged objects. The students were asked to compare each variation to the base case on the push one of the positively charged objects exerted on the other. We pre-tested and post-tested students in an algebra-based college general physics course and found that the majority of the students think the interaction between two charges changes when external objects are around. We found clear patterns in the way students thought about the different variations. And we were able to identify several common mechanisms the students think are responsible for the changes. Instruction was found to produce only a moderate change in students' thinking.

  • • Network Analysis of Language Used in Quantum Mechanics.

    • PST1C02
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Christopher Oakley,
    • Type: Poster
    • Students and faculty at a large research university were interviewed abouttheir expectations of an undergraduate quantum mechanics course. interview questions focused on preparatory content and content to be covered in the course. Network analysis methodologies have been applied to the interview responses to identify words commonly used together for faculty and student responses. From the quantitative data, we look for common themes in expected preparation and course content.

  • • Researching Experiences in a Cohort Program to Influence Transfer Self-Efficacy

    • PST1C04
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Laura Wood, Angela Little,, Vashti Sawtelle,

    • Type: Poster
    • There remains a great deal of research to do on improving the transfer experience for students transitioning from two-year colleges to four-year colleges. In this presentation we will describe data collected from interviewing current students at Michigan State University who are members of a cohort program that will be adapted for transfer students to join starting fall 2018. This cohort program is designed to give first-year students – intending to major in the natural sciences, and from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds – support in academics, research experiences, and the social experience of integrating into the university. The interview protocol elicited discussion of these students' self-efficacy to complete their science degrees, navigate the academic requirements, and continue in their chosen life paths, specifically drawing out mastery, vicarious learning, and social persuasion experiences. We will discuss how key elements of student experiences in the cohort program may support developing self-efficacy in the transfer process.

  • • Social Positioning and Consensus Building in "Board" Meetings With Disagreements

    • PST1C06
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Brant Hinrichs, David Brookes,, Jake Nass,

    • Type: Poster
    • This poster describes a whole-class whiteboard meeting and analyzes several examples from a college calculus-based introductory physics course and junior-level E&M course taught using modeling instruction. Classes were divided into 3-6 groups of 2-4 students each. Each group created a solution to the same problem on a 2'x 3' whiteboard. The groups then formed a large circle in the center of the classroom with their whiteboards resting against their knees facing in to the rest of the group. The instructor was outside the circle and interjected rarely. Examples are given of conversations where students did and did not overcome sharp disagreements to eventually reach whole-class consensus. We examine how social positioning contributed to students either successfully examining and resolving different ideas or failing to do so. We test the hypothesis that students who "hedged" their statements seemed to "open up" the space for discussion, while those who were more direct seemed to "close" it down.

  • • Student Attitudes in Introductory Physics: How Students Experience Physics Courses

    • PST1C08
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Whitney Faries,* Robin Gordon,, Benjamin Dreyfus,

    • Type: Poster
    • Quantitative instruments such as the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) are one tool to assess student views about physics, but the interaction between course environments and student responses can be complex. We look at two different sets of classes – algebra-based and calculus-based introductory physics – and examine the changes in student attitudes about physics, commitment to physics, and interest in the subject over the two-semester sequence. The survey data (obtained at different points during the year) are supplemented by focus groups and individual interviews with students to examine the elements of the instructional environment that have impacts on students' attitudes.

  • • Student Attitudes on Group Exams in STEM Courses

    • PST1C10
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Steven Wolf, Erik Carr,, Timothy Sault,

    • Type: Poster
    • Administering group examinations is a teaching technique that has been gaining traction in recent years, and many faculty implement and assess group exams in different ways. It is not well-understood how students react to each of these faculty choices. Moreover, we want to uncover how students believe group exams affect them, aside from receiving a better grade. To accomplish this we have developed a semi-structured interview protocol, and are interviewing students who have taken group exams with different STEM faculty. We will present preliminary findings from these interviews.

  • • Student Outcomes Across Collaborative-Learning Environments

    • PST1C12
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Xochith Herrera, Jayson Nissen,, Benjamin Dusen,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Learning Assistant (LA) model supports instructors in implementing research-based teaching practices in their own courses. In the LA model undergraduate students are hired to help facilitate collaborative learning activities. Most of these activities have research supporting their efficacy. We investigated if the use of LAs is associated with improved student outcomes beyond the improvement caused by the introduction of these collaborative-learning activities. Using the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) database, we examined student learning from 112 first-semester physics courses that used either lecture-based, collaborative learning without LAs, or LA-supported instruction. We measured student learning using responses from 5,959 students on the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) or Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Results from Hierarchical Linear Models (HLM) indicated that LA-supported courses had higher posttest scores than collaborative courses without LAs and that LA-supported courses that used LAs in laboratory and recitation had higher posttest scores than those that used LAs in lecture.

  • • Students' Attention Patterns in Solving Synthesis Physics Problems*

    • PST1C14
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Bashirah Ibrahim, Lin Ding,

    • Type: Poster
    • Synthesis problems are tasks comprising two or more distinct concepts thatare typically from different chapters and are separated in the teaching timeline. We use eye tracker to explore freshmen physics students' attention patterns when they solve sequential and simultaneous synthesis tasks. Sequential problems require successive applications of multiple concepts, while simultaneous problems involve concurrent applications of different concepts. We found that regardless of the type of synthesis problems, the students spent more time reading the text (50%-90% of fixation time) than reading diagrams. Between the two synthesis types, the students allocated more attention to the diagrams in sequential problems (29%--79% of the fixation time) than to those of simultaneous problems (1%--19%). Further, the students tended to focus more on aspects of the diagrams requiring interpretation and derivation of information for the sequential tasks as opposed to the simultaneous ones. *This work is partially sponsored by NSF and OSU EHE/ACH Seed Grant.

  • • Students' Use of Mathematics While Working on Physics Assessments

    • PST1C16
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Amali Priyanka Jambuge, James Laverty,

    • Type: Poster
    • Exams and homework are the most common ways of assessing students' knowledge. These assessments often focus only on assessing physics concepts. With the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there is growing interest in assessing not just what students know, but what students can do with their knowledge. The Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP) is a tool developed to help people design college assessment tasks that align with NGSS. The purpose of this study is to investigate how well such tasks can assess students' abilities with the scientific practice "using mathematics". We developed an exam with questions based on the 3D-LAP and the exams were given to students in an interview setting using a think-aloud protocol. This poster will focus on some interesting aspects of students' responses to the questions. This work will inform the development of future college level physics assessments.

  • • Supporting Undergraduate Physics Students who are the Guardians of a Minor

    • PST1C18
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Rose Young,
    • Type: Poster
    • Parents or guardians who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in physics have many barrier to their success. In this poster, I explore the possibility of extending the standard notions of student support systems to include classroom practices which have enabled undergraduate students to succeed and thrive while pursuing their degree. I ask: Can physics departments be supportive of students with dependent children, and if so, how? By studying students who have/ are thriving in physics, engineering, math and computer science undergraduate degree programs around the United States, the author examines strategies that administrators and faculty use to make their departments supportive and inclusive for student parents. The poster describes the non-traditional challenges physics undergraduates who are the guardians of minors can face, as well as the support systems that may be created, and policies and practices that ensure their success.

  • • Teaching about Racial Equity in Physics Classrooms

    • PST1C20
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Elizabeth Schoene, Abigail Daane,, Sierra Decker,, Vashti Sawtelle,

    • Type: Poster
    • It may seem daunting to broach the subject of racial inequity in a physicsclassroom. After all, the idea of a (often White) instructor in power tackling a sensitive topic such as social justice can be scary in any classroom. That physics is typically viewed as a "culture with no culture" compounds the issue. However, ignoring the striking underrepresentation of ethnic/racial minorities and women in the physics classroom and the field at large is a great disservice to all our students. We take the position that the persistence of representation disparities in physics is evidence that culture plays a role in who and what is involved. Instructors have an opportunity to explicitly address the absence of equitable circumstances and highlight the obstacles that contribute to the disparity. We describe a pathway for integrating an equity unit into a college physics classroom and share some students' reflections about their experiences.

  • • Transforming Modeling Instruction in a Large Classroom Environment

    • PST1C24
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Idaykis Rodriguez, Geoff Potvin,, Laird Kramer,

    • Type: Poster
    • In the past four years, FIU has expanding its offering of modeling instruction (MI) for introductory physics from a 30-student classroom to one that accommodates up to 100 students using multiple teaching resources and implementing several structural changes. MI is a studio-based, active learning curriculum that is derived from social constructivist theories of learning. This expanded classroom has been found to consistently support student learning with strong conceptual learning gains across at least four different instructors. In this talk, we discuss the development of the larger classroom offering, including the strategic use of LAs, the coordination of multiple discussion circles, preparatory meetings with an instructional team spanning multiple sections, and detailed curricular modifications that supported the expansion of MI.

  • • Triads, Transitivity, and Group Formation in Student Networks

    • PST1C26
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Timothy Sault, Hunter Close,, Steven Wolf,

    • Type: Poster
    • Actor level social network measures give information that is useful for analyzing the members of a network as well as attributes of their interactions. However, to understand the development of the network as a whole as well as the formation of group collaboration, a different kind of measure is required. Ironically, to understand the macroscopic interactions of a network, one only needs to examine three people at a time. When a single person forms a strong bond with two people, it is likely that these two people will also form a bond with each other. This 'friend of my friend is my friend' concept is called transitivity, and it is intimately linked to group formation. Triads can also show us the formation of status levels within a network through structural hierarchy. We will examine the development of structural hierarchy and transitivity over the course of a semester in the context of group physics exam student networks.

  • • Undergraduate Students' Conceptual Understanding of Eclipses

    • PST1C28
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Craig Wiegert, Matthew Parker,

    • Type: Poster
    • Research literature on conceptual understanding of the mechanisms of solarand lunar eclipses, and more generally lunar phases, has tended to focus on middle-school and high-school student populations. Taking advantage of the excitement surrounding the Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017, we surveyed undergraduate STEM and non-STEM majors on their conceptual understanding of eclipses. We report on the results of this survey and its implications for undergraduate general science education.

  • • Understanding Model Revision as Changes in Mechanistic Reasoning about Systems*

    • PST1C30
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Michael Wittmann, Lauren Barth-Cohen,

    • Type: Poster
    • Recent science teaching standards have highlighted the role of model revision as a scientific practice and there is common agreement that models should incorporate scientific mechanisms. Yet, there is little agreement in the literature about what model revision entails and how to scaffold students' model revision. Model revision happens at different time scales, different grain sizes, and in many different ways. We propose the use of a framework that looks at the role of mechanistic reasoning in the models being revised. We present four episodes from a ninth grade classroom activity using Energy Theater to model the roughly steady state temperature of the Earth. We look at the entities, actions, and other elements of the model, and show that the ways in which they change are consistent with Russ's framework of mechanistic reasoning.

  • • Using Machine Learning to Predict Integrating Computation into Physics Courses

    • PST1C34
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Nicholas Young, Marcos Caballero,

    • Type: Poster
    • Computation is a central aspect of 21st century physics practice; it is used to model complicated systems, to simulate impossible experiments, and to analyze mountains of data. Physics departments and their faculty are increasingly recognizing the importance of teaching computation to their students. We recently completed a national survey of faculty in physics departments to understand the state of computational instruction and the factors that underlie that instruction. The data collected from the 1257 faculty responding to the survey included a variety of scales, binary questions, and numerical responses. We then used supervised learning to explore the factors that are most predictive of whether a faculty member decides to include computation in their physics courses. We find that personal, attitudinal, and departmental factors vary in usefulness for predicting whether faculty include computation in their courses. We will present the least and most predictive personal, attitudinal, and departmental factors.

  • • Vectors in Math and Physics Courses: An Instructional Gap

    • PST1C36
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Brian Farlow, Chaelee Dalton,, Warren Christensen,

    • Type: Poster
    • A research collaboration seeking to develop a research-based curriculum for a math methods course has found that upper-division physics students struggle with some vector concepts in non-Cartesian coordinate systems. The findings indicated a need to further explore what students are being taught about vectors and coordinate systems before they take courses such as intermediate mechanics and electromagnetism. An analysis of textbooks commonly used in Calculus III courses shows an overwhelming emphasis on Cartesian coordinates and mostly surface-level instruction, if any at all, about non-Cartesian coordinate systems (see Dalton et al). An analysis of commonly used textbooks in upper-division mechanics and E&M courses also reveals several gaps between how students learn about vectors and coordinate systems in math courses and how they are expected to use them in physics courses. We report on these gaps and discuss possible implications for instruction and curriculum design for physics courses.

  • • Weekly Online Quizzes Outperform Written Quizzes

    • PST1C40
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by David Pritchard, Byron Drury,, Sunbok Lee,, Chandra Singh,, Michelle Tomasik,

    • Type: Poster
    • Starting with standard concept inventories by Singh and others, we createdsingle topic online assessments taking ~½ hour by evening the coverage across subtopics, and including some questions requiring symbolic response. We administered these weekly along with ½ hour on-paper quizzes graded with partial credit in a remedial introductory mechanics course. Optimum reliability of the online quizzes occurred when weighting 1.0 (0.7) for first (subsequent) attempt correct. Both quiz averages correlated well with the traditional hand-graded long problems on the final exam (~0.8), and with the Mechanics Baseline Test online post-test (0.7) [1], but the online quizzes correlated much better with both the concept questions on the final exam and the Mechanics Reasoning Inventory [2]. We conclude that online quizzes are a better measure of overall student ability in mechanics, likely due to the combination of research-developed questions, selection of high discrimination questions, and absence of grading error.

  • • What Makes Instructional Development Teams Successful?

    • PST1C42
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Diana Sachmpazidi, Alice Olmstead,, Charles Henderson,, Andrea Beach,

    • Type: Poster
    • Team-based change efforts are a promising model for improving undergraduate STEM instruction. However, current literature on this topic is limited. To address this gap, we are investigating the characteristics of such teams. Our research focuses on understanding teamwork processes, which are closely tied to team outcomes. We will show our emerging framework that explains how structural and contextual factors influence team processes. This framework is based on interview data from project leaders and pilot data from team members for a subset of teams in our dataset. We will also explore team members' perspectives on, for example, how their team processes were established, the nature of their collaboration, and how conflicts that emerged during their work were resolved. We will show how these perspectives informed the initial framework developed primarily from interviews with project leaders. We will present recommendations for practitioners and researchers.

  • • Who Declares an Engineering Major – A Study of Engineering Pathways

    • PST1C44
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Seth DeVore, Cabot Zabriskie,, John Stewart,

    • Type: Poster
    • Engineering majors make up a large percentage of students moving through many introductory physics sequences. This being said, understanding the pathways that these students take to enter, exit, or maintain their path through engineering degree programs is an important step in increasing the number of STEM graduates generated. In this study, we examine 15 years worth of institutional data from one Eastern land-grant university to identify common pathways leading to successful degree completion, as well as departure from the engineering program. A better understanding of the commonalities of students on these pathways may lead to targeted interventions to prevent unnecessary departures from engineering programs.

  • • Academic Performance of on-Campus and Online Physics Students

    • PST1C46
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by John Long, Purna Poudel,

    • Type: Poster
    • Online education in science has increased dramatically in the past 15 years. In spite of this, there are still relatively few online university physics courses. For 20 years, Deakin University in Australia has delivered physics education to engineering students both online and on-campus, two simultaneous sections of the same course: SEP101, Engineering Physics. We present a statistical analysis of the students' academic performance over a 20-year period. We examine all the assessment associated with the course – assignments, lab, and the exam, for over 4000 on-campus and online students. Overall, as far as numerical grades are concerned, we found no statistically significant difference between the academic performance of on-campus and online students. Some significant differences were observed in individual years. This work shows that in an introductory university physics course, it is possible to teach both on-campus and online students, producing the same learning outcomes for both cohorts.

  • • Algebraic Signs in Introductory Kinematics: A Redundant Educational Issue?

    • PST1C48
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Moa Eriksson,
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster reports on a case study involving 82 students drawn from Sweden and South Africa regarding how students think about, and consequently use, plus and minus algebraic signs in introductory-level kinematics. The results indicate that coming to appropriately understand the use of these signs presents a significant learning challenge to many students. The results are presented in terms of four qualitatively different categories, which are used to suggest there is a need for a new set of tutorials, which could be used to effectively enhance the functional understanding of the use of plus and minus algebraic signs in kinematics.

  • • Assessable Learning Objectives: Collaborative Development, Implementation, and Evaluation

    • PST1C50
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Charles Ruggieri, Debbie Andres,, Eugenia Etkina,, Suzanne White Brahmia,

    • Type: Poster
    • Large enrollment physics courses for engineers at Rutgers include many components, with a team of faculty responsible for content. Course leaders change every few years and often modify materials based on their own experiences. To address this multifaceted and dynamic course administration environment, we initiated the Assessable Learning Objectives Project, which has helped inform the transformation of a large-enrollment calculus-based electricity and magnetism course. Faculty and PER researchers collaborated to construct learning objectives based on published goals from several sources. We analyzed course components (lecture, lab, workshop, quizzes, homework, and exams), determined in which components student engage with the desired objectives, and then coupled objectives with existing assessments to evaluate if the objectives are being met. In this poster, we address the learning objective development process, provide examples of assessable learning objectives, and discuss objectives that are not easily coupled with an assessment.

  • • Assessing the Effectiveness of Enhancement in Content and Pedagogy Made to an Algebra-based Physics Course

    • PST1C52
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Sithy Maharoof,
    • Type: Poster
    • There is an increasing need for teaching physics courses with the goal of helping students build multi-discipline scientific competencies. As part of fulfilling this need, a substantial amount of research has been done in 4-year institutions on transforming Introductory Physics for Life-Sciences (IPLS) courses to incorporate interdisciplinary content. However, there exists little to no information on the use of reformed IPLS courses in 2-year institutions. Hence my research focused on two 2-semester sequence of algebra-based physics courses at Carroll Community College. These courses serve students with life-science background and with a broad spectrum of career goals, such as physical therapy, sonography, nuclear medicine, MRI specialist, radiography, sports medicine, and pre-pharmacy. In this poster presentation, I will describe the designing, teaching, and assessing an IPLS model in the first of the two algebra-based physics courses described above, and I will share preliminary results from CLASS and FCI assessments along with several IPLS learning modules created as part of this project.

  • • Attitudes and Perceptions of Math Used in Physics-Intensive Careers

    • PST1C54
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Jessica Hathaway, Anne Leak,, Erik Reiter,, Kelly Martin,, Benjamin Zwickl,

    • Type: Poster
    • Students' perceptions and attitudes toward math have been linked to physics identity and persistence in STEM, particularly in K-20 education, yet attitudes of new employees in physics-intensive careers are less understood. We interviewed 25 new hires and managers to understand the attitudes and perceptions of mathematics done in physics workplaces. Using an emergent qualitative coding process and value coding we explored how employees valued math on the job, perceived the difficulty of math they used, and their confidence in their math abilities. Employees perceived the math they used as easy and were generally confident in doing math for their job, yet some perceptions reflected a fixed mindset toward learning math. These findings suggest that when math is embedded in a concrete physics context and is routinely used, learners may develop higher feelings of confidence and lower perceived difficulty than while learning mathematics in school.

  • • Beliefs and Performance: Male and Female Engineers in Introductory Physics

    • PST1C56
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Jennifer Blue, Amy Summerville,, Brian Kirkmeyer,

    • Type: Poster
    • As part of a larger study, we examined the effects of gender on performance and self-perception in a calculus-based physics course. This course is a prerequisite for our engineering majors and often proves to be a gatekeeper course for them. We surveyed students on their self-efficacy and their mindset, asked them about their exam scores, and then asked them about their affective and cognitive regret concerning their exams. Although self-reported exam scores were equivalent in each study, at times the beliefs of men and women differed. In Study 2, women had more of a growth mindset than men after the first exam. In both studies, men had higher self-efficacy at the start of the course, though the gap closed after the exams were returned in Study 2. And in Study 1, women reported more affective (but not cognitive) regret than men did.

• Physics Education Research II

  • • Building on Institutional Efforts: Results from the TRESTLE Project*

    • PST2C01
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Stephanie Chasteen,
    • Type: Poster
    • The University of Colorado Boulder has benefited from decades of programs aimed at STEM education improvements, including the Science Education Initiative (SEI; 2005-2014), initiated by Carl Wieman. The SEI provided funding and training for postdoctoral fellows to partner with faculty in STEM departments on course transformation. In 2015, seven institutions joined forces to apply the SEI model across a variety of institutional contexts, creating the Transforming Education, Stimulating Teaching and Learning Excellence (TRESTLE; http://trestlenetwork.org) network. At CU Boulder, the TRESTLE project has provided a mechanism for faculty involved in the former SEI to continue to engage in educational transformation, and to involve faculty newer to this work, through course transformation awards and faculty learning communities. In this poster I will share the approach used at CU Boulder, initial outcomes of the project, and implications for supporting sustained faculty engagement in educational improvements.

  • • Comparatives About Beginnings of the Teaching of Physics in Latin America

    • PST2C03
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Jhonny Alexis Medina Paredes, Mario Humberto Ramírez Díaz,

    • Type: Poster
    • In the Latin American region from colonial times with ecclesiastical institutions, especially the teaching of science in general and physics in particular has had great importance in the training of scientists and engineers. However, each country since its independence has given a particular importance to some physics themes in function of their national characteristics, an example is the minery in Colombia or wood in Chile. In this work we show a comparative between some Latin American countries (Argentina, Colombia, Chile and México) and their first efforts to introduce the physics in schools and develop a scientific culture around this discipline until the formation to the first physics schools in the region.

  • • Comparing Student Performance Across Closed-Response and Open-Response Assessments

    • PST2C05
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Cole Walsh, Katherine Quinn,, N.G. Holmes,

    • Type: Poster
    • Closed-response diagnostic assessments are often developed from open-response versions, where students' responses are used to generate the closed-response options. Similarities in student performance between the two versions are typically used as a measure of validity. The Physics Lab Inventory of Critical thinking (PLIC) was developed in the same way, using a "select multiple responses" closed-response assessment. This format reflects the fact that students and experts expressed multiple possible correct answers to many of the questions. A previous study on the Colorado Upper-division Electrostatics Diagnostic (CUE) reported no significant differences in student performance and completion time between an open-response version and a "select multiple responses" version of their assessment. However, in our analysis of the PLIC, we have found noticeable differences between the two versions. We'll discuss possible explanations for these differences in terms of the validity of the assessment and student thinking, as well as implications for efficient evaluation of students' critical thinking.

  • • Connecting Three Pivotal Concepts in K-12 Science State Standards and Maps of Conceptual Growth to Research in Physics Education*

    • PST2C07
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Chandralekha Singh, Christian Schunn,

    • Type: Poster
    • We describe three conceptual areas in physics that are particularly important targets for educational interventions in K-12 science. These conceptual areas are force and motion, conservation of energy, and waves which were prominent in the US national and four US state standards that we examined. The four U.S. state standards that were analyzed to explore the extent to which the K-12 science standards differ in different states were selected to include states in different geographic regions and of different sizes. The three conceptual areas that were common to all the four state standards are conceptual building blocks for other science concepts covered in the K-12 curriculum. Since these three areas have been found to be ripe with deep student conceptual difficulties that are resilient to conventional physics instruction, the nature of difficulties in these areas is described, along with pointers towards approaches that have met with some success in each conceptual area. *We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

  • • Culture and Ideology in How LAs "See" (In)equity in Student Groups*

    • PST2C09
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:00AM

    • by Hannah Sabo, Chandra Turpenbe,, Ayush Gupta, Jennifer Radoff,, Andrew Elby,

    • Type: Poster
    • Learning Assistant (LA) programs have emerged within PER as an effective model for curricular and cultural transformation in undergraduate learning environments. At UMD, adapting from the CU-Boulder model, we started an LA program with two novel and interlinked foci: (1) LAs all mentor teams of engineering students in a team-based first-year engineering design course, and (2) we scaffold the LAs in fostering equitable team dynamics and collaboration. In this poster, we analyze LAs' interpretations of teamwork troubles and instructional responses. We show that LAs' actions and responses more frequently embodied ideological assumptions foregrounding individual merit and responsibility, treating individuals as autonomous agents divorced from their settings, and significantly backgrounding relational dynamics and systems-based analysis of teamwork troubles. These assumptions reflect aspects of broader STEM culture. These observations help us identify gaps in the design of the pedagogy seminar that we hope to address in future iterations.

  • • Demonstration Recognition Among 9th-12th Grade Students: A Program Effectiveness Study

    • PST2C11
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Patrick Morgan,
    • Type: Poster
    • Since 2011, the Science Theatre program at Michigan State University (MSU)has been visiting schools in the Upper Peninsula during the MSU Spring Break. These schools are only visited once a year, and otherwise have little or none science outreach exposure. In 2017, a survey was conducted among 157 high school students at St. Ignace Senior High School to look for any form of demonstration recognition. The goal was to find evidence that these students, who have seen the program once each year, would be able to recognize and identify some of the demonstrations. What we found was a much greater level of recognition than anticipated, along with a recognition of terminology and topics discussed, suggesting that there is a form of learning. These results, as well as the 2018 follow-up survey, will be presented and discussed.

  • • Designing a Dashboard to Evaluate Student Engagement with PhET Simulations

    • PST2C13
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Diana Berenice López-Tavares, Sam Reid,, Katherine Perkins,, Carlos Aguirre-Velez,

    • Type: Poster
    • Do you assign PhET simulations for homework? Do you wonder how your students are engaging with the simulations outside of class? In this poster, we present prototypes of a new dashboard design that aims to provide teachers with useful information about the level of student engagement that their activities generate with PhET Interactive Simulations. We utilize PhET-iO simulations, which are enhanced with the ability to capture and record students' mouse activity as they interact with the simulation. The dashboard uses several approaches to visualize the students' mouse activity data, showing individual student interaction patterns with the simulation as well as the aggregated information of an entire group. We invite you to review and feedback on these dashboard designs with your ideas for improvements.

  • • Developing and Validating a Conceptual Survey to Assess Introductory Students' Understanding of Thermodynamics*

    • PST2C15
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Chandralekha Singh, Ben Brown,

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss the development and validation of a conceptual multiple-choice survey called the Survey of Thermodynamic Processes and First and Second Laws (STPFaSL) suitable for introductory physics courses. The survey was developed taking into account common student difficulties with these concepts and the incorrect answers to the multiple-choice questions were designed based on the common student difficulties. After the development and validation of the survey, the final version was administered at six different institutions and the performances of the same type of students, e.g., calculus-based introductory students, from different institutions are similar. In particular, the survey was administered to introductory physics students in various traditionally taught calculus-based and algebra-based classes in paper-pencil format before and after traditional lecture-based instruction in relevant concepts. We also administered the survey to upper-level undergraduates majoring in physics and PhD students for bench marking and content validity and compared their performance with those of introductory students for whom the survey is intended. We find that although the survey focuses on thermodynamics concepts covered in introductory courses, it is challenging even for advanced students. Findings will be presented. *We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

  • • Do I Belong Here?: Understanding Participation and non-Participation in a Contentious "Board" Meetings

    • PST2C17
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Jared Durden, Brant Hinrichs,

    • Type: Poster
    • In University Modeling Instruction, students work in small groups on a problem and then hold a large-group discussion to develop whole-class consensus. While such interactive-engagement can help students learn, evidence suggests not all students share the same experience or feel equally included. We have developed a preliminary coding scheme based on Wegner's framework from "Communities of Practice", which identifies student modes of belonging through participation and non-participation. In this poster, we code and analyze reflective student writing assignments on a particularly contentious mid-semester large group discussion and individual end of the semester interviews with each student about the course structure itself. Using this lens, we identify students' varying perceptions of the large group discussion and how it influenced their participation. By developing a descriptive model of student engagement, we seek to develop a predictive model to inform professional development for instructors who teach in student centered classrooms.

  • • TA Performance at Identifying Student Difficulties in Electricity and Magnetism

    • PST2C19
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Nafis Karim, Alexandru Maries,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss research involving teaching assistants' knowledge of introductory students' alternate conceptions in electricity and magnetism as revealed by the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM). For each item on the CSEM, the TAs were asked to (1) identify the most common incorrect answer choice of introductory physics students and (2) predict the percentage of introductory students who would answer the question correctly in a post-test. We used CSEM post-test data from approximately 400 introductory physics students, as in the original CSEM article, to assess the extent to which the TAs were able to identify the alternate conceptions of introductory students related to electricity and magnetism. We find that the TAs struggled to think about the difficulty of the questions from introductory students' perspective and they often underestimated the difficulty of the questions. We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

  • • Who Should Study Harder, and When?

    • PST2C21
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Zhongzhou Chen, Geoffrey Garrido,, Andrea Tama,, Michael MIkulec,, Kyle Whitcomb,

    • Type: Poster
    • When is it a good idea to ask students to "spend more time studying"? Correlating learning behavior and effort with students' learning outcome at scale has always been a challenging question. Mastery-based online instructional design significantly improves our ability to answer this question by integrating formative assessment into the learning process. By analyzing data collected from multiple online learning modules using the UCF Obojobo platform, we're able to suggest the optimum amount of time that students should spend on studying each module, as well as identify those students who are probably spending an insufficient amount of time studying. In addition, it also identifies students who spend too much time and is likely struggling with the content. The results of this research could in the future lead to an automated system that provides students with personalized learning guidance.

  • • Embodying the Abstract or Abstracting from the Body

    • PST2C23
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Elias Euler, Elmer Rådahl,, Bor Gregorcic,

    • Type: Poster
    • Some discussions of kinesthetic learning activities include a distinction between (1) activities that involve students' bodies as symbolic representations and (2) activities that incorporate students' bodies as sensors for experiencing things such as forces and torques. In this poster, we go beyond this binary distinction to propose a theoretical interpretation of how the body can be included in physics learning. We then use our interpretation in discussing an example from a learning activity where a pair of students spontaneously recruited an embodied metaphor as part of their reasoning about binary stars.

  • • Enhancing the Resolution of Learning Assessment through Online Modularized Instructional Design

    • PST2C25
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Kyle Whitcomb,* Zhongzhou Chen,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Online learning technology can greatly extend the boundaries of traditional assessment by providing new types of tasks and collecting a richer variety of data. We present a case of assessment design using a sequence of three online learning modules, presenting students with a transfer task, a worked example and a second transfer task in sequence. This new design enables us to measure students' immediate knowledge gain and near transfer ability, as well as "preparation of future learning" effects, after studying an online problem solving tutorial. In addition to learning outcomes, data from the assessment also sheds light on students' motivations, learning habits and learning strategies, which provides instructors with a more holistic picture of each individual student.

  • • Examination of Epistemic Agency Due to Implementing Culturally Relevant Practices

    • PST2C27
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Clausell Mathis, Mark Akubo,, Sherry Southerland,

    • Type: Poster
    • This qualitative case study examines how implementing culturally relevant practices in the classroom activates students' epistemic agency. A revised physics curriculum is developed in order to use students' cultural resources as a pedagogical tool. Teachers enacted classroom lessons where content was problematized to address social inequities in the classroom. A developed instrument - the classroom observation protocol for epistemic agency (COPEA) will be used to document and examine instances of students' epistemic agency. We analyze video data in pursuit of exploring how the implementation of culturally relevant practices may relate to the quality of epistemic agency exercised by students. it is important to search for insights into instructional strategies that draw upon students' cultural resources, foregrounding shared-authority and supporting their taking of responsibility for the construction of knowledge in the classroom community. This may reveal insights into long term affordances and constraints for diversity in physics.

  • • Exploring Students' Understanding of the Motion of Rigid Body*

    • PST2C29
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Min-Fan Hsieh, Shih-Yin Lin,

    • Type: Poster
    • One topic typically discussed in an introductory mechanics course is the motion of rigid body. However, our anecdotal experiences suggest that many students do not have a good understanding of the motion of rigid body, especially when rotation is involved. For example, few students know that any pair of particles on a rigid body doesn't have relative velocity toward or away from each other. In addition, students may not realize the constraints of choosing a reference point for torque and moment of inertia in the rotational equations of motion. In this study, a set of problems about the motion of rigid body and relevant rotational equations of motion is developed and administered to a group of students who have taken introductory mechanics course. Findings from the study will be presented. *Supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan under grant No. MOST 106-2511-S-018-003-MY2.

  • • Gateways ND: Investigating Professional Development at North Dakota State University*

    • PST2C31
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Alistair McInerny, Mila Kryjevskaia,, Jared Ladbury,, Paul Kelter,

    • Type: Poster
    • A North Dakota State University professional development program is designed to facilitate and improve the use of active learning pedagogies at the college level. Over the course of two years participants attend four 2-day workshops and regular Faculty Learning Communities. While evaluation of the program is being approached from many angles, the research presented here discusses our use of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Retrospective-Pretests. We will talk about the link between participants' beliefs and intentions as well as their actions in the classroom (as measured by COPUS). We will show that our use of the retrospective-pretests allows us to detect changes in the impact of the program on its participants that traditional pre-tests would fail to capture. *This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1525056.

  • • How to Train Ethical Behavior in Research: Fixing Confirmation Bias

    • PST2C33
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Martin Stein, N Holmes,, Emily Smith,

    • Type: Poster
    • In Intro Physics Labs we have seen students engaging in questionable research practices that seem to arise from a confirmation bias. In our labs, students are free to change the experimental setup and are not graded on the correctness of their results. Analyzing video and audio recordings, as well as lab books, we observed some students skillfully manipulating the experimental setup, and data that contradicted a presented model, to yield the expected result. While some students did not record these practices in their write-ups, we were surprised by other students accurately documenting questionable research behavior. A subsequent discussion revealed the inadequacy of the model. Towards the end of the semester, some students provided unsolicited reflections on their biases, indicating that they remember and value such an experience in their scientific education. We hope this experience serves them as a preparation for learning about the responsible and ethical conduct of research.

  • • Identifying and Scaling Up What Helps Women of Color Thrive

    • PST2C35
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Rose Young, Elizabeth Mulvey,, Vanessa Webb,, Apriel Hodari,, Angela Johnson,

    • Type: Poster
    • Researchers from Eureka Scientific, Inc. and St. Mary's College of Maryland are conducting in-depth, mixed-method investigations of out-performing STEM departments in the United States and England in which women of color are thriving. The project identifies shared approaches across these departments; developing a body of tested, practical elements of success that STEM departments can adopt; and a set of measures that will let the departments monitor the success of their transformation process. The project will advance research-based knowledge to promote systemic change in STEM education and will provide a clearer understanding about factors that promote success for young women of color in a variety of institutional contexts. The project will culminate in a meeting with participants from 11 institutions who will examine the applicability of the findings at their home institutions including: doctoral universities, master's universities, baccalaureate colleges, open enrollment, public and private institutions. This poster will examine the quantitave data analysis conducted during this research.

  • • Improving Student Understanding of Coulomb's Law and Gauss's Law*

    • PST2C37
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Chandralekha, Singh, Jing Li,

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss an investigation of the difficulties that students in a university introductory physics course have with Coulomb's law and Gauss' law and how that research was used as a guide in the development, validation, and evaluation of tutorials on these topics to help students learn these concepts. The tutorial uses a guided inquiry-based approach to learning and involved an iterative process of development and evaluation. The final version of the tutorial was administered in several sections of a calculus-based introductory physics course after traditional instruction in relevant concepts. We discuss the performance of students in individual interviews and on the pre-test administered before the tutorial (but after traditional lecture-based instruction) and on the post-test administered after the tutorial in three sections of the introductory physics course. We also compare student performance in several sections of the course in which students worked on the tutorial with another section in which students only learned via traditional lecture-based instruction. We find that students who used the tutorial performed significantly better compared to those who learned the material only via traditional lecture-based instruction. *We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

  • • Instructor Approaches to Teaching Computational Physics Problems in Problem-based Courses

    • PST2C39
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Alanna Pawlak, Paul Irving,, Marcos Caballero,

    • Type: Poster
    • An increasing number of introductory physics courses are seeking to incorporate "authentic practices", and one way they are doing this is by including computational problems. Computational problems offer students an opportunity to engage with the programming practices and numerical problem solving methods used by physicists. Understanding how instructors approach teaching such problems is important for improving instruction and problem design. We conducted a phenomenographic study using semi-structured interviews with instructors in a problem-based introductory mechanics course that incorporates several computational problems. The instructors we interviewed were undergraduate learning assistants, individuals who were previously successful as students in the course. Their prior involvement as students, along with their relatively fewer experiences with programming and physics compared to the faculty instructors, give them a unique perspective on teaching in the course. We present here the results of our analysis, which describe the experiences of learning assistants teaching computational problems in this course.

  • • Investigating Grading Beliefs and Practices of Graduate Student Teaching Assistants Using a Rubric

    • PST2C41
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Ryan Sayer, Emily Marshman,, Charles Henderson,, Chandralekha Singh,, Edit Yerushamli,

    • Type: Poster
    • Physics graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are often responsible for grading. Findings of physics education research (PER) suggest that instructors should use grading practices that place the burden of proof for explicating the problem-solving process on students to help them develop problem-solving skills and learn physics. However, TAs may not have learned effective grading practices and may hesitate to take off points if the final answer is correct but the problem-solving process is not explicated. This case study investigated whether TAs apply a PER-inspired grading rubric similar to PER experts and TAs' stated pros and cons of using such a rubric. We also examined whether discussions within a TA professional development course about the benefits of using such a rubric helped TAs shift where they place the burden of proof. Analysis of TAs' written responses, class discussions, and individual interviews suggest that a one-semester intervention was insufficient to change where the TAs placed the burden of proof. We thank the National Science Foundation for their support.

  • • Investigating Reasons for Why Self-Paced Interactive Electronic Learning Tutorials Express a Challenge for Engaging Students

    • PST2C43
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Edana Wilke, Alexandru Maries,, Zhongzhou Chen,

    • Type: Poster
    • While the use and availability of electronic self-paced learning tools hasbeen growing in recent years, research suggests that many students do not engage with the learning tools as intended, resulting in less than desirable transfer of learning. A critical issue then remains how to design the implementation of electronic self-paced learning tools to encourage students to engage with them properly from them. We conducted an investigation in which students in an introductory physics course used self-paced, interactive, electronic learning tutorials as an extra aid in preparing for exams. The tutorials were designed around a challenging problem, similar to what students may encounter in an exam. The tutorial divided the problem into a series of subproblems which take the form of multiple-choice questions, with the goal of guiding students to use effective problem-solving strategies. We investigated a potential approach to motivate students to actively engage with the tutorials. Students were divided in two groups, one which was required to attempt the tutorial problem (by submitting an answer) before being allowed to move on to the guided subproblems (referred to as the RQ group). The other group, NRQ group, was given an option to skip the tutorial problem and move on to the guided subproblems. We found evidence students in the RQ group were slightly more likely to learn from the tutorial than the NRQ group, suggesting that requiring students to initially think about the problem may force them to be more active in the tutorial. We also discuss other possible interventions based on our study.

  • • Investigating Student Resources in Integrated Computational Science Courses

    • PST2C45
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Odd Petter Sand, Marcos Caballero,, Christine Lindstrøm,

    • Type: Poster
    • Using the resources framework, the PER community has gained valuable insights into the cognitive nature of how students learn physics, and these insights are in turn helping to transform physics education. Our goal is to similarly investigate student resources in a computational setting and develop an analytical framework for how students use computation in a scientific setting. Ideally, building computation into science courses not only teaches students to use valuable tools, but also assists in a deeper understanding of the science itself. We present here initial findings from interviews and observations of first-year biology students learning computation in a course where programming, mathematics and biology concepts are deeply integrated.

  • • Know-Why in Determining Cross Product Directions in Introductory Electromagnetism

    • PST2C47
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Liang Zeng, Yi Zeng,

    • Type: Poster
    • Vectors and cross products play a fundamental role in determining the directions of vectors in electromagnetism in introductory algebra-based physics course. Research studies have shown that students have a great deal of difficulty with vector operations in general and particularly with physics problem-solving related to vector cross products. General physics textbooks normally present physical mnemonic techniques (various left-hand rules and right-hand rules) to teach students how to determine the directions of the unknown vectors involved in cross products. Because knowledge includes both the "know-how" and "know-why," this paper argues that we need to teach students not only how to use the hand rules, but also why we use these hand rules by conceptually introducing the directional relationship among vectors in cross products to improve knowledge transfer skills.

  • • Learning Assistants as Constructors of Feedback: How Are They Impacted?

    • PST2C49
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Paul Hamerski, Paul Irving,, Daryl McPadden,

    • Type: Poster
    • Project and Practices in Physics (P-Cubed) is a flipped section of introductory, calculus-based physics, which is designed with a problem-based learning approach where students work in groups on complex physics problems. Learning Assistants (LAs) are critical to the course, where they each function as a primary instructor for four to eight students by asking questions and prompting discussion during class. LAs in P-Cubed also write individualized weekly feedback to each of their students, which is meant to offer suggestions to the student for how to improve their work in class and provide the student with a justification for their in-class grade. We conducted semi-structured interviews with LAs -- selected to portray a broad range of approaches to feedback -- to examine the ways that they construct feedback and how this impacts their own experiences as students taking classes. In this presentation, we compare the reflections and experiences of these LAs.

  • • LGBT+ in STEM: The Transgender Experience

    • PST2C51
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM
    • by Vanessa Webb,
    • Type: Poster
    • It has been widely reported that youth are more accepting of LGBT+ identities, and an increasing number of colleges and universities allow students to use gender-neutral pronouns. Yet, research on how inclusive STEM educational cultures are of sexual identity and gender fluidity is meager. According to a survey by the Human Rights Campaign, 75 percent of LGBT+ youth report that most of their peers have no problem with their LGBT+ identity, yet 4 in 10 say the community in which they live is not accepting (HRC, 2012). STEM cultures are configured within this broader context, and little is known about the LGBT+ acceptance and inclusion within them. In this poster we present interview results on the lived experiences of transgender undergraduates in physics, mathematics, and computer science, asking whether institutions that are more inclusive by gender and race, compared to that of other institutions, are more inclusive for them.

  • • Participation and Performance on Paper-based vs. Computer-based Low-Stakes Assessments

    • PST2C53
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Manher Jariwala, Jayson Nissen,, Eleanor Close,, Ben Van Dusen,

    • Type: Poster
    • Research-based assessments (RBAs), such as the Force Concept Inventory, have played central roles in transforming courses from traditional lecture-based instruction to research-based teaching methods. To support instructors in assessing their courses, the online Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) platform simplifies administering, scoring, and interpreting RBAs. Reducing the barriers to using RBAs will support more instructors in objectively assessing the efficacy of their courses and transforming their courses to improve student outcomes. We investigate the extent to which RBAs administered outside of class with the online LASSO platform provided equivalent data to traditional paper and pencil tests administered in class. We used an experimental design to investigate the differences between these two test modes with 1,310 students in three college physics courses. Analysis conducted with Hierarchical Linear Models indicates that the online LASSO platform can provide equivalent data to paper and pencil tests in terms of student participation and performance.

  • • Comparative Experiments: Investigating Student Reasoning with Pictorial and Graphical Data

    • PST2C02
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Jacob Cermak, Rebecca Rosenblatt,, Raymond Zich,, Amber Sammons,

    • Type: Poster
    • In this study, we performed several comparative experiments exploring changes to students' response patterns and reasoning due to task variations. Students worked on tasks reasoning with sets of graphed and pictured data. We explored the effects of graph style (scatter vs. bar), graph data (numerical vs. percentage), question wording (presence vs. absence of a "none-of-the-above" answer), data change (countable vs. non-numerical variation), and time spent (required wait time vs. no wait time). These comparative studies showed several aspects of student reasoning with data. While most students will create a numerical bar graph when asked to make a graph, there is no disparity in students' skills interpreting other graphs. The absence of a "none-of-the-above" answer causes lower consistency of responses. Student correctness and reasoning improves when students are required to spend longer with a set of data. Lastly, some students struggle reasoning with pictured data that does not numerically change.

  • • Comparing Methods for Addressing Missing Data for Concept Inventories

    • PST2C04
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Jayson Nissen, Robin Donatello,, Ben Van Dusen,

    • Type: Poster
    • The most common method for addressing missing data in the PER literature is complete case analysis, where researchers only analyze matched samples. However, many statisticians recommend researchers use multiple-imputation (MI) to address missing data. We used simulated datasets to compare estimates of student learning using complete case analysis and MI. We based the simulated datasets on grades and concept inventories from 1,310 students in three physics courses and grade distributions from 192 STEM courses. We created missing data in the simulated datasets based on participation models from Jariwala et al. (PERC, 2017). Results showed that complete-case analysis tended to overestimate scores with a larger effect on the posttest but that MI only slightly overestimated scores. To improve the accuracy, precision, and utility of pre-/post-CI measurements, we recommend that researchers use MI and that researchers report descriptive statistics for both the participants and non-participants in their studies.

  • • Conceptual Difficulties Faced by College Students in Understanding Hydrodynamics

    • PST2C06
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Arturo Marti, Alvaro Suarez,, Sandra Kahan,, Genaro Zavala,

    • Type: Poster
    • The physics of ideal fluids is studied at the introductory level in first-year university courses. An in-depth understanding of this topic requires, in addition to a knowledge of the basics of classical mechanics (statics, kinematics and dynamics), knowledge of the specific concepts to fluids such as current lines, pressure, propulsion, and conservation of different physical quantities. Physics education research shows that the conceptual difficulties to understand the phenomena associated with fluids have received relatively uneven attention. Here we describe a study on the conceptual difficulties faced by college students in understanding hydrodynamics of ideal fluids. This study was based on responses obtained in hundreds of written exams complemented with several oral interviews, which were held with first-year Engineering and Science university students. Their responses allowed us to identify a series of misconceptions. The most critical difficulties arise from the students' inability to establish a link between the kinematics and dynamics of moving fluids, and from a lack of understanding regarding how different regions of a system interact.

  • • Course Reform vs. Lab Reform: Impact on Student Development

    • PST2C08
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Marina Malysheva, Joshua Rutberg,, Eugenia Etkina,

    • Type: Poster
    • Traditional physics labs have been shown to have little effect on student learning when it comes to both knowledge of physics and scientific abilities. Reformed labs, such as ISLE-based lab, have been shown to significantly improve student scientific abilities when used in conjunction with trained TAs and a course emphasizing the ISLE framework in all its components. We reformed a lab course for second-year engineering students to implement ISLE labs without reforming lectures and recitations. The TAs in the course were undergraduates who were trained in ISLE during one three-hour meeting. We examined lab work done by students, observations of students working in a lab and their performance on course exams to determine whether using ISLE only in the labs with minimally trained TAs allows us to replicate the results from previous studies.

  • • Demonstration Recognition Among 1st-6th Grade Students: A Program Effectiveness Study

    • PST2C10
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Patrick Morgan,
    • Type: Poster
    • Since 2011, the Science Theatre program at Michigan State University (MSU)has been visiting schools in the Upper Peninsula during the MSU Spring Break. These schools are only visited once a year, and otherwise have little or none science outreach exposure. In March of 2018, an adapted Draw-A-Scientist-Test (DAST) was conducted among several elementary schools. This test was looking for any evidence of demonstration recognition among grade school students, who have been seeing this program once each year since 2013. The results of this survey will be presented and discussed, as well as any notable trends or patterns.

  • • Denoting Leadership Actions/Traits in Group Work

    • PST2C12
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Kristina Griswold, Daryl McPadden,, Marcos Caballero,, Paul Irving,

    • Type: Poster
    • P^3 is an introductory mechanics based physics class at MSU that replaces lectures with a PBL learning environment. To promote the development of group based practices, students all receive group and individual feedback at the end of each week. The groups are comprised of four students, one of which often takes on the role of being the group's "leader". Developing leadership-based skills is a specific learning goal of the P^3 learning environment and the goal of this research is to examine what actions/traits students in P^3 demonstrate while working in their group. The initial phase of this study examines multiple pieces of literature to identify possible characteristics and behaviors that may present themselves in potential leaders. In this poster, we present the initial phase of our code book and a preliminary example of how it can be used to denote leader(s) and followers in our case study.

  • • Developing and Evaluating a Tutorial on the Double-Slit Experiment

    • PST2C14
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Ryan Sayer, Alexandru Maries,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Learning quantum mechanics is challenging, even for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. Interactive tutorials that build on students' prior knowledge can be useful tools to enhance student learning. We have been investigating student difficulties with the quantum mechanics pertaining to the double-slit experiment in various situations. Here we discuss the development and evaluation of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) which makes use of an interactive simulation to improve student understanding. We summarize common difficulties and discuss the extent to which the QuILT is effective in addressing them in two types of physics courses. We thank the National Science Foundation for their support.

  • • Do Students Buy-in to Studio Physics Classes?: Survey Analysis

    • PST2C20
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Matthew Wilcox, Jacquelyn Chini,

    • Type: Poster
    • In studio physics classes, instructors may use reformed instructional strategies that students might not expect when they register for the class. As a result, instructors might experience student resistance to these strategies, and that resistance may discourage their continued use of the research-proven strategies. We hypothesize that instructors could reduce student resistance through discussions with students about expectations for the class format and why students should agree with the format. We are investigating how well students agree with the studio format, how their agreement affects their performance in class, and what instructors do to gain student agreement. Two surveys were created that measure student agreement and instructor methods to achieve student agreement. We report on the results of these surveys, finding that student agreement varies greatly within a class but is fairly consistent across physics classes. Additionally, we find that instructors tend to use student-centered methods to discuss student-centered activities.

  • • Research Exploring Relevance with a Systems View of Students' Lives

    • PST2C22
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Abhilash Nair, Vashti Sawtelle,

    • Type: Poster
    • Physics reasoning and content knowledge are positioned as being relevant to students earning a degree in STEM. Meanwhile, research has documented that students often leave the classroom stating that physics is less connected to the world than when they started the course. Students' negative responses are often interpreted as students not perceiving the relevance of physics to different facets of their lives: the real world, their everyday life, their personal interests, or their future careers. We present work furthering our understanding of the relevance of physics by taking a systems view to characterize connections and relationships between physics and students' lives. Utilizing case studies of students in an introductory physics for the life-sciences course we present an expanded view on relevance. We discuss how this systems view develops a richer account of the ways in which students may find physics relevant.

  • • Engaging Students in Developing and Using Models through Assessments

    • PST2C24
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Katherine Ventura, James Laverty,

    • Type: Poster
    • Recent national reports have elevated learning how to do physics to the same level of importance as learning the concepts of physics. By making these "scientific practices" more prominent in assessments, we hope to see a shift in students' focus toward the process of solving physics problems. Assessing scientific practices is important to determining if we, as educators, are facilitating students' abilities to engage in the process of science. We are investigating how assessments can be designed to engage students in the practice of Developing and Using Models. Using a think-aloud protocol we interviewed students while working on these assessments and analyze the interviews using Grounded Theory. We are looking at two questions: do students engage with the practice and do students get the problem correct? Observing students' engagement informs us how to develop assessments to engage students and how well we can assess practices.

  • • Evidence for Effective Group Work in Studio Physics

    • PST2C26
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Trever Bench, Robynne Lock,, Melanie Schroers,, N Gentry,

    • Type: Poster
    • Group work in environments such as studio physics, or SCALE-UP, has been promoted as a method of improving students' conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. However, strategies for creating effective groups and teaching students to work together effectively in university physics classes have not been sufficiently tested. In order to study these strategies, we must first determine what constitutes an effective group and what constitutes an ineffective group. We recorded video of groups in the introductory calculus-based physics sequence at Texas A&M University-Commerce over the course of several semesters. Groups were recorded completing tutorials, problem-solving activities, and labs. In each class section, the instructor suggested a "good" group and a "bad" group to be recorded. Video data has been coded using epistemological framing, and social network analysis has been conducted. We present evidence for what constitutes effective group work.

  • • Examining Student Tendencies to Explore Alternate Possibilities*

    • PST2C28
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by J. Caleb Speirs, MacKenzie Stetzer,, Beth Lindsey,

    • Type: Poster
    • As part of a multi-year, multi-institutional effort, we have been investigating and assessing the development of student reasoning skills in introductory calculus-based physics courses. Research in cognitive science suggests that there may be a link between student ability to consider alternative possibilities and student performance on physics problems –– particularly problems in which salient distracting features appear to prevent students from accessing relevant knowledge. We have piloted new tasks designed to measure student ability to consider multiple possibilities when answering a physics problem. These tasks measure the relative accessibility of a mental model (or possibility) as well as student ability to recognize whether or not this model is consistent with given problem constraints. An overview of these tasks will be provided and preliminary results will be discussed. * This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DUE-1431857, DUE-1431541, DUE-1431940, DUE-1432765, DUE-1432052, and DRL-0962805.

  • • Exploring Trends in Context Dependence on the QMCA

    • PST2C30
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Adam Quaal, Gina Passante,, Steven Pollock,, Homeyra Sadaghiani,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Quantum Mechanics Concept Assessment (QMCA) was developed to gauge theeffectiveness of different curricular approaches to upper-division quantum mechanics (Sadaghiani & Pollock, 2015). Due in part to the increased popularity of a spins-first instructional approach to teaching quantum mechanics, we modified several QMCA questions to a spins context. For example, a question about time evolution for a particle in an infinite square well was modified to a question about time evolution for a spin-1/2 particle in a magnetic field. In this work, we compare student responses to analogous questions in the spins and wave functions contexts. Data is taken from several administrations of the QMCA in spins-first classes at three institutions. These results will help inform an updated version of the QMCA.

  • • Graduate Teaching Assistants' Perceptions of a Context-Rich Introductory Physics Problem

    • PST2C32
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Melanie Good, Emily Marshman,, Edit Yerushalmi,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Posing the same physics problem scenario in different ways can emphasize learning goals for students, such as developing expert-like problem-solving approaches. In this investigation, we examined graduate teaching assistants' (TAs') views about a context-rich introductory physics problem within a semester-long TA professional development course. The TAs were asked to list the pros and cons of a context-rich problem, rank the problem in terms of its instructional benefit and the level of challenge it might produce for their students, and describe when and how often they would use it in their own classes if they had complete control of teaching the class. We find that TAs did not find the context-rich problem to be instructionally beneficial and were unlikely to use it in their own courses. Many TAs expressed their concerns as being due to the problem seeming to be unclear or excessively challenging and time-consuming for their students. These findings suggest that there is a discrepancy between the TAs' perception of a context-rich problem and the benefits of problems posed in this manner according to the physics education research literature.

  • • I Just Did What? An Evaluation of Student Self-Assessment

    • PST2C34
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Danielle Bugge, Eugenia Etkina,

    • Type: Poster
    • Within high school classrooms, first-year physics students engage in investigations that focus on the development of scientific abilities. Students in ISLE classrooms are provided with scientific ability rubrics as tools to assist with their experimental design procedures and written laboratory reports. These rubrics contain elements of the science practices that students should consider when planning, designing, carrying out, and analyzing their investigations. When writing up their findings, students self-assess themselves. They are expected to cite specific evidence within their report of where they meet criteria for performance for each of the abilities outlined on the rubric. Over the course of a school year, we tracked student progress with self-assessment on their written laboratory reports. We looked at whether or not their self-evaluations of and proficiency with varying abilities improved over the school year taking into account multiple exposures to the abilities, feedback, and the opportunity to revise their work.

  • • Impact of Teaching Methods on Heterogeneity

    • PST2C36
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Claudia Schaefle, Elmar Junker,, Silke Stanzel,

    • Type: Poster
    • We report experiences from a five-year implementation project during whichteaching formats fostering active learning methods have been introduced at the University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim, Germany for engineering students in the first year in physics. We investigate the increasing heterogeneity in the previous knowledge as well as the learning gain in different courses by force concept inventory (FCI), exams and evaluation of students' feedback. Our results show, that: 1. The previous knowledge depends strongly on the type of school graduation. 2. The FCI-Pretest-results are nearly the same for students today and 15 years ago. 3. The learning gains with active learning methods (Just-in-Time-Teaching, Peer Instruction and Tutorials after McDermott et al.) are significantly higher than with traditional lecture. 4. Students appreciate active learning methods and spend more time on the subject. 5. Even with active learning methods the heterogeneity cannot be resolved after one year of study.

  • • Instructional Dilemmas Around Energy Representations: Learning Potentials in Faculty Communities

    • PST2C38
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Chandra Turpen, Fred Goldberg,, Adriana Corrales,, Edward Price,, Melissa Dancy,

    • Type: Poster
    • There is significant momentum around building professional learning communities for educators. However, more research is needed to understand how the design and emergent norms of such communities enable or constrain learning. We analyze how university educators with varying degrees of experience teaching with the Next Generation Physical Science and Everyday Thinking (Next Gen PET) curriculum enact conversational routines in professional development contexts that enable opportunities to learn [1]. Through analysis of community members' instructional dilemmas working with energy representations, we illustrate how the shared disciplinary and curricular context allows for collective interpretation to occur [2,3]. We argue that these conversations deepen educators' understanding of student learning in ways that likely have longer-term consequences for their pedagogical content knowledge.

  • • Inventory of Academic Stress in Students Studying Physics in Engineering

    • PST2C40
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Oscar Jardey Suarez, Alejandro Hurtado Marquez,, Oscar Antonio Pulido Cardozo,

    • Type: Poster
    • The main purpose of this paper is to disclose the results obtained after adapting and validating the Academic Stress Inventory ASI (initially proposed by Hernández, Polo y Pozo in 1996) with students studying physics in engineering. Academic stress, understood as the cognitive and physiological responses to the activities that oppose learning proper to the physics course. The validation is obtained through the reliability index of Cronbach's alpha, the exploration of the data is made from the Principal Component Analysis PCA. The ASI was increased from 23 to 28 items, with an extension of the domain in the Likert scale response from 1 to 7, Cronbach's alpha for typed items is 0.858. The PCA the sample adequacy measure of Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was 0.733. The PCA yields 7 categories (individual work, physiological response to the physics class, peer interaction, insufficient time for activities, teacher support, stress-generating participation, peer competition).

  • • Investigating Physics Self-Belief in Secondary Students

    • PST2C42
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Cynthia Reynolds, AJ Richards,

    • Type: Poster
    • There exists a shortage of students who enter an undergraduate program of study or intend to pursue a career in physics. Even more critical in this shortage is the underrepresentation of women and minority groups. The reasons for this shortage are not yet known. We have chosen to investigate the impact of students' physics self-belief on their likelihood to pursue physics as a career. We designed and administered a survey instrument to secondary level physics and physical science students. The survey was designed to help educators understand how the levels of self-efficacy of middle and high school level students change as they progress through their educational careers in the subject of physics. The survey also investigated if a student's level of self-efficacy is directly related to how a student views a potential career in physics. In this presentation we will detail the trends we found between students' physics self-belief, demographics, and likelihood to choose physics as a career.

  • • Investigating Student Perceptions of Learning Assistants

    • PST2C44
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Virginia Coghlan, James Laverty,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Physics Department at Kansas State University recently initiated a Learning Assistant (LA) program. Previously, the studios of the department's two-semester calculus-based physics course were run by a lead instructor (faculty member or advanced graduate student) assisted by a TA (upper level undergraduate or new graduate student). The department replaced the TA in some studios with two LAs. We are conducting interviews with students who completed a studio with a TA and a studio with LAs. We are investigating the similarities and differences in the students' view of TAs versus LAs. This research will help us understand student perceptions of the LAs they encounter and to observe the impacts of the near-peer relationships between students and LAs.

  • • Investigating the Effects of Modified Equipotential Diagrams on Student Interpretation

    • PST2C46
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Rebecca Rosenblatt, Jacob Cermak,, Amber Sammons,, Raymond Zich,

    • Type: Poster
    • In this study, the effect of a visual change to equipotential diagrams is investigated. Equipotential diagrams are often drawn with a uniform color and thickness to each equipotential line. The values of each equipotential are usually not given and students must infer the "size" of the equipotential from the density of the lines and/or the sign of the point charge(s). Here we present the results from modifying equipotential diagrams to use color variation and line thickness to indicate the sign and amount of the potential. These changes -- which are consistent with theories of grounded/embodied cognition -- exploit students' innate ability to perceive color and line thickness variations to communicate the variation of the electric potential. Students' were randomly assigned to the traditional or modified diagrams and asked to compare electric potentials for indicated points on given diagrams. Preliminary results indicate that these modified color diagrams are helpful for instruction.

  • • Laboratories' Assessment in Terms of Flow Theory

    • PST2C48
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM
    • by Anna Karelina,
    • Type: Poster
    • One of the difficulties in designing an inquiry-based lab course is finding a balance between the tasks' difficulty and students' skills. Also, the clarity of tasks should leave a room for students' creativity and exploration. In this study, we used the flow theory [1] as a framework to create a tool for finding this balance. We developed a Likert scale survey with 7 questions related to the conditions of flow and students' attitude towards the developed labs. We analyzed students' answers to this survey to find connection between the conditions of flow [1] and students' attitude towards the labs. This survey can be used as a helpful tool for labs' assessment and improvement.

  • • Let's Talk About Equity -- Two-Year College Students and Physics Culture

    • PST2C50
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Abigail Daane, Elizabeth Schoene,

    • Type: Poster
    • We taught a week-long equity unit in an introductory calculus-based physics course, focusing on the effects of race and culture on the physics community. The demographics of these two-year college courses look vastly different than those of the physics field; students of color outnumber white students. Given this reversal of representation, our aim was to increase awareness of the racial inequity that is present in the rest of the physics community and to facilitate the development of support systems to move forward in STEM careers. We collected and analyzed written student reflections from these classes to better understand the views students of color bring to the equity conversation. We identified themes in their ideas about equity in physics and we argue that their responses indicate a need for explicit discussions in physics classrooms and the greater community.

  • • Relationship Between Stereotype Threat and Standardized Test Performance in Physics*

    • PST2C52
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Alexandru Maries, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Prior research has shown that interventions even as small as requiring a test-taker to indicate his/her gender can activate stereotype threat in situations in which there are stereotypes about performance of males and females. We have conducted an investigation in which we used various interventions described in the literature as promoting or inhibiting stereotype threat and investigated the extent to which the interventions result in changes in the test-takers' performance on a standardized conceptual physics assessment. We also identified whether students themselves endorse the predominant stereotype (that in physics males outperform females) and the extent to which these beliefs are correlated with their performance. For example, do female students who endorse the stereotype perform worse than those who do not endorse it? This along with other questions are explored in detail. * Work supported by the National Science Foundation

• Post-deadline Posters

  • • Physics of Light and Food: Enabling a Physics Girls Camp

    • by Kristiana Ramos Roberto Ramos

    • Type: Poster
    • The Physics Wonder Girls Camp aims to sustain girls’ interest in science during middle school years – which is when research shows girls are likely to lose interest in science. On its sixth year, the free camp has been featured on ABC News and Fox News television networks, SPS Observer, Miss USA Website, and international science blogs. Two cohorts of girls were selectively recruited to experience four intense days of project-building, physics experiments, lab and plant tours, and conversations with women physicists. The theme of the 2018 camp is the Physics of Light and Food - featuring experiments probing the properties of light and food processing. Women from Intel Corporation, Bryn Mawr College's Physics Dept, and Puratos Corporation visited the camp. The capstone activity was a Girls' Physics Presentation to parents, teachers, and friends. We report feedback from campers, crew, and parents, from blind surveys, letters and daily debriefings.

• Post-deadline Posters

  • • Developing basic physics instruction to enhance students' performance in problem solving

    • PST310
    • Fri 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM

    • by Hamdani Hamdani Syukran Mursyid, Judyanto Sirait

    • Type: Poster
    • Basics physics course is very fundamental in our department (physics education, Tanjungpura University) because this course is the foundation for students to learn advanced physics courses such as mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, modern physics etc. To help students learn basics physics concepts, we have developed this course involving physics problem-solving questionnaire (PPSQ), recitation class, physics representation worksheet (PRW). A problem-solving survey was designed to investigate students' perception. Furthermore, while learning force concepts (Newton's laws), we have designed worksheet to facilitate students understanding force concepts during recitation class. Before and after instruction, we asked students to fill out the survey. Finally, we asked students to solve 11 FCI items and two open-ended questions at the end of the lesson.

  • • Embedding Employability in the Undergraduate Physics Curriculum via a Placement In Industry Module

    • PST301
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Andrea Jiménez Dalmaroni
    • Type: Poster
    • In order to answer the demands of a 21st century society, physics education should provide the opportunities for the students to acquire the additional knowledge and practice skills that will let them be more successful in the workplace. At the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University we are developing a Placement in Industry module for second year undergraduate students to help them gain an experience of how science and technology are used in real-world workplaces. In this presentation, we discuss the current module design, the aims and objectives underlying the Placement module and future improvements.

  • • Exact Solutions for Two Classical Radiation-Reaction Problems

    • PST303
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM

    • by Joseph Di Rienzi, Richard Drachman,

    • Type: Poster
    • Physics is sometimes called "the approximate science," since so few of itsequations are exactly soluble, and none of its measurements are without experimental error. This somewhat discouraging situation can be disheartening to a student of physics, so whenever there is the opportunity to determine an exact solution of a physical system, it should be realized. We will examine two such cases of a system consisting of a charged particle interacting with an external force: in one case with a harmonic force and in the second case with a constant magnetic field. Classical radiation theory suggests that in each situation an additional force should be included from the reaction to the emitted radiation. Despite the fact that the radiation-reaction force is proportional to the third derivative of the particle's position, both cases considered have exact solutions.

  • • Social Topics in Physics: A New and Intersectional Physics Course

    • PST305
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Michael Vignal,
    • Type: Poster
    • We created a seminar-style course for undergraduate and graduate students with the purpose of increasing knowledge and awareness of social issues in physics. In our course, titled "Social Topics in Physics," students meet weekly to discuss readings on social difference and systemic power in physics and other STEM fields. We aim to validate students' experiences and contributions by inviting students to contribute ideas and articles for the class and to shape the weekly discussions by connecting the readings to their own experiences. Additionally, we try to focus on intersections of difference and power in a way that promotes curiosity and compassion. This poster details the different resources and considerations that have made this course successful.

  • • Integration of Computation in Quantum Mechanics

    • PST307
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Haiying He,
    • Type: Poster
    • Quantum mechanics (QM) is often taken as a very abstract subject. Many concepts are even beyond intellectual comprehension for most undergraduate students. To overcome these obstacles and develop a better appreciation of these "true" governing rules in the quantum world, I have tried to make the examples/problems concrete and alive by using computational tools. Numerical calculations and graphical presentations are often adopted in both class instruction and students' practice. In the second semester of QM, we have gone beyond the prototype questions and introduced methods to tackle more realistic problems. A computational application project is assigned to students to compute and compare the ionization potentials of single atoms using different approximation methods (including both the variational principle and the perturbation theory). Students were introduced to a quantum chemistry program Gaussian09 to conduct all their numerical calculations. A graphical program Gaussview was also used to demonstrate the wave functions (atomic orbitals).

  • • Advancing Middle School Students' Ability to Control Variables

    • PST309
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM

    • by Edana Wilke Kathleen Koenig, Krista Wood, Lei Bao

    • Type: Poster
    • An important skill in the experimental design process, as well as in many decision-making processes, is the ability to identify and control variables. This ability is generally slow to develop unless explicit instruction is provided. In an effort to improve these abilities in middle school students, a windmill engineering design project was developed to lead students through activities focused on the cyclic process of scientific inquiry. Controlled experiments built upon one another and results of initial experiments were to inform subsequent experiments; enabling students deliberate practice in experimental design. The lesson was completed by over 1200 middle school students in Spring 2018 at three schools. Pre- and post-testing was conducted using a set of questions designed and validated for this purpose. This presentation will showcase what was learned about student abilities prior to the activity as well as gains made as a result of the lesson.

  • • Improving Elementary School Students' Scientific Character through Physics Lessons Focusing on Cooperative Relationship

    • PST311
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM

    • by Ilkyun Nam Sungmin Im

    • Type: Poster
    • In this case study, we investigated the improvement of elementary school students' (4th grade, no. 25) scientific character through physics lessons focusing on the cooperative relationship. Students were involved in a series of physics lessons on Kapla construction based on basic principles of statics. The lesson was organized by Kagan's cooperative learning structure and Jigsaw model, and rules of cooperative communication such as making eye contact, using the polite expressions, and addressing someone respectfully were applied. The authors utilized Cultural Historical Activity Theory as a theoretical framework to describe and investigate the improvement of students' scientific character through the physics lessons. Based on this result, we inferred some suggestions for the establishment of relations between physics lessons and the values of our human lives.

  • • Interactive lecture demonstrations for teaching calculus-based kinematics

    • PST313
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM

    • by Melia Bonomo Michael Deem

    • Type: Poster
    • Kinematics is a benchmark topic in introductory physics, however students often enter and leave these courses with a wealth of misconceptions. Teaching strategies that do not suitably address these misconceptions often encourage students to adopt a "plug and chug" approach for solving kinematics problems. Furthermore, the lack of a sufficient background in calculus is a limiting factor for student understanding. Here, we describe interactive lecture demonstrations that integrate mathematical derivations with basic running and jumping activities, without requiring specialized equipment or technology. The goal is to bring students up to speed on relevant concepts in calculus and to help them develop an intuitive understanding of the mathematics of motion. These teaching methods are suitable for high school or college physics classrooms, including those in low resource settings.

  • • Perceptions of K-12 Science Teachers as Leaders in Educational Policy in the U.S. and Abroad

    • PST315
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Rebecca Vieyra
    • Type: Poster
    • Although master science teachers have been called upon in a limited way through various U.S. initiatives for curriculum, standards, and assessment development, teacher voice in broader, more systemic policy-making about science education issues beyond classroom practices is routinely absent. The author attended two conferences associated with science teacher leadership: (1) the U.S. Council of State Science Supervisors and the (2) Inter-American Teacher Education Network of the Organization of American States. Significant differences were observed in the perception of teachers as contributors to policy issues across states and countries, evidenced by agenda topics and conversational language about teachers' role in policy-making. Findings and implications for the enhancement of the U.S.'s perceived role for teachers will be discussed, as well as opportunities for educational research on science teacher leadership programs.

  • • Reasons for Low Enrolment of Girls in High School Physics

    • PST317
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Traves ONeill
    • Type: Poster
    • Using a digital survey consisting of 20 questions including Likert scale and short answers forms, this study investigates the reasons girls are enrolling in physics at lower rates than boys at one comprehensive high school in Southern California. There were 485 science student responses validated and analyzed ranging from grade 10-12, including 262 girls and 211 boys. The data suggests seven key findings including (1) girls perceive physics as less interesting, (2) have lower self-efficacy in math and science, (3) perceive physics as harder, less fun, and less applicable, (4) have less interest in physics related college majors, (5) are more likely to enroll in courses that prepare them for college, (6) are less likely to take a science courses to explore personal interests, and (7) are less likely to take a science course to be with friends.

  • • Using an Electric Guitar as a Vehicle to Teach Introductory Electronics Concepts

    • PST319
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM

    • by Debbie French Sean Hauze, Doug Hunt, Thomas Singer

    • Type: Poster
    • Electricity/electronics is a topic many students may find challenging. Additionally, instructors may be searching for ideas to teach electronics in an engaging way. The STEM Guitar Project (NSF #1700531) provides faculty professional development (PD) institutes to K-16 teachers. At the institute, teachers receive 50 hours of PD where they build solid-body electric guitars and receive instruction on how to use the guitar to teach integrated STEM concepts such as electricity/electronics. The STEM Guitar grant has twelve core Modular Learning Activities (MLAs); one of which focuses on the circuitry and physics of the electromagnetic pickups. A description of the MLA will be given along with pre/post test scores from 173 participating students. Analysis of these test scores show statistically significant learning gains (p<0.005). The results of this work show that the guitar may be used as an effective vehicle to teach integrated STEM concepts such as electricity/electronics.

  • • Hollywood Physics

    • PST321
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Luis Mijangos-Fuentes
    • Type: Poster
    • The movies that students watch have the potential of becoming incredible useful educational instruments. We can use them to teach more efficiently the concepts that they usually consider complex. In this poster, we show a methodology that we use in our introductory physics courses. It consists in carefully selecting 3 popular and recent movies or cartoon scenes and asking a question about it that requires quantitative analysis to answer. The students are required to investigate, to do measurements, and to make reasonable assumptions to answer the question. We have measured the impact and efficacy of this methodology by asking students about their learning experience. The results show that 55% of the students consider that they understood better the physical concepts because of this activity, and 28% of them think that the most important learning aspect reinforced by this activity is how to apply the physical concepts to the real world.

  • • A New Method for Teaching Introductory Labs to Enhance Preparation and Develop Critical Thinking Skills

    • PST323
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM

    • by Cory Trout Asa Sallee, Sean O'Malley

    • Type: Poster
    • An alternative approach to introductory physics lab was employed and studied in an attempt to better prepare students for future work in the STEM fields. Students will learn to operate both essential and versatile tools commonly seen in industry and research labs. Rather than giving step-by-step instructions, the students are asked to design and construct their own experiments to prove physical laws and concepts commonly seen in an introductory physics class. This approach is intended to stimulate the student's creativity by encouraging them to combine their understanding of physics with the tools provided for them to reach a well thought out conclusion. We will further discuss the details of this method, the evaluation of our approach, and future implementations.

  • • An Analysis of the Efficacy of Context Rich Group Problems

    • PST325
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Paul Bergeron
    • Type: Poster
    • Context rich group problems are designed to both critically engage students' understanding of physics as well as bolster it through collaborative interactions. Such problems are increasingly used in the discussion sections of the introductory physics series at the University of Utah. During their initial implementation, employment of this teaching technique was not universal, and saw, for example, only one discussion section for a given lecture utilizing them. This presents a unique situation, where one cohort amongst a larger class is taught with context rich group problem sessions for one semester, whereas the entire class is taught with them during the subsequent semester. I will present a simple analysis of these two classes' exam scores to provide some insight into the efficacy of context rich group problem sessions.

  • • K-12 Science Outreach in South Carolina

    • PST327
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Susan Engelhardt
    • Type: Poster
    • The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) isa public residential high school for 11th and 12th graders interested in pursuing an intense education in the STEM fields. Additionally, GSSM supports the following outreach initiatives that will be described in this poster: residential camps (GoSciTech), day camps around the state (iTEAMS & CREATEng), after school programs (ENGAGE & SPARK), a dual-credit virtual engineering program (Accelerate), an annual community STEM event (INSIDE GSSM), and school group visits to GSSM to do STEM activities.

  • • Use of smartphones and Tracker in Modern Physics experiments

    • PST329
    • Wed 08/01, 3:00PM - 3:45PM
    • by Munir Pirbhai
    • Type: Poster
    • Measuring the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron is a classic experimentoften performed by students in Modern Physics courses. It relies on measuring the radius of curvature of electrons as they move in a magnetic field of known strength. In this work, we show how these parameters can be determined with a smartphone and the freeware Tracker.

  • • Enhancing the Recruitment, Retention, Training, and Development of Predominantly Hispanic STEM Majors in the Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics)*

    • PST302
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM

    • by Edgar Corpuz, K. Christopher Smith,, Liang Zeng,

    • Type: Poster
    • This project provides for recruitment, retention, and training of talentedbut financially needy students to pursue degrees at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in one of the following STEM fields: BS in Chemistry, BS in Physics or BS in Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics). Scholarship recipients are provided with rigorous training, education and adequate support that will enable them to enter the workforce in a timely manner or to attend graduate school upon graduation. In this poster, we will present the student support activities and other program components that program participants find helpful in their preparation and development, the challenges that the project team faced in recruiting STEM scholars, and the impact of the program components as perceived by program participants.

  • • Graphically Finding Wavelength Using Small Slit Spacing Diffraction Gratings

    • PST306
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM
    • by Patricia Allen
    • Type: Poster
    • For diffraction gratings with small slit spacing (500 lines/mm and above),few orders of interference maxima are available for calculating visible wavelengths. Such limited data can result in inaccurate and imprecise values for wavelengths. A variation on the "standard" diffraction grating laboratory is to graph average distance of first order fringes from the central maximum (xavg) as a function of grating to screen distance (L). The resulting plot is linear, with the slope indirectly dependent on wavelength and slit spacing. With a little algebra, the wavelength (or slit spacing) can be calculated from the slope, often with high accuracy and precision. A sample experimental set-up will be presented, along with results from an undergraduate lab activity.

  • • Learning Assistant Program Impact for Non-Traditional Transfer Physics Majors

    • PST308
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM
    • by Patrick Chestnut,
    • Type: Poster
    • Rowan University, a public school located in southern New Jersey, serves ahigh number of non-traditional transfer students. Almost half of all upper division students within the Department of Physics and Astronomy are transfer students, and one-tenth are over age 24. This population often faces unique challenges compared to traditional students matriculating directly from high school. Our team will present findings from interview data with transfer students who serve the department in the role of learning assistants within introductory physics courses. Analysis of interview data provides insights into challenges and opportunities this population faces and manners to which the LA program has been beneficial to student development.

  • • Letters to Self and Future Student for Easing Physics Anxiety

    • PST312
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM
    • by Terry Ellis
    • Type: Poster
    • Metacognition (the awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes) and self-efficacy (believing in one's own ability to accomplish the tasks necessary to succeed) can have a positive impact on the self-confidence and motivation of students whose learning is hindered by physics and math anxiety. In order to alleviate some of the stress and to encourage self-empowerment of students in an introductory algebra-based physics course, new students receive a letter from a past student and write a letter to their mid-term-self describing their hopes, concerns, and outlining a plan of action. At mid-term, they write a letter to their end-of-term-self describing habits that have led to success, and habits they need to change to get back on track. Finally, at the end of the course they write a letter to an incoming student offering encouragement and tips on how to succeed in the course.

  • • Maths skills and attitude: success on quantum mechanics courses?

    • PST314
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM

    • by Inkeri Kontro Elina Palmgren

    • Type: Poster
    • Knowledge of mathematics, e.g. linear algebra, is important for physicistslearning quantum mechanics. But does it make a difference whether this knowledge is acquired before or simultaneously with the physics content? And what is the role of students' beliefs about their abilities to understand quantum mechanics? To study this, we administered a mathematical pre-test and a questionnaire measuring self-efficacy beliefs and correlated these with the learning outcomes of students on an introductory quantum mechanics course at the University of Helsinki. The preliminary results indicate that neither the mathematical skills at the beginning of the course nor the self-efficacy beliefs predict accurately performance in neither exercises nor exams. The most important predictor seems to be the study track: students who have selected "theoretical physics" both feel better about their skills and do better than their "physics" peers, despite starting at equal levels of mathematics skills.

  • • Probing Student Understanding of Conceptual Introductory Physics Problems

    • PST316
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM
    • by David Waters,
    • Type: Poster
    • Students appear to understand physics concepts while in class, yet when a new conceptual question is posed, they do not always answer the question correctly. We hope to understand the reason for these difficulties in order to improve instruction and assessment. In this pilot study, we formed three groups of two students each who had previously taken physics. These students attempted to solve a number of multiple-choice physics questions on their own, and then talked through their reasoning with their partner to come to an agreement on the correct answer. These sessions provided great insight into their understanding and subsequent application to solve conceptual physics problems.

  • • Technical Writing and Letters Home

    • PST318
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM

    • by Charles Ramey Dimitri Dounas-Frazer, Beth Thacker

    • Type: Poster
    • Communication is an important skill in all fields of STEAM, including physics lab courses. The AAPT Committee on Labs recently identified 'communicating physics' as one of six major learning outcomes for undergraduate physics labs. At Texas Tech University, we have recently redesigned the Modern Physics Lab to develop students' competence with written communication, among other goals. To support students' writing skills, we implemented the pedagogical method Letters Home in an upper division lab. The Letters Home activity provides students with the opportunity to practice writing skills, first, in the form of letter to a non-physicist then gradually to a graduate student or professor in the physics department. We used the AAPT guidelines to inform our development of an a priori coding scheme with 12 unique categories that highlight learning outcomes such as: presents experimental and/or theoretical methods, analyzes and/or evaluates evidence, and present and/or evaluates conclusions. We conducted a case study of 6 students, each of whom completed 6 writing assignments. Our case study allows us to describe how students oriented to the Letters Home activity and how their writing progressed over the course of the semester. We are finding that there are major structural and content similarities and differences between letters and reports, and that most students in our study tailor their writing to a non-physicist by making only minor/superficial modifications to the traditional report format.

  • • To Study Or To Sleep: Changing Students' Choices

    • PST320
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM
    • by Vincent Coletta
    • Type: Poster
    • Two studies were conducted with students in introductory physics classes.In the first study, though students were urged to get sufficient sleep the night before the final exam, few students did and there was a significant positive correlation between hours of sleep and final exam score. In the second study the following semester, students were shown the results of the first study. Showing current students the negative effect that sleep deprivation the night before a final exam had on exam scores in a prior class changed the current students' sleep choices the night before their own final exam. Once students saw evidence that staying up all night studying for a final exam would likely hurt their score on the exam, students no longer made that choice.

  • • Supporting language minorities with online resources

    • PST322
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM
    • by Inkeri Kontro
    • Type: Poster
    • The University of Helsinki offers BSc degrees in Physics in Finnish and Swedish, with the Swedish speaking students making up <10% of the student population. Most introductory courses run in both Swedish and Finnish, but due to lack of resources, some important courses are offered in Finnish only. In 2017, parts of the introductory mathematics courses started utilizing a flipped classroom model using online resources. In addition to (Finnish) lectures and pen-and-paper exercises (in both languages), we introduced instruction videos and online exercises. The translation of the online materials required only a little additional effort. Both students and staff felt that the online materials were a helpful addition, and they provide a cost-effective way to offer the students the course partially in their preferred language.

  • • A Rubric for Assessing Thinking Processes in Free-Response Exam Problems

    • PST324
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM
    • by Beth Thacker
    • Type: Poster
    • We designed a rubric to assess free-response exam problems in order to compare thinking processes evidenced in exams in classes taught traditionally and non-traditionally. The rubric is designed based on Bloom's taxonomy. We have data on a number of classes taught by the same instructor, one class more traditionally and one taught in an inquiry-based, laboratory-based setting with Socratic dialog pedagogy. While the two classes may have similar conceptual inventory scores, students in the inquiry-based class demonstrate the use of higher level thinking skills more often. We present results and discuss future research on the value of Socratic questioning pedagogy.

  • • Difficulties and challenges of physics and chemistry in school

    • PST326
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM

    • by Oscar Jardey Suarez Liz Patricia Suárez

    • Type: Poster
    • In Colombia, Physics and Chemistry are compulsory subjects in high school.The formation in natural sciences must be oriented to the appropriation of some concepts to explain the processes of the nature from the observation, systematization, argumentation having in perspective the development of the scientific thought. What is a great challenge for teachers who meet daily with deficiencies in concepts of mathematics and communication skills, as well as the lack of commitment and responsibility of students; which results in reprobation that exceeds, in some cases, 50% and some poor results in the national census tests. The above constitute the motivations to reflect and rethink the activities of classrooms when teaching physics or chemistry, as well as to weigh to what extent to comply with some programmatic contents and the objectives demanded by the MEN are the solution to overcome the challenge posed in widely diverse socioeconomic and emotionally diverse communities

  • • Supplemental Activities to Transform Traditional Exams Into Powerful Learning Experiences

    • PST328
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM
    • by Jordan Gerton
    • Type: Poster
    • Traditional introductory physics exams are designed to probe efficacy across a range of topics, but may also challenge students in unintended ways. For example, the time-bound nature of most exams may disadvantage language learners, students who process information more deliberately, and those with test anxiety. Non-traditional assessment approaches, such as group exams/quizzes, engage students in learning as part of the assessment process and may address some of these issues, but may also be difficult to implement in some contexts. We present some supplemental activities that are meant to transform traditional exams into powerful learning experiences for all students. Some examples include publishing the authentic exam scenarios well in advance of the test date, having students produce exam solutions in small groups immediately after an exam, and having students participate in a gallery stroll of the group-produced solutions. We seek feedback on how to study the efficacy of this approach.

  • • Operationalizing Identity in a Survey of Students from Laboratory Classes

    • PST330
    • Wed 08/01, 3:45PM - 4:30PM

    • by Carissa Meyers Vashti Sawtelle, Marcos D. Caballero, Paul W. Irving

    • Type: Poster
    • This project explores student responses to the first iteration of a survey, which is being built to measure physics identity from a practice perspective in physics lab courses. Identity is a multidimensional construct of how a person perceives themselves and how they position themselves within a community or environment. Part of the process of measuring identity is determining what constitutes an identity statement, and what factors help separate these statements from the rest of the response. We present an analysis of an open-ended survey given to students enrolled in an introductory physics laboratory class. Student responses were analyzed and coded for emergent themes, which were discovered in the student’s interpretations of questions regarding physics lab practices. In this poster, we present progress on both the coding scheme that emerged, and set of question stems for a future iteration of the survey that targets physics identity in lab classes.

• Pre-college/Informal and Outreach

  • • Physics of Paper Helicopter

    • PST1D01
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Gyaneshwaran Gomathinayagam, Bhuvan Verma,, Aayush Chowdhry,

    • Type: Poster
    • A paper helicopter was constructed using a standard A4 sheet of paper. When a paper helicopter is dropped from a height, it rotates while falling down and quickly attains terminal velocity. Its mass was varied by wrapping duct tape around the bottom stem of the helicopter. The effect of mass of the helicopter on the terminal velocity, terminal angular velocity, and time taken to achieve the terminal velocity were studied. Terminal velocity squared, terminal angular velocity, and the time taken to achieve terminal velocity were found to vary linearly with mass. A simple explanation is provided to explain how the direction of folding of the helicopter blades determines whether the paper helicopter will rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise after being dropped.

  • • Refugees Exploring the Foundations of UnderGraduate Education in Science (REFUGES)

    • PST1D03
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Tino Nyawelo, Jordan Gerton,

    • Type: Poster
    • REFUGES is a robust STEM-focused refugee and minority student support program, which has two distinct components: 1) an afterschool program for refugee and immigrant students (grades 7-12) that provides academic support, hands-on science enrichment, and social services such as family counseling, health and wellness workshops, and recreational activities; and 2) a bridge program for incoming University of Utah students from marginalized populations to adjust to college life, course work and research. During the summer, participating students live on campus for seven weeks and complete two courses that count towards University of Utah undergraduate degree requirements and prepare students for success in STEM. It also offers research lab placement positions to students during student's freshmen years. This experience launches interaction with peers, graduate students, and faculty and helps students develop a network of colleagues who will help them throughout their academic careers.

  • • The PISEC International Summer Camp: A New Global Outreach Initiative

    • PST1D05
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Michael Bennett, Claudia Fracchiolla,

    • Type: Poster
    • It is an important time for the public face of physics. A number of scientific bodies have highlighted the importance not only of engaging the public's interest in physics but in reaching out to diverse populations while doing so. Thus, outreach programs focusing on empowering and enabling traditionally under-represented populations have a huge part to play in the inclusion and enculturation of future generations of scientists. CU Boulder's Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community outreach program has partnered with NUI Galway to create a multisite outreach initiative with a unique focus on international, realtime collaboration. Children from diverse geographic locations will work together to solve physics problems, creating an environment facilitating both content and practice learning while expanding their frontiers and engaging in cross-cultural interactions. The program's goals and execution will be discussed, as well as exciting opportunities for global implementation.

  • • The Science Theatre Program

    • PST1D07
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Patrick Morgan,
    • Type: Poster
    • Science Theatre is a unique science outreach program at Michigan State University. A nonprofit organization, Science Theatre is run by undergraduate students. It is also a registered student organization at MSU, and funded by the Physics and Astronomy department. Science Theatre visits over 100 schools and events throughout the state of Michigan every academic year, reaching over 30,000 k-12 students annually. They offer dramatic stage presentations, as well as hands-on demonstrations, to schools at no charge. They manage to do all of this while spending less than 20 cents per child. Come to this poster session to learn more, including how to start a Science Theatre program in your state.

  • • Toppling Time of Dominoes in Circular Arrangements of Different Radii

    • PST1D09
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Gyaneshwaran Gomathinayagam, Lakshman Santhanam,

    • Type: Poster
    • 20 identical wooden blocks were arranged as dominoes with equal spacing incircles of different radii to cover the full range of possible separation. Their toppling times were recorded by video analysis using TRACKER software and it was found to be an exponential function of the radius of the circle. The time interval between each collision in the circular chain of dominoes was compared for different radii of circular arrangements. It was found that the total toppling time could be computed as the sum of toppling times of five distinct stages in the toppling sequence. The fourth stage (toppling time for blocks 5 to 19) showed the maximum variation with radius of circle whereas the other stages had similar times for different radii.

  • • Active Learning in High School Physics Lessons in Japan

    • PST1D11
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Sachiko Tosa, Ryuichi Minami

    • Type: Poster
    • In this study, Japanese high-school physics lessons (N=10) are examined interms of how actively students participate in the lesson. The following three methods are used for analyzing the data: 1) levels of teacher questions using Bloom's taxonomy, 2) levels of interactions between students and teacher, and 3) shape of S-T graph which shows who directs the lesson. The results indicate that Japanese high school physics lesson often do not include solid lesson structures, and multiple topics are covered didactically by the teacher in one-way transmission of information. In this presentation, a model of active-learning style lessons for high-school physics is proposed. The model is developed based on the findings in physics education research and in action research when it is actually implemented in a high school classroom. The effectiveness of the model will be shown as preliminary data.

  • • Physics as Moral Education: Take it Beyond Content Knowledge

    • PST1D13
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Stephen March,
    • Type: Poster
    • We are teaching in a time when high school science courses are required topack in more and more content. While this may serve to advance knowledge in the sciences, it makes it more difficult to engage students in dialogue about the moral implications of applying the knowledge. Physics courses provide an excellent opportunity for dialogue and reflection and teachers should be aware of the opportunities and ready to engage students. This poster identifies areas across the physics topics that make good entry points for dialogue and provides question frames for engaging students.

  • • Project Accelerate: Closing the Access Gap for STEM Careers and Academic Programs*

    • PST1D02
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Andrew Duffy, Mark Greenman,

    • Type: Poster
    • Boston University is in the first year of implementing a three-year NSF DRK12 award bringing AP Physics 1 to underserved populations. During our prior pilot year, Project Accelerate partnered with 11 high schools in Massachusetts and West Virginia to bring a College Board approved Advanced Placement® Physics Small Private Online Course (SPOC) to schools not offering this opportunity to students. Project Accelerate students (1) outperformed peer groups in traditional AP Physics classrooms on the College Board AP Physics exam, and (2) were more inclined to engage in additional Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs than they were prior to participating in Project Accelerate. Through the NSF award, we look at scaling up and replicating this program, potentially on a national scale. The poster will highlight the project research questions, methodology, implementation strategy, and pilot-year outcomes. Project Accelerate offers a replicable solution to a significant problem – too few underserved high school students having access to high quality physics education, resulting in these students being ill prepared to enter STEM careers and STEM programs in college. *Funded by NSF grant DRL 1720914.

  • • Rolling Resistance Coefficient and Air Pressure Inside a Football

    • PST1D04
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Gyaneshwaran Gomathinayagam, Siddhant Singhania

    • Type: Poster
    • A football at different internal pressures was rolled from rest down an inclined smooth wooden plank. The acceleration of its centre of mass was measured by video analysis using TRACKER software. It was found to increase with excess pressure inside the football until it reached a constant value at an excess pressure of 36.43 kPa and above corresponding to a minimum constant value of rolling resistance. The decrease in the acceleration at lower pressures was linked to the increase in contact area of the football, which resulted in greater hysteresis energy loss due to the deformation of the football while rolling. This was modelled by defining rolling resistance coefficient Sr as the offset distance of the line of action of the normal reaction producing a retarding torque on the football. Sr was found to be an inverse exponent function of excess pressure.

  • • The Pulsar Search Collaboratory – A Citizen-Science Program

    • PST1D06
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by John Stewart, Kathryn Williamson,, Cabot Zabriskie,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Pulsar Search Collaboratory is a citizen-science program to engage middle and high school student in radio astronomy. The project reserves a set of radio astronomy data for the students that has not been examined by scientists. The students receive online training in radio astronomy, pulsar science, and the identification of pulsars. The students then examine plots of radio astronomy data to determine whether the data represents an unknown pulsar. Over 2 million pulsar plots have been scored resulting in the discovery of eight new pulsars; a significant scientific discovery. Students and participating teachers are eligible to be invited to summer camp at the Green Bank Observatory home to the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope.

  • • Transforming the Relationship between Practice and Research in Informal Science Programs*

    • PST1D08
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Claudia Fracchiolla, Michael Bennett,, Kathleen Hinko,

    • Type: Poster
    • There is a disconnect between practice and research in informal physics programs. The majority of informal physics programs engage only in evaluation, focusing on numbers of participants, time spent interacting, learning outcomes, or level of audience engagement, etc. Assessment may not exist or come only as an afterthought, once the program has already been designed and implemented. Another assessment-related challenge is that practitioners lack the proper training or tools to engage in research in these complex environments. We propose design-based implementation research (DBIR) as a solution to these challenges. DBIR practitioners collaborate with broad groups of stakeholders to create a shared understanding of local contexts, using implementation evidence to iteratively design the innovation, thereby addressing local needs and conditions. In response to the call of physics teachers in Kenya, we have developed a workshop where practitioners and researchers work together to create strategies and resources for designing locally-realized informal programs. We present here outcomes of the workshop, including participant-created programs, as well as participants' perceptions of gains after participation. This study has been possible in part Thanks to the Institute of Physics Ireland and the Mawazo Institute.

  • • Using Champions to Help Bring Cultural Awareness to K-12 Physics

    • PST1D10
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by David Rosengrant, Gregory Rushton,

    • Type: Poster
    • Data shows that in physics, especially the teacher workforce, we find a very non-diverse group of individuals (mostly white males). Though this trend is slowly changing, the challenge is evident that we need to be proactive now in encouraging more women and individuals who are not white to study physics. What is also important is that we do this in a way that normalizes the idea of diversity in physics. This project focuses on ways we can bring that conversation into a normal routine by highlighting what we term as Physics Champions. Since many teachers are resistant to broad changes in curriculum due to time commitments or other reasons, I provide the key materials ready for teachers to implement this strategy seamlessly into their curriculum. It only takes minutes and can be used as often as teachers want to use it. Practicing teachers have already found this to be impactful.

  • • Identity in STEAM: Building Physics Identities through Performance

    • PST1D12
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Simone Hyater-Adams, Tamia William,, Claudia Fracchiolla,, Noah Finkelstein,, Kathleen Hinko,

    • Type: Poster
    • Educational programs that integrate the arts and sciences, or STEAM, are growing in prominence within the informal education sphere. However, there is still work to be done on understanding what these programs do for students. We begin to answer to this question through an examination of identity. With the broad research goal of understanding physics identity for Black students, we explore the potential for informal STEAM educational spaces to plant the seeds of physics identity through the use of pedagogies and activities that incorporate dance and theater. We present findings from a study where Black physicists were asked about how their participation in the arts impacted their physics identities. These findings show that the performing arts played several different roles in these physicists lives. Here, we present the ways that these themes map onto potential structures, pedagogies, and norms in an informal physics and performance program for youth.

• SPS Undergraduate Research and Outreach Poster Session

  • • Meeting the Science and Mathematics Education Needs of Grandparent-Headed Families

    • SPS01
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Bonggu Shim, Elizabeth Anderson,, Youjung Lee,

    • Type: Poster
    • There are 2.7 million grandparents raising their grandchildren in the U.S.These marginalized families express increasing concerns about supporting their grandchildren in science and mathematics education. An interdisciplinary program focusing on science and mathematics education for grandparent-headed families was developed using a school-university partnership model. This program was implemented in a small city in the Northeast over a two- year period. Lessons learned from the custodial grandparents and university students and faculty participating in this interdisciplinary program include: (a) grandparents' increased self-efficacy in assisting with their grandchildren in science and math education; (b) university students' increased connection to families' intergenerational learning at home; and, (c) interdisciplinary school-university partnerships as an innovative way to meet unique needs of grandparent-headed families and achieve universities' goals toward civic engagement and applied research.

  • • Physical Models of the Toroidal Dipole

    • SPS02
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Angel Gutarra-leon, Walerian Majewski,

    • Type: Poster
    • We have investigated two models of the third elementary electromagnetic dipole, known as the toroidal dipole. Its magnetic realization is a circumferentially magnetized ring constructed of neodymium. The electric model of the dipole is a toroidal coil connected to a DC voltage. The electric and magnetic toroids produce only an inner magnetic field, inside the torus, and interact only on contact with the electric current density or with a time-dependent electric field. We studied the characteristics of a permanent-magnet toroid and observed the influence of electric and magnetic fields on it. A static toroidal dipole moment of this magnetic toroid was measured in interaction with the external current. The role of toroidal dipoles in particle physics and in technology is discussed.

  • • OSA and SPS Summer Internship Program

    • SPS03
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM
    • by Michael Forkner,
    • Type: Poster
    • This summer I worked at The Optical Society (OSA) helping to redesign, update, and relaunch their Optics for Kids website. My main summer goal was to review all the material on the site to ensure that the content was up to date the physics was correct. I had a stretch goal of creating new web pages focusing on resources to help elementary, middle, and high school teachers teach optics. While I only made small progress towards my stretch goal, throughout the summer I picked up other smaller projects that I not only enjoyed but also greatly helped my own professional development. These projects included blogging on different incubators, which are small conference style meetings of focused and niche physics topics, and blogging on the OSA Innovation school, a four-day school where students learn to harness their entrepreneurship and innovation to create new products for their business.

  • • Random Phase Approximation Susceptibility

    • SPS04
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM
    • by Zhenxiong Xie,
    • Type: Poster
    • Susceptibility is a linear response function that describes the propertiesof high temperature superconductors. Moreover, susceptibility of interacting Fermions is introduced to calculate the approximate analytic solution of superconducting gap through random phase approximation (RPA). This work shows Matsubara Green function and the RPA susceptibility. In addition, multi-orbital Hubbard Model is also introduced.

  • • Scientific Literacy and Links to Attitudes Towards Science Policy

    • SPS05
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM
    • by Danielle Montecalvo,
    • Type: Poster
    • One hundred twenty randomly selected undergraduate participants at American University were surveyed during the fall 2017 semester to assess the potential relationships between scientific literacy and attitudes toward space exploration. Motivated by a 2009 study conducted by Cook, et. al. [1] at Syracuse University, the present study explores the topic: How does the scientific literacy of undergraduate college participants affect their attitudes toward space exploration? Consistent with the Cook study, results from the current study reveal that there was a positive correlation between scientific literacy scores and attitudes toward space exploration (rho= 0.224, P<0.05). These results suggest that a higher scientific literacy tends to support slightly more favorable attitudes toward space exploration within the population of undergraduates surveyed.

  • • Students' Understanding of "Instantaneous" Acceleration

    • SPS07
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Michael Danis,* Duane Deardorff,

    • Type: Poster
    • Answers to a commonly missed question on introductory physics exams for students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were critically analyzed to pinpoint sources of conceptual misunderstanding. The question asks students to compare the forces acting on a ball of clay as it lands on the floor. Many students say that the force of the floor is less than or equal to the weight of the clay ball because it does not rebound. The responses to this question were analyzed and curriculum changes were proposed in order to address the student misconceptions.

  • • Understanding Comprehension of Forces and Spatial Reasoning in Introductory Mechanics

    • SPS08
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Danny Rivas, Ximena Cid,

    • Type: Poster
    • Our group is interested in understanding the relationship between visual/spatial cognition and comprehension in physics content. In particular we wanted to understand if there are differences between gains in comprehension, as measured by the Force Concept Inventory, between lecture instructors and to explore the relationship between spatial reasoning skills, as measured by the Mental Rotation Test, and one's ability to excel in physics. Data was collected at the beginning of the semester and end in order to assess the level of content preparation students come into introductory physics with and to quantify how much students learn during the semester. Using statistical tests such as the analysis of variance, (ANOVA), we compared the difference of means for two variables: instructor and content. This poster will focus on the data analysis of the ANOVA, as well give a discussion to describe any relationships we find between spatial reasoning and student comprehension.

  • • Comparison of Calculus-based and Algebra-based SCALE-UP Physics

    • SPS09
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Abigail Hurley,* Jennifer Blue,

    • Type: Poster
    • At Miami University, we use SCALE-UP methods to teach both our algebra-based and calculus-based introductory physics courses. In principle, these courses cover the same subjects in the same manners. The students are not the same: the calculus-based course is taken by engineering majors, mostly men in their first year of college, and the algebra-based course is taken by health science majors in their junior year, with a balanced gender distribution. Now that we have been teaching these courses in this manner for a few years, we have noticed some differences in the way the students interact with the instructors and the material. Observations of the summer courses, plus student surveys and scores, will help us to confirm or correct our assumptions.

  • • Effect of an iPad-based Physics Curriculum on Pre-service Elementary Teachers' Technology Self-efficacy

    • SPS10
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Matthew Conway, Deepika Menon,

    • Type: Poster
    • This study investigates a set of variables influencing pre-service elementary teachers' technology self-efficacy as they engage in an innovative iPad-based physics curriculum, Exploring Physics. Specifically, we investigated, (1) the impact of computer-based courses taken at the high school or college level and, (2) the prior possession of an iPad, on participants' technology self-efficacy. Participants included 92 pre-service elementary school teachers enrolled in a semester-long physics content course. Data were collected using a Technology Self-efficacy survey and an open-ended questionnaire. Data analysis included linear regression to understand the effect of variables on participants' technology self-efficacy. Results showed that computer-based courses were a significant contributor, while the possession of an iPad had little influence on technology self-efficacy. This result implies that using technology in a general sense may not necessarily affect pre-service teachers' confidence to use technology, while meaningful hands-on experiences can foster their willingness to integrate newer technologies in physics teaching.

  • • Fast Multipole Method for N-Body Simulations Applied to Physical Systems

    • SPS11
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Aaron Hutchins, Christopher Kane,, Meghan Lentz,, Patrick Miles,, Walter Freeman,

    • Type: Poster
    • With modern consumer grade computers, it is possible to simulate the physics of N body systems by computing all pairwise interactions on each particle exactly. Computational cost of this method scales as O(N^2), however, which makes simulating large N systems impractical on the typical computer. In order to simulate interesting physics with large N, approximations must be made to decrease the number of force calculations required per timestep. In our work, we implemented the fast multipole method, which can decrease computational cost to O(N logN) or O(N), vastly speeding up calculations. We present our study of the complicated relationship between computational gain and loss of accuracy in the force calculations with the implementation of this method. In addition, we have applied this algorithm to the study of planetary ring dynamics, solar system formation and fluid dynamics.

  • • Higgs Field's Vacuum Expectation Value from the Muon Decay

    • SPS12
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Angel Gutarra-leon, Walerian Majewski,

    • Type: Poster
    • Cosmic ray (atmospheric) muon decays into an electron and two neutrinos. By detecting the delay time between arrival of the muon and an appearance of the decay electron in our scintillation detector, we measured the muon's average lifetime at rest in the material of our detector. From the lifetime, using the Standard Model of Fundamental Particles' relations and an experimental value for masses of W boson MW and of the muon m?, we calculated the vacuum expectation value of the Higgs field to be v = 207 GeV/??c, as well as the universal weak and electric charges. We measured the sea-level fluxes of both low-energy (below 140 MeV) and high-energy muons. We also found the shapes of the energy spectra of low-energy muons and of their decay electrons. We attempted to measure the stopping power of muons in lead shielding.

  • • Novel Nanostructures Syntheses Toward Third Generation Solar Cell

    • SPS13
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Andrew Nunez, Sedariest Hammond,, Dominic Tran,, Mostafa Sadoqi,, Gen Long,

    • Type: Poster
    • Third-generation solar cell devices aim to increase power conversion efficiency from sunlight and decrease cost of materials production compared to first-generation silicon based solar cells, despite the theoretical limit set by Shockley and Queisser. In this poster we present an experimental study on an approach of Zinc Oxide nanowires, PbS nanoparticles, and ITO plate substrates to form heterojunction colloidal quantum dot solar cells via chemical synthesis. The process includes nanowire annealing and growth, nanoparticle synthesis and ligand exchange, and spin coating fabrication of the solar cell. In addition, we introduced gold nanoparticles to the cells and have shown that these increase light absorption via plasmonic effect, with results characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM and UV-Vis-Nir spectroscopy.

  • • Inductional Magnetic Levitation

    • SPS14
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

    • by Angel Gutarra-leon Walerian Majewski, Vincent Cordrey, Brady Murphy, Sepehr Samiei

    • Type: Poster
    • We constructed three circular neodymium magnet array wheels in both Halbach and non-Halbach configurations with strong alternating-polarity magnetic fields on the outer rims of the wheels. Such systems are referred to as electrodynamic wheels (EDW). A Halbach array is a series of magnets which have their magnetic dipole directions rotated by 90 degrees at each adjacent position. Our non-Halbach array created somewhat weaker alternating fields around the rim with magnetic dipole moments arranged circumferentially with reversing polarity. Our experiments measured the lift and drag forces produced by these spinning wheels on conducting plates which play a role of the tracks, at varying rotation speeds of the wheels. These forces were compared with theoretical predictions for the ratio of lift to drag. We found that the lift to drag ratios for both measured wheels followed the predicted linear relationship as functions of angular velocity of the rotating magnetic field. We expand here on our construction of a Halbach EDW with tightly-spaced magnets. (Supported by NVCC Educational Foundation, Virginia Academy of Science and the Society of Physics Students). Sponsored by Jorge Del Carpio.

  • • Roger That! Say YES to a Successful Collaboration

    • SPS15
    • Sun 07/29, 7:00PM - 10:00PM

    • by Karen Gipson Deana Weibel, Samhita Rhodes, Glen Swanson, Emily Hromi

    • Type: Poster
    • Roger That! is a two-day public symposium on space exploration named in honor of Roger Chaffee, a native Grand Rapidian who lost his life in the Apollo 1 fire. The symposium is organized by faculty at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in collaboration with staff at Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM). Keynote speakers are featured, along with presentations by local experts aimed at college students and the general public on scientific and societal considerations of space exploration. The first day also includes a Design Challenge for 5th -8th graders, K5 field trips, and planetarium shows. The second day features family-friendly activities at GRPM. Funded in part by the Michigan Space Grant Consortium.

• Teacher Training/Enhancement

  • • Recruiting Future Physics Teachers with a Summer Enrichment Program

    • PST1E03
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by AJ Richards, Nathan Magee,, Lauren Madden,, Marissa Bellino,, Melissa Chessler,

    • Type: Poster
    • The shortage of well-qualified physics teachers is a crisis on a national scale. To address this issue, our institution has successfully applied for a Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship grant. As part of the programming we've developed from the grant support, we have created a field-based summer enrichment program designed to encourage current students (not on the educational track) to consider transferring to our physics teacher-prep major. The Summer Teacher Exploration Program for Undergraduate Physics (STEP-UP) is a three-week program that gives students a crash course in pedagogy and learning sciences and then allows them the opportunity to design and actually teach lessons in local K-12 classrooms. In this presentation we will describe STEP-UP in detail and discuss how the program changed participants' views on teaching and its viability as a future career path.

  • • Teachers' Energy Model as a Tool for Interpreting Student Ideas in a Community of Practice*

    • PST1E05
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Orlala Wentink, Amy Robertson,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Physics Department at Seattle Pacific University supports a group of highly engaged elementary school teachers in a professional learning community (PLC) focused on student learning about energy. Using the lens of communities of practice, we are analyzing video episodes from these PLC meetings to try to understand what supports the teachers' mutual engagement in their joint enterprise of reformed science teaching. In this talk, we illustrate that their co-constructed model of energy is a tool in the teachers' shared repertoire and supports their mutual engagement in reformed science teaching. We highlight the role that this tool plays in the teachers' interpretation of student ideas.

  • • Evolution of Reflective Skills of Pre-service Physics Teachers

    • PST1E07
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Marianne Vanier, Eugenia Etkina,

    • Type: Poster
    • The poster will show the patterns that emerged from our analysis of pre-service teachers' reflections while they acquire additional teaching experience in an ISLE-reformed introductory physics course for science students. The teaching occurred before and after the formal student teaching internship. We were interested in the changes in the pre-service physics teachers' reflections (content, emergent themes, theme evolution etc.) as they can be indicators of professional development as well as awareness of the role that science practices play in learning physics. Over 300 reflections were coded using a validated coding scheme.

  • • Exploring One Aspect of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Teaching Assistants Using the Test of Understanding Graphs in Kinematics*

    • PST1E09
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Alexandru Maries, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Test of Understanding Graphs in Kinematics (TUG-K) is a multiple choice test developed by Beichner in 1994 to assess students'? understanding of kinematics graphs. Many of the items on the TUG-K have strong distractor choices which correspond to students'? common difficulties with kinematics graphs. We evaluate one aspect of the pedagogical content knowledge of first year physics graduate students enrolled in a teaching assistant (TA) training course related to topics covered in the TUG-K. We used the TUG-K to design a task forTAs that would provide information about their knowledge of common student difficulties and used the TA data and the data from Beichner's original paper for introductory physics students (which was collected from over 500 college and high-school students) to assess this aspect of the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of the graduate students, i.e., knowledge of student difficulties related to kinematics graphs as they are revealed by the TUG-K. We find that, although the graduate students, on average, performed better than random guessing at identifying introductory student difficulties on the TUG-K, they did not identify many common difficulties that introductory students have with graphs in kinematics. In addition, we find that the ability of graduate students to identify the difficulties of introductory students is context dependent and that discussions among the graduate students improved their understanding of student difficulties related to kinematics graphs. Moreover, we find that the ability of American graduate students in identifying common student difficulties is comparable with that of foreign graduate students. *Work supported by the National Science Foundation.

  • • Initiating Meetings of Local Physics and Physical Science Teachers

    • PST1E11
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Daniel Crowe,
    • Type: Poster
    • Most high school physics teachers face many barriers to attending nationalmeetings of professional societies. The cost of attending meetings and the inconvenience of travel are difficult to justify if it is unclear what, if any, benefits there are to meeting with colleagues. This school year, I started organizing meetings of high school physics teachers and middle school physical science teachers in Loudoun County, VA, where I teach. Such local meetings introduce participants to the benefits of meeting with physics colleagues for professional development while minimizing time commitments and expenses. I will report on the activities in which we engaged, the difficulties we encountered, and suggestions for others wishing to organize local meetings in their communities.

  • • Pre-service Physics Teachers' Beliefs in the Context of Reflective Practice Activities

    • PST1E02
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Sungmin Im,
    • Type: Poster
    • The purpose of this study is to investigate pre-service physics teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning physics in the context of reflective practice activities. For this, the author designed the reflective practice activities for pre-service physics teachers according to the pedagogy of the reflective teacher education model based on previous literature, and 33 pre-service physics teachers took part in this reflective practice where pre-service teachers should reflect on their teaching plans and practices for five weeks before field practicum. In this study beliefs about teaching and learning physics consists of two constructs; epistemological belief and self-efficacy belief. To measure pre-service physics teachers' beliefs the author utilized Belief About Learning Physics Survey (BAPS) and a modified Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI). As a result, the author found the distribution of the pre-service physics teachers' beliefs and compared them according to their reflective thinking profiles.

  • • Characterizing Next Gen PET Assessments Using the 3-D LAP

    • PST1E04
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Meghan Clemons, Stephen Robinson,, Paula Engelhardt,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3-D LAP) (1) was developed to evaluate the alignment of summative assessment items used in college science courses with the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We have adapted the 3-D LAP for use in characterizing items specifically developed for use with the Next Generation Physical Science and Everyday Thinking (Next Gen PET) (2) materials. We will discuss how the protocol was adapted to fit the needs of these mostly conceptual materials and give examples of items with different degrees of dimensionality. We will also show examples of how items can be changed to address multiple dimensions. Eventually the aim of this work is to develop a protocol to assist instructors in developing their own NGSS-aligned assessment items.

  • • Comparing Physics Teacher Preparation in Canada, China, Germany, and NY

    • PST1E06
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Daniel MacIsaac, Wening Wu,, Kathleen Falconer,, Richard Hechter,

    • Type: Poster
    • We juxtapose, compare and contrast standard physics teacher preparation programs from Manitoba Canada, Hubei China, Cologne Germany, and Buffalo, NY USA. Program lengths and scopes, admissions criteria, physics and education course content and durations, field work, student teaching, state exams, graduation requirements are briefly described. Commonalities are described and discussed. Notable features and brief comments on strengths and weaknesses are proffered by experienced faculty associated with programs from all four locations.

  • • Exploring One Aspect of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Instructors and Teaching Assistants Using the Force Concept Inventory*

    • PST1E08
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Alexandru Maries, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) has been widely used to assess student understanding of introductory mechanics concepts by a variety of educators and physics education researchers. One reason for this extensive use is that many of the items on the FCI have strong distractor choices that correspond to students' alternate conceptions in mechanics. Instruction is unlikely to be effective if instructors do not know the common alternate conceptions of introductory physics students and explicitly take into account students' initial knowledge state in their instructional design. Here, we discuss research involving the FCI to evaluate one aspect of the pedagogical content knowledge of both instructors and teaching assistants (TAs): knowledge of introductory student difficulties related to mechanics as they are revealed by the FCI. We used the FCI to design a task for instructors and TAs that would provide information about their knowledge of common student difficulties and used FCI pre-test and post-test data from a large population (~900) of introductory physics students to assess this aspect of pedagogical content knowledge of physics instructors and TAs. We find that while both physics instructors and TAs, on average, performed better than random guessing at identifying introductory students' difficulties with FCI content, they did not identify many common difficulties that introductory physics students have, even after traditional instruction. Moreover, the ability to correctly identify students' difficulties was not correlated with the teaching experience of the physics instructors or the background of the TAs. *Work supported by the National Science Foundation

  • • Incorporating New Materials, Content and Pedagogy in Professional Development Workshops

    • PST1E10
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Aaron Wangberg, Elizabeth Gire,, Robyn Wangberg,

    • Type: Poster
    • Instructors are often attracted to the Raising Physics and Raising Calculus materials because they provide a new way for students to engage with physical and mathematical content. The materials help students share discoveries before formal lecture, and while instructors in the professional development workshops are often thrilled about the new perspective on content, they are often equally awed by the changes in teaching practices and expectations that accompany the tools. In this poster, we will share our own discoveries and lessons -- some learned painfully -- for helping instructors broaden their own teaching practices and incorporate student ideas into the classroom.

  • • Integrating Computation: What's New from PICUP*

    • PST1E12
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Larry Engelhardt, Kelly Roos,, Marie Lopez del Puerto,, Danny Caballero, Norman Chonacky

    • Type: Poster
    • The purpose of this poster is to provide some updates about exciting opportunities that are available to you from "PICUP" (the "Partnership for Integration of Computation into Undergraduate Physics"). These opportunities include week-long workshops during the summer, single-day workshops at AAPT meetings and at various locations around the country, and editable curricular materials that can be downloaded from the PICUP Collection of the ComPADRE Digital Library: www.compadre. org/PICUP. Do you already integrate computation into your courses? If so, you should submit your materials for publication in the PICUP Collection, which gives you the opportunity to both (1) contribute to the broader physics community, and (2) get some peer-reviewed publications in the process!

• Technologies

  • • WorldWide-Telescope-based Data Visualization and its Educational Application

    • PST1F03
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 9:15AM

    • by Cuilan Qiao,* Chenzhou Cui,, Hongguang Wang,, Yunwei Yu,, Lin Ding,

    • Type: Poster
    • Scientific data typically is presented in the form of standardized charts or diagrams, which are not easily accessible for the public. Conversely, information aimed at the general public often is transmitted through visual images, videos, and educational texts and therefore is more user friendly. Based on the large dataset platform named WorldWide Telescope, we have designed various instructional activities to engage Chinese university students in scientific experiences, such as processing and visualization of authentic data of seismic zones, gamma ray bursts, pulsars, binary stars, ancient Chinese constellations, satellites and their orbits. The activities transform abstract scientific data into concrete, 3-D visual information, suitable for educational purposes. The process of visualization can also enhance students' understanding of scientific knowledge. We discuss the design and implementation of the WWT-based visualization and explore its application for cultivating scientific skills among our next generation of STEM workforce.

  • • A Controlled Study of Stereoscopic Virtual Reality in Freshman Electrostatics

    • PST1F05
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30AM - 9:15PM

    • by Christopher Porter, Chris Orban,, Joseph Smith,, Amber Simmons,, Megan Nieberding,

    • Type: Poster
    • The incorporation of virtual reality (VR) into instruction has been difficult due to high-cost headsets or "caves," and the challenge of serving an entire student population with only one or a few such devices. This has changed with the advent of smartphone-based stereoscopic VR. Inexpensive cardboard headsets and smartphones already in students' pockets are the only elements needed for a virtual reality experience. We have studied the utility of VR visualizations (in some cases with introductory training) in the context of Gauss's law and electrostatics in a cohort of students in calculus-based introductory physics at The Ohio State University. By recording the orientation of the smartphones during some visualizations, we have also tracked and mapped student perspectives, giving us a proxy for student attention to various details. Although data are preliminary in this growing study, we comment on possible reasons for differences among student groups.

  • • Physics Mastery Modules: An Open First-Year Physics Learning System

    • PST1F01
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Joseph MacMillan, Rupinder Brar,

    • Type: Poster
    • In many introductory university courses, including physics, online homework systems have mostly replaced traditional hand-written assignments; however, the most common online systems are provided by textbook publishers, which can be expensive and inflexible. Using the results of education research, we identified a "mastery setting" as a good model for homework delivery. In an effort to improve effectiveness and eliminate cost of online homework assignments at the first-year level of all physics courses at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), we built an online open-education learning system entitled Physics Mastery Modules. In this poster we will describe this initiative, as well as quantify the statistically significant improvements in student performance and engagement.

  • • BuckeyeVR 3D Plot Viewer – A Free Resource for Smartphone-based VR*

    • PST1F07
    • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM

    • by Chris Orban, Chris Porter, , Joseph Smith

    • Type: Poster
    • Although there are a number of smartphone apps that can produce interesting stereoscopic visualizations using a cheap VR viewer (often called Google Cardboard), until recently there did not exist a resource to allow STEM educators to use this VR technology to display user-defined functions, curves, and vector fields. The BuckeyeVR 3D plot viewer is a free resource that allows educators to both render a user-defined function in a web interface and to quickly view this function in stereoscopic 3D using smartphone-based VR. This is made possible by a freely available smartphone app for Android and iPhones that can take information from the web interface and reproduce the visualization on the smartphone. This resource is available at buckeyevr.osu.edu and we encourage STEM educators to adopt it and to collaborate with Ohio State in examining the pedagogical benefits of this technology.

  • • VPython Coding Challenges for Calculus-based Physics

    • PST1F02
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Glenda Denicolo,
    • Type: Poster
    • The VPython coding challenges I use in my calculus-based physics classes are available for public use. These codes are minimal working examples where students build from to calculate physical quantities, create visualizations, and make the necessary plots to understand motion. Sometimes only a few changes to the initial code are necessary. When more is required, students are guided by comments contained in the codes, which also have questions to be answered. Videos are provided to show a possible solution to each challenge. The codes are deployed with trinket.io. In mechanics, the topics are: one-dimensional motion, projectile motion at complementary angles, Newton's second law with air drag, examining elliptical versus circular orbits, energy and momentum of a bouncing ball, two-dimensional collision, center of mass motion in a collision, angular momentum conservation in orbital motion, simple harmonic oscillator, damped and driven oscillators, superposition of waves. The coding challenges are available at: http://gdenicolo.net/vpython.html

  • • 2-D Collisions Experiment Using Local Positioning Technology

    • PST1F04
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Paul DeStefano, Cora Seibert,, Thomas Allen,, Ralf Widenhorn,

    • Type: Poster
    • The advent of low-cost local positioning systems provides a new opportunity for introductory physics laboratory activities. Using this technology, students can obtain position data for two-dimensional collisions, while at the same time measure acceleration and rotational speed. These data sets are of sufficient quality that students can analyze trajectories before and after the collision to verify the law of conservation of momentum, even when collisions involve the transfer of angular momentum. Local positioning offers more complexity and "real-world" applicability than is achievable by the traditional one dimensional collision experiments of two carts on a track.

  • • Using a Smartphone to Teach Physics Concepts

    • PST1F06
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM

    • by Minjoon Kouh, Andrew Goldstein,

    • Type: Poster
    • Today's smartphone is a versatile, little machine. It contains a variety of sensors that constantly monitor the state of the phone and its environment. We used linear accelerometer in a smartphone to supplement lessons from introductory mechanics. In particular, we developed 30-minute physics activities for illustrating the Cartesian coordinate system, for distinguishing velocity and acceleration concepts, and for performing vector decomposition. We also did a survey on the perceived usefulness and quality of experience for these physics activities.

  • • Framework for Teaching with Historical Primary Sources in Science Classrooms

    • PST1F08
    • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by John Smith,
    • Type: Poster
    • Digitized primary sources, from manuscripts and maps to patents and photographs, are increasingly available for classroom use. These documents can illustrate how models and explanations of phenomena in physics, physical science, and astronomy have changed over time. Additionally, primary sources can shed light on the practices and lives of scientists. Beyond being windows into science content and practices, primary sources can open up questions about the ways in which technologies and the sciences intersect with community challenges that have roots in our past and demand attention in our present.

• Upper Division and Graduate

  • • Polymer Chain Translocation in Post Array Induced by Arrangement Differ

    • PST2D01
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Xingchen Zhang, Zhaohui Wang,, Jiahua Lu,

    • Type: Poster
    • We demonstrate that the arrangement differs of posts have significant effect on the translocation of polymer chains which are embedded in the post arrays by using Monte Carlo algorithm. Moreover, by changing the diameter of the posts, we find that the associated translocation times are strongly affected by the structure of the post array. Hence, a new micro-fabricated device that is used to separate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by molecular weight can be designed using this idea. Moreover, this study can help us to develop a better understanding on the passages of polymers across membranes in nature.

  • • STEM Storytellers: Improving Graduate Students' Oral Communication Skills

    • PST2D03
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Shannon Willoughby, Bryce Hughes,, Leila Sterman,, Chris Organ,, Brock LaMeres,

    • Type: Poster
    • Despite the increasing importance of effectively communicating scientific ideas and results to the general public, graduate students in STEM related fields often do not receive extensive opportunities to practice these crucial oral communication skills. This research presents a novel oral communication curriculum that is being developed and tested with STEM graduate students at Montana State University. The program, called the "STEM Storytellers Program," uses a transformative approach to training graduate students that pulls knowledge from the journalism and performing arts community. Our program has three components: 1) creating jargon-less podcasts; 2) receiving training from an improvisational actor on stage presence; and 3) presenting at "curiosity cafes" to audiences from the general public. We will discuss the program, the curriculum and rubrics we developed, and the recruiting process. We'll also reflect on our initial experiences and offer advice for others interested in offering similar opportunities for graduate students.

  • • Activities Exploring Potentials and Electric Fields Using Raising Physics to the Surface Manipulatives

    • PST2D05
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Robyn Wangberg, Elizabeth Gire,, Aaron Wangberg,

    • Type: Poster
    • Visualizing and understanding relationships between multivariable functions is necessary, but sometimes under-emphasized, in Electricity and Magnetism courses. Raising Physics to the Surface has developed tools that help students discover the deep relationships between the electric field and the corresponding scalar electric potential, and from which understandings of conservative and non-conservative vector fields can grow. At our poster, which shares several classroom activities, you'll be able to explore these concepts as you play with the surfaces.

  • • ComSciCon-Triangle: Science Communication Workshop for Graduate Students

    • PST2D07
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Reginald Bain, Kayleigh O'Keeffe,

    • Type: Poster
    • The ability of scientists to effectively communicate scientific ideas witha variety of audiences is critical. There is currently a dearth of science communication training opportunities for graduate students in STEM. A series of national and local graduate student-organized science communication workshops for graduate students in STEM called "ComSciCon" is discussed. First founded in 2013 by Harvard astrophysics students, these workshops aim to empower graduate students to be more engaged in communicating science with both the public and with fellow scientists. Workshops include panel discussions, networking opportunities, and hands-on sessions for improving oral/written communication skills. We analyze survey data from from 2015-2017 student attendees to ComSciCon-Triangle, a local workshop held annually in Raleigh-Durham, NC. Attendees feel significantly more confident in their ability to communicate scientific ideas with the public and with scientists, and with submitting a written piece to a popular science publication.

  • • Developing and Evaluating an Interactive Tutorial on Degenerate Perturbation Theory

    • PST2D09
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Christof Keebaugh, Emily Marshman,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with degenerate perturbation theory (DPT) carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. We find that students share many common difficulties related to this topic. We used the difficulties found via research as resources to develop and evaluate a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) which strives to help students develop a functional understanding of DPT. We discuss the development of the DPT QuILT and its preliminary evaluation in the undergraduate and graduate courses. We thank the NSF for funding.

  • • Development of an Interactive Tutorial on Quantum Key Distribution

    • PST2D11
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Seth DeVore, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • We describe the development of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) on quantum key distribution, a context that involves a practical application of quantum mechanics. The QuILT helps upper-level undergraduate students learn quantum mechanics using a simple two-state system and was developed based upon the findings of cognitive research and physics education research. One protocol used in the QuILT involves generating a random shared key over a public channel for encrypting and decrypting information using single photons with non-orthogonal polarization states, and another protocol makes use of two entangled spin-½ particles. The QuILT uses a guided approach and focuses on helping students build links between the formalism and conceptual aspects of quantum physics without compromising the technical content. We also discuss findings from a preliminary in-class evaluation. Supported by the NSF.

  • • Expectations and Experiences in a Modern Physics Laboratory Course

    • PST2D13
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Helen Cothrel, Jonathan Skuza,

    • Type: Poster
    • Modern physics is a crucial course due to its context as a bridge between the introductory level and quantum mechanics. Laboratory courses in modern physics are under scrutiny due to a dearth of evidence that their benefits to students—especially regarding content knowledge—outweigh the resources needed to maintain them. As such, it is worth questioning whether it is justifiable to continue to offer labs along with lecture in modern. This study examines students' experiences in a modern physics lab through beginning- and end-of-semester interviews to learn what is meaningful or valuable (or not) to them about the lab. I will expand upon the results presented in my contributed talk to show that students' ideas about the modern physics lab extend beyond content knowledge.

  • • Improving Students' Understanding of Lock-in Amplifiers

    • PST2D15
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Seth DeVore, Alexandre Gauthier,, Jeremy Levy,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • A lock-in amplifier is a versatile instrument frequently used in physics research. However, many students struggle with the basic operating principles of a lock-in amplifier which can lead to a variety of difficulties. To improve students' understanding, we have developed and evaluated a research-based tutorial which utilizes a computer simulation of a lock-in amplifier. The tutorial is based on a field-tested approach in which students realize their difficulties after predicting the outcome of simulated experiments involving a lock-in amplifier and check their predictions using the simulated lock-in amplifier. Then, the tutorial guides and helps students develop a coherent understanding of the basics of a lock-in amplifier. The tutorial development involved interviews with physics faculty members and graduate students and iteration of many versions of the tutorial with professors and graduate students. The student difficulties and the development and assessment of the research-based tutorial are discussed. Supported by the NSF.

  • • Investigating Intrinsically Localized Vibrations in Crystalline Lattices Using Van-Hove Singularities

    • PST2D17
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Benjamin Agyare, Peter Riseborough,

    • Type: Poster
    • Sodium Iodide has a rock salt structure. Intrinsically Localized Modes (ILMs) have supposedly been observed in NaI but only for wave-vectors at the corner of the 3-D Brillouin Zone. It has been suggested that, for high-symmetry q vectors, several van Hove singularities may converge at one critical energy producing a large peak in the two-phonon density of state spectrum and giving rise to ILMs with these q values. First, we fit the experimentally determined acoustic and the optic phonon modes using a nearest neighbor and a next-nearest neighbor force constants. We find that the two-phonon density of states, for fixed q exhibits non-divergent van Hove singularities. The energies of these features vary as q is varied and we have identified the q values at which the two-phonon density of states is enhanced. We intend to introduce anharmonic interactions and examine if it can bind the two-phonon excitations to produce a quantized ILM.

  • • Polymer Chain Translocation in Post Array Induced by Arrangement Differ

    • PST2D19
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Zhaohui Wang, Xingchen Zhang,, Jiahua Hua,

    • Type: Poster
    • We demonstrate that the arrangement differs of posts have significant effect on the translocation of polymer chains which are embedded in the post arrays by using Monte Carlo algorithm. Moreover, by changing the diameter of the posts, we find that the associated translocation times are strongly affected by the structure of the post array. Hence, a new micro-fabricated device that is used to separate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by molecular weight can be designed using this idea. Moreover, this study can help us to develop a better understanding on the passages of polymers across membranes in nature.

  • • Student Difficulties with Finding the Corrections to the Energy Spectrum of the Hydrogen Atom for the Strong and Weak Field Zeeman Effects Using Degenerate Perturbation Theory

    • PST2D21
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Christof Keebaugh, Emily Marshman,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with the corrections to the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom for the strong and weak field Zeeman effects using degenerate perturbation theory. This investigation was carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering written free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. We discuss the common student difficulties related to these concepts, which can be used as a guide for creating learning tools to help students develop a functional understanding of concepts involving the corrections to the energy spectrum due to the Zeeman effect. We thank the NSF for support.

  • • Student Difficulties with the Representation in Which an Operator Is Diagonal In the Context of Degenerate Perturbation Theory

    • PST2D23
    • Wed 08/01, 9:30AM - 10:15AM

    • by Christof Keebaugh, Emily Marshman,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with the representation in which a Hermitian operator corresponding to a physical observable (e.g., the Hamiltonian operator corresponding to energy) is diagonal in the context of degenerate perturbation theory involving the Zeeman effect in the hydrogen atom. This investigation was carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering written free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. We discuss the common student difficulties related to these concepts, knowledge of which can be useful for developing research-validated learning tools. We thank the NSF for support.

  • • Reinforcing Common Themes: Content Alignment of Optics and Analytical Mechanics Curriculums

    • PST2D02
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Vanessa Preisler, David Chappell,

    • Type: Poster
    • There exists common themes, problems, and mathematical techniques throughout the upper-division physics curriculum. Students, however, are prone to overlook these commonalities as each subject is presented separately within a class with usually little overlap between one class and another. We propose a partnership between optics and analytical mechanics courses that aims to highlight common themes and techniques. We show how content between the two classes can be aligned in order to reinforce concepts and demonstrate the connectivity of physics subjects to students.

  • • Student Difficulties with Operators Corresponding to Observables in Dirac Notation

    • PST2D04
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Emily Marshman, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Even though Dirac notation is used extensively in upper-level quantum mechanics, many advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics have difficulty in expressing the identity operator and other Hermitian operators corresponding to physical observables in quantum mechanics using the Dirac notation in terms of the outer product of a complete set of orthonormal eigenstates of an operator. To investigate these difficulties, we administered free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducted individual interviews with students after traditional instruction in relevant concepts in advanced quantum mechanics courses. We discuss the analysis of data on the common difficulties found. We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

  • • Analogous Patterns of Student Reasoning Difficulties in Introductory Physics and Upper-Level Quantum Mechanics

    • PST2D06
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Emily Marshman, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Very little is known about how the nature of expertise in introductory andadvanced courses compares in knowledge-rich domains such as physics. We develop a framework to compare the similarities and differences between learning and patterns of student difficulties in introductory physics and quantum mechanics. Based upon our framework, we argue that the qualitative patterns of student reasoning difficulties in introductory physics bear a striking resemblance to those found for upper-level quantum mechanics. The framework can guide the design of teaching and learning tools. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation.

  • • Developing an Interactive Tutorial on a Quantum Eraser*

    • PST2D08
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Emily Marshman, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • We developed a quantum interactive learning tutorial (QuILT) on a quantum eraser for students in upper-level quantum mechanics. The QuILT exposes students to contemporary topics in quantum mechanics and uses a guided approach to learning. It adapts existing visualization tools to help students build physical intuition about quantum phenomena and strives to help them develop the ability to apply quantum principles in physical situations. The quantum eraser apparatus in the gedanken (thought) experiments and simulations that students learn from in the QuILT uses a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with single photons. We also discuss findings from a preliminary in-class evaluation.

  • • Developing and Evaluating Quantum Mechanics Formalism and Postulates Survey*

    • PST2D10
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Emily Marshman, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Development of multiple-choice tests related to a particular physics topicis important for designing research-based learning tools to reduce the difficulties related to the topic. We explore the difficulties that the advanced undergraduate and graduate students have with quantum mechanics formalism and postulates. We developed a research-based multiple-choice survey that targets these issues to obtain information about the common difficulties and administered it to undergraduate and graduate students. We find that the advanced undergraduate and graduate students have many common difficulties with these topics. The survey can be administered to assess the effectiveness of various instructional strategies.

  • • Elementary Quantum Mechanics Formulated with In-Out Symbols

    • PST2D12
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Lutz Kasper, Manuel Daiber,

    • Type: Poster
    • This poster shows an approach to elementary quantum mechanics based on Julian Schwingers' symbolism. From a starting point similar to the Stern-Gerlach experiment, we focus on the terms "preparation" (out symbol), "selection" (combined in-out symbol), and "detection" (in symbol). The first step is the symbolic description of classical mechanics. Then students learn about the fundamental differences between classical and quantum mechanics (probability amplitude). Thoroughly we go through the symbolic description of the double-slit experiment and can draw fundamental mathematical conclusions. While addressing the probability interpretation and descriptions of interference phenomena we avoid any pictures of particle paths. First evaluations show that the course can be conducted on a High-School level and in physics teacher education as well.

  • • Helping Students Learn Thermo with Raising Physics to the Surface

    • PST2D14
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Elizabeth Gire, Aaron Wangberg,, Robyn Wangberg,, Jonathan Alfson,

    • Type: Poster
    • Thermodynamics is notoriously hard to learn. One of the challenges is thatthermal systems are described by multivariable functions whose variables are non-spatial, functions of state, and are themselves partial derivatives… and they have multiple dependent variables! The Raising Physics instructional materials are designed to help learners understand the mathematics of thermodynamics. These instructional materials feature 3D surfaces and contour plots to help students visualize functions of two variables and their derivatives. The surfaces represent real physical systems in order to emphasize the math-physics connection and help students build intuitions about the behaviors of these systems. At our interactive poster, you'll have a chance to do our activities and play with the surfaces.

  • • Investigating Transfer of Learning in an Upper-Level Quantum Mechanics Course*

    • PST2D18
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Alexandru Maries, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • Transfer of learning from one context to another is considered a hallmark of expertise. Physics education research has often found that students have great difficulty transferring learning from one context to another. We examine upper-level and graduate students' facility with questions about the interference pattern in the double-slit experiment with single photons and polarizers in various orientations placed in front of one or both slits. Answering these questions correctly in the context of the double-slit experiment requires transferring learning about concepts from the context of a tutorial on Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) with single photons and polarizers in various paths of MZI. We discuss the extent to which students who worked through the MZI tutorial were able to transfer what they learned in that context to another context involving the double-slit experiment.

  • • Polymer Chain Translocation in Post Array Induced by Arrangement Differ

    • PST2D20
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Jiahua Lu, Zhaohui Wang,, Xingchen Zhang,

    • Type: Poster
    • We demonstrate that the arrangement differs of posts have significant effect on the translocation of polymer chains which are embedded in the post arrays by using Monte Carlo algorithm. Moreover, by changing the diameter of the posts, we find that the associated translocation times are strongly affected by the structure of the post array. Hence, a new micro-fabricated device that is used to separate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by molecular weight can be designed using this idea. Moreover, this study can help us to develop a better understanding on the passages of polymers across membranes in nature.

  • • Student Difficulties with Finding the Fine Structure Corrections to the Energy Spectrum of the Hydrogen Atom Using Degenerate Perturbation Theory

    • PST2D22
    • Wed 08/01, 10:15AM - 11:00AM

    • by Christof Keebaugh, Emily Marshman,, Chandralekha Singh,

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with the fine structure corrections to the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom in the context of degenerate perturbation theory (DPT). The investigation was carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. We discuss the common student difficulties related to these concepts. These findings can provide guidelines for creating learning tools to help students develop a functional understanding of concepts involving the fine structure corrections to the energy spectrum of a hydrogen atom. We thank the NSF for support.

Page loaded in 3.296 seconds