Agenda Preview

Posters

• Challenging the Minds of Future Physicists and Engineers

  • • Challenging the Minds of Future Physicists and Engineers  CANCELLED

    • DH
    • Tue 02/07, 8:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by
    • Type: Panel
    • This panel will address Physical Science and Engineering inquiry projects currently taking place in elementary and middle schools. Emphasis will be placed on progress made in large urban areas, as well as work done with minority students, students living in poverty, learners of English as a Second Language, and students with disabilities.

• PER graduate student curriculum beyond the core courses

  • • PER graduate student curriculum beyond the core courses

    • EA
    • Tue 02/07, 1:15PM - 3:15PM
    • by
    • Type: Panel

• Posters Labs/Apparatus

  • • A Low-Cost Electrometer for Measuring Nanoamperes and Conductivity in Glass

    • PST2F01
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by William Heffner
    • Type: Poster
    • Glassy materials exhibit very low conductivities and are usually considered insulators. Yet they have a very interesting and considerable temperature dependence of conductivity, especially near the glass transition. Yet laboratory methods to explore this phenomenon are generally not accessible to the undergraduate engineering student, let alone the high school classroom. We present here a low-cost, home-built electrometer capable of nano-amp current detection and suitable for the undergraduate laboratory. We use it to measure the conductivity in sugar glass, a.k.a. hard candy, and explore the glass transition. This method is based on conductivity vs. temperature where inflection points in sugar glass provide a clear signal of the glass transition. The method utilizes a simple, high-impedance current amplifier built around a low-cost (<$5) OP AMP IC. The electrometer can also be used to measure the photocurrent generated in a silicon diode.

  • • Dancing Interference of Visual Light  CANCELLED

    • PST2F03
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Farzan Momeni
    • Type: Poster
    • After passing about 150 years since Maxwell's formulation of the electromagnetic equations, there could be found new amazing aspects of light. Among them is what I call "the dancing interference"; a phenomenon that could be easily observed nowadays thanks to the widespread high-resolution CCD cameras with up to 100000 snaps per second or more. The received sunrays are incoherent. Their relevant time incoherency is of the order of microseconds. So, in a simple interference apparatus--available even in ordinary colleges--like the double-slit Young Interferometer, students can observe the marvelous dance of the interference patterns using their suitable pocket CCD cameras installed properly to the interferometer. The working of the apparatus will be explained here, as well as instructions for establishing such apparatus for those interested in observing this natural dancing of light.

  • • Fan Carts Blow

    • PST2F05
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Jacob Millspaw
    • Type: Poster
    • Fan carts are prevalent in mechanics-based physics labs exploring motion, forces and energy. Often the carts are loaded with masses, put onto inclines or the fan force direction is changed relative to the direction of motion. It is assumed that the fan supplies a constant force that students measure under these circumstances. We have found that the fan carts do not provide a constant force but a force that depends on the velocity of the cart which may lead to inconsistent results in lab investigations.

  • • Measurements of Charged Tapes by MBL Charge Sensor

    • PST2F07
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Jung Bog Kim
    • Type: Poster
    • Charges of tapes charged by various triboelectric conditions are measured relatively by using an MBL sensor. We figured out some results that are depending on initial charges when we pull off the tape. Initial charges play roles of not only electric force on charges that may be separated but also inducing polarization of the tape material. Amount of separated charges can be decided by these effects. We also measured a time constant of discharge depending on moisture.

  • • Reproducible Quantized Conductance: A Lab Experiment on the Wave Nature of Matter

    • PST2F09
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Robert Tolley
    • Type: Poster
    • We demonstrate clear quantized conductance steps in mechanical break junctions (MBJ) based on a gold wire, a springy-steel bending beam, a micrometer, a 1.5V battery, and a Teflon disc that we rotate manually. As the wire is stretched (in steps of less than 1 Angstrom) to the point when it is about to break at a weak point, its resistance increases gradually and eventually follows a stair-case-like shape, which is a hallmark of quantized conductance. The resistance steps are observed at values of 25.8 k?/2n, where n is an integer. The resistance steps are clearer and more distinct for smaller n, in agreement with the Correspondence Principle. The quantization occurs when the wire is thin enough that its diameter is comparable to the de Broglie wave length of the current-carrying electrons and is a direct consequence of confinement. This experiment is designed for sophomore/junior level undergraduate labs on contemporary physics.

  • • Using Electric Motors to Explore Conservation of Energy Concepts.

    • PST2F11
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Poster
    • In introductory mechanics laboratories there are many simple investigations that are related to conservation of energy. Often, these investigations are based upon a simple idea of moving an object up an incline, or rolling objects down an incline, determining initial and final velocities and change in gravitational potential energy. However, an electric motor can be used to make similar measurements at a constant speed by continuously monitoring the current and voltage as a function of time. This method allows more complex and interesting investigations.

  • • An Optics Investigation Using a Beaker as a Cylindrical Lens

    • PST2F02
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Poster
    • In optics class we often derive refraction at spherical surfaces (which isultimately the same as for cylindrical surfaces). We then move on to apply the thin lens approximation and come up with the thin lens equation. However, students generally are unwilling to apply the expressions we have derived in general situations, preferring to misapply the convenient thin lens equation and lens makers equation. For this reason we provided the students with an investigation in which the students were required to use the more general expressions for curved refracting surfaces. The investigation and results will be presented.

  • • Development of a Web-enabled Renewable Energy Lab

    • PST2F04
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Steven Vuong
    • Type: Poster
    • In the summer of 2011 as an intern, I was assigned tasks of web and instructional support for the Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) grant project at Hartnell College. I learned and implemented various software tools including Google Sketch Up, Picasa, Dropbox, and Google Documents. In addition, I composed single sheet summaries of all the solar panel hardware. I assisted in the development of the solar lab module activities, instruction of the lab, and assessment of the learning outcomes. In this poster, I will present assessment results and prospects for future project improvement.

  • • Measurements and Analysis of the Compound Double Pendulum

    • PST2F06
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Joel Berlinghieri
    • Type: Poster
    • A compound double pendulum that is free to rotate at any angle in both theprimary (top stationary) and secondary pivot points has been studied both experimentally and analytically. The apparatus uses a PASCO rotation sensor at each pivot. The two-rotation sensors are connected to a computer using Bluetooth wireless links. The angular position, angular velocity, and angular acceleration were recorded for both pivots with each pivot free to make complete 360 degree rotations. The primary pivot point was also monitored with a three-axis linear acceleration sensor. Repetitive measurements were recorded for a range of initial conditions and compared to an analysis using Mathematica. Chaotic and non-chaotic states were studied.

  • • Physical Situations Modeling Trough a First Finite Differences Analysis

    • PST2F08
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Juan Luna
    • Type: Poster
    • The development of calculus fundamental principles to generate mathematical models to describe physical phenomena and their corresponding change measurements is a basic variation thinking factor, and the Derivative Concept didactical platform. At the University of Juarez we implemented a proposal to help the understanding of previous meanings to calculus such as: 1) algebraic, 2) graphing, and 3) numerical. We present physical situation experiments such as: CO2 sublimation, grains of sand flux, or the displacement of objects on a ramp. In the same way, the analysis of the first finite differences trough uses the DataStudio software to determine the kind of behavior: linear, polynomial, or exponential. This proposal helps students to find a modeling function of a data set by using the algebraic representation and their corresponding registers only. Finally, we show the first results based on these didactical ideas in a Differential Calculus course during a previous moment to the derivative.

  • • Undergraduate Physics Labs: The Art of Experimentation

    • PST2F10
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Irene Guerinot
    • Type: Poster
    • In the study of physics, students have always been exposed to laboratory work. For the vast majority of students who enroll in our Introductory Physics courses, this is the first (and most likely last) exposure with the subject. Most students traditionally have difficulty learning physics, because they deem the material abstract or irrelevant, have become disconnected from the data collection/analysis process because of emphasis on sensor-driven instrumentation, and because curricula have been developed by experts, without input from students regarding concepts that confuse them. The input of students is important in identifying misconceptions as well as effective pedagogy. In our institution three students partnered with faculty to redesign our Introductory Physics Lab Exercises through real-life examples and outdoor activities, a pedagogical model that has been established with success in Europe, but used less extensively in the U.S. In this poster, we will describe our work and discuss results and implications.

• Posters Lecture/Classrooms

  • • 10 Years of Creating Virtual Worlds to Teach Physics

    • PST1C01
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Ricardo Rademacher
    • Type: Poster
    • For the last 10 years, Dr. Rademacher has pursued the creation of a three-dimensional online virtual world dedicated to teaching physics. In this poster, three different virtual world implementations will be shown with an emphasis on the pedagogy that is present in each. The first implementation presented will be the Virtual Online Laboratory (VOL) as a testbed in translating offline physics labs to the three-dimensional online world. Next, the Massively Multi-User Synchronous Collaborative Learning environment (MMUSCLE) is presented as the next logical step in the VOL with the addition of stronger social elements and introduces the use of video game development techniques and software. Finally, Physics Adventures in Space Time (PAST) is presented as the latest version, which incorporates all of the above but adds role-playing game elements to help move the pedagogy along.

  • • Doorway to Upper Level Physics: Oral Exams for Sophomores

    • PST1C03
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Dawn Hollenbeck
    • Type: Poster
    • As physics majors enter third-year courses, there is a significant increase in rigor relative to the introductory courses. At RIT we use a Comprehensive Oral Exam (CORE) to help students review introductory physics (including modern physics) and prepare for their final two years. After a quarter of review and practice, students each come before a panel of four faculty who ask them to solve problems at the introductory level. Students who succeed view this as an empowering experience for their subsequent undergraduate career. The experience of solving problems, and explaining the solution while standing at a white board, helps prepare students for subsequent oral presentations. Students who have trouble take the time to evaluate their career plans, either redoubling their efforts, or seeking a major that better fits their strengths. The implementation and outcomes of CORE at RIT will be discussed.

  • • Educational Materials Created by the Acoustical Society of America

    • PST1C05
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Wendy Adams
    • Type: Poster
    • The Acoustical Society of America has recently been focusing effort on K-14 outreach through a partnership with the Optical Society of America and AAPT/PTRAs (Physics Teaching Resource Agents). This year the Acoustical Society has created a FREE activity kit for teachers and a website with activities for students and materials for teachers at http://exploresound.org. The material addresses the science of sound including physics, music, our ears, animal bioacoustics, architectural acoustics, underwater acoustics, speech and medical acoustics. We've also put together a poster series with guidebooks. All materials are research-based and tested with students. In this poster we will describe the type and breadth of material that's available and where to find it.

  • • Student Success in the STEMS: Evidence of student success using a curriculum driven, project based learning model

    • PST1C07
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Capitola Phillips
    • Type: Poster
    • NorthWest Arkansas Community College has developed a curriculum driven, project based learning model, EMPACTS, (Educationally Managed Projects Advancing Curriculum, Technology/Teams and Service), which engages students in an active learning experience. The delivery system has been integrated into core courses across a broad curriculum and has generated over 600 community projects over the past 6 years. Students work in teams as they apply course content and create their own self directed learning experiences. Examples of student success, with special emphasis on the STEM disciplines, will be presented in this poster.

  • • Where Does Physics Fit into The Green Energy Education Picture?

    • PST1C09
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Barbra Maher
    • Type: Poster
    • The recent push for community colleges to become a major part of preparingthe workforce for green jobs provides a unique opportunity. Physics needs to be at the forefront of providing students with a solid foundation in the physics of energy and energy technology. This push needs to go beyond the traditional introductory-level physics offerings. Often, students entering renewable technology programs do not have the math background necessary for many physics courses. Also, most physics courses do not focus on the physics specifically involved in renewable energy technology. Red Rocks Community College partnered with the NSF to develop two new physics course offerings to fill these needs. Energy Science and Technology is an introductory-level, lab-based course exploring many aspects of energy. Energy for Engineers is intended to be an in-depth look at renewable energy technology. Both courses help connect students entering the green workforce with physics.

  • • Building Together: An Undergraduate Freshman Class Defines Physics Model

    • PST1C02
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Gina Quan
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster focuses on an analysis of a constructive whole-class discussion around the definition of a physics model that occurred as part of an elective freshman course at the University of California, Berkeley. The course is taught as part of The Compass Project, a program that supports physical science students during the critical freshman transition into college. The course had students explore physics models through open-ended research questions around the ray model of light. The course structure parallels physics research groups; students work in small groups and the results are discussed in whole-class conversations. The conversation analyzed for this poster involved the need for class consensus around the definition of a physics model. I will identify and characterize the participant moves that led to making the conversation constructive.

  • • Eat Dessert First: Teaching Modern Physics to Freshmen

    • PST1C04
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Donald Smith
    • Type: Poster
    • Headlines scream of faster than light neutrinos, extra dimensions, and particle smashers that will create black holes to destroy the Earth. There is great public interest in physics, but when they enter a first-semester physics class, students struggle to see the connections between what we present them and the bizarre ideas that brought them there. I will present a description of our calculus-based introductory physics class that begins with modern physics. We first build the standard model through a quasi-historical approach, and we finish the semester with a treatment of Special Relativity. I will present the advantages and challenges inherent to this approach in a small liberal arts college setting. In our experience, this approach lets students see right away that physics is an active field filled with mysteries while also giving them the thinking skills to develop as scientists.

  • • Implementation of a Mandatory Senior Capstone Project: Issues and Solutions

    • PST1C06
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Linda Barton
    • Type: Poster
    • RIT is in the fifth year of the implementation of a mandatory year-long (three quarters) capstone project for all physics major seniors. To date, 69 students have participated in this process. The capstone sequence includes a one-quarter Capstone Prep course to assist students in finding a mentor and project, followed by two quarters of capstone research. Each quarter culminates in student oral presentations to the entire department as well as a formal journal-style paper, and submission of the project notebook. While each project is supervised by an individual faculty mentor, all assessment is done by a four-person departmental Capstone Committee. The committee ensures that uniform and high standards, and consistent grading, are maintained across the spectrum of students, projects, and mentors. This structure has resulted in strongly positive outcomes for a range of students and projects. Problems and pitfalls we've encountered, along with some solutions, will be presented.

  • • Tabletop Kits Help Students Grasp Concepts in Light

    • PST1C08
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Jacob Millspaw
    • Type: Poster
    • Light and color exploration kits have been in use face to face and in online courses with positive results. Students explore properties of light with experiments on topics such as the spectrum, color mixing, geometric and physical optics. In the class, students take part in scientific investigations developing and testing hypotheses based on observations made in their investigations.

  • • Writing to Learn Physics in the Laboratory

    • PST1C10
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Poster
    • We describe our project in which students write to learn about their investigation. One critical aspect of this is to force attention to an audience -- other students -- so that the author actually learns through the process of writing. We present our results of using writing and reviewing of papers in two distinct situations. The first is in the introductory laboratory, in which students reviewed their classmates' brief articles. The second situation is in the advanced laboratory, where students submit papers to an online journal and review papers submitted by students at another institution.

• Posters Other

  • • Modern Superstition: A Challenge for Science Teachers

    • PST2I01
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Sadri Hassani
    • Type: Poster
    • Modern superstition has inundated the public in the past several decades. It differs from its traditional counterpart in that modern superstition claims to be scientifically based. Science educators, especially physics teachers, are best suited to rebuke such claims. However, the popularity and the clout of celebrity and media, the powerful advocates of modern superstition, have made it next to impossible to counter it in the public arena. Behind the relatively protected walls of our schools and classrooms, we can do much to undo the damage done by modern superstition and educate the future citizenry about its pseudoscientific and antiscientific nature. This poster illustrates examples of how we can inject into our teaching some ideas that not only counter modern superstition but make the physics topics more interesting.

  • • Speed Limit Applies only for a Charged Particle

    • PST2I02
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by BHARAT CHAUDHARY
    • Type: Poster
    • 'We have experimental evidence not with spaceships but elementary particles in particle accelerators that we can't accelerate an elementary particle beyond the speed of light whatever may be the amount of input power." For explaining this, I have combined two elementary equations of electrical engineering. Main equation shows current in an inductive circuit and the other current in a conductor or beam in terms of the number of charged particles, the amount of charge on each particle, their velocity and the cross sectional area. Finally, we get an equation whose solution gives the velocity in terms of applied voltage, the circuit elements, the number of charged particles, the amount of charge on each particle and the cross sectional area. The denominator contains the quantity of charge. If it is zero(condition for a charged particle), velocity becomes infinite, otherwise not. keywords: elementary particles, spaceships, light, velocity, equation. PACS: 03.50.z(classical field theories), 41.85.Ja(particle beam transport)

• Posters PER

  • • A Multi-Representational Buoyancy Lab and Assessment

    • PST1B01
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by James Vesenka
    • Type: Poster
    • Buoyancy is a particularly confounding concept for students to fathom and instructors to teach. Loverude and Heron identified essential tools for student success in developing accurate buoyancy models: a sound understanding of mechanics and solid comprehension of density [1]. To help with the teaching aspect we have combined these buoyancy fundamentals into a suite of integrated activities: 1. A buoyancy lab complete with multi-representational analysis. 2. A supportive graphical simulation. 3. A quantitative deployment activity based on the Cartesian Diver. 4. A validated and reliable buoyancy assessment tool. One of the interesting results extracted from deployment of these activities is the superiority of diagrammatic representation (free body diagrams), even when students claim a preference for mathematical or verbal solutions. The entire suite of activities is available at: http://faculty.une.edu/cas/jvesenka/scholarship/index.htm

  • • Assessing a Wide Range of Instructional Goals for K-12 Teacher Professional Development

    • PST1B02
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Amy Robertson
    • Type: Poster
    • Science educators often want professional development to increase the extent to which teachers attend to the disciplinary substance of K-12 students' ideas, see themselves as participants in the construction of scientific knowledge, and autonomously formulate relevant questions about physical scenarios. The PER community has some evidence for teacher growth in these areas, and the Energy Project at SPU is seeking to discern how such growth manifests itself. In doing so, we hope to develop new ways of assessing K-12 teacher professional development. These new assessments will add to existing assessments of K-12 teachers, conceptual understanding of physics, beliefs/attitudes about science, or use of inquiry in the classroom (e.g., open-ended conceptual assessments; the FCI; the CLASS and the MPEX; or the RTOP, respectively).

  • • Assessing Student Reasoning About Proportions and Ratio Quantities

    • PST1B03
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Stephen Kanim
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster reports progress on the development of an assessment instrument to gauge student facility with ratio reasoning. Results from physics and mathematics education research suggest that proportional reasoning is not a monolithic ability. We have thus created an initial list of sub-skills, or constructs, integral to success, and are developing and testing assessment tasks that span this list. We will share selected tasks and give examples of student responses.

  • • Communication About Integrals as a Tool for Instruction and Assessment.

    • PST1B05
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Joshua Von Korff
    • Type: Poster
    • We taught six lessons about integration in an introductory mechanics context using a reformed approach to instruction. During these lessons, the instructor guided discussion, but did not lecture. Students considered "debate problems," in which they read a discussion between fictitious students and attempted to draw conclusions about the merits of the students' claims. Participants communicated with one another in multiple ways. They discussed physics while writing on whiteboards at their tables of four, then each table made a presentation to the other table using their whiteboard, and finally they recorded individual written and audio presentations using a smartpen This "pencast" presentation was later reviewed and critiqued by other students as well as by the student who created it. We qualitatively analyze the pencasts, and consider the students' learning progress. Supported in part by NSF grant 0816207

  • • Epistemic Knowledge Levels Emergent in Students' Self-Selected Problem Comparisons

    • PST1B07
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Frances Mateycik
    • Type: Poster
    • Physics educators aspire to facilitate students' depth of problem solving in physics. Strong physics problem solvers are able to associate new problems with the concept/principles of a previously solved problem, while weaker problem solvers tend to rely on surface features within a problem to cue the solution method. In this study, we offer insight as to how students assess the importance of principles and concepts for problem solving. Students in an algebra-based physics course were asked to choose two problems from each of their weekly homework assignments which they found to be most similar. The two problems selected by students were then explicitly compared and contrasted in writing. The written statements were then divided by clause topics and further categorized into levels of epistemic reasoning. This poster will summarize the observed epistemic trends associated with each week.

  • • Invention Tasks as a Framework for Mathematical Sense-Making

    • PST1B09
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Suzanne White Brahmia
    • Type: Poster
    • Mathematical sense-making is essential to understanding physics. Although reasoning with numbers is ubiquitous in physics, we know our students often leave our courses without having mastered this important skill. In an ongoing collaboration between Rutgers, WWU, and NMSU, we develop curricular materials and methods using invention as a preparation for instruction, building the foundation for mathematical sense-making in the context of physics. Invention tasks are based on inventing-with-contrasting-cases, piloted at Stanford University*; the tasks present students with open-ended situations in which they must invent a quantity or procedure in order to make meaningful comparisons. Through creative thinking and struggle, students construct mathematically sensible ways to characterize systems and reason numerically about them. This poster describes invention sequences, which were developed and used in our physics courses to precede formal instruction of a topic. We also present results on how these sequences have affected the students that use them.

  • • Learners' Understanding of Energy: Conservation of Amount, Decrease of Value

    • PST1B11
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Abigail Daane
    • Type: Poster
    • In a summer professional development course on energy in physics, secondary teachers spontaneously considered not only the amount and forms of energy involved in physical processes, but also the energy's usefulness. For example, some teachers discussed situations in which they viewed energy as losing value during a process, even when they explicitly acknowledged that the total amount of energy was constant. Others articulated that the quality, usefulness, or availability of the energy decreased when it changed form (e.g., from kinetic to thermal). These ideas might be resources from which to construct a coherent model for energy usefulness, dissipation, and degradation which can be applied across a wide range of physical scenarios. They might also be the basis for a meaningful connection between energy that is conserved (in a physics context) and energy that is used up (in a sociopolitical context).

  • • Lexical Availability for Academic Unit of Physics, UAZ México

    • PST1B13
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Jesús Madrigal-Melchor
    • Type: Poster
    • The Lexical Availability Index (IDL), which arise from lexicometry, reflects the mental order of vocabulary from specific subject-- interest center. We generated a database of domain terminological in the area of mechanics for teachers and students using the IDL, and the coefficient of relation between words (CRV). The term's distribution ordering has its foundation in a distributive model based on the Availability Lexical Index. The groupings produce word's constellations that show the needed direction for getting a better and more efficient learning from the students. The results are compared with the corresponding results of the experts.

  • • Numerical vs Algebraic Expertise: Ignore the Signs and Derive

    • PST1B15
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Thomas Foster
    • Type: Poster
    • Imparting the age-old advice to our students of waiting until the conclusion to insert numbers into problem solutions assumes the students are competent enough in algebra to forgo their comfort with numbers. This assumption is that students are much closer to expertise with numbers than with algebra and therefore will struggle to abandon their successful skills in arithmetic for their shaky skills in algebra. To test this assumption, this presentation reports a portion of our ongoing research to measure student ability level in simple arithmetic and in algebra. Here we present student results from their solutions to isomorphic algebraic and arithmetic problems. The students were drawn from SIUE's conceptual physics and University physics courses. If this assumption is valid, then asking students to solve algebraically (without additional support) is like asking them to take drivers education before they can read.

  • • Optics Concept Assessment

    • PST1B17
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Timothy Grove
    • Type: Poster
    • In order to assess student learning of optics, we have created an optics concept assessment exam. Optics is a broad subfield of physics (wave model of light, ray model of light, mirrors, lenses, interference, etc.) and this exam was designed to assess a broad range of these basic tenets. Testing for common misconceptions while using plain, student language, we have probed to better understand student thinking. We will show our preliminary findings.

  • • The 7th and 8th Grade Students' Learning Progression for Modelling

    • PST1B19
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Daesung Bae
    • Type: Poster
    • According to “A Framework for K-12 Science Education” by NRC(2011), curricula should stress the role of scientific model and modelling as tools to elaborate students’ idea. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ learning progression for and their difficulties in modeling. Model schema with domain, composition, structure, organization, and concept schema with scope, expression, organization, quantification are the two modeling schemata in our framework of modelling competency as Halloun’s research(2006). The test items developed by Lopes and Costa(2007) have been revised. The subject is 59 high-achievers of the seventh and eighth grades. The results show that most of the students are in low levels of learning progression for modeling. They have difficulties in relating various model components with appropriate laws in modeling. They can’t figure out agents that interact with objects. Thus they fail to construct models with appropriate interaction in causal facet.

  • • The Maine Physical Sciences Partnership: Building Meaningful Collaborations

    • PST1B21
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Michael Wittmann
    • Type: Poster
    • In an NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership project, the University of Maine, 36 middle schools, and 12 high schools, several non-profits, and the state of Maine are working together to improve the teaching and learning of the physical sciences in grades six to nine and to effect change in physical science courses at the university. Our activities include: ongoing evening collaboratives that build community, trust, and a shared set of project goals; facilitating teachers choosing new, reform-based or validated instructional materials; professional development through week-long academies and more; and a community website that fosters communication and allows insight into each other's teaching. Course reform, professional development, and research into teaching and learning stand on equal footing in this project. We present on the design and implementation of our project, as well as preliminary results from our research.

  • • Thinking in Physics and Gender Effects

    • PST1B23
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Vincent Coletta
    • Type: Poster
    • The Thinking in Physics project has resulted in students in our introductory mechanics classes demonstrating improved conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. However, there are significant differences in male and female performance on the FCI. We shall discuss these gender differences.

  • • Using Systemic Functional Linguistics to Analyze Academic Language

    • PST1B25
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Jacquelyn Kelly
    • Type: Poster
    • Students can use technical language consistent with science and engineering norms yet may not know the meaning of these words. This phenomenon has been examined in science classrooms by many researchers. In order to understand and interpret student academic language, a lens to analyze and quantify it is required. I will describe how a functional view of linguistics will be used as a theoretical framework for interpreting academic language. While traditional views of language focus primarily on grammar, which works with the structure of sentences, a functional view of linguistics examines the relationships between these structural components of language and their contexts and meanings. In this poster, systemic functional linguistics will be used as a theoretical framework for analyzing academic language. Challenges, affordances, and an implementation will be discussed examining student writing samples in an undergraduate STEM classroom.

  • • Aspects of DC Circuits: A Fine Grained Investigation of Student Conceptions  CANCELLED

    • PST1B02
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Ignatius John
    • Type: Poster
    • Little is known about how fine-grained contextual changes impact student reasoning in the context of DC circuits. We report on a study using an open circuit (battery, single wire, resistive element) in which the resistive element (resistor, heating element, light bulb) and the words ("current", "charge flow") are inter-changed. This study was conducted on first-year university students from three universities in Cape Town, in which we made contextual changes to an "open circuit" in order to measure the effect of such changes to student's responses. The eight-question instrument that we designed included representational, linguistic and (circuit) elemental variations. Our findings indicate that while the changes might appear trivial to an expert they significantly affect the way in which students respond.

  • • Assessment of a Propaedeutic Reform in Physics

    • PST1B04
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Jesús Madrigal-Melchor
    • Type: Poster
    • We present the evaluation of a physics reform that is based on one-year propaedeutic basic courses. This reform was undertaken in the Academic Unit of Physics of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas México in 2002 in order to give the physics and mathematic grounds to the freshman students that, for multiple reasons, were not acquired in their high school preparation, but they present a suitable profile for scientific studies from the abstract, logic, and curiosity stand points. We compare the data of four generations of the five-year program (propaedeutic) and the four-year program (traditional) finding practically no difference in the students' performance between both programs. In most cases, the students' performance of the propaedeutic program is slightly better than the traditional one. However, rates such as graduation and efficacy are worse in the five-year program.

  • • Computational Modeling Integrated with ASU Modeling Instruction: Implementation and Assessment

    • PST1B06
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by John Aiken
    • Type: Poster
    • We describe the implementation and assessment of computational modeling ina ninth-grade classroom in the context of the Arizona Modeling Instruction physics curriculum. Using a high-level programming environment (VPython), students develop computational models to predict the motion of objects under a variety of physical situations (e.g., constant net force), to simulate real world phenomenon (e.g., car crash), and to visualize abstract quantities (e.g., acceleration). The impact of teaching computation is evaluated through a proctored assignment that asks the students to complete a provided program to represent the correct motion. The students are given an open ended essay question that asks them to explain the steps they would use to model a physical situation. We also investigate the attitudes and prior experiences of each student using the Computation Modeling in Physics Attitudinal Student Survey (COMPASS) developed at Georgia Tech as well as a prior computational experiences survey.

  • • Gender and the FCI: Does Context Make a Difference?

    • PST1B08
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Laura McCullough
    • Type: Poster
    • A female-stereotyped version of the FCI previously developed (McCullough, 2004) was given to physics students as a pre-test and post-test, along with the original test. Results suggest that changing the context does affect student response. Overall score averages were similar between the versions, but individual questions show large variation between the versions. The pre-test showed a stronger effect than the post-test. Details from the analysis will be presented in the poster.

  • • Investigating Departmental Expectations for Physics Undergraduate Students

    • PST1B10
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Renee Michelle Goertzen
    • Type: Poster
    • We are investigating the goals physics faculty at our institution hold forthe students majoring in physics. We present preliminary results of interviews with physics faculty that explore what attitudes, abilities, and characteristics they expect students to have developed by the time they graduate with a Bachelor's degree from our institution. The goal of the work is to build a deeper understanding of the expectations physics faculty hold for their students, which will allow us to better assess whether students meet these expectations, and whether the physics program provides sufficient opportunities for students to develop these desired attitudes and abilities. This increased understanding should also facilitate comparison of how the goals of physics professors and of the physics education research community.

  • • Learning About Teaching Physics: New Podcast on Education Research Results

    • PST1B12
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Stephanie Chasteen
    • Type: Poster
    • Want to get the inside scoop on the latest research on teaching and learning? Curious about physics education research results, but don't have the time to keep up with the journals? Now you can keep up with the literature during your daily commute or trip to the gym with a new audio podcast, "Learning About Teaching Physics." Each short, well-produced podcast pairs education researchers and teachers to talk about an interesting result from the field, such as research on lecture demos, new research on the use of clickers, and whether tests can help students learn. What do these results mean? How does it relate to classroom practices? What challenges might a teacher face in trying to use such an idea? Stop by the poster to learn about the project, talk about the need to communicate between PER and practicing teachings, and to pick up a CD with the podcasts.

  • • Measuring Scientific Reasoning Ability at the Middle School Level

    • PST1B14
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Jennifer Esswein
    • Type: Poster
    • The physics education community has used measurements of scientific reasoning ability in order to evaluate, formatively and summatively, both the effects of various pedagogies used with students at the high school and college level, as well as to compare progress of those among different demographic backgrounds. While well-tested measures exist for older age groups, little work has been done with elementary and middle school students. Furthermore, newly released science standards at the national level call for more critical thinking and reasoning ability skills than ever before. This study presents a Rasch model item response theory (IRT) analysis of a set of multi-level items developed and administered to a large group of middle school students. The results show that test items that possess varying levels of difficulty within the latent ability of scientific reasoning may be identified, and also reflect Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

  • • On the Job Learning: Instructors' Development of Knowledge for Teaching  CANCELLED

    • PST1B16
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Brian Frank
    • Type: Poster
    • Over the past two decades education researchers have demonstrated that various types of knowledge influence teachers' instructional practices. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and other teaching-specific types of knowledge have been productive foci for research. Researchers have documented correlations between measures of such knowledge and teachers' practices and students' achievement. It is apparent that teachers have opportunities to develop such knowledge while engaged in teaching, however, very little research has captured the actual genesis of such knowledge. Knowing more about how teachers develop such knowledge on the job is especially important when the teachers are college-level instructors who typically receive little professional development. In this project, we analyze data from interviews with novice college physics instructors as they examined students' written work. In the course of discussions, some instructors built new teaching-related knowledge and some did not. We explore factors that enable one graduate teaching assistant to develop new knowledge of student thinking.

  • • Representing Energy Transfers and Transformations

    • PST1B18
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Rachel Scherr
    • Type: Poster
    • Common representations of energy in physics-- including bar charts, graphsof energy vs. time, and pie charts-- promote quantitative calculations of relative amounts of energy that are present in a system at a given moment. The Energy Project at Seattle Pacific University has developed a family of representations that enforce energy conservation while enabling detailed modeling of energy dynamics, particularly the complex transfers and transformations of energy that take place during real physical events. These representations variously use human bodies, computer animation, wooden cubes, and graphic diagrams to represent units of energy during dynamic processes in physical phenomena. Each representation provides a unique framework for collaborative construction of physics ideas. We provide evidence that these representations are not only expressive but are also rigorous in the sense that their disciplined application raises new questions about the phenomena being represented.

  • • The Effects of Single-Sex Education on the Self-Efficacy of College Students Taking Introductory Physics - Part 2

    • PST1B20
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Jennifer Blue
    • Type: Poster
    • Previous research has shown that young women can benefit from taking theirscience classes in single-sex classrooms and that women's colleges produce a disproportionate number of female scientists. There had been less research on the effects of single-sex education on young men. In the present study, which was Mary Mills' MS project at Miami University, we investigated the effects of single-sex education on the self-efficacy of college physics students by surveying students at four colleges. Quantitative data, presented at the Winter 2011 meeting, indicate that there is an interaction between the educational system and the sex of the respondent. This poster will briefly review that interaction and then present more detailed results of the five interviews that Mary Mills conducted.

  • • The Tuning Project in Physics Area in Mexico

    • PST1B22
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Mario Humberto Ramírez Díaz
    • Type: Poster
    • The Latin American Tuning Project has been made since 2007 in 12 countries, including Mexico. However, in the physics area the participation was only 16 people (nine academics and seven students), so the study's validity is questionable. The focus of this project is to remake the studies in Mexico, including a longer number of faculties in physics. A change with respect to the original report is just include three agents instead of four (academics, students and graduate) excluding employers because --in general--they are the same universities. On the other hand, the original report proposed 22 competences to the graduates in physics and give five questions to answer about the competences: Are they unrelated or transversal competences?, With what area of physics are they related, and at what level?, How can the learning of these competences be assessed? How should the learning time for these competences be established? And, in what way must the teaching methods be modified, in order to favor the learning of these competences?

  • • Using Community Expertise to Enhance Curricular Reform and Professional Development  CANCELLED

    • PST1B24
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Dedra Demaree
    • Type: Poster
    • Oregon State University (OSU) is working on an NSF-funded collaboration with a range of faculty within OSU and two local community colleges. The overall purpose of this project is three-fold: to better coordinate our introductory courses, to develop and share the best of our curricular activities, and to document the shared knowledge in a way that helps incoming/rotating instructors adopt the courses. We are developing a community of practitioners with a shared vocabulary and refined discourse on curricular issues. One method used in the project is having an observer in the classroom, which all community members feel is highly valuable. We have extended this model to peer teaching where neither teacher is viewed as the expert; this holds promise for an authentic model of professional development. This poster will outline the main project goals, our model for community and professional development, and our outcomes to date.

  • • What's So Special About Question 23?

    • PST1B26
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Richard Dietz
    • Type: Poster
    • Recent gender studies employing Differential Item Functioning (DIF) have shown that Question 23 on the Force Concept Inventory exhibits significant DIF in favor of males. Question 23 is the third in a quartet of questions that examine the motion of a rocket in outer space. We present further analysis of the responses to these four questions in an effort to determine why this particular question exhibits gender bias.

• Posters Pre-college/Informal and outreach

  • • Gifted Students' Differentiated Experiences in Science Classes

    • PST2G01
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Minjung Park
    • Type: Poster
    • In order to investigate the differentiation for gifted students, we studied how the differentiation is applied in science classes at regular schools, private educational institutes, and education centers for gifted students. The analysis of the questionnaire showed that only the students of gifted education centers could use various specialty publications. When the students of the regular schools and the private education institutes completed curricular activities early, they spent extra time performing tasks unrelated to the contents that were taught or reviewing the lessons or solving problems. This was comparable to the gifted students who developed their own interests through independent study in science classes. Also, efforts to group students according to their interests were predominant at gifted education centers. Among the items in our questionnaire, the rate of choice of curricular activities by students and the teachers' preparation for advanced learners were the lowest.

  • • Planetary Science Lessons from Montclair's GK-12 Fellows in the Middle

    • PST2G03
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Mary West
    • Type: Poster
    • Interdisciplinary math/science lessons were developed and used through partnerships of Montclair State University graduate students and middle school teachers in New Jersey. Some lessons were based on field trips to Newark's Dreyfuss Planetarium and the Buehler Challenger Center. Original lessons include Comet Bingo, What if Planets Were Cubes?, Density Models for Planets, Driving on Mars, Solar System in a Can (using proportions in a big way), Solar System High Jump Olympics 2857, Stories and Constellations, Craters on Earth, Planetarium Fieldtrip Notebook, Atmospheres and Percentages for Life, and Speeds in the Universe. Adapted lessons include Your Ages on Other Planets, Geomorphic Landforms on Earth and Mars (Viking Orbiter Photos), Modeling Planetary Distances, Gravity on Earth and Other Planets, and Venus Topography Box.

  • • Implementing STEAM Instruction for Talented/Gifted Students on Light

    • PST2G02
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Hyeon-Suk Choi
    • Type: Poster
    • How can we bring the excitement of the physics of light to classes for thegifted/talented? For 2011 summer, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's class for gifted/talented in Korea has offered a physics course for gifted students in the grade seven. Students learn everything from the discovery of light in art pictures to a camera's principle, and engage in hands-on activities such as making shadows, drawing pictures using mirrors and simulating a camera obscura, camera lucida. We will also present sample lessons for STEAM instruction on light.

  • • Understanding Physics Through the Machines of Leonardo Da Vinci

    • PST2G04
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Pamela Maher
    • Type: Poster
    • Understanding Physics Through the Machines of Leonardo Da Vinci is a Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium Informal Education grant that is currently providing research opportunities for undergraduate students at the College of Southern Nevada, a two-year institution in Las Vegas. Students enrolled in Calculus-based Physics, Civil Engineering-Statics, and Mechanical Engineering-Dynamics build a small machine from a kit based on the Codas of Leonardo Da Vinci in his book on machine inventions. They then analyze the concept that this model demonstrates and use equipment from the College of Southern Nevada lab that further demonstrates this principle. Using the machine and drawing analogs from the laboratory equipment enables the students to further understand these concepts and explain them to a lay audience. Students design and prepare a handout that explains the models and the physical science concept being demonstrated. The handouts also identify the Nevada State Department of Education Standard being taught. These pre-engineering and physics students gain experience in interpreting concepts in their field to children and the general public using models to engage their audience.

• Posters Teacher Training Enhancement

  • • ATE Workshops for Physics Faculty

    • PST2D01
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Thomas O'Kuma
    • Type: Poster
    • The ATE Workshop for Physics Faculty project is into its second year and has finished its sixth workshop/conference. In this poster, we will display information about the project, information about these workshops/conferences, and information about future workshops/conferences. Information concerning development of laboratory activities will also be displayed.

  • • Formation of Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold-Coated Substrates

    • PST2D03
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Valentina Sountsova
    • Type: Poster
    • Self-assembled thiol monolayers (SAMs) are an important component of resonant biosensors. SAMs serve as a foundation link in a virus-capturing chain: SAM-protein-antibody. We investigated the effects of thiol concentration and incubation time on formation of SAMs on gold-coated glass or silicon substrates. It was shown that successful SAM formation on gold could be achieved using thiol concentration as low as 0.1 mM and incubation time as low as six hours. This research project was completed during the 2011 Research Experiences for Teachers in Biophotonics program. This six-week program took place at Boston University and was sponsored by NSF. While working on their research projects in BU biophotonics labs, the teachers also wrote and shared lesson plans for their classes, created presentations and posters, and discussed their work in individual blogs and websites.

  • • Measurements and Modeling for Teaching/Learning Electromagnetism and Superconductivity

    • PST2D05
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Alberto Stefanel
    • Type: Poster
    • In the context of the European project MOSEM2, which has among its main objectives the development of proposals and teaching materials on electromagnetism and superconductivity centered on online experiments and modeling, the contribution of the Italian community, coordinated by the University of Udine, focused on four main areas of research: A) development of didactic proposals based on an innovative USB-probe of the resistivity as a function of temperature of superconductors, metals and semiconductors and Hall measurements; B) online measurements and modeling with commercial systems on electromagnetism; C) teacher training and an educational aim to introduce online measurement and modeling in the curriculum; D) experimentation of the MOSEM2 proposals about superconductivity with students in pilot contexts. The several experiments carried out with the students revealed the strong impact of the phenomenology of superconductivity in activating motivation for the construction of interpretative models, about the electric and magnetic properties of superconductors.

  • • Physics Teacher Preparation at Appalachian State University

    • PST2D07
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Patricia Allen
    • Type: Poster
    • Students in the Physics, Secondary Education program at Appalachian State spend approximately four years obtaining their degree in physics, while completing state requirements for teaching licensure. In addition to a required methods course for all science education majors, physics education majors take a practicum course that focuses on the theory and practice of teaching physics. Together with a series of "field experiences," these majors are well equipped to student teach, satisfy N.C. licensure requirements, and obtain employment. This presentation will highlight the practicum course, the field experiences, and the various assessment strategies used for the one to two students who complete the program each year.

  • • Preparation Prospective Primary School Teachers to PCK on the Concept of Energy

    • PST2D09
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Alberto Stefanel
    • Type: Poster
    • The training of primary school teachers should provide for the developmentof content (content knowledge) as well as educational content related to specific subject disciplines (PCK). At the University of Udine a formative module for prospective primary teachers was implemented in a course in Physics Education and a related Educational Laboratory. In the first course was discussed an approach to CK about energy based on work-kinetic energy theorem, the energy conservation principle, the study of non-conservative forces and the introduction of heat, in operative way, first law of TD. A CK-questionnaire was proposed as post-test. In the second course, a laboratory activity was planned in four hours based on a PCK strategy. The outcome showed that trainees have developed a functional understanding of the concept of energy, competence about student learning problems, need of a project activity about designing active learning on energy.

  • • Science and Math Links: Research-Based Teaching Institute

    • PST2D11
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Peter Sheldon
    • Type: Poster
    • We are studying the influence of hands-on and inquiry based lessons on student and teacher attitudes toward science, with the goal of increasing engagement, keeping children interested in science, and increasing student achievement. We are creating resources including lesson plans, associated content, and video for lessons in the K-8 classroom. We have held week-long teacher institutes in 2010 and 2011 (and are offering one in 2012) for 60 local teachers to help them to implement these types of lessons in the classroom. We collect data through surveys, student performance measures and classroom observation. This ongoing research project, started in 2000, has a website resource The new Science Teacher (http://tnst.randolphcollege.edu) that we continue to enhance and add to in the form of resources for teachers and results from research.

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

    • PST2D02
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Robert Endorf
    • Type: Poster
    • We present data from our Physics by Inquiry[1] professional development programs for K-12 teachers conducted at the University of Cincinnati. Each summer since 1996 a four-week 12 quarter-credit-hour graduate course in Physics by Inquiry has been held for teachers in grades 5-12, and a separate two-week 6 quarter-credit-hour course has been held for teachers in grades K-5 in all but three of those summers. A total of 544 teachers have completed one of the programs. Our evaluation of the programs is based on pre-tests, post-tests, journals, and surveys completed by the participants. These instruments demonstrate that the teachers completing the programs have achieved large gains in science content knowledge, improved their science process skills, and have increased confidence in teaching inquiry-based science lessons.

  • • Implementation of New Science Core Standards by In-service Teachers

    • PST2D04
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Jerome Mescher
    • Type: Poster
    • The implementation of new science standards is a difficult and complex process. Recently, the state of Ohio has put in place new Science Core Standards that reflect a much more inquiry-based approach. We have worked with a cohort of teachers to familiarize them with the new standards and to help them develop teaching approaches that will be able to implement the new standards successfully. The results of this professional development program and the successes and difficulties encountered will be discussed. Best practices that help teachers to understand and develop inquiry-based lessons will be summarized.

  • • Perspective Primary Teachers and Electromagnetic Phenomena

    • PST2D06
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Stefano Vercellati
    • Type: Poster
    • Research literature showing how primary pupils face such complex topics aselectromagnetism promotes the growth of the scientific approach and the development of formal thinking. In particular, a design research project was carried out in the framework of Model of Educational Reconstruction to produce a Teaching/Learning Proposal (TLP) on electromagnetism in a vertical perspective starting with primary grades. Now, to actuate this proposal in a classroom, an inquiry-based Formative Intervention Module (FIM) for 120 Prospective Primary Teachers (PPT) was implemented having as theoretical background the Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The FIM was based on interactive demonstrations and step-by-step discussions of conceptual knots that emerges from PPT investigation of the phenomena and the results coming from TLP. The analysis of this data and the PPT discussions during the cooperative learning activities offered an interesting spectra of the formation needs and produces indications on the model for primary teachers formation.

  • • Physics Teachers' Attitudes and Abilities Improvement Effects Through Lab Workshops

    • PST2D08
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Sergio Flores
    • Type: Poster
    • During the last 10 years physics teachers' instructional abilities workshops have become fundamental at the University of Juarez. The main goal of this pedagogical enterprise is to improve teaching ability to foster a significant understanding of fundamental physics concepts. We present results from a teachers' didactical proposal developed during a 20-hour workshop named Analysis and Design of Learning Situations in the Physics Lab. The basis of a functional understanding was the design, implementation, and supervision of teachers' learning activities in the physics lab. This instructional design allowed teaching to persuade students' physics-based intellectual abilities development through new labs. The designed labs represent learning sequences where the students: predict, mistake, and help each other to correct the errors. The steps to collect data are: 1) students' previous knowledge, 2) a conceptual basis, 3) an experimental basis, and 4) students' acquired learning. Despite teachers' enthusiasm, most of them did not finish the design of their lab activities. Some of them had traditional teaching-based difficulties not only to write lab questions, but also to accept the new pedagogical basis of this proposal.

  • • Prospective Primary Teachers Face Relative Motion and PCK Analysis

    • PST2D10
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Stefano Vercellati
    • Type: Poster
    • The first observations of the world done by children are related with motion of objects and most of their perceptual aspects are activated during primary school; is therefore necessary begin to face the physic interpretation of motions already in primary school. In particular, with the aims to give to Prospective Primary Teachers (PPT) an awareness of which are the conceptual knots that characterize the specific thematic and which are the ways to address them, a specific Formative Intervention Module was design for 120 Prospective Primary Teachers (PPT) having as theoretical background the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). In particular was implemented a PCK questionnaire that allowed PPT to address explicitly the conceptual knots on relative motion and develop the skills needed to reinterpret the subjects that they had to teach starting from the pupils need. Data coming out from the questionnaire will be presented and discuss in this work.

  • • Science Teacher Recruitment at California State University, Chico

    • PST2D12
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by David Kagan
    • Type: Poster
    • We all know the dreadful statistics regarding the lack of fully prepared science teachers in our nation's public schools. At CSU Chico we are trying to establish a culture that encourages students to consider careers in science teaching. We offer scholarships and other financial assistance that can total over $55,000 per student. This includes everything NSF Noyce Scholarships of up to $12,000 per year to simply paying for textbooks for future science teachers. We have created a Department of Science Education within the College of Natural Sciences as well as a Center for Mathematics and Science Education and we have established a National Science Teachers Association Student Chapter.

• Posters Technologies

  • • A Comparison of Online and On-Ground Student Performance in Calculus-based Physics I

    • PST2E01
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Andria Schwortz
    • Type: Poster
    • The validity and rigor of online courses is an open question in higher education, often having significant consequences for students intending to transfer from a two-year to a four-year school. Quinsigamond Community College, located in Worcester, MA, is now offering an online section of freshman calculus-based mechanics (General Physics I, PHY 105) alongside the traditional on-ground format. Student outcomes from online and on-ground sections taught during spring 2011 are presented. The sample size of the two sections consisted of approximately 20 students online and 25 on-ground, with the students commingled into two lab sections of approximately equal size. Preliminary findings reveal the results of self-selection into the two modalities (via open-ended surveys), and appear to show that online instruction can be as effective as on-ground instruction for those students willing to dedicate the required effort to the course. Support for this project was provided by Quinsigamond Community College.

  • • Progress in the Online Integrated Learning Environment for Mechanics

    • PST2E03
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Daniel Seaton
    • Type: Poster
    • We continue the ongoing development of our Integrated Learning Environmentfor Mechanics (ILEM) within the LON-CAPA open source online course management system. ILEM integrates instruction (via a Wiki-text) and assessment. New problems have been added, the majority of which are research-based or involving two concepts and conceptual questions are currently being added to the central collection of multi-level research-based homework sets organized by topic. Our Modeling Applied to Problem Solving (MAPS) pedagogy (1) is optional within a standard mechanics syllabus. Unique tools for instructors and students are also being developed that streamline access to ~ 10,000 resources from across the LON-CAPA network. We focus on the current state of our educational content, as well as the tools used to disseminate that content. Results from applying this course at MIT and at Whatcom Community College (Seattle) will be discussed. Users and collaborators are invited to use ILEM in whole or in part. We acknowledge support by NSF DUE-1044294. 1. A. E. Pawl, A. Barrantes and D. E. Pritchard, "Modeling applied to problem solving" in Proceedings of the 2009 Physics Education Research Conference, Ann Arbor, MI, 2009.

  • • An Inside Look: Practical Strategies for Personal Response Systems

    • PST2E02
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Stephanie Chasteen
    • Type: Poster
    • I never would have understood how clickers could be used to transform classroom teaching if I hadn't watched them in the hands of experienced instructors. Not every teacher has that opportunity. This poster will give you an overview of some of the resources we have created on clickers: Get a glimpse inside our classes at the University of Colorado with short videos, grab a copy of our instructor handbook, and come discuss any challenges you've had in implementing this powerful technique. I'll share ideas and strategies for success with clickers, from writing questions to facilitating discussion. In many ways, clickers help us support student achievement of higher order thinking skills, which are the hallmark of deeper learning.

  • • Video Analysis of a Hula Hoop Rotating About a Person's Arm

    • PST2E04
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Nikki Sanford
    • Type: Poster
    • The motion of a point on a hula hoop rotating about a person's arm was studied using video analysis. The x-position versus time graph of the motion was found to be a sum of two sinusoidal functions of slightly different frequencies, i.e. a beat pattern. The two frequencies in the curve fit were related to the rotational frequency of the arm and the ratio of radii of the hoop and the arm. The measured frequencies can be predicted using a theoretical model of the hoop rotating in uniform circular motion about its center with the center of the hoop rotating in uniform circular motion about the arm. The video analysis, the theoretical model, and a computational model will be presented.

• Posters Upper Division and Graduate

  • • Implementation of Learning Assistants in Three West Virginia Institutions

    • PST2H01
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Paul Miller
    • Type: Poster
    • In the fall of 2011, West Virginia University began a learning assistants (LA) program in physics. This program was one of three initiated statewide, with programs in biology begun at West Virginia State University and at Marshall University. This effort was undertaken as a workforce development component of the NSF Research Infrastructure Improvement grant awarded to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and is believed to be the only statewide implementation of its kind. This poster describes the challenges that had to be overcome to implement an LA program throughout three West Virginia institutions of higher education, characterizes the three settings and the baseline data, and presents preliminary results of the implementation. (This project is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EPS-1003907.)

  • • Planar Multipole Ion Traps for Quantum Information Proocessing

    • PST2H03
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Andrew Farr
    • Type: Poster
    • A crystal of laser-cooled ions can serve as a setting for the quantum simulation of numerous condensed-matter systems. However, constructing an array of ions in a radiofrequency trap that is both regularly spaced and motionless is confounded by the typical quadratic curvature of the trap and concomitant micromotion. Multipole ion traps use additional electrodes to "flatten" the potential, offering a way of reducing these problems. We present here the design and construction of planar multipole ion traps, which are amenable to microfabrication and to the inclusion of non-optical control fields, thereby facilitating scalable quantum simulation.

  • • Open Courseware in Distance Education Upper Division Physics

    • PST2H02
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Farook Al-Shamali
    • Type: Poster
    • After over 15 years of success with freshman physics course offerings, Athabasca University, Canada's main distance education university, has introduced upper-division physics courses. These are based mostly on MIT Open Courseware and in turn are available as open resources on ocw.athabascau.ca. PHYS 302 Vibrations and Waves uses a subset of MIT 8.03 lectures by Walter Lewin, and also material from Project Cassiopaiea, to cover topics ranging from simple vibrations to quantum and electromagnetic waves (without requiring prerequisites in either field). PHYS 405 Electromagnetism is mainly a guide to self-study with the popular Griffiths textbook. We will present some other examples of open materials that could be used in upper-division physics and mathematics courses, including quantum mechanics and fourier transform courses which are likely to be developed soon.

• Posters Astronomy

  • • Galileo's Superzoom Camera  CANCELLED

    • by Martin Connors
    • Type: Poster
    • Superzoom cameras are an amazing technological development, with impressive optical capabilities and digital imaging at a very reasonable price (sometimes as low as $200). Lenses with an equivalent focal length of over 800 mm typify these cameras. In addition, a large zoom range, typically over 30, gives one camera a very large gamut of fields of view. An immediate application that comes to mind is the use of the long zoom in astronomy. Earth's Moon more than fills the field of view at maximum zoom and yet is bright enough that image stabilization works well, allowing hand-held photography of surface features including many craters. It is also possible to photograph Jupiter's moons, although for this a tripod is suggested. Another use is in photography of diffraction patterns and spectra. We will present examples and ideas for exercises based on such cameras.

  • • 15 Years of BYU's Small Astronomical Observatory Research

    • PST1A01
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Eric Hintz
    • Type: Poster
    • Over the last 15 years BYU has developed a program of undergraduate astronomy research that makes use of a number of small observatory facilities. These facilities have been used as part of our Physics and Astronomy Major to provide our students with hands-on research experiences and give our descriptive astronomy students exposure to real research equipment. We will feature three facilities in this presentation. First is the campus Orson Pratt Observatory 0.4-m telescope which provides a teaching telescope for our introductory observational astronomy class. Second is the ROVOR 0.4-m telescope, located in Delta, Utah, which provides remote telescope access to our students. Finally, there is our new 4.0-m radio dish on the roof near our campus optical telescope. We will present information on how we make use of these facilities to teach both our majors and non-major students.

  • • HI STAR Student Astronomy and Astrobiology Research Projects

    • PST1A03
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Mary Ann Kadooka
    • Type: Poster
    • How do you motivate 12 to 16-year-old students to conduct authentic research projects after a one-week summer program? Recruit those passionate about astronomy to learn telescope remote observing and image processing research skills. Astronomers mentor students on group projects about comets, asteroids, extrasolar planets, stars, and heliophysics at HI STAR. Inspired to continue their research, the students have entered projects in the junior and senior research divisions at state and International Science Fairs and received awards. These projects will be described. The goal of HI STAR is to encourage precollege students to select STEM majors in college. Summative evaluations, results, and case studies will be presented. Key to meeting HI STAR's goal has been our network of stakeholders, especially the volunteer mentors. Initially funded by a NASA grant in 2007, HI STAR has been sustained with donations and NASA astrobiology and heliophysics grants which subsidize student and teacher costs.

  • • Two High School Science Fair Projects in Heliophysics

    • PST1A05
    • Mon 02/06, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Mary Kadooka
    • Type: Poster
    • The Hawaii Center for Advancing $ystemic Heliophysics Education (HI CA$HEd) is an educational center that was created in 2009 to engage teachers and students in educational activities that promote the conceptual understanding of the Sun and solar physics. Over the 2010-2011 school year, HI CA$HEd graduate student Katie Whitman mentored two students who completed heliophysics research projects for the Hawaii State Science Fair. Ninth-grade student Malia Swartz searched for a possible relationship between medical epidemics and solar activity by comparing sunspot number and historical medical records from the past 300 years. Sophomore Kira Fox searched for long-term cyclic behavior exhibited by the Sun employing a periodogram analysis of Beryllium 10 data that led her to identify possible solar cycles as long as 120,000 years. Both projects received awards. Kira and Malia continue to work on heliophysics projects for the 2012 Hawaii State Science Fair.

  • • Electromagnetic Spectrum and the Study of Life

    • PST1A02
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Lloyd Lytle
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster shows a lesson that helps students gain an understanding of how the electromagnetic spectrum can help scientists search for life in the universe. The lesson is geared toward high school physics students. Students work in groups. Each group chooses one band in the electromagnetic spectrum. They make a presentation about the band and explain how it is used in the study and search for life. They then build a model of an instrument that uses the band in a scientific manner. This project was inspired by a workshop for high school science teachers at the University of Hawaii's Alii Astrobiology summer program, with funding from NASA's Astrobiology Initiative.

  • • "Stellar" Interferometry in the Advanced Lab

    • PST1A04
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Alan DeWeerd
    • Type: Poster
    • We describe how an experiment in optical "stellar" interferometry was adapted for our advanced laboratory. Previously, others have described demonstration experiments with double apertures in front of binoculars or a telescope, which can be used to estimate angular sizes of light sources. As the separation of the apertures (the baseline) is increased, the visibility of the resulting fringe pattern varies. In our experiment, students used a telescope and CCD camera to make quantitative measurements of the fringe visibility as a function of the angular frequency (baseline divided by wavelength). The visibility data was fit to theoretical visibility curves to determine angular sizes of objects. The experiment was performed indoors with illuminated pinholes as sources.

  • • Whitworth University Robotic Observatory

    • PST1A06
    • Mon 02/06, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Richard Stevens
    • Type: Poster
    • Whitworth University recently completed an astronomical observatory in a remote mountaintop area near Newport, WA. The site had no facilities at the start, requiring the installation of solar arrays and batteries to run the robotic observatory. The observatory currently houses Whitworth University's 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a 3 megapixel CCD Camera. The telescope will have the capability to operate remotely from Whitworth's campus. The observatory building is completed, and the telescope is currently being tested and calibrated. This presentation will cover the construction challenges, telescope calibration, and future research and classroom goals for the observatory.

• Posters Post Deadline

  • • Physics Videos .net

    • PST2J01
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by James Lincoln
    • Type: Poster
    • For the past two summers high school teacher James Lincoln, MS, MEd and UCLA's Demonstration Coordinator Martin Simon, PhD have been producing videos for UCLA's online enrichment program for the department's Physics 10 class. This production was funded by a intradepartmental physics education research grant. These videos have proven very helpful to other teachers at neighboring institutions and we would like to take this chance to raise awareness of this valuable tool that many teachers have used both in their classes and for their own professional development. The video collection is free for anyone to use and is organized by subject.

  • • Attracting and Training Future Teachers with Project-based Instruction

    • PST2J03
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Vera Margoniner
    • Type: Poster
    • We present the results of an innovative learning assistant program that employs STEM majors to facilitate project-based instruction in large introduction to astronomy courses at Sacramento State. Our main goal is to turn STEM-oriented students on to the excitement of teaching, increase the number of physics majors, and most importantly increase the short supply of highly qualified physics teachers. Another synergistic goal is to provide the general education students with a more authentic scientific inquiry experience than is typical in a general education class. The pilot project was run in fall 2011 with five LAs working with an 80-student class called Introduction to Astrobiology and the results are very encouraging. The LAs quickly took ownership of the project. They kept a blog documenting the experience, and even took the initiative of creating medals that were awarded to the best three projects at an end of semester projects celebration. See our webpage at http://webpages.csus.edu/~vemargon/LA/

  • • Photoelectric Effect, Theory and Practice

    • PST2J05
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Mikhail Agrest
    • Type: Poster
    • In theory, there is no discrepancy between theory and practice, but in practice, there is always some discrepancy. How does it happen, and why? Many students will wonder why a heavy book falls faster than a light sheet of paper. Does it violate the universal law of gravity? Some students would be wondering why the stopping energy in the photoelectric effect "depends" on the brightness of light. Does it violate the concept of the photoelectric effect? How to convince them that Einstein was right? Introductory Conceptual Physics is about introducing concepts. As models are simplified, descriptions of the processes they have are a range of applications. It is important to give students a sense of it, but sometimes providing them with a complex situation distracts students from learning the concept. Influence of the instruments, sensitivity, and dispersion of the spectra of light used in the Photoelectric Effect lab of an introductory physics class will be discussed.

  • • Using the Physics of Music to teach about the Physics of the Early Universe

    • PST2J07
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Jatila van der Veen
    • Type: Poster
    • Understanding the details of the power spectrum of temperature fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) has been the focus of cosmology research for the past several decades. Because the CMB is the most ancient light we can observe, understanding how the CMB encodes information about the origin and evolution of the universe should be an important component of physics and astronomy education. In this paper we present a new simulation which utilizes the technique of sonification to unpack the conceptual basis of CMB research using the physics of music. We discuss the development of our software, and how the relative densities of baryons, dark matter, dark energy and curvature of spacetime are encoded in the first three harmonics of the power spectrum of CMB temperature fluctuations, taken over all observable space, at one time - approximately 380,000 years after the Big Bang.

  • • Inquiry Pathway: Extending the RITES Sound Investigation

    • PST2J09
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Dan Liu
    • Type: Poster
    • A sound investigation developed within the RITES partnership addresses state standards, but leaves little latitude for students to explore a subject for which there is generally high interest. We have developed an extended Sound Investigation that guides high school students to learn the superposition principle and explore their own activities by using the software "Audacity." Students begin with the strongly guided RITES Sound investigation, and then transition to our extended investigations that are designed to support them using more authentic methods and tools. Students begin by using the sound analysis software Audacity to explore the harmonic nature sound. Students then investigate arbitrary sounds as superpositions of harmonic waves and compose by changing one variable each time. The analysis methods in the investigation include induction and synthesis during the interactive activities. The materials include supports for both enrichment and remediation to meet the needs of all students.

  • • The Effect of PhET Simulations on Algebra Based Physics

    • PST2J11
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Randy Laforteza
    • Type: Poster
    • We report on preliminary results from our first semester implementing the usage of PhET computer simulations in an algebra-based physics class at Sacramento State. We developed a series of worksheets designed to encourage students to make predictions before experimenting with the simulations. Students then compare the results of the "experiment" with their predictions and are encouraged to revisit their original preconceived models. We measure learning gains objectively by comparing pre and post-instruction Force-Motion Concept Evaluation (FMCE) results, and qualitatively by interviewing students.

  • • Inquiry Pathway ? Extending the RITES Sound Investigation  CANCELLED

    • PST2J13
    • Tue 02/07, 7:30PM - 8:15PM
    • by Dan Liu
    • Type: Poster
    • A sound investigation developed within the RITES partnership addresses state standards, but leaves little latitude for students to explore a subject for which there is generally high interest. We have developed an extended Sound Investigation that guides high school students to learn the superposition principle and explore their own activities by using the software ?Audacity?. Students begin with the strongly guided RITES Sound investigation, then transit to our extended investigation that is designed to support them using more authentic methods and tools. Students begin by using the sound analysis software Audacity to explore the harmonic nature sound. Students then investigate arbitrary sounds as superposition of harmonic waves and compose by changing one variable each time. The analysis methods in the investigation include induction and synthesis during the interactive activities. The materials include supports for both enrichment and remediation to meet the needs of all students.

  • • The Effects of Gravity on Bubbles: a Small Community College goes to NASA

    • PST2J02
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Cathleen Cox
    • Type: Poster
    • Students at Lake Tahoe Community College participated in NASA's reduced gravity education flight program which provided the opportunity for students to conceive of and design an experiment, submit a proposal to NASA, engineer, build and test the apparatus, submit a test equipment data package and pass a test readiness review with NASA scientists and engineers, conduct the experiment aboard NASA's zero-gravity aircraft, and analyze the results. The students mathematically modeled the shape of bubbles in microgravity and hyper-gravity. They designed a 10-inch square aluminum and polycarbonate frame. Bubbles were blown through brass nozzles, flexible tubing, and inflated with a bicycle pump. Cameras collected video footage of the bubbles for analysis. The shape of the bubbles was analyzed in two dimensions. Although the team was not able to collect a statistically significant amount of data, analysis showed that 100% of bubbles in normal gravity were circular, 62.5 % of bubbles in microgravity were elliptical and 87.5 % of bubbles in hyper-gravity were elliptical.

  • • Students' Use of Resources to Understand Solar Cells

    • PST2J04
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Alan Richards
    • Type: Poster
    • We use the framework of conceptual and epistemological resources to investigate how students construct understanding of a complex modern physics topic that requires mastery of multiple concepts. We interviewed experts and novices about their understanding of the physics of solar cells, and examined their responses for evidence of resources being activated. Based on the patterns in the interviews we can hypothesize what ideas students draw on when they are trying to understand the complex physics involved in the functioning of solar cells.

  • • A Physics Course for Theology Students

    • PST2J06
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Thomas Nordlund
    • Type: Poster
    • A typical first-semester, algebra-based physics or physical science coursepresents little attraction or relevance to mainstream students of religion, philosophy, or theology, excluding perhaps topics in energy and thermodynamics. A 2010 survey has shown the essential absence of any physical science expectations or opportunities within M.Div. programs--the source of most North-American ministers, who teach a large fraction of the population about the important principles in life. In consultation with faculty and students in theology and religion programs, we are constructing a curriculum with direct, quantitative application to major theological questions. Major topics of this one-semester (or less), fundamental course are: history of physics and religion, principles and experiments, scientific notation (large and very-large numbers), dimensions (x,y,z,t) and equations, probability and statistics, major principles of physics (conservation laws, quantum theory, statistical mechanics), putting God into physics, applications. An early example application will be done to convince skeptical students.

  • • Relativity on Rotated Graph Paper: The Uniformly Accelerated Light Clock

    • PST2J08
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Roberto Salgado
    • Type: Poster
    • Visual calculations for special relativity can be done using spacetime diagrams drawn on graph paper that has been rotated by 45 degrees. The rotated lines represent lightlike directions in Minkowski spacetime, and the boxes in the grid (called light-clock diamonds) represent ticks of an inertial observer's lightclock. Many quantitative results can be read off a spacetime diagram by counting boxes, using a minimal amount of algebra. After a brief review of our method (more fully described in the preprint referenced below), we consider the lightclock of a uniformly accelerated observer.

  • • Can negative probabilities be useful?

    • PST2J10
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Acacio de Barros
    • Type: Poster
    • In this poster we propose that the use of negative probabilities in quantum mechanics might be useful to teach different interpretations of probabilities. This may be particularly useful for students of quantum mechanics, as negative probabilities show up in quantum systems that are highly correlated.

  • • The Effect of Math Skills in Algebra-Based Physics

    • PST2J12
    • Tue 02/07, 8:15PM - 9:00PM
    • by Arthur Sisneros
    • Type: Poster
    • The effect of math skills on overall success in an introductory, non-calculus physics course is studied by comparing the results from a math diagnostic test to the final grades of students in the physics 5A course at CSU Sacramento during the spring 2010, fall 2010, and spring 2011 semesters. The data suggests a correlation between initial math skills and final grades. Students with poor initial math skills in the fall 2010 and spring 2011 semesters were also offered a set of tutorial sessions in an effort to help improve their final grades. These students performed significantly higher than students of the same math skill that did not take the tutorial sessions.

• Posters SPS Undergraduate Research and Outreach

  • • Temperature Dependence: Internal Field in an InGaAs/GaAs Quantum Well  CANCELLED

    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by KALEB GILBERT
    • Type: Poster
    • Piezoelectrically active InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells grown along the <111> crystal axis have been investigated using temperature dependent photoluminescence spectroscopy. The goal of this work is to determine the temperature dependence of the internal electric field generated by strain within the quantum well layer as a function of temperature. Data was collected ove a temperature range of 8-150 K; Excitation intensity was varied at each temperature using neutral density filters. By examination of the emission energy as a function of incident excitation power density, we have determined the electric field within the well at each temperature. An automated custom MATLAB code was developed to correct each data plot for system response. The temperature dependence of the internal field based on preliminary analysis and modelling is discussed.

  • • Analysis of Student Understanding of Statics Principles

    • SPS01
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Brittany Johnson
    • Type: Poster
    • An analysis of introductory physics students' understanding of statics principles was conducted. The prior development and use of Tutorials in Introductory Physics [1] has addressed student difficulties concerning introductory physics concepts, including fundamental statics principles; yet, conceptual difficulties persist, particularly when the complexity of an assessment question increases. To assess the extent to which the introductory physics curriculum prepared students for an engineering statics course, students completed multiple-choice questions taken from the "Statics Concept Inventory" [2]. Responses illuminated remaining areas of difficulty for students, as well as trends in student understanding. Interestingly, students commonly made the same errors as those reported in the analysis of the "Statics Concept Inventory," especially with regard to applying a limit on the friction force in order to maintain static equilibrium. Further exploration of student difficulties with statics concepts is needed so curricula can be adapted for extensive instruction.

  • • Angelo State SPS Public Engagement-Road Tour 2011

    • SPS02
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Blake McCracken
    • Type: Poster
    • The Angelo State Society of Physics Students Peer Pressure Team has traveled throughout Texas for a week following the spring semester for the past seven years. The goals of this activity are two-fold. First, the group seeks to engage undergraduate presenters in public service; the second goal is to enhance attitudes about science and encourage students in K-12 public schools to study science. For the 2011 outreach, a record of more than 1300 students, teachers, and school administrators were presented to. Demonstrations focused on several aspects of physics. The tradition of a custom laser light show for each school was continued and new demonstrations were added. At each visit, surveys were collected to gauge the program's effectiveness. Student responses indicate a strong desire to study more science in their regular school curriculum. In addition, results are used to determine which demonstrations leave the most lasting impression on the audience participants.

  • • Assessing Changes to Instructional Format in Introductory Astronomy

    • SPS03
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Gabriela Serna
    • Type: Poster
    • Physics 120, introductory astronomy, has been taught as a traditional large lecture course at California State University Fullerton. The course has no pre-requisites, therefore many students take it to fulfill general education requirements. In the fall of 2011, we introduced into this course a reformed instructional format including using of Peer Instruction and Lecture Tutorials in Introductory Astronomy. Our main focus is to increase student conceptual knowledge. In order to assess the effectiveness of the changes to the course, we will be testing student understanding of the subject at the beginning and end of the semester. In this presentation we will describe the changes to the course and assessments of student understanding. Supported in part by the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program.

  • • Automated Data Acquisition Interface for Electrical Characterization for Undergraduate Lab

    • SPS04
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Ethan Gully
    • Type: Poster
    • The goal of this work was to develop a multipurpose lab setting for use byundergraduates (advanced lab) and undergraduate research projects. We have interfaced a suite of electrical measurement tools using the graphical platform of LabVIEW. The array of instruments includes a nano-voltmeter, pico-ammeter, digital multimeter, capacitance meter and two source meters. In addition, the system is outfitted with a multichannel switch and is capable of low-level measurements for highly resistive materials. These meters are interfaced to a four-point probe and a Hall-Effect probe situated in a 1 T electromagnet. The four- point probe interface includes a software routine for performing Van der Pauw style measurements for surface resistance on odd shaped samples. Both techniques require using the switching mainframe to control the current direction. In addition to the software, the Hall Effect measuring device was designed and constructed by undergraduate students to perform these automated with an easy to adjust sample mounting system.

  • • Changing the Way We Teach: Integrating Online with Face-to-Face Instruction in a College Physics Course

    • SPS05
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Josh Zeeman
    • Type: Poster
    • We present our studies on the design of an algebra-based, freshman-level physics course in hybrid-online format covering waves, optics, and heat. Students are beginning to favor classes that have more material available online because of the convenience, the ability to repeat the material anytime, and the fact that it is easier to view complicated or very small physical systems with an online animation than in a textbook. Through the integration of online modules, some developed here at Cal Poly Pomona and others found at other universities, we aim at improving student interest and retention of the subject matter. We will present results of student learning with our own online optics modules and describe the structure of the new hybrid-online course. The results of the effectiveness in teaching a course that integrates a significant amount of online material could potentially change how introductory physics courses will be taught to accommodate the changing attitudes of today's college students.

  • • Comparing Engineering Students' Kinds of Mental Representations Across Contexts

    • SPS06
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Bashirah Ibrahim
    • Type: Poster
    • We compare the categories of mental representations that 19 engineering students construct when completing 10 non-directed tasks requesting qualitative or quantitative solutions. The tasks were posed in graphical, symbolic, and linguistic forms. The Johnson-Laird (1983) cognitive framework was applied to classify the participants' mental representations. The framework proposes three types of internal constructs namely propositional representations, mental models, and mental images. The students' external manifestations (written solutions and individual interview responses) were related to the cognitive framework. Most (11 in 19) students consistently constructed propositional representation across the two topics. The remaining eight students shifted from using a mental image for tasks on kinematics to either propositional or mental model for tasks on work. This outcome indicates that most students have a poor understanding of the various concepts presented by the different tasks. Moreover, students' strategies tend to change with topic and representation.

  • • In Search of the Spectrum of the Down Converted Photons

    • SPS07
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Gina Labriola
    • Type: Poster
    • Spontaneous parametric down conversion is an important process in quantum optics, in which blue photons of a high-intensity laser beam are converted into pairs of lower energy infrared photons inside a non-linear optical crystal. Our goal is to measure the wavelength spectrum of these photons using a single photon counting module and a high-resolution optical emission spectrometer. A preliminary step towards merging these two systems is to find out the minimum photon flux required to achieve an adequate signal-to-noise ratio with the spectrometer. Additionally, we need to determine how much signal is lost in the proposed connector between the two setups. We will present our findings from the characterization of the spectrometer, as well as dark counts from the single photon detector and measurements of the polarization properties of the down-converted photons. We will discuss how we plan to determine the wavelength spectrum of the down-converted photons.

  • • Mechanisms of Ultrasonic Attenuation in Porous Bone

    • SPS08
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Stephanie Milazzo
    • Type: Poster
    • Ultrasound is a well established method for measuring the density of porous bone. Ultrasonic backscatter is one application of this technology. Backscattered power has been found to decrease with bone density. We hypothesized that increased attenuation causes a decrease in the backscattered power. There are two mechanisms of attenuation in porous bone: absorption and scattering of acoustic energy away from the forward direction. To determine the dominant mechanism for attenuation, we measured eight specimens of human and bovine bone ranging in density from 0.142-0.259 g/cc. Measurements were first performed with the specimens in water (with water filling the porous regions) and then in ethanol. By altering the saturating fluid, we altered the scattering properties of the bone, but not the absorption properties. We observed differences in the backscattered signals between water and ethanol measurement trials, but not between attenuation signals. This suggests that the dominant mechanism of attenuation is absorption.

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

    • SPS09
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Benjamin Irvine
    • Type: Poster
    • We plan to develop an analytical model of magnetic damping. Magnetic damping occurs when a magnet moves in proximity to a conductor. The changing magnetic field produces an electric field, which generates currents in the conductor. These eddy currents then produce a magnetic field that opposes the motion of the magnet. This phenomenon is utilized in the braking systems of hybrid cars, some trains, and roller coasters. The major benefit of magnetic braking is that an object can be slowed down without losing energy to friction. The kinetic energy of an object is converted directly into electrical energy. For this reason, magnetic damping is fundamental to the development of future technology in regenerative braking. Magnetic braking is extensively used in industry where computational methods are employed to accurately model magnetic braking. Our improved analytical model will provide an excellent benchmark for any computational models.

  • • Optical Tweezers for Advanced Undergraduate Lab

    • SPS10
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by David To
    • Type: Poster
    • We have constructed an optical tweezers apparatus using off-the-shelf, fairly inexpensive components. These include a 20-mw HeNe laser, a standard student lab optical microscope, and an inexpensive CCD firewire camera. The trap is designed to work with polystyrene spheres of various diameters, but to be robust enough for more advanced research. The goal of the work is to use the device for undergraduate research projects but also for use in the advanced labs at Angelo State. Trapping is achieved in the device by focusing the collimated laser beam using a 100x oil immersion objective on the microscope. At the position of the beam waist, the light produces gradient forces that trap the micron-sized spheres. Images are collected and processed using LabVIEW(TM) software. Measurement of particle size is accomplished through software tools for use with unknown-sized samples in the future.

  • • The California-Arizona Minority Partnership for Astronomy Research and Education (CAMPARE): an Educational Experience for Undergraduates at the University of Arizona Alumni Association's Astronomy Camp.

    • SPS11
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Courtney Lemon
    • Type: Poster
    • The California-Arizona Minority Partnership for Astronomy Research and Education (CAMPARE) is an NSF-funded partnership between the Astronomy Program at Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) and the University of Arizona Steward Observatory designed to promote participation of underrepresented minorities (including women) in astronomy research and education. As part of the education component of the program, CPP undergraduate physics majors and minors are eligible to work as a counselor at the University of Arizona's Astronomy Camp, one of the premier astronomy outreach opportunities in the world. CAMPARE students have the opportunity to work in this learn-by-doing environment with a wide range of students to gain first hand experience of teaching astronomy to students of a wide variety of ages in highly structured educational setting. Cal Poly Pomona students who are interested in education, both formal and informal, work in a variety of camps, from Girl Scout camps to camps for advanced high school students, to further their understanding of what it means to be a professional in the field of education. The CAMPARE student who participated in this program during summer 2010 had the opportunity to work under Dr. Don McCarthy, camp director of University of Arizona's Astronomy Camps for 20 years, and observe the interpersonal relations between campers and staff that is so vital to the learning the students receive. Through these observations, the CAMPARE student was able to learn to gauge students' interest in the material, and experience real life teaching and learning scenarios in the informal education realm.

  • • Wigner Distributions of the Biharmonic Oscillator and Asymmetric Linear Potential

    • SPS12
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Leah Ruckle
    • Type: Poster
    • The very nature of quantum physics puts limitations on what can be precisely known at any given time. As a result, probability is used as a way to most effectively describe many of a particle's fundamental properties. Wigner quasi-probability distributions are useful for determining the relationship of the probabilities of the position and momentum of a particle in a potential well. In this project, we studied the Wigner distributions of the biharmonic oscillator and the asymmetric linear well potential wells. Since the particle is more likely to be found on the side of "weaker" potential energy, the behavior of the particle is different from a particle in a symmetric well. While this research is theoretical, the results provide a base for future research and help to shine light on real-life asymmetric potential wells.

  • • Infinitely Sharp Boundaries in the Path Integral Formalism

    • SPS13
    • Sun 02/05, 7:30PM - 9:30PM
    • by Phillip Dluhy
    • Type: Poster
    • We revisit the analysis of sharp infinite potentials within the path integral formalism using the image method (Goodman). We show that using a complete set of energy eigenstates that satisfy the boundary conditions of an infinite wall precisely generates the propagator Goodman proposed. We then further add to the validity of the image method by using supersymmetric quantum mechanics to relate a potential without a sharp boundary to the infinite square well and derive its propagator with an infinite number of image charges. Finally, we show that by using the image method we can readily generate the propagator for the half-harmonic oscillator, a potential that has a sharp infinite boundary at the origin and a quadratic potential in the allowed region, and that it leads to its well-known eigenvalues and eigenfunctions.

• Reforming the Introductory Physics Course for Life Science Majors VI

  • • EPortfolio Student Biomechanics Projects  CANCELLED

    • FI04
    • Wed 02/08, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
    • by Nancy Beverly
    • Type: Poster
    • Life science students created an eportfolio for their individual semester-long biomechanics projects in an IPLS course. As part of their project, each student used video analysis on the center of mass motion of the human or animal movement of their choice. Students demarcated their subject motion into a sequence of different motion segments that corresponded to different force diagrams, which were then indicated. Muscle forces and torque pertaining to the associated limb rotation during the motion was also examined, as well as energy expenditure. 2D force plate and limb rotation data was used when the movement could be replicated in the classroom. Examples will be demonstrated.

  • • Teaching Physics Effectively to Life Sciences Students

    • FI05
    • Wed 02/08, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
    • by Philip Kesten
    • Type: Poster
    • Life sciences majors comprise nearly half of all undergraduates enrolled in introductory physics courses. Showing them how physics determines many characteristics of living systems often captivates their attention and motivates them to learn. Physicists don't need to be experts in biology to introduce physics by putting it in an interesting biological or clinical context. We share several novel examples, including the effects of shear on blood flow and the use of vectors to determine the electrical axis of the heart. In addition, these students benefit from the inclusion of calculus where it makes the physics clearer and more accessible, for example, in Planck's quantization of the energy in a blackbody cavity. Finally, life sciences students are most comfortable with a conceptual approach to both problem-solving and learning in general; to teach them physics effectively demands a heavy dose of conceptual testing. We address all of these in this paper.

  • • Teaching Radioactivity in the Introductory Modern Physics Class designed for Life Science Majors

    • FI06
    • Wed 02/08, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
    • by Tatiana Krivosheev
    • Type: Poster
    • We present our experience of using hand-on activities in teaching radioactivity, dosimetry, and biological effects of radiation in the Introductory Modern Physics class designed for Life Majors. The activities enhance the understanding of physics while boosting interest and relating to the students' previous knowledge and skills from Biology and Microbiology classes.

• Report on IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics

  • • Report on IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics

    • GH
    • Wed 02/08, 1:00PM - 3:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Panel
    • The 4th IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP 2011) happened 5-8 April 2011 in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa. The conference was hosted by Women in Physics in South Africa (WiPiSA) and the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP). This panel will be a discussion and report of on the conference. The IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics is a forum for both scientific presentations and for discussion of issues related to attracting, retaining and improving the status of women in physics. Please join us for an interesting and informative panel discussion.

• Two-Year College Guidelines

  • • Two-Year College Guidelines

    • FH
    • Wed 02/08, 8:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Panel
    • The two-year college community has been working to revise the AAPT booklet "Guidelines for Two-Year College Physics Programs" . This panel discussion will update the community on the status of the revision.

• What is the point of the instructional lab?

  • • What is the point of the instructional lab?

    • DI
    • Tue 02/07, 8:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by
    • Type: Panel
    • Instructional labs have been an integral part of physics education for a very long time; arguably since the creation of the discipline. However, to this date there is no clear concise agreement on what the real point is of a lab. That is, what do we want the students to take away from the experience? What specifically is the pedagogical advantage of a lab? Why not just teach theory in a classroom, it is much cheaper and less time consuming? If we don’t know the answers to these questions it is very difficult to maximize the effectiveness of our labs and to successfully compete for appropriate funding. In this session, 5 panel members will have 10 min to express their views with the remaining half hour for questions and open discussion. I hope you can join us. The Panel members will be: Priscilla W. Laws, Dickinson College - Linda Barton, Rochester Institute of Technology - Mark F. Masters, IPFW - Randy Tagg, University of Colorado Denver - Scott Franklin, Rochester Institute of Technology.