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EF:
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Reforming the Introductory Physics Course for Life Science Majors V
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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1:15PM - 3:15PM
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Presider:
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Juan Burciaga,
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Co-Presiders(s):
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None
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Equipment:
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N/A
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EF01:
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Taking a Biologist to Lunch
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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1:15PM - 1:35PM
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Author:
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Dawn C. Meredith, University of New Hampshire
603-862-2063, dawn.meredith@unh.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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Jessica A. Bolker, James Vesenka, Christopher W Shubert, Gertrud L. Kraut
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Abstract:
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It is often suggested that instructors of algebra-based introductory physics courses take a biologist to lunch, with the goal of finding out what a practicing biologist needs to know about physics. We sat down with faculty from several different life sciences at our institution to find out what physics their students need: a microbiologist, a zoologist, a kinesiologist, a physiologist, and a geneticist. We will share what we learned from these articulation cross-disciplinary conversations. One need expressed by biology faculty was for physics problems that have significant biology context and content; we have developed problems to address this need. A second need is for lecture modules from our IPLS course that biology instructors can use to refresh students' memories of specific physics content. This enables the students to apply those physics principles in specific biological contexts and build upon what they learned in the IPLS course.
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Footnotes:
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None
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EF02:
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Reforming Physics for Biologists and Pre-Meds: Disciplinary Barriers
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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1:35PM - 1:55PM
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Author:
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Edward F. Redish, University of Maryland
301-405-6120, redish@umd.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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Todd J. Cooke, Wolfang Losert, Karen Carleton
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Abstract:
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The calls from the biology and medical communities for reform of undergraduate biology education [1] requests that support courses be reformed as well. At the University of Maryland, the Physics and Biology Education Research Groups [2] have been discussing these issues and interviewing students in physics and biology classes. We find that adapting physics classes for biology students and including physics in biology classes is going to be harder than it appears on the surface. There are epistemological differences in the way both students and professionals in biology and physics think about their science, differences in the way they use math, and differences in the way they think about fundamental concepts. These differences create barriers to reform. Additional barriers arise when chemists and mathematicians are included. Bridging these disciplinary barriers to create effective reform is going to require creativity, open minds, and a willingness to communicate.
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Footnotes:
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[1] http://umdberg.pbworks.com/w/page/27519347/Documents-on-Biology-Education-Reform
[2] http://www.physics.umd.edu/perg/; http://umdberg.pbworks.com/w/page/8039417/FrontPage
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EF03:
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Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences and the Revised MCAT
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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1:55PM - 2:15PM
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Author:
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Robert C. Hilborn, University of Texas at Dallas
972-883-4726, rhilborn@utdallas.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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The Association of American Medical Colleges is in the process of reviewing and revising the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) with the expectation that the new exam will go "live" in 2014 or 2015. At the same time, the AAMC Committee on Admissions has recommended that medical schools drop the traditional course requirements and replace them with a list of competencies: what entering medical students should know and be able to do, particularly in the natural and mathematical sciences. I will review the current status of the MCAT revision and discuss how changes in the MCAT and in admissions requirements for medical schools may affect introductory physics courses for the life sciences.
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Footnotes:
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None
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EF04:
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IPLS at Appalachian State University
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Patricia E. Allen, Appalachian State University
828-262-2989, allenpe@appstate.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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At Appalachian State University, a new IPLS (Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences) course is currently being piloted with 21 students. In consultation with various on-campus pre-professional health-care programs, the author attempts to integrate the BIO2010 and SFFP recommendations with existing departmental resources to generate a course appropriate for future health-care professionals. For example, the overarching topic for the first semester course is ultrasound imaging, diathermy, and surgery, while defibrillators and diagnostic imaging (MRI, CT, etc) are used for the second semester. The roles of physics, physiology, and materials are introduced into the course as they are needed. The presentation will include course topics (including the order of coverage), resources for lecture and lab, and preliminary student performance for the pilot course. In addition, some of the issues associated with scaling up this type of course will be discussed.
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Footnotes:
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None
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EF05:
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Project-based Learning of Biomechanics
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Nancy Beverly, Mercy College
914-674-7275, nbeverly@mercy.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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Life and health science students taking the first semester of the algebra-based introductory physics course at Mercy College learn mechanics in the context of biomechanics through a semester-long project analyzing a human or animal motion of their choice. As each topic is explored in class, students apply that topic to their analysis. Kinematics, Newton's laws, rotation and torque, momentum, energy, heat and temperature, elasticity, and fluids are applied at different levels depending on the project. Students take data from force plates, goniometers, accelerometers, force sensors, motion sensors, and video analysis, to incorporate into their projects. Students are required to post updates to their projects online and to comment on each other's work in progress. Guidelines, rubrics, and student examples will be shown.
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Footnotes:
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None
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EF07:
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A Hybrid Lecture-Studio Implementation at Boston University
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Andrew Duffy, Department of Physics, Boston University
508 5234135, aduffy@bu.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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Manher Jariwala
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Abstract:
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Boston University has a new internal grant, sponsored by the provost, called RULE - Reforming the Undergraduate Learning Experience. The Department of Physics has received a RULE grant, and is using the funds to implement an experimental studio section of our algebra-based introductory physics class that is taken primarily by life science majors. That section will begin in a new 63-student classroom in fall 2010. To prepare for this implementation, in May and June 2010, the summer version of the course was taught in a hybrid lecture-studio format, with the lecture component having a number of interactive engagement features. In this poster, we will report on our experience with the hybrid format.
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Footnotes:
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None
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EF08:
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Introduction to Medical Physics for Physics Majors and Biophysics Minors
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Michael G. Nichols, Creighton University
402-280-2159, mnichols@creighton.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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This course was developed for undergraduate students interested in the life sciences who would otherwise take only the required two-semester general physics sequence. The primary goal of this writing-intensive course is to develop a functional understanding of the physical principles on which many medical techniques and technologies are based. This includes radioactivity, the interaction of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation with living tissue, the physical mechanisms whereby radiation induces cell damage, biophysical cell survival models, and the principles of radiation treatment. In addition to this, students are introduced to medical imaging technologies including X-ray CT, SPECT, PET, MRI and Ultrasound. This is done both in the classroom and through tours of local hospitals. Altogether, these applications encourage students to extend and deepen their understanding of physics while illustrating how a little interdisciplinary ingenuity can lead to the development of medical technologies that can profoundly improve the quality of life.
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Footnotes:
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None
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EF09:
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From Brownian Motion to Random Walks: Diffusion in the IPLS Class
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Mark Reeves, George Washington University
2029946279, reevesme@gwu.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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Carl Pearson, Rahul Simha, Robert Donaldson
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Abstract:
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Diffusion and entropy are very important for understanding biophysical processes at the cellular level, but students have and maintain very strong misconceptions about these two topics. We have developed a first-semester IPLS course, in which roughly 1/3 of the class time is dedicated to teaching statistical physics. Students are introduced to statistics by considering simple coins flips. We move on from these to large numbers of coins and flips per coin and thereby to a meaningful physical model by connecting to Java-based simulations of the random walk problem. The class discussions and simulations are complemented by laboratories in which diffusion, Brownian motion, and laser trapping are directly observed and quantitatively measured. From the measurements and in-class discussions, the connection is made between the microscopic model/observation and its macroscopic realization. That is we connect by modeling and experiment Brownian motion to diffusion. The same line of argument is used to establish the equipartition theorem in terms of observations of laser trapping and this is then extended to discussions of protein folding and membrane formation. In this way the entire suite of hydrophobic forces are shown to have their origin in statistical models for entropy in thermodynamics.
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Footnotes:
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This research is supported by the NSF/CCLI program. More information can be found at http://www.phys.gwu.edu/iplswiki/index.php/Example_Courses
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EF10:
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Teaching Introductory Physics with Biomedical Applications
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Natalia Schkolnikov, Hampton University
7577275824, natalia.schkolnikov@hamptonu.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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Often students from underrepresented groups in the biomedical sciences feel disconnected from physics. We report on some of our experiences teaching the introductory physics sequence for biology and pharmacy students at Hampton University. Since fundamental concepts of physics are central to an understanding of biomedical sciences, we include biomedical applications in most topics of the courses. In particular, the biological and medical fields are an ideal source of physics problems. We discuss how fast an animal can walk or run, how long a cardiac pacemaker can work, and how electrical signals travel along neurons. We cover various methods that are used to "look inside the body" such as ultrasound, MRI, and X-ray imaging. Encouraged by the opening of the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute in 2010, we discuss how energetic protons could provide an efficient cancer treatment. My experience shows that students find all these discussions stimulating and helpful.
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Footnotes:
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None
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EF11:
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Concept Mapping to Clarify Interdisciplinary Themes: An Example Using Osmosis
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Ji Shen, University of Georgia
706-542-4646, ji.shen1221@gmail.com
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Co-Author(s):
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Craig C. Wiegert, Shannon Sung, Georgia Hodges
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Abstract:
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Boundaries between traditional academic disciplines often hinder students from integrating "big ideas" across subjects. In response to the growing need for college-level interdisciplinary education, we have assembled a diverse team of educators and education researchers (in physics, biology, physiology, and other STEM subjects) to investigate student understanding of interdisciplinary science topics. Important early steps in this project include identifying the pivotal concepts associated with a given topic, and developing a common understanding of the discipline-specific explanations of these concepts. We illustrate these steps applied to the topic of osmosis, a phenomenon often poorly understood by students and educators alike. We share our results in creating several iterations of an "expert" group concept map for osmosis. This collaborative process highlights different and often imprecise use of terminology; the challenges of developing an accurate common model; and several problems in understanding and communicating the underlying physical mechanism of selective diffusion.
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Footnotes:
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Sponsored by Craig Wiegert.
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EF12:
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What Do We Want Our Life Science Majors to Learn?
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Guofen Yu, The University of Findlay
(419) 434-4493, yu@findlay.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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The majority of students in my Introductory Physics Lecture course lack the interest in physics and the learning skills for science courses. Both my students and I struggled in the course when I first started teaching life science majors after years of teaching engineering students. Through this experience, I have come to realize that it is extremely important to set up appropriate overarching course goals (such as the skills I want students to develop) and make content objectives for each chapter to maximize life science applications. My pedagogical methods, topic selections, depth of discussions on each topic, class examples, homework assignments, and assessments are all built upon the course goals and chapter objectives. A list of my course goals and the pedagogical reforms in my course will be reported as part of this session. Data of students' performance and comments from online anonymous surveys over several semesters will also be presented.
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Footnotes:
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None
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EF13:
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Making Physics Lab Relevant to the Life Science Major
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Location:
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SS 104 |
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Date:
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Tuesday, Aug.02 |
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Time:
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2:15PM - 3:15PM
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Author:
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Rona Ramos, Yale University, Department of Physics
(203) 432-3655, rona.ramos@yale.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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Sidney Cahn, Stephen Irons
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Abstract:
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In current biological and biomedical research, the connections between the life sciences and the physical sciences are deepening. Increasingly, the methods of research and analysis in these fields depend on sophisticated instruments with strong roots in the physical sciences. However, many premedical and life science students feel their undergraduate physics courses are irrelevant to their chosen field. The Yale Physics Department has responded to these concerns by making major changes to the introductory laboratory courses for life science and premedical students. This talk will highlight some of the innovative demos and instructional laboratory experiments that have been developed to address this issue. Other changes include presenting lab experiments in the context of current biomedical and biophysical applications. Preliminary feedback suggests that students are more engaged and feel the laboratory course is more appropriate to the training of future life scientists and physicians.
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Footnotes:
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None
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