Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS March Meeting 2011
Volume 56, Number 1
Monday–Friday, March 21–25, 2011; Dallas, Texas
Session A14: Focus Session: New Ways of Communicating Physics |
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Sponsoring Units: FEd Chair: Leonardo Colletti, colletti@science.unitn.it Room: D227 |
Monday, March 21, 2011 8:00AM - 8:12AM |
A14.00001: The Need For ``Pleasure in Finding Things Out:'' The Use of History and Our Greatest Scientists for Human Survival and Scientific Integrity Joshua Borchardt Why Homo sapiens search for interesting things and the methods of which we do so. The use of philosophical, theoretical, and demonstrated processes for exploration of the natural, and not so natural world are presented based on the ideas and wishes of some of History's greatest scientists, with concentration on Richard P. Feynman's lens on scientific discovery and pursuit, for which the abstract gets its title. This talk is presented towards the layman as well as the physicist, and gives insight to the nature of discovery and what it means to have pleasure in finding things out for the betterment of all mankind. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 8:12AM - 8:24AM |
A14.00002: Energy Experiments for STEM Students John Fanchi Texas Christian University (TCU) is developing an undergraduate program that prepares students to become engineers with an emphasis in energy systems. One of the courses in the program is a technical overview of traditional energy (coal, oil and gas), nuclear energy, and renewable energy that requires as a pre-requisite two semesters of calculus-based physics. Energy experiments are being developed that will facilitate student involvement and provide hands-on learning opportunities. Students participating in the course will improve their understanding of energy systems; be introduced to outstanding scientific and engineering problems; learn about the role of energy in a global and societal context; and evaluate contemporary issues associated with energy. This talk will present the status of experiments being developed for the technical energy survey course. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 8:24AM - 8:36AM |
A14.00003: Physics Learning Strategies with Multi-touch Technology Mark Potter, C. Ilie, D. Schofield Advancements in technology have opened doorways to build new teaching and learning methods. Through conjunctive use of these technologies and methods, a classroom can be enriched to stimulate and improve student learning. The purpose of our research is to ascertain whether or not multi-touch technology enhances students' abilities to better comprehend and retain the knowledge taught in physics. At their basis, students learn via visual, aural, reading/writing, and kinesthetic styles. Labs provide for all but the aural style, while lectures lack kinesthetic learning. Pedagogical research indicates that kinesthetic learning is a fundamental, powerful, and ubiquitous learning style [1]. By using multi-touch technology in lecture, not only can we accommodate kinesthetic learners, but we can also enrich the experiences of visual learners. Ushering to this wider array of students will hopefully lead to an increase in meaningful learning.\\[4pt] [1] Wieman, C.E, Perkins, K.K., Adams, W.K., -Oersted Medal Lecture 2007: ``Interactive Simulations for teaching physics: What works, what doesn't and why,'' American Journal of Physics. 76 393-99. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 8:36AM - 9:12AM |
A14.00004: Why the New York Times Science Tuesday section is only eight pages and what to do about it Invited Speaker: Communicating science to the public is the responsibility of all scientists and necessary for an informed electorate and as an inspiration to young minds. Yet successful national strategies for communicating science and the venues for such communication seem limited. Science museums and TV programs like NOVA reach millions of people but still only a very small fraction of the US population. In terms of daily science reporting very few newspapers have a devoted science reporter and it is only the New York Times which has a significant weekly reporting section on science (and health). What can one do about reaching wider and new audiences? We recently ran an NSF sponsored international conference entitled Communicating Science to the Public through the Performing Arts (www.sciartconference2010.com). At the conference there were sessions on science and theater, science and TV and film, science and dance, science and music and science festivals, cafes and events (web.gc.cuny.edu/sciart). Using these new approaches one can reach a new and wider audience and one can also take advantage of the seemingly insatiable interest of the press in the arts. Examples of successful new strategies for communicating science will be presented, evaluated and shown to be replicable at a relatively modest cost of time and money. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 9:12AM - 9:24AM |
A14.00005: Teaching Physics Through Comic Books Rebecca Thompson, Tassia Owen Comics have been around as a form of entertainment for decades. They are often as seen as one of the distracting vices of kids (and adults!), but comics and their more adult version, the graphic novel, are increasingly valued as a legitimate genre of literature. The APS Outreach Department has created three comic books, one featuring Nikola Tesla and his battles with the evil Thomas Edison, and two about laser super hero Spectra and her continuing battles with the nefarious Miss Alignment. These comics have struck a delicate balance between education and entertainment being well received by both the comic book and education communities. By creating a compelling comic story that has correct physics, it is possible to use this under-appreciated medium to excite middle-school students who might otherwise be turned off by traditional teaching methods. One lesson-learned is that It is very important to make sure first and foremost that the students enjoy the story and that they feel a connection to the characters. Students are thus hooked and once they are drawn in, the learning happens automatically.. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 9:24AM - 9:36AM |
A14.00006: Khan Academy: the world's free virtual school Joshua A. Dijksman, Salman Khan Khan Academy offers an unprecedented set of educational material for science and math education, in the form of short, free, publicly available video clips. With a growing set of already over 2000 videos, it is easily the most exhaustive collection of structured educational material on the Internet. The content is made in digestible 10-20 minute chunks; the granular nature of the material allows learners to fill in almost any of their knowledge ``gaps.'' Importantly, the conversational style used in the videos offers a fresh, new perspective on math and science instruction. With our 2 M\$ funding grant from Google and support from the Gates foundation, we envision covering all topics that would appear in typical high-school or collegiate-level Math and Science courses, and translating these videos to the major languages across the globe. Moreover, we also offer a free and fully integrated assessment system, which allows students to practice problems at their own pace and focus on the appropriate instruction to fill in their individual gaps. Many testimonials have already proven our methods to be a highly successful educational tool. Our goal is to allow educators to improve their teaching, but above all to bring simple, rewarding and enjoyable education to the minds of many young students. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 9:36AM - 9:48AM |
A14.00007: How to Talk Science to Homer Simpson Michael Lucibella Communicating scientific information to the general public is an important but often underappreciated skill. Researchers who can clearly and concisely describe the science they do are critical to helping create a scientifically literate public, something that is sorely lacking in this country. Public understanding of science is crucial because people who understand and appreciate science are more likely to support research funding, the public has to vote on issues of science and technology more than ever, and it helps sow the next generation of scientists. Plus there are many people interested in learning about science who but don't have the training to digest technical language. Writing or talking to a public with minimal background in science and or the media is very different from communicating members of the scientific community. I'll go over a few strategies to keep your message as clear as possible, and will offer some communication guidelines that will ensure that the media and public understand what you say. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 9:48AM - 10:00AM |
A14.00008: School for Scientific Thought: Saturday sessions that bring high school and STEM graduate students together Elisabeth Gwinn, Wendy Ibsen The School for Scientific Thought (http://csep.cnsi.ucsb.edu/k12/sst) is a Saturday morning program that exposes high school students to current research in STEM fields, through 5-week miniclasses that are conceived, developed and taught by graduate students. Now in its second year of sponsorship by UCSB's California Nanosystems Institute, this NSF-supported program provides graduate students with a creative opportunity to communicate their own favorite science to a young audience. The experience solidifies the graduate student's own knowledge while developing expository skills during a limited time commitment that allows them to also progress in their research objectives. High school students make contact with positive scientist role models while learning about exciting topics that are beyond the high school curriculum. SST courses have ranged from ``Surfing the Waves of Light and Matter'' to ``Nanotechnology: Using the Very Small to Solve the World's Problems''. The selection of graduate student instructors and recruitment of high school students will be discussed. SST is an outgrowth of the NSF GK-12 program ``Let's Explore Applied Physical Science'' (LEAPS). [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 10:00AM - 10:12AM |
A14.00009: The Changing Landscape of Science News James Riordon Social media are revolutionizing the ways that people communicate and the ways they get their news. Traditional news outlets are in decline, and no subject area is declining faster than science news. Every day there are fewer professional science journalists working in traditional media. On the other hand, ever greater numbers of scientists, science enthusiasts, and online journalists are turning to blogs, podcasts, eBooks, twitter feeds, and social media sites like Facebook and Tumbler to spread news about science. I will present an overview of the state of science journalism and speculate on the likely directions it seems to be heading. I will also offer some general guidelines to help scientists understand what makes a good science news story, as well as suggesting ways that they can get their work in the news. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 10:12AM - 10:24AM |
A14.00010: Interactive NMR: A Simulation Based Teaching Tool for Fundamentals to Applications with Tangible Analogies Sarah Griesse-Nascimento, Joshua Bridger, Keith Brown, Robert Westervelt Interactive computer simulations increase students' understanding of difficult concepts and their ability to explain complex ideas. We created a module of eight interactive programs and accompanying lesson plans for teaching the fundamental concepts of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that we call interactive NMR (iNMR). We begin with an analogy between nuclear spins and metronomes to start to build intuition about the dynamics of spins in a magnetic field. We continue to explain T1, T2, and pulse sequences with the metronome analogy. The final three programs are used to introduce and explain the Magnetic Resonance Switch, a recent diagnostic technique based on NMR. A modern relevant application is useful to generate interest in the topic and confidence in the students' ability to apply their knowledge. The iNMR module was incorporated into a high school AP physics class. In a preliminary evaluation of implementation, students expressed enthusiasm and demonstrated enhanced understanding of the material relative to the previous year. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 10:24AM - 10:36AM |
A14.00011: ALPhA: The Advanced Laboratory Physics Association Eric Black, Lowell McCann, Jonathan Reichert, Gabe Spalding, John Essick, David Van Baak, Steve Wonnell The Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA) is a group of people with a shared interest in teaching physics labs at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level. ALPhA works closely with the American Physical Society (APS), the Optical Society of America (OSA), and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) to develop new methods for teaching modern experimental physics. In the summer of 2010 we initiated the ALPhA Immersion Program, a three-day short course where instructors visit a lab, do one or more of the local experiments (home-built or commercial) with the local instructor, and learn the experiments well enough to incorporate them into their own programs. These immersions were very well received, with attendees filling up all available slots. In this talk I will describe ALPhA and the Immersions Program and solicit input from the broader community. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, March 21, 2011 10:36AM - 10:48AM |
A14.00012: Back to the old questions: physics as culture Leonardo Colletti My thesis is that, when communicating physics to a large public, more effort should be put into presenting it as an invaluable cultural resource. In fact, by insisting only, as it often happens, on its strategic role as technology booster, one would rather understate physics' very core values. People do certainly appreciate new devices which make their life easier, but they also love thinking about general questions, such as ``What is the Universe?'' and ``How do we know something about it?'', which make life truly worth living. I am convinced that not introducing properly the large public to the intellectual beauty of physics' ideas, would represent a waste of knowledge which may result in a society that is even poorer than that resulting from scarce investment in innovation. I will propose a variety of approaches that can be used to highlight the conceptual richness of physics at the aesthetic and inspiring level. Not unlike art and literature, physics can be offered in a way that shows its transformative power of our vision of the universe and its capability of matching human desire for understanding. [Preview Abstract] |
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