Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Joint Fall 2010 Meeting of the Texas Sections of the APS, AAPT, Zone 13 of SPS and the National Society of Hispanic Physicists
Volume 55, Number 11
Thursday–Saturday, October 21–23, 2010; San Antonio, Texas
Session SM6: AAPT and Physics Education |
Hide Abstracts |
Chair: Rafael Lopez-Mobilia, University of Texas at San Antonio Room: University Center III Hidalgo Room, 2nd floor |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:00AM - 10:12AM |
SM6.00001: Hands-On Research School in Africa Harry L. Swinney A UNESCO/ICTP-sponsored ``Hands-On Research in Complex Systems'' school was held 1-12 August 2010 in Cameroon for young science faculty in Africa (see handsonresearch.org). Fifty participants from 17 African countries were selected from a pool of more than three hundred applicants. The goal of the school was for the participants to learn to use modern inexpensive instrumentation (such as webcams) and computational techniques to study diverse phenomena in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. The hands-on laboratory sessions were led by 12 senior faculty (most from the US); each faculty member brought a graduate student to assist with the teaching. In addition to the laboratory and computational activities, the participants also learned peer instruction teaching methods, developed oral communication skills in interactive sessions, and learned how to do simple inexpensive classroom demonstrations. This talk will show pictures from the Cameroon Hands-On School and will present plans for similar schools in developing countries in Asia, Latin America, and the Mideast. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:12AM - 10:24AM |
SM6.00002: An online and integrative computer-based approach to improve students' learning in a large introductory physics course Kwan Cheng, Mehmet Caglar It is always a challenge to monitor, gauge and assess the students' learning activities before, during and after lecture teaching in a large (more than 150 students) introductory physics class setting. At Texas Tech, an online and integrative computer-based approach of using an interactive pre-lecture tutorial, an in-class real-time concept test assessment using a wireless student response system and a homework/tutorial system has been implemented to meet the above challenge in Fall 2010. The strategies of implementation of this integrative approach and how this approach may create synergism of lab and lecture teaching efforts will also be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:24AM - 10:36AM |
SM6.00003: Investigating the Spatial Abilities of Students Taking Physics in Community College M.R. Hossu, X. Cid, R. Lopez Two independent tests that involve spatial visualization abilities, the PFT (Paper Folding Test) and the MRT (Mental Rotation Test) were given to different sections of introductory level physics students. The results show a strong correlation between the results of the two tests regardless of the different level of mathematics used in instruction (algebra or calculus). A statistically significant difference was found for both tests between the summer semester students (mostly 4-year university students) and the fall semester students (mostly community college students). No correlation was found between the PFT or MRT and FCI (Force Concept Inventory). [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:36AM - 10:48AM |
SM6.00004: Creating a community of physics teachers and an environment that rewards thoughtful innovative instruction Alex Barr In Fall 2009 a small group of physics graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin founded a weekly seminar/discussion group known as the Physics Education Forum. The primary goals of the forum are to help establish a community of students and faculty with a particular interest in teaching and in physics education research, to promote discussions and collaborations on teaching throughout the department, and to explore ways to incorporate research-based teaching methods into our classrooms. In this talk I will describe the formation of the Physics Education Forum and how we were able to quickly establish the forum as a legitimate seminar series within the department. I will also highlight some of the difficulties and successes we faced during the first year of the forum as well as the forum's impact on the department as a whole and our current efforts to expand the Physics Education Forum. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:48AM - 11:00AM |
SM6.00005: Laboratory Pedagogy: Fusing traditional and research-based labs Beth Thacker, Keith West We present research on traditional and research-based labs and discuss the development of new labs which fuse both traditional and research-based laboratory components. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 11:00AM - 11:12AM |
SM6.00006: A question about anti-reflective coating Lianxi Ma We discuss the electric fields and light energy reflected by anti-reflective coating and the interference of the electric fields. By emphasizing that the light energy is determined by the total, rather than individual, electric field, we clarify the confusion about how the anti-reflective coating increases the transmission energy. An example shows that the main electric fields of destructive interference on a coated surface are from the first and second reflections. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 11:12AM - 11:24AM |
SM6.00007: What is the Matter? James M. Espinosa, James Espinosa, James Woodyard For the past ten years, we have studied how to utilize Newtonian physics to study macroscopic and microscopic phenomena that most physicists believe necessitate the use of Einstein's theories of relativity and Quantum Mechanics. We have found other different approaches than ours also. In the spirit of awakening greater interest in diversity of ideas and also examining the philosophical underpinnings of physics, we will present a matrix classification system that will allow ease of presentation of the myriad ideas that have been used by various groups. The purpose of this talk is to show that great strides have been made by research groups in many different areas of physics without using ``mainstream'' physics. From our personal experience, we have seen that students become very interested in seeing these other avenues briefly described. It also is good to reexamine the basis of both relativity and quantum mechanics, which are the foundation of modern physics. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 11:24AM - 11:36AM |
SM6.00008: A NASA Center for Astronomy Education (CAE) Texas Regional Teaching Exchange: Our Second Attempt W. Lee Powell Jr., Greg Sherman The NASA Center for Astronomy Education (CAE) is dedicated to improving the quality of instruction in the astronomy 101 classroom environment. One tool that the CAE is using in this endeavor around the country is the regional teaching exchange. The idea behind the exchange is to get together people who have attended a CAE teaching workshop or would like to know what goes on at one, to talk about techniques they use in their own classroom and to hear about the available teaching tools coming out of the Astronomy Education Research community. The regional exchanges help build a local community of educators to share ideas, give advice, and perhaps work together on education research of their own. In this talk I will discuss our first attempt to hold an exchange in Texas and what we learned from its failure. I will also announce the details of our upcoming second exchange attempt. The next Texas exchange will be held in the DFW area in February. We will offer a teaching workshop, and are accepting papers to be presented at the exchange. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 23, 2010 11:36AM - 11:48AM |
SM6.00009: Intuitive Solutions to Relativistic Paradoxes Lionel D. Hewett Einstein's special theory of relativity is filled with so many apparent paradoxes that many people simply cannot accept its validity. They cannot believe that any theory filled with so many conceptual inconsistencies could possibly correlate with true reality. However, it is not the Theory of Relativity that is filled with paradoxes and inconsistencies but a person's intuitive interpretation of that theory. By simply changing one's perspective or viewpoint it is possible to acquire intuitive solutions to many of relativity's apparent paradoxes and to remove various conceptual inconsistencies commonly associated with the theory. This presentation illustrates how that intuition can be applied to such apparent paradoxes as the twin paradox, the pole-and-barn paradox, and even various paradoxes associated with spacetime itself. [Preview Abstract] |
Follow Us |
Engage
Become an APS Member |
My APS
Renew Membership |
Information for |
About APSThe American Physical Society (APS) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance the knowledge of physics. |
© 2024 American Physical Society
| All rights reserved | Terms of Use
| Contact Us
Headquarters
1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844
(301) 209-3200
Editorial Office
100 Motor Pkwy, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(631) 591-4000
Office of Public Affairs
529 14th St NW, Suite 1050, Washington, D.C. 20045-2001
(202) 662-8700