Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Joint Spring 2010 Meeting of the Texas Sections of the APS, AAPT, and SPS
Volume 55, Number 3
Thursday–Saturday, March 18–20, 2010; Austin, Texas
Session F4: Physics Education Research |
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Chair: Eric Hagedorn, University of Texas at El Paso Room: Robert Lee Moore Hall 5.104 |
Friday, March 19, 2010 3:15PM - 3:27PM |
F4.00001: A Large Scale Assessment of the Introductory Courses: Overview Beth Thacker, Kwan Cheng We discuss a large scale assessment of the introductory courses. We are performing a large scale assessment of four interventions in our introductory courses: 1) the introduction of research-based laboratories and teaching pedagogies into the laboratory/recitation sections, 2) training the teaching assistants in new pedagogies and the development and use of grading rubrics, 3) the integration of the lecture and the lab with the new research-based laboratories and pedagogies in place and 4) a completely laboratory-based, interactive engagement course as a small, independent section of the course. We discuss these interventions and the assessment process and assessment instruments being used. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 3:27PM - 3:39PM |
F4.00002: A Large Scale Assessment of the Introductory Courses: Analysis Kwan Cheng, Amy Pietan, Beth Thacker We present the first data on four interventions in our large introductory courses. We are performing a large scale assessment of the introductory courses. The four interventions are: 1) the introduction of new research-based laboratories and teaching pedagogies into the laboratory/recitation sections, 2) training the teaching assistants in the new pedagogies and the development and use of grading rubrics, 3) the integration of the lecture and the lab with the new research-based laboratories and pedagogies in place and 4) a completely laboratory-based, interactive engagement course as a small, independent section of the course. We present data on two of the courses in our introductory sequence: the first semester algebra-based and calculus-based courses. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 3:39PM - 3:51PM |
F4.00003: A Large Scale Assessment of the Introductory Courses: Integration of Lecture and Lab Keith West We discuss the integration of the lecture and laboratory in one of the introductory courses. The lecture and laboratory topics are scheduled so that they are covered as much during the same week as possible. The laboratories are research-based. The pedagogies employed in both the lecture and the lab are also research- based. Examples of both will be discussed and include but are not limited to Socratic discussion as opposed to traditional lecture, emphasis on conceptual understanding over rote memorization and a plug-and-chug approach to problem solving, and active rather than passive learning strategies. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 3:51PM - 4:03PM |
F4.00004: Qualitative Understanding of Magnetism at Three Levels of Expertise Francesco Stefani, Jill Marshall This work set out to investigate the state of qualitative understanding of magnetism at various stages of expertise, and what approaches to problem-solving are used across the spectrum of expertise. We studied three groups: 10 novices, 10 experts-in-training, and 11 experts. Data collection involved structured interviews during which participants solved a series of non-standard problems designed to test for conceptual understanding of magnetism. The interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. None of the novices and only a few of the experts in training showed a strong understanding of inductance, magnetic energy, and magnetic pressure; and for the most part they tended not to approach problems visually. Novices frequently described gist memories of demonstrations, text book problems, and rules (heuristics). However, these fragmentary mental models were not complete enough to allow them to reason productively. Experts-in-training were able to solve problems that the novices were not able to solve, many times simply because they had greater recall of the material, and therefore more confidence in their facts. Much of their thinking was concrete, based on mentally manipulating objects. The experts solved most of the problems in ways that were both effective and efficient. Part of the efficiency derived from their ability to visualize and thus reason in terms of field lines. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 4:03PM - 4:15PM |
F4.00005: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Concepts for Enriching High School Curricula Charlotte Sanders, Jill Marshall High school science teachers seeking to enhance student enthusiasm for science and to enrich their curricula with ``real world'' examples might be interested in drawing on nanoscience, which is currently a major branch of study in biology, chemistry, and physics---key high school curriculum areas---and is also a subject much reported upon by the news media. However, presenting nanoscience and nanotechnology in the classroom presents key challenges: the subject matter must be successfully integrated into the core curriculum so as to enhance the students' educational experience; it must support the aims of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKC), or equivalent systems in other states; it must be made accessible to students; and it must be presentable with the use of equipment or supplies that are neither too expensive nor too rare to be obtainable by school districts. These last two requirements are particularly difficult, because it is the nature of nanoscale research that complex fabrication processes and expensive characterization methods are typically required. This talk will discuss the authors' experience leading a teachers' workshop session in 2009 to address the issue of introducing nanoscience into the high school science classroom. The workshop is funded by the NSF through the UT-IGERT program, and brings together teachers from across Texas annually for discussion, curriculum-building, and training in concepts related to nanoscience and nanotechnology. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 4:15PM - 4:27PM |
F4.00006: Making Guided Labs More Student Centered Timothy Coffey Physics education research implies that students learn better through student centered inquiry, or self-discovery. We discuss steps to modify an existing guided lab to make it more student centered. Examples from our physical science non-sequence service course will be presented. For this course explicit content goals are abandoned in favor of improving students' ability to think scientifically. The pros and cons of this approach will also be touched upon. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 4:27PM - 4:39PM |
F4.00007: A Large-Scale Assessment of Introductory Physics Courses: Development of Laboratory Activities Seshini Pillay While there has long been a general consensus among science researchers and educators that practical work is an essential component of teaching science, there is little agreement about the purposes of undergraduate laboratory courses. The aims of these courses are often manifold and confusingly combined. As part of the reform taking place in the undergraduate physics curriculum at Texas Tech University, we aim to develop laboratory activities which promote students' understanding of the nature of measurement and uncertainty, while providing opportunities for students to apply learned concepts to new situations through experiment and observation. Our goal is to construct a laboratory curriculum which reflects science practice, and highlights the nature of science and the process of scientific inquiry. The activities are based on the probabilistic approach to measurement, and a modelling framework for physics teaching and learning. The development of these activities will be discussed; and examples from an introductory calculus-based laboratory course will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
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