Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2009 APS April Meeting
Volume 54, Number 4
Saturday–Tuesday, May 2–5, 2009; Denver, Colorado
Session T13: Physics Education Research |
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Sponsoring Units: FEd Chair: Noah Finkelstein, University of Colorado Room: Plaza Court 3 |
Monday, May 4, 2009 3:30PM - 3:42PM |
T13.00001: Colorado Assessment of Problem Solving (CAPS) -- Identifying student's problem solving skills Wendy Adams, Carl Wieman Problem solving is central to any physics curriculum and physics educators have put extensive effort into understanding successful problem solving; however, there is currently no efficient way to evaluate problem solving skill. Attempts have been made in the past; however, knowledge of the principles required to solve the subject problem are so absolutely critical that they completely overshadow any other skills students may use when solving a problem. The work presented here is unique because CAPS removes the requirement that the student already have a grasp of physics concepts. CAPS has been developed and validated at Colorado and measures a person's competence in 44 separate skills that are used when solving a wide range of in-depth problems including classical mechanics and quantum mechanics problems. Understanding the specific processes that impact how a person solves a problem identifies which components are specific to physics and those that transfer across discipline, and provides insight for improved methods for teaching. 1. Supported in part by funding from National Science Foundation [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 3:42PM - 3:54PM |
T13.00002: ABSTRACT HAS BEEN MOVED TO B13.00008 |
Monday, May 4, 2009 3:54PM - 4:06PM |
T13.00003: The Effects of Eliminating Lectures in Favor of In-class Collaborative Learning Experiences Debra Krause Dandaneau, Erin Caracappa To meet the objectives of a general-education conceptual physics course (namely to ``reduce students' fears of science and to convey to them a substantial understanding''\footnote{ \underline {How Things Work} text description from L. Bloomfield's site: http://howthingswork.virginia.edu/course.html}), students must be engaged in the learning process. Hands-on work and peer instruction are thought to be most effective, and when such methods are used, the course can reinforce research-based pedagogy to preservice teachers. Often, due to time constraints, interactive engagement is nonetheless auxiliary. In the current conceptual courses at our institution, the lecture has been virtually eliminated in favor of collaborative in-class activities, which make use of free, online, research-based simulations.\footnote{ Primarily those on the PhET site: http://phet.colorado.edu/index.php\par } Students perform experiments using simple materials when simulations are not available or can be supplemented. The course will be described and compared to a lecture-based course, in terms of attitudes improvement and learning gains. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 4:06PM - 4:18PM |
T13.00004: Research on student use of computer simulations Archie Paulson, Katherine Perkins, Wendy Adams The Physics Education Technology (PhET) project develops interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena that emphasize interactivity, animation, and real world connections. We are seeking a better understanding of how students learn from simulations (sims) in order to inform both sim design and use. We compare differences in student learning and sim investigation when the sim either shows or hides representations of abstract or invisible phenomena such as a magnetic field or electron flow in a current. The study is based on interviews with introductory-level university physics students while using the sims. Results of this study are expected to improve our understanding of how students learn complex physical concepts using sims, and have implications for designing effective sim-based in-class activities, homework and labs. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 4:18PM - 4:30PM |
T13.00005: Using Clickers in Upper-division Physics Courses: What do students think? Katherine Perkins, Stephanie Chasteen, Chandra Turpen, Michael Dubson, Steven Pollock The use of clickers and concept tests in introductory courses in physics is becoming more and more popular among faculty at institutions across the US; however, the use of these tools in upper-division physics courses is more limited. At the University of Colorado at Boulder, an increasing number of faculty are incorporating these teaching approaches and tools in upper-division courses. In this talk, we discuss how clickers were implemented at this level and report on students' response to the use of clickers. Preliminary results show that typically 85{\%} of students in upper-division courses are supportive of the use of clickers. We report on how this response varies with the course-level (sophomore through senior) and how the clickers were implemented in the classroom. Finally, we report on students' perception of the characteristics of clicker use they find most valuable for their learning. Clicker questions for use in upper-division physics courses are available at: http://www.colorado.edu/sei/departments/physics.htm [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 4:30PM - 4:42PM |
T13.00006: Examining the Gender Gap in Introductory Physics Lauren Kost, Steven Pollock, Noah Finkelstein Our previous research[1] showed that despite the use of interactive engagement techniques in the introductory physics course, the gap in performance between males and females on a mechanics conceptual learning survey persisted from pre- to post-test, at our institution.~Such findings were counter to previously published work[2].~Follow-up studies[3] identified correlations between student performance on the conceptual learning survey and students' prior physics and math knowledge and their incoming attitudes and beliefs about physics and learning physics. The results indicate that the gender gap at our institution is predominantly associated with differences in males' and females' previous physics and math knowledge, and attitudes and beliefs. Our current work extends these results in two ways: 1) we look at the gender gap in the second semester of the introductory sequence and find results similar to those in the first semester course and 2) we identify ways in which males and females differentially experience several aspects of the introductory course. \newline \newline [1] Pollock, et al, Phys Rev: ST: PER 3, 010107. [2] Lorenzo, et al, Am J Phys 74, 118. [3] Kost, et al, PERC Proceedings 2008. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 4:42PM - 4:54PM |
T13.00007: Teaching Nuclear Power to Non-Science Majors {\&} Monitoring Student Interest Jerry Artz Interest of non-science majors at Hamline University in nuclear power has been monitored over the past 30 years and will be discussed. This student interest is in the context of a constantly evolving course entitled Energy, Environment, and the Economy that has been taught by the same instructor over these same 30 years. Lecture content in nuclear power along with its evolution will be discussed. Laboratory experiments to develop understanding in radioactivity will be discussed. Suggestions will be presented as to what appears to work and what doesn't. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 4:54PM - 5:06PM |
T13.00008: Instructional choices in the implementation of research-based physics educational materials Chandra Turpen, Noah D. Finkelstein While institutional and instructor buy-in is essential in the adoption of research-based materials, we note that the specific choices that faculty make in how these materials are used in practice are equally critical. We document and describe variation in classroom practices surrounding the implementation of Peer Instruction by six different instructors including: discussion of incorrect answer options, prevalence of professor-student discussion during the voting time, time given to respond to the clicker question, grading practices, etc. Based on documented differences in these practices, we claim that collections of these classroom practices establish local norms for what the activity of Peer Instruction means within a given course. We associate these findings with the results of survey data on students' perceptions of Peer Instruction and how these vary in the different courses. We find collections of classroom practices that appear to be particularly effective in communicating different pedagogical goals of Peer Instruction to students. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 5:06PM - 5:18PM |
T13.00009: A Research-based Transformation of Junior Electricity and Magnetism Stephanie Chasteen, Steven Pollock, Paul Beale Research has informed teaching methods in lower-division courses, helping students master fundamental physics. However, we are still in the early stages of determining the most effective practices for teaching higher-order thinking to a vital group; our physics majors. Aiming to improve student mastery of upper-division material, we have transformed an junior Electricity {\&} Magnetism (E{\&}M) course. Transformations were based on the results of observations, interviews, and analysis of student work, faculty interviews and input, as well as guiding principles of learning theory. I will describe the nature of our reforms -- which included consensus learning goals, ``clicker'' questions, study groups, interactive lecture, and tutorials -- as an example of what a transformed upper-division course might look like. I will also present a new conceptual assessment instrument for upper-division E{\&}M, discuss results of that instrument and how it may be used by the physics community. [Preview Abstract] |
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