Session C17: Physics Education and Outreach

Using Inexpensive Muon Telescopes for Advanced Lab Experiments

In a recent article by Axani, Conrad, and Kirby, \textit{The desktop muon detector: A simple, physics-motivated machine- and electronics-shop project for university students}, American Journal of Physics 85, 948 (2017) instructions for building inexpensive muon counters are provided. These counters utilize silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) a technology that is increasingly prevalent in high energy and nuclear physics experiments. This talk will detail attempts to craft advanced laboratory activities using both the original designs and modifications to those designs. In particular, activities involving the measurement of muon rates as a function of angle from the zenith will be discussed. In addition, activities designed to guide students in developing computer simulations to better understand the angular dependence of the rates will be described. Finally, progress in reproducing the classic muon lifetime experiment with SiPM based detectors will be discussed.   

Learning physics by experiment: II. Optical paths

There are multiple benefits for students when they learn by doing; more so when there is greater freedom of discovery, such as when they are not constrained at the outset to make their data agree with particular formulae or principles. The aesthetic qualities of light are of special attraction to many students, and this property is put to good use in laboratory exercises that involve both reflection and refraction. These circumstances create considerable student enthusiasm, which promotes the opportunity to identify a number of important real-world applications of the investigations performed. The design of the experimental procedure enables students to capture measurements that lead directly to values for physical characteristics of various materials, which are involved in the safety of natural resources. The underlying philosophy and methodology for this teaching approach, which are described in earlier work[1] and in other similar research[2,3], produce here the same high level of favorable outcomes for student learning. [1] http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2014.APR.D1.50; [2] Announcer, 34 (2), 164 (2004); [3] Bull Am Phys Soc, Vol 63 (in press)   

The new AP 1 and AP 2 exams: three-year status update

In fall 2014, the algebra-based AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 replaced the AP Physics B curriculum, with the first exams in the new courses administered in May 2015. Many hundreds of person-hours by teams of experts drawn from physics education research, state-level curriculum planners, college faculty, and high school faculty have gone into developing learning objectives and crafting exams and their grading rubrics. In this talk I will describe this process and discuss changes in emphasis compared to AP Physics B. I will give examples of the difference in the style of the questions found on the new AP exams, and early results of student performance on some of the novel free response questions (laboratory design, qualitative/quantitative transfer and paragraph length response). I will address recent state mandates for universities to consider offering credit for college level algebra-based physics for a score of 3 and above on this new exam, and provide information that will help inform departments considering their recommendations for awarding AP credit.   

The Physics Graduate Experience: Retention throughout the years

To better understand the attrition rate of Physics PhD students, our multi-year study, still it initial stages, aims to describe the various pathways students navigate while enrolled in a physics Ph.D. program at Ohio State University. We investigate students as distinguished into three populations, by the student's primary responsibility at the time of surveying. First year graduate students are focused on completing core coursework. Pre-candidacy second and third year students have their attention pulled between finishing coursework requirements and beginning research activities. Whereas post-candidacy students are primarily research, thesis, and employment-oriented. Here we present preliminary results describing outlines of some of the common pathways taken by students using historical data collected by the university registrar.   

The Physics Graduate Experience: Happiness and Productivity

To better understand the attrition rate of Physics PhD students, our multi-year study, still it initial stages, aims to describe the various pathways students navigate while enrolled in a physics Ph.D. program at Ohio State University. Via surveys, we measure Ph.D. satisfaction with a modified scale of happiness and rank students' productivities by self-reported achievements of traditional graduate school milestones. Here we present preliminary results of a multiple-regression model that suggests a student's sense of belonging in their research group, effort cost, and recognition in the PhD program play critical roles in PhD satisfaction.   

Inclusive K-12 Outreach With Evidence-Based Interventions

The lack of diversity in physics is a known problem, and yet efforts to change our demographics have only had minor effects during the last decade. A predominant recruitment practice is to provide outreach to specific underrepresented groups. However, oftentimes the well-meaning modification involves the identity of participants, but not the content, pace, or environment of the outreach program itself. A plethora of research, from psychology and K-12 STEM education, provides evidenced-based interventions that can increase interest and a sense of belonging for students. I will explain how the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics Center for the Evolution of Elements (JINA-CEE) uses such research in developing the curriculum and informing other aspects of its outreach programs. I will also describe the JINA-CEE pipeline that engages high school students in the scientific community for increased retention through undergraduate and graduate research.   

Future Faces of Physics: Planetarium Outreach Event

Our Society of Physics Students' chapter received the 2017 SPS National Future Faces of Physics award. The purpose of the grant was to promote physics across cultures. Therefore we used the funds to organize a field trip where we took students from a local middle school that has a high number of socioeconomic disadvantage families, to visit a planetarium. Aside from seeing a documentary about the cosmos at the planetarium, the students participated in various activities and discussions between the middle school students and CSUSM undergraduates. Pre and post surveys were given to the students in an attempt to gage efficacy of the event's promotion of STEM. This talk will describe the details of the activity, the results of the surveys, and how we plan to improve this event.   

Reaching New Audiences at Non-Science Venues

Over the past several years, a team from the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN have organised outreach and education activities at a variety of non-scientific venues. These have included the Montreux Jazz Festival (Montreux, Switzerland), the Bluedot Festival (Jodrell Bank, UK), the WOMAD Festival (Charlton Park, UK), and Moogfest (Durham, NC, USA). The goal of this effort is to engage new audiences who normally would not be drawn to science festivals and to investigate our ability to communicate scientific messages to broad, diverse audiences. The results have been impressive, as measured through attendance (the first Physics Pavilion at WOMAD received 4500 visitors over 3 days and such was the success that a return invitation was received immediately for 2017 with additional space) and enthusiasm of the audience and scientists hosting the activities. I describe the presentation material and format, the hands-on workshops, and other methods employed, as well as lessons learned on how to best optimise audience engagement. These efforts can be reproduced with other experiments and the concept can be reproduced including other scientific disciplines: for example, offers to participate in 'the next event' have been received from attendees who are in the fields of meteorology and biology.