Session Z05: Physics Teaching: Research and Practice

Using the Cognitive Reflection Test in Physics Education Research

Solving a physics problem often requires a sustained effort to recall concepts, perform calculations, sketch figures, etc. But sometimes, an answer springs to mind without our even being conscious of reasoning. According to dual-process theories (DPTs), these are examples of two distinct types of cognitive processing: Type 2 is slow, deliberate and effortful; Type 1, fast, automatic, and effortless. However, while Type 1 is omnipresent, Type 2 processing is engaged only when reflection finds the output of Type 1 processing unsatisfactory. The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) is widely used for assessing the propensity for such reflection. The CRT is increasingly being used as a tool in physics education research. Some evidence suggests that CRT scores can predict who will succeed on physics questions that elicit strong intuitive but incorrect responses, and who will benefit from interventions designed on the basis of DPTs. However, to ensure that such results are interpreted properly, the effects of cognitive reflection must be distinguished from those of general cognitive ability or physics background. Data collected in introductory courses at several institutions will show how scores correlate with final course grades and how familiarity with the test affects outcomes.     

How well do introductory students understand an operational definition of electric field?

Operational definitions play an important role in the cumulative, layered structure of physics.  Concepts defined in this way allow the construction of explanatory models that span diverse contexts. Research suggests that introductory physics students struggle to apply an operational definition of an electric field based on the expression E=F/q.  To investigate student reasoning, we administered questions involving simple physical contexts.  In one question, for example, students are asked to explain how the variables E, F, and q are affected when a specific change, such as increasing the charge on a test particle, is made to the context. This talk will analyze selected responses through a dual-process framework, discussing the interplay between intuition and conceptual understanding in student reasoning.   

Student and Teacher-Level Predictors of Advanced Placement Physics Performance

  The question of Advanced Placement (AP) Physics achievement has been a persistent concern when considering the goal of diversifying participation in post-secondary physics study, since students who perform well have academic advantages. This observational study examined demographic and teacher-level predictors of AP Physics 1 performance in the U.S. Potential variables from theoretical models included student ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender, as well as teacher experience, certification, course load, and gender. Correlated predictors were included in a multivariable model to understand potential constraints in the STEM pipeline. Descriptive and inferential analyses of purposefully sampled state-level data (N=102 high schools, 2607 students) were conducted. On average, women accounted for 38% of a school's test-taking population, underrepresented minority students accounted for 13.5%, and economically disadvantaged students 17.2%. On average, 60% of students scored a 3 or higher on the examination, the average numerical score was a 2.88 out of a possible 5. Teachers of AP Physics tended to be certified in the subject, taught physics exclusively, and averaged 18.5 years of teaching experience. Multivariable linear regression indicated AP Physics performance was predicted by the socioeconomic status and gender of the test-takers (F(3,97)=12.191, p<0.001), with men outperforming women. These two student demographic variables accounted for 27.2% of the variance in scores. Teacher-level variables were not significant predictors of performance, including certification type, professional age, and gender. Results suggest that women and students of low socioeconomic status, who have been traditionally marginalized in the physical sciences, may require interventions to boost their AP Physics performance. School leaders and policy makers should implement more proactive interventions to promote diverse physics participation and more equitable performance outcomes.   

Benefits of using asymmetry in modeling physics phenomena

Double-slit diffraction pattern is the crux behind understanding single photon interference. We introduce amplitude & phase asymmetry by inserting suitable masks on one slit and plot the fringes. The cosine fringes under the sinc²-envelope become asymmetric. For unequal amplitudes, the expression for fringes would be sinc²x’[a₁²+ a₂²+2a₁a₂cosφ]. Here x’is a compacted parameter for the 1-slit pattern. φ is the relative phase delay for the two paths to the detector plane. cosφ=+/-1 give the fringe extrema envelopes. The top and the bottom envelopes for the 2-slit cosine fringes will be sinc²x’(a₁+ a₂)²& sinc²x’(a₁- a₂)². Plots will be presented. The implications are clear. The full wave-amplitudes a₁+ a₂ stimulates the detecting dipoles at the maxima. But, at the dark fringe locations, the detecting dipoles still receive the unbalanced stimulation a₁- a₂ and the consequent energy; known in coherence theory. We should not continue to teach the belief “photons do not arrive at the dark fringe locations”. Detectors’ local response to the available resultant stimulation causes the fringes. We will also present experimental results of an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer to underscore that the observable superposition effects with light waves are essentially classical phenomena.   

Physics departments should teach quantum sensing for quantum information science

The emergence of quantum information science presents many opportunities for physics departments to extend the reach of quantum mechanics training beyond their own undergraduates. While there are many efforts to incorporate instruction on quantum computing, there has been much less effort on developing materials for the quantum sensing side of quantum information science. Many departments may think that those interested in quantum sensing should just take the standard physics quantum mechanics class. In this talk, I will describe why such thinking is fraught with peril. Quantum sensing is likely to be taught within engineering disciplines. Physics departments have an opportunity to capture these students, but only if they teach a course that will be friendly to students beyond the conventional physics major, and which emphasizes ideas related to sensing and applications. At Georgetown University, we have created just such a course (also available as a MOOC on edX). In this course, we focus on conceptual ideas, on algebraic methods for solving qauntum problems, and on ideas related to measurement and experiments. This allows us to introduce modern experiments and ideas not normally part of the conventional curriculum. I will describe how you can do the same in your department.   

Transitioning to SCALE-UP

For most of our history, the Department of Physics at Miami University taught lecture and lab as separate courses, co-requisites. Our students had typical student problems; they did not like when lecture and lab got out of synch, they did not know how to start their homework problems, and we often had a DFW rate of over 20%. Several years ago, when we moved to a new building (and got to renovate it), we had the chance to design classrooms and start teaching with the SCALE-UP method. SCALE-UP, which stands for Student-Centered Activities for Large-Enrollment Undergraduate Programs, has been shown to increase student success. In this talk I will discuss our transition to this new way of teaching, including challenges both anticipated and unanticipated, and share some data evaluating the program.   

Learning from First principles. A STEAM approach.

Students confront difficulties as a result of misunderstandings and misinterpretations of basic scientific principles. J. Felix created original, one-of-a-kind prototypes, which he planned, designed, built, and tested. Students in Thermodynamics and Electromagnetism, in particular, confront misconceptions that lead them away from the real world and lead them to copy obsolete and, in some cases, inappropriate textbooks.

These prototypes represent a breakthrough in experimental physics, particularly in the learning process, where they are proving to be crucial in the development of cognitive skills required for success in physics careers.

Some of these prototypes have been put to the test in the STEAM program around the world, with over 11,400 participants ranging in age from 13 to 24.  Thermodynamics and Electromagnetism original prototypes that will be featured in the Great Lessons in Physics book series are exhibited.   

Normalizing computing in the undergraduate curriculum

The IUPUI Physics Department is in the fourth year of a project to transform its undergraduate curriculum by adding computing in every course of the major.  The overall goal of the project is to normalize computing in the study of physics, by which we mean that students should come to view computing as a normal way of doing physics, just as they think of analytical methods as a normal way to do physics.  An additional goal is that as students progress through the major, they will develop the judgment and intuition to use a judicious mix of analytical and computational methods to study ad understand physics.  This talk will share some details on the implementation of the project, including the department change process we used to get all faculty members on board, the assessment and evaluation instrument we have developed and used, the data to date, and lessons learned.   

Explainer Videos: scalable, inclusive, and metacognitive assessment for remote and in-person teaching

We present a novel approach for student assessment in large physics lecture courses on student-recorded videos. Students record 5-minute videos teaching how to solve a problem to other students and are partially graded based on peer reviews from other students.  After piloting this method during COVID-19 remote teaching over the last year and a half, we have found encouraging indications that it (1) promotes student self-efficacy and metacognition, (2) builds in a deeper engagement with the material, (3) encourages student creativity, (4) develops technical and critical communication ability, and (5) avoids long-standing issues with digital plagiarism. Though the method was developed during pandemic teaching, we propose that aspects can be readily applied to in-person teaching and scales with class size. We comment on the potential to support diverse student retention in physics and outline potential pedagogical trade-offs of this method.