Session D21: Undergraduate Physics Education

Five Inexpensive Ways to Involve More Women in Undergraduate Physics

Everyone knows that not enough women study physics. Low representation of women in undergraduate physics begins a trend of decreasing participation that continues through graduate school into university faculty. There are plenty of expensive ways to study the problem and there are equal numbers of expensive solutions to reverse the trend. But there is only so much money to go around at any university. This talk proposes five ways to involve more women in undergraduate physics without breaking your budget. Each tactic focuses on taking advantage of existing resources to create an environment conducive to the recruitment and retention of women.   

NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program as an Effective Educational Outreach Platform for Native Americans

We present the experiences from a microgravity research and outreach program utilizing the specially converted C-9 aircraft flown by NASA. Over the past four years several multidisciplinary groups of Native American undergraduate students from UNC Pembroke and UNC Charlotte have participated in NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. All of the experiments and outreach demonstrations performed have investigated the affects of microgravity and hypergravity on fluid related phenomena. The vigorous outreach portion of the project has taken our experiences across the state in order to stimulate an interest in science and math within the Native American communities. Our outreach presentations have been held at various levels of schools, government functions, local and national Native American conferences, and area powwows. Our outreach presentations include both multi media and hands-on involvement by the audience and emphasize a good understanding of the fundamental science. Together, the hands-on experience, discussion, and flight video provide a complete and portable outreach package on NASA and the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program.   

Polymer-Based Nanocomposites: An Internship Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

We report on our summer internship program in Polymer-Based Nanocomposites, for deaf and hard of hearing undergraduates who engage in classroom and laboratory research work in polymer physics. The unique attributes of this program are its emphasis on: 1. Teamwork; 2. Performance of a start-to-finish research project; 3. Physics of materials approach; and 4. Diversity. Students of all disability levels have participated in this program, including students who neither hear nor voice. The classroom and laboratory components address the materials chemistry and physics of polymer-based nanocomposites, crystallization and melting of polymers, the interaction of X-rays and light with polymers, mechanical properties of polymers, and the connection between thermal processing, structure, and ultimate properties of polymers. A set of Best Practices is developed for accommodating deaf and hard of hearing students into the laboratory setting. The goal is to bring deaf and hard of hearing students into the larger scientific community as professionals, by providing positive scientific experiences at a formative time in their educational lives.   

An ``Unknown'' Magnetic Moment Measured Five Independent Ways

In an introductory, or even advanced student laboratory, it is difficult to find an experiment where the ``unknown'' or the physical constant can be measured in multiple ways. This talk will describe five independent methods students can use to measure the magnetic moment of a NdFeB disc imbedded in a 6.1 cm diameter snooker ball. Mechanics, as well as E\&M concepts are necessary to analyze these experiments. Expressing results in the proper units turns out to be an additional challenge for most students. Each measurement has its own unique systematic as well as precision uncertainties. I believe that no other undergraduate experiment uses such a wide range of physical phenomena and complementary measurements to zero-in on a single unknown.   

Teaching Laboratory and Research Skills as Preparation for Careers in Science and Education

Recipients of bachelor's degrees in physics have identified lab skills, team work, and research skills as abilities necessary for success in their jobs. However, they also report having received less than adequate preparation in these areas during their college careers. We report on the redesign of a junior physics-major modern physics laboratory course into an inquiry-based, research-like laboratory course. The overall strategy was such as to require the students to approach the experiments in a research-like fashion. In addition, experiments which explore materials properties which can't be looked up in textbooks, e.g. Hall Effect, have been added to further emphasize a research-like approach to the investigations. Laboratory reporting requirements were written to closely reproduce current practices in scientific journals. Assessment of the redesign was performed through surveys of current and graduated students and through comparison of laboratory reports.   

Implementing a New Undergraduate Course: Biophysics

One of the objectives at Canisius College is to introduce students to the big picture of interdisciplinary collaboration early in their academic career. In support of this, the new course, biophysics, was developed, approved and offered by the physics department. Taking advantage of the experiences gained in introducing this course, I will discuss different aspects of the course and further steps which can be taken to heighten student retention of the information and the overall effectiveness of the course.   

NanoLab: a Hands-On Introduction to Nanoscience for Scientists and Engineers

We have developed a sophomore level laboratory course in nanotechnology. We have taken this hands-on approach to introduce students to the concepts used in nanotechnology much earlier than they would see them in the standard curriculum. Although sophomore level students do not generally have the background to understand the full theoretical explanation of all the phenomena, they do take with them a basic understanding that can serve as a framework for appreciating the broader issues when they encounter them in later courses. Topics we have covered are: crystal structure, x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, electron microprobe, spectrophotometry, extinction, light scattering (Rayleigh {\&} Mie), microfluidics, scanned probe microscopy, and thin-film growth. A report of our experience will be presented.   

Physics Problems Based on Up-to-Date Science and Technology.

We observe a huge chasm between up-to-date science and undergraduate education. The result of this chasm is that current student interest in undergraduate science is low. Consequently, students who are graduating from college are often unable to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by science and technology. Cutting edge science and technology frequently use the methods learned in undergraduate courses, but up-to-date applications are not normally used as examples or for problems in undergraduate courses. There are many physics problems which contain information about the latest achievements in science and technology. But typically, the level of these problems is too advanced for undergraduates. We created physics problems for undergraduate science and engineering students, which are based on the latest achievements in science and technology. These problems have been successfully used in our courses at the Polytechnic University in New York. We believe that university faculty may suggest such problems in order to provide information about the frontiers of science and technological, demonstrate the importance of undergraduate physics in solving contemporary problems and raise the interest of talented students in science. From the other side, our approach may be considered an indirect way for advertising advanced technologies, which undergraduate students and, even more important, future college graduates could use in their working lives.   

Computational Physics in a Classical Mechanics Text

Earlier$^1$, a textbook draft (now to be published$^2$) for the junior level mechanics physics course that employs computational techniques was introduced. Here, I show more involved computations such as the interacting spring-mass system, the motion of a charged particle in 3d under both E\&M fields, and the Foucault pendulum, and simulations such as a binary system, Rutherford scattering, the symmetric top, the double pendulum and the principle of least action. The text does not intend to teach students how to program, instead it makes use of students' abilities to use programming to go beyond the analytical approach. The texbook uses MATLAB$^3$,$^4$ since its versatile and students learn it quickly. This is important to use computational physics and build on the traditional analytical approach to problem solving. While it is hoped that students have had computational physics a priori when this text is used, it is not a requirement. The textbook includes the computational code for the convinience of both, students and teachers. Experience shows that students grasp the material well and gain a deeper understanding of the subject than in the absence of the computational environment. \newline $^1$J. E. Hasbun, APS Bull. Vol. 51, No.1, 452 (2006). $^2$Jones \& Bartlett Publishers, 40 Tall Pine drive, Sudbury, MA 01776. $^3$J. E. Hasbun, APS Bull. Vol 51, No.8, 46 (2006). $^4$http://www.mathworks.com