Session Q37: Focus Session: Students, Physics and Innovation

Physicists and Economic Growth: Preparing the Next Generation

For many years it has been recognized that many physicists are ``hidden'' -- deep in the industrial world or holding positions not named ``physicist.'' In parallel with this phenomenon is the recognition that many new and innovative product ideas are, in fact, generated by physicists. There are many more ideas that could be brought to market to the benefit of both society and the inventor, but physicists don't often see themselves as the innovators and inventors that they actually are. A number of education programs have arisen to try to address this issue and to engender a greater entrepreneurial spirit in the scientific community. The \textit{ScienceWorks} program at Carthage College was one of the first to do so, and has for nearly twenty years prepared undergraduate science majors to understand and practice innovation and value creation. Other programs, such as professional masters degrees, also serve to bridge the technical and business universes. As it is no doubt easier to teach a scientist the world of business than it is to teach a businessperson the world of physics, providing educational experiences in innovation and commercialization to physics students can have tremendous economic impact, and will also better prepare them for whatever career direction they may ultimately pursue, even if it is the traditional tenure-track university position. This talk will discuss education programs that have been effective at preparing physics students for the professional work environment, and some of the positive outcomes that have resulted. Also discussed will be the variety of opportunities and resources that exist for faculty and students to develop the skills, knowledge and abilities to recognize and successfully commercialize innovations.   

Teaching Innovation Through Undergraduate Research

A three-year investigation into the use of ongoing research programs to incubate innovative behavior among undergraduates is underway. Inspired by the 2005 report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, this investigation embraces the claim that more innovation in the US should help arrest the current slippage in US competitiveness. Believing that the development of approaches to teach innovation is timely, physicists at Lawrence University are employing a five-step strategy that spans ten summer weeks to boost innovative attitudes and behavior among physics majors. We are also attempting to inculcate fifteen character traits associated with successful innovators. Recent progress in this investigation will be discussed.   

The Innovation Hyperlab - Linking Student Innovation at University and Pre-College Levels

We have created a laboratory environment to support collaboration between university and pre-college students on innovation and entrepreneurship projects. Called the ``Innovation Hyperlab,'' this facility is located in a K-12 complex called VistaPEAK schools in Aurora, Colorado. The lab is supported by four elements: a research-grade technical infrastructure of supplies and equipment for technical prototyping, a developing curriculum of ``learning modules on demand'' for rapid assimilation of technical skills, mentors from universities / medical schools / industry, and innovation projects stimulated by connections with the regional community. A current focus of projects is on medical technology development, linking tenth graders with university undergraduate research students and coordinated with the University of Colorado Denver's medical school. The Innovation Hyperlab is a work in progress and we will describe challenges that arise in connecting such a collaboration with traditional curriculum at both the university and pre-college levels.   

The Physics Entrepreneurship Program - 11 Years of Teaching and Practicing Innovation and Entrepreneurship to Graduate Students and Beyond

The Physics Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) at Case Western Reserve University is a MS in Physics, Entrepreneurship Track that teaches physics, business, and innovation. PEP admitted its first class in 2000 with the original goal of empowering physicists to be successful entrepreneurs. Since Y2K, much has happened in the world's economies and markets, and we have shifted our goals to include a strong innovation component. For instance, our metrics have changed from ``companies created'' to ``capital raised by our students'' (i.e., grants and investment in innovation), which allows our students to participate in an apprentice-type relationship with a more experienced entrepreneur before venturing out on their own (which could take many years before they are ready). We will describe the program, how we teach innovation, student and alumni activities and how difficult it is to operate a sustainable graduate program in this arena.   

The Story of a Typical Atypical Graduate of the Physics Entrepreneurship Program at Case Western Reserve University

An entrepreneurial perspective to life can lead to wearing a myriad of hats. Long gone is the stereotypical start-up role. Entrepreneurs now hold physics degrees and procure innovation when called upon. ~An alumni of the Physics Entrepreneurship Program, Adele ~Luta has spent the last 5 years at NASA developing an innovative approach to spacesuit sizing. Previously, she founded Eleda International consulting firm and is currently working with Adjuvat Biosciences, on a proprietary treatment pancreatic cancer.   

Developing affordable multi-touch technologies for use in physics

Physics is one of many areas which has the ability to benefit from a number of different teaching styles and sophisticated instructional tools due to it having both theoretical and practical applications which can be explored. The purpose of this research is to develop affordable large scale multi-touch interfaces which can be used within and outside of the classroom as both an instruction technology and a computer supported collaborative learning tool. Not only can this technology be implemented at university levels, but also at the K-12 level of education. Pedagogical research indicates that kinesthetic learning is a fundamental, powerful, and ubiquitous learning style [1]. Through the use of these types of multi-touch tools and teaching methods which incorporate them, the classroom can be enriched to allow for better comprehension and retention of information. This is due in part to a wider range of learning styles, such as kinesthetic learning, which are being catered to within the classroom. \\[4pt] [1] Wieman, C.E, Perkins, K.K., Adams, W.K., ``Oersted Medal Lecture 2007: Interactive Simulations for teaching physics: What works, what doesn't and why,'' \textit{American Journal of Physics}. \textbf{76 }393-99.   

Wolfram technologies as an integrated scalable platform for interactive learning

We rely on technology profoundly with the prospect of even greater integration in the future. Well known challenges in education are a technology-inadequate curriculum and many software platforms that are difficult to scale or interconnect. We'll review an integrated technology, much of it free, that addresses these issues for individuals and small schools as well as for universities. Topics include: Mathematica, a programming environment that offers a diverse range of functionality; natural language programming for getting started quickly and accessing data from Wolfram$\vert $Alpha; quick and easy construction of interactive courseware and scientific applications; partnering with publishers to create interactive e-textbooks; course assistant apps for mobile platforms; the computable document format (CDF); teacher-student and student-student collaboration on interactive projects and web publishing at the Wolfram Demonstrations site.   

Promoting Conceptual Coherence in Quantum Learning through Computational Models

In order to explain phenomena at the quantum level, scientists use multiple representations in verbal, pictorial, mathematical, and computational forms. Conceptual coherence among these multiple representations is used as an analytical framework to describe student learning trajectories in quantum physics. A series of internet-based curriculum modules are designed to address topics in quantum mechanics, semiconductor physics, and nano-scale engineering applications. In these modules, students are engaged in inquiry-based activities situated in a highly interactive computational modeling environment. This study was conducted in an introductory level solid state physics course. Based on in-depth interviews with 13 students, methods for identifying conceptual coherence as a function of students' level of understanding are presented. Pre-post test comparisons of 20 students in the course indicate a statistically significant improvement in students' conceptual coherence of understanding quantum phenomena before and after the course, Effect Size = 1.29 SD. Additional analyses indicate that students who responded to the modules more coherently improved their conceptual coherence to a greater extent than those who did less to the modules after controlling for their course grades.