Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Joint Fall 2012 Meeting of the Texas Sections of the APS, AAPT, and Zone 13 of the SPS
Volume 57, Number 10
Thursday–Saturday, October 25–27, 2012; Lubbock, Texas
Session L3: Invited and Contributed Papers on Physics Education Research |
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Chair: Timothy Head, Abilene Christian University Room: Holiday Inn Towers University B |
Saturday, October 27, 2012 10:15AM - 10:50AM |
L3.00001: Implementation of Math Pre-testing and Tutorials for Improving Student Success in Algebra-based Introductory Physics Course Invited Speaker: Donna Stokes The student success rate in the algebra-based Introductory General Physics I course at the University of Houston (UH) and across the United States is low in comparison to success rates in other service courses. In order to improve student success rates, we have implemented, in addition to interactive teaching techniques, pre-testing as an early intervention process to identify and remediate at-risk students. The pre-testing includes a math and problem-solving skills diagnostic exam and pre-tests administered prior to all regular exams. Students identified as at risk based on their scores on these pre-tests are given incentives to utilize a tutoring intervention consisting of on-line math tutoring to address math deficiencies and tutoring by graduate Physics Teaching Assistants to address student understanding of the physics concepts. Results from 503 students enrolled in three sections of the course showed that 78{\%} of the students identified as at-risk students by the diagnostic exam who completed the math tutorial successfully completed the course, as compared to 45{\%} of at-risk students who did not complete the math tutorial. Results of the pre-testing before each regular exam showed that all students who were identified as at risk based on pre-test scores had positive gains ranging from 9 -- 32{\%} for the three regular exams. However, the large standard deviations of these gains indicate that they are not statistically significant; therefore, pretesting before exams will not be offer in the course. However, utilization of the math tutorials as remediation will continue to be offered to all sections of the algebra-based course at UH with the goal of significantly improving the overall success rates for the introductory physics courses. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 27, 2012 10:50AM - 11:25AM |
L3.00002: Lessons From a Large-Scale Assessment Project at Texas Tech Invited Speaker: Beth Thacker Some results of a large-scale assessment project at Texas Tech University will be discussed. We will discuss (1) the use of both written pre- and post-tests and commonly used conceptual inventories as a measure of students' understanding in the introductory courses, (2) the efficacy of multiple choice assessment, based on research on the effect of problem format on students' answers and (3) the need for the development of a more comprehensive assessment instrument(s) that could be used to compare students' analytical, quantitative, computational, laboratory, and critical thinking skills, as well as their conceptual understanding, across courses and universities. We present results of the work done at Texas Tech University and discuss work being done nationally as part of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) to move towards a more comprehensive assessment of our introductory courses. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 27, 2012 11:25AM - 11:37AM |
L3.00003: Nesting in Graphical Representations in Physics Hunter Close, Eleanor Close, David Donnelly We develop a theoretical model for understanding one way, ``nesting,'' that space is used in graphics from within and outside physics. Nesting can be used to increase a graphic's capacity for displaying several dimensions of information, beyond the two dimensions afforded by a flat page. We use the model of nesting to analyze previously observed student difficulties with electromagnetic waves, to predict how physics students would interact with certain graphics, and to generate new multivariate graphics in physics for instruction and for research on student thinking. Finally we apply the nesting model to explain the multidimensionality of certain kinds of gestures in physics education. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 27, 2012 11:37AM - 11:49AM |
L3.00004: Factors Contributing to CLASS Shifts in a General Education Physics Course David Donnelly, Eleanor Close, Hunter Close We used the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) to assess changes in attitude during a general education course aimed at non-science majors. The course is two semesters in duration, and both semesters were surveyed. The survey was administered to a total of 1037 student in 25 different sections over three semesters. In general, not significant shifts are observed However, and interesting effect is observed in the attitudes of students at the end of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester. Data seem to indicate that the student attitudes change in the period between the two courses, but more data is needed to confirm this. Variations in attitude shifts for individual instructors in different sections of the same course will also be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 27, 2012 11:49AM - 12:01PM |
L3.00005: Understanding the Learning Assistant experience with Physics Identity and Community of Practice Eleanor Close, Hunter Close, David Donnelly Learning Assistants (LAs) have been shown to have better conceptual understanding and more favorable beliefs about science than non-LAs, and are more likely to choose a career in K-12 science teaching [1]. We propose that connections between elements of identity, persistence, and participation in an LA program can be explained using the concept of the community of practice and its intimate relationship to identity [2]. In separate work, Hazari et al. found that physics identity was highly correlated to expressed career plans in physics [3]. We hypothesize that a thriving LA program has many features of a well-functioning community of practice and contributes to all four elements of physics identity: personal interest, student performance, competence, and recognition by others. We explore how this analysis of the LA experience might shape decisions and influence outcomes of adoption and adaptations of the LA model.\\[4pt] [1] Otero, Pollock, \& Finkelstein, Am. J. Phys. 78 (11), 1218-1224 (2010).\\[0pt] [2] Wenger, Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998).\\[0pt] [3] J. Res. Sci. Teach. 47 (8), 978-1003 (2010). [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 27, 2012 12:01PM - 12:13PM |
L3.00006: Effectiveness of Workshop Style Teaching in Students' Learning of Introductory Electricity and Magnetism Nirav Mehta, Kelvin Cheng We have developed an interactive workshop-style course for our introductory calculus-based physics sequence at Trinity University. ~Lecture is limited to approximately 15 min. at the beginning of class, and the remainder of the 50-min. class is devoted to inquiry-based activities and problem solving. ~So far, lab is done separately and we have not incorporated the lab component into the workshop model. ~We use the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA) to compare learning gains between the workshop and traditional lecture-based course for the Spring 2012 semester. ~Both the workshop and lecture courses shared the same inquiry-based lab component that involved pre-labs, prediction-observation and post-lab activities. ~Our BEMA results indicate statistically significant improvement in overall learning gains compared to the traditional course. ~We compare our workshop BEMA scores both to traditional lecture scores here at Trinity and to those from other institutions. [Preview Abstract] |
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