Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2015 Annual Meeting of the Far West Section of the APS
Thursday–Saturday, October 29–31, 2015; Long Beach, California
Session F4: Education and New Teaching Techniques |
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Chair: Vola Andrianarijaona, Pacific Union College Room: CBA-139A |
Friday, October 30, 2015 2:00PM - 2:12PM |
F4.00001: Making Good Physics Videos James Lincoln Flipping the Classroom and the emergence of free online video hosting has led many of us to be asked to make videos of our lessons and demos. In this talk, you will learn the five methods of video engagement, and effective video writing techniques that will improve your video quality and improve audience engagement. Tips and ideas for effective and engaging physics demos are also included. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 2:12PM - 2:24PM |
F4.00002: Modeling Climate Change in a Test Tube Brian Rasnow Climate models predict the Arctic will be free of ice within decades or less. A simple classroom experiment is described providing a readily understandable and compelling context to discuss implications of this climate change, and meta-issues such as the value and significance of models, measurements, and the scientific method. The activity begins by asking students to predict the temperature evolution (T(t)) of a small sample of H$_{\mathrm{2}}$O upon removal from a freezer. We then measure T with a thermocouple frozen in the ice. Most students are surprised at the plotted function, and are engaged to explore how physical models incorporating concepts of latent heat, heat capacity, and thermal conduction, provide logical explanations of their data. They are also encouraged to reflect on the nature of errors in prediction. I next state that our graph of T(t) is \textit{extremely} frightening, which further intrigues the students. I challenge them to generalize -- how might our model of water and ice in a test tube relate to the Arctic on a warming planet? Most students quickly realize that melting ice (anywhere) isothermally absorbs heat, and once the ice is gone, the warming rate will rapidly accelerate. Engaged discussions about science, education, and politics of climate change generally follow. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 2:24PM - 2:36PM |
F4.00003: Interdisciplinary learning: Teaching science in a French language class Christiane Orcel Since the spring term of 2011 a French conversation course has been taught at Caltech to improve students’ proficiency with a special focus on technical language that prepares them for their classes in math and science in the International and Exchange Program. The course targets undergraduates planning to attend the Ecole Polytechnique in the fall term of their senior year. It is also helpful for Graduate Students enrolled in the GALCIT Dual Masters Program with Ecole Polytechnique and for undergraduate and graduate students who go to CERN under the SURF program, or under the NSF REU program run by Michigan. The French-speaking JPL and Caltech guest speakers, who assist the main language instructor, are chosen to match the students’ majors (astronomy, physics, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, math, etc.). This presentation describes the general structure of the course with a specific focus on the physics topics discussed in the last five years. It also reports its interdisciplinary benefits, its organizational challenges and its participants’ evaluations. The class was initially an experimental project funded by the Office of the Provost but in 2015 the Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences added the course to the regular French curriculum. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 2:36PM - 2:48PM |
F4.00004: An Examination of Physics Student Participation in an Online Group Homework Forum Brandon Kawata, Jim Kisiel Koondis is an online group homework tool developed by CSULB Physics faculty to supplement large lecture classes by encouraging student-student engagement and physics discussion outside of the lecture by assigning groups of 6-7 students to solve specific physics problems. Koondis discussions from Physics 151 and Physics 152 (calculus-based Mechanics and Electricity {\&} Magnetism, respectively) in Fall 2013 were analyzed by examining the content of posts made in these discussions from September and November. Koondis was used in Physics 151 for students to discuss homework problems while in Physics 152, the tool was used for external ill-defined problems. It was found that in both classes students were talking about physics but in a procedural manner to solve the problem rather than to discuss physics concepts. Considerable changes in posting behavior were observed in both classes. An increase in ``Assignment-related'' and ``Affirming'' posts were observed in Physics 151 while a decrease in ``Physics'' posts and an increase in ``Solution'' and ``Math'' posts were observed in Physics 152. It seems that the instructor's intended purpose of the tool, the nature of the problems being examined, as well as extrinsic motivation (grades) can be influential on how students utilize Koondis. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 2:48PM - 3:00PM |
F4.00005: Lawrence Livermore Plasma Physics Summer School: A Student's Perspective Miguel Richardson The plasma physics summer school at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a unique summer experience for undergraduate and first year graduate STEM students. The workshop starts off with a crash course in plasma physics, which lends itself to students who have different educational/field backgrounds. There are daily talks from experts doing research in various areas of plasma physics, as well as from other LLNL scientists. The LLNL EBIT (Electron Beam Ion Trap) is employed as the experimental platform used to illustrate the topics covered in the plasma physics lectures. The workshop also presents students with the opportunity to meet and network with scientists who may be in their area of interest. Students are able to visit some of the major research facilities at LLNL. The summer school was partially supported by the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Agency under award number DE-NA0002630. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 3:00PM - 3:12PM |
F4.00006: Organization and Evaluation of the LLNL Plasma Physics Summer School P. Beiersdorfer, K. J. Reed, G. V. Brown, J. K. Lepson In 2015 we held the third plasma physics summer school at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Its focus has been on exposing upperclass undergraduate and beginning graduate students to various terrestrial and astrophysical plasmas, to the use of principles of modern physics to diagnose plasma conditions, and to hands-on experiments. Most participating students came from Historically Black Colleges and Universities that were part of ongoing collaborations with LLNL and LANL in a Consortium on Matter and Energy Studies. In addition, the school was attended by pre-service and in-service teachers, whose tenure at LLNL overlapped with the dates of the summer school, as well as by resident graduate students at LLNL. We describe the structure of the two-week program and present an evaluation of the most and least favorite components of the summer school. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 3:12PM - 3:24PM |
F4.00007: Tour and Observing Evening at Lick Observatory Jaan Lepson Astronomy and astrophysics are great ways to catch the attention of the general public and practicing physicists alike. We have offered a tour and observing evening as part of summer schools at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the 10th Conference on Atomic Spectra and Oscillator Strengths (ASOS 10) hosted by U.C. Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory. At ASOS, the Lick tour was offered in parallel to a trip to Muir Woods and Fisherman’s Wharf, and half the participants chose to go to Lick, even though we were scheduled return well after 1 am. These excursions have been big successes, and participants often told us it was one of the highlights of their participation, both at the conference and at the summer schools. In this talk we describe our experiences on the tours and observing through the world’s second-largest refracting telescope, the Great Lick Refractor, which was the largest and best telescope in existence when it was built. Each tour is different, but focuses on the telescope facilities, history of the observatory, and its scientific advances. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 3:24PM - 3:36PM |
F4.00008: CubeSats: New Opportunities for Small Experiments in Near and Interplanetary Space. Don V Black, PhD It is a new era with respect to opportunities for inexpensive space-based experimentation. CubeSats, a new family of successful small satellite technologies, have enabled the inexpensive exploration of near space by students and hobbyists, as well as commercial, military, and government sponsored organizations. Just as the microcomputer technology revolution enabled inexpensive computational physics, so we can hope to see the CubeSat revolution enable a new generation of space physics and experimentation. This is expected to include research and applications in the physics domain we cannot yet predict or even imagine. If you seek an inexpensive vehicle for use as a space based platform for your in-space experimentation, or you wish to explore a phenomena that has traditionally been out-of-reach of the student or NGO, this small satellite phenomena may meet your needs. I will provide a brief introduction to, and overview of, the CubeSat technology, it's capabilities, constraints, and what we can hope to see in the near future. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 3:36PM - 3:48PM |
F4.00009: Stratospheric Astronomy Cliff Gerstman Earlier this year I had the honor of flying on the NASA plane SOFIA. (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) While on board, astronomers were using the 2 meter diameter telescope to observe a parasitic binary star system as well as star formation in a nebula. This talk will present my experiences training and working with the scientists on board the plane. [Preview Abstract] |
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