Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Joint Fall 2017 Meeting of the Texas Section of the APS, Texas Section of the AAPT, and Zone 13 of the Society of Physics Students
Volume 62, Number 16
Friday–Saturday, October 20–21, 2017; The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
Session K7: AAPT I |
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Chair: Xiaoyan Shi, University of Texas at Dallas Room: JSOM 1.117 |
Saturday, October 21, 2017 10:30AM - 10:42AM |
K7.00001: Physics Online: PHYS 1405 Jennifer Parsons In the current push toward online and hybrid courses, one of the greatest challenges is dealing with the laboratory component.~Tyler Jr. College is in its third semester offering online sections of PHYS 1405 (Elementary Physics I lecture and lab).~This talk addresses the current course design (including labs), as well as some of the challenges and successes encountered so far.~Preliminary data comparing the face-to-face and online sections will also be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 21, 2017 10:42AM - 10:54AM |
K7.00002: Physics 1405 Project Thomas O'Kuma, Bernard Fongang, Evan Richards, Stephanie Ingle Through a federally funded grant (FIPSE), Lee College offered a number of weekend only degree programs, two of which required Physics 1405.~ The weekend Physics 1405 was offered for the first time in Fall 2016 with a reduced face-to-face class time requiring online instruction.~ In this presentation, we will discuss our initial efforts to address this weekend course from which this project has evolved.~ This project involved both full-time and adjunct faculty developing and implementing the resources developed for this project.~ The initial implementation is occurring during Fall 2017. [Preview Abstract] |
(Author Not Attending)
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K7.00003: Teaching Graduate Electrodynamics Interactively: A Report from the Trenches. David Donnelly I had the opportunity to teach graduate electrodynamics in the fall 2016 semester. Because I have converted all of my instruction to methods using interactive engagement, I was forced to look for ways to introduce interactive engagement into what is arguably the most challenging course in the standard graduate curriculum. I will report on the types of activities I had the students engage in during class, as well as a new approach to assessment. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 21, 2017 11:06AM - 11:18AM |
K7.00004: Solving Problem Solving Evan Richards In an effort to make my approach to teaching problem solving more interactive, I have integrated elements from two reforms: Contrasting Cases and Flipped Classroom. Preliminary results are encouraging. In this talk, I'll discuss the instructional sequence that I employ to introduce physics problem solving. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 21, 2017 11:18AM - 11:30AM |
K7.00005: A Low Cost XRF Lab For Undergraduate And High School Students Daniel Marble A lab on X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) in an undergraduate physics curriculum can be extremely beneficial. The lab reinforces the physics (emission of specific energy photons from a bound system) concepts from optical and gamma ray spectroscopy labs. Furthermore, the lab provides the students with an introduction to a powerful analytical technique that can non-destructively analyze samples from soils to semiconductors. XRF is usually performed using either high activity sources requiring a radiation materials license combined with an expensive x-ray detector or using a dedicated XRF system constructed using an x-ray machine. Since most smaller undergraduate institutions lack these expensive resources, XRF labs are often not performed. This talk will show how to perform an XRF lab without these expensive resources using just an exempt gamma source, a small NaI detector based counting system already available at many of these institutions and a judicious choice of unknown samples. A discussion of our use of the lab in our high school summer physics camp will also be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 21, 2017 11:30AM - 11:42AM |
K7.00006: Bead on a Spinning Hoop - Theory and Experiment Andra Petrean The bead on a hoop problem is studied in classical mechanics, as an example of ``centrifugal force'' in a non-inertial frame, or as an exercise of applying Lagrange's equations. Students calculate equilibrium positions for various rotation speeds, and also learn about oscillations of the bead near the equilibrium. In order to complement the theoretical calculations with experimental observations, and to add some change-of-pace activities to a course heavy on theory, we use an experimental apparatus that allows us to observe the behavior of a bead on a spinning hoop. I will discuss the experimental setup, the data taken, and the agreement between the theoretical and the experimental values for the angle of the bead at the equilibrium position. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 21, 2017 11:42AM - 11:54AM |
K7.00007: Examining the factors that impact group work effectiveness in studio physics Melanie Schroers, Robynne Lock, William Newton Studio physics, or SCALE-UP, has been found to improve outcomes such as conceptual understanding, problem-solving skills, and student attitudes when compared to traditional instruction. Such an active-learning environment relies heavily on group work. However, little is known about how best to structure groups and train students to work together effectively. In order to understand the factors that affect group productivity, we recorded videos of groups in the introductory calculus-based physics sequence at Texas A{\&}M University-Commerce over three semesters. Videos were recorded of students working tutorials. Video data have been coded for epistemological framing and student engagement. We find that students do not adhere to assigned roles, such as manager, recorder, and skeptic, but rather take on roles according to their personalities. The roles chosen impact the group's effectiveness. [Preview Abstract] |
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