Sessions

 

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Agenda Preview

Posters

  • Astronomy

      • Demonstration Videos for Introductory Astronomy

      • PST1A01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Kevin Lee
      • Type: Poster
      • Demonstrations of physical apparatus are an important component of teaching introductory astronomy as they make science principles visible for students, keeping them engaged. However, astronomy instructors may face obstacles in exposing their students to physical demonstrations for a number of reasons: 1) many astronomy classes are taught by instructors who do not have formal training in astronomy and may be unaware of what demonstrations are possible, 2) many smaller institutions have modest or nonexistent collections of demonstration equipment, and 3) astronomy is increasingly taught as a distance education course. This poster will describe a new series of 2-4 minute videos entitled AU. The videos are publicly available at http://astro.unl.edu and may be viewed online or downloaded. Simple interactive curriculum that can be used with some of the videos will be displayed.
      • Misconceptions in Astronomy.

      • PST1A03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Gregory Dolise
      • Type: Poster
      • A survey of astronomy misconceptions among non-science majors. Students were asked a series of questions to gauge their understanding of such basics concepts as solar and celestial motions, space exploration technology, and the difference between astronomy and astrology. Results are shown, follow-up questions and future plans for more detailed surveys discussed, and recommendation for extending the survey to science majors given.
      • Updated Research on the Delta Scuti Variable Star DY Herculis

      • PST1A05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Robert Moore
      • Type: Poster
      • The authors reported several modest research projects at a small observatory at the AAPT summer meeting in 2009. Since then, they have had an ongoing two-year observation campaign on the variable star DY Herculis (GSC 00968-01567, BD+12 3028, TYC 968-1567-1), which is a variable star of the Delta Scuti type. In this poster we report data on several epochs of photometric data taken through Johnson-Cousin B, V, RC, and IC filters. The data are analyzed for determinations of period of variability and the amplitude of variability. One result of this study is that the published period of 0.148631353 day remains unchanged within the limits of experimental error.
      • Introductory Astronomy Essays on Transits, Eclipses and Occultations

      • PST1A02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Noella D'Cruz
      • Type: Poster
      • Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL, offers a one-semester introductory astronomy course each semester. We teach over 110 primarily non-science major students each semester. We use proven active learning strategies such as lecture tutorials, think-pair-share questions and small group discussions to help these students develop and retain a good understanding of astrophysical concepts. Occasionally, we offer projects that allow students to explore course topics beyond the classroom. We hope that such projects will increase students' interest in astronomy. We also hope that these assignments will help students to improve their critical thinking and writing skills. In spring '12, we are offering three short individual essay assignments in our face-to-face sections. The essays focus on transits, eclipses and occultations to highlight the 2012 transit of Venus. Details of the essay assignments and students' reactions to them will be presented at the meeting. Please note that this poster will expand on the contributed talk with the same title.
      • Teaching Moon Phases: A Multiple Method Approach

      • PST1A04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Carl Rutledge
      • Type: Poster
      • As clearly illustrated by the movie "A Private Universe" (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), very few students have an understanding of the cause of the phases of the Moon. Most believe they are caused by the Earth's shadow on the Moon and/or that it somehow has to do with reflected light -- perhaps by a mirror or some other object, not by the Moon itself. Depending on the students' level of intellectual development, different approaches may overcome these misconceptions, so I use many methods, hoping one will succeed. I will describe the methods, their advantages, and their effectiveness. The simplest seems to work best.
  • Bauder Endowment for the Support of Physics Teaching Activities

      • Bauder Endowment Outreach Projects

      • PST1B01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Paul Zitzewitz
      • Type: Poster
      • The Frederick and Florence Bauder Endowment provides grants for the development and distribution of innovative apparatus for physics teaching, funds to obtain and or build and support traveling exhibits of apparatus, or funds for local workshops. Up to approximately $500 is available to fund local workshops for teachers who spread the use of demonstration and laboratory equipment. This poster will exhibit the work of prior grant recipients who are unable to attend the meeting to present the results themselves. Come and see what small grants can do and explore ideas you might have for projects
      • A Make and Take Workshop at the SLL Observatory: Take 2!

      • PST1B03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Steven Maier
      • Type: Poster
      • In the summer of 2011, a free astronomy professional development opportunity was offered for 15 Oklahoma educators at an observatory in northwest Oklahoma. Unfortunately, due to low enrollment the workshop did not make it in 2011. The circumstances of the 2011 workshop and corresponding follow-up strategies for ensuring success in the summer of 2012 will be discussed. At no cost, each workshop participant will receive a green laser pointer, an LED light, a laminated skychart and a Galileoscope. This project was made possible by funding from an AAPT Bauder grant.
      • New Jersey Section and the Bauder Fund

      • PST1B02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Joseph Spaccavento
      • Type: Poster
      • The AAPT Bouder endowment fund for the support of physics teaching was founded in the 1980s as part of the estate of longtime New Jersey residents Fredrick and Florence Bouder. Fred was a professor at the Newark College of Engineering, now know as the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Because New Jersey was their home, the New Jersey Section benefits greatly from this endowment; examples of how the NJ Section utilizes these benefits to better serve their membership and maintain the Bauder legacy will be presented in this poster.
      • Alabama Physics Commercial Competition

      • PST1B04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Elizabeth Holsenbeck
      • Type: Poster
      • In an effort to increase enrollment in high school physics, a Physics Commercial Competition was held in Alabama. Part of the funding was from the Bauder Endowment for Physics Teaching through AAPT. Students throughout the state were challenged to create a two-minute or less commercial highlighting the advantages of physics. The emphasis was "Recruiting Physics Students--EVERYONE should select physics in HS and here is why." The hope is that peer pressure can be a huge aid in promoting physics. Other funding was from the Alabama Section of AAPT, the Alabama Science Teachers Association, and Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL. DVDs were hand delivered to every public high school in the state by the physics specialists of Alabama Science in Motion.
  • Canceled

      • Lost in Limbo: Introducing Physics Through an Adventure Game  CANCELED

      • by Lisa Ward
      • Type: Poster
      • Lost in Limbo, the first release in Twist Education's Twisted Physics adventure series, takes learners on an epic journey through the fundamentals of motion analysis, conservation of energy, and structure of matter. Lost in Limbo is part of an algebra-based curriculum that combines a standards-based introduction to physics with the fun of exploration, dialogue, puzzles, and problem solving. Destroy enemy drones with boulders to explore relative motion. Avoid the perils of Limbo by mastering force diagrams. Escape an underground lair by applying conservation of energy. Rebuild the universe from scratch using fundamental particles and forces. Unravel the calamitous mysteries that have befallen previous travelers and succeed where others have failed through mastery of key concepts in physics. Play includes embedded assessment, differentiation of instruction, and opportunities for learners to ask questions and make choices. Lost in Limbo on iPad provides a great way to start a year of physics fun.
  • Introductory Courses - Posters

      • Adapting the AAPT Photo Contest to the Classroom

      • PST2B01
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Sytil Murphy
      • Type: Poster
      • The AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest (HSPPC) is designed to give high school students and their teachers the opportunity to explore, both written and pictorially. Students in introductory physics and physical science courses often do not see how the physics they are learning is present in their everyday lives. By adapting the HSPPC to an extra credit project in my introductory physics and physical science courses, my students were able to explore the physics around them. As in the HSPPC, students submitted a picture with an accompanying written explanation. Photos and explanations were judged on both their physics content and artistic merit.
      • Group Quizzes as an Assessment that Supports Learning

      • PST2B03
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Joss Ives
      • Type: Poster
      • These group quizzes, facilitated by the Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (multiple-choice scratch and win sheets), are written immediately following quizzes that were written individually by the students. The individual portion of the quiz allows for a portion of the student's marks to be based on individual achievement. The group portion allows for student learning and plenty of student celebration. My implementation of these quizzes will be detailed along with preliminary measures of student learning at three times: at the time that the group quiz was written, during the next class period, and on the final exam.
      • Investigating Students' Affective Experience in Introductory Physics Courses

      • PST2B05
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Jayson Nissen
      • Type: Poster
      • Improving non-cognitive outcomes such as attitudes, efficacy, and persistence in physics courses is an important goal in physics education. This investigation implemented an in-the-moment surveying technique called the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) [1] to measure students' affective experience in physics. Measurements included: self esteem, cognitive efficiency, activation, intrinsic motivation and affect. Data are presented showing contrasts in students' experiences, (e.g., in physics vs. non-physics courses).
      • Mathematical Models in Introductory Physics and Physical Models in Calculus

      • PST2B07
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Natalia Schkolnikov
      • Type: Poster
      • We discuss interaction between mathematics and physics in introductory physics and calculus courses taught at Hampton University. Often students from underrepresented groups in science and engineering feel disconnected from physics and mathematics, because they do not see hidden relations between physical and mathematical laws and real world problems. We report on our efforts to overcome insufficient mathematical skills of some students in introductory physics courses by introducing simplified mathematical models of physical processes and connecting them to topics from various areas of science and technology, such as space exploration, signal processing, and biomedical sciences. On the other hand, we discuss our attempts to animate calculus symbolism by immersing limits, derivatives, and integrals into physical models of motion, work, and electricity.
      • Pre Course Student Curiosity Questions as Motivators for Class Lessons*

      • PST2B09
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Katrina Hay
      • Type: Poster
      • Truth seeking is the foundation of science. Investigation and observation involve asking questions. As physics teachers, one of our goals is to train our students to ask good questions. In seven physics classes, mostly calculus-based introductory level, students were asked to digitally submit a "curiosity question about the natural world" before they attended the first class session. A collection of these unrestrained questions can be used throughout the term directly in class lessons, as inspiration in continued learning and to make interdisciplinary connections. In addition, the questions reveal student passions and motivators.
      • Using Tracker for the Determination of Coefficients of Friction

      • PST2B11
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Norely Useche-Baron
      • Type: Poster
      • As a project of the course of dynamics, a student raises questions for hisor her peers to be answered individually by each student in the form of prediction, including an experimental approach to determine coefficients of friction between different materials. Groups of three students discuss their answers and give solutions to the questions and propose an experiment to determine the coefficients of static and dynamic friction. Eventually they develop the experience suggested by the course, and the videos are taken and analyzed with Tracker.
      • Distraction in the Classroom: Digital Devices and Student Performance

      • PST2B02
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Bethany Wilcox
      • Type: Poster
      • The recent increase in use of digital devices such as laptop computers, iPads, and web-enabled cell phones has generated concern about how technologies affect student performance. Combining observation, survey, and interview data, we assess the effects of technology use on student learning. We report initial data, gathered in eight large introductory science courses, showing a significant negative correlation between in-class phone use and final grades, with use of cell phones corresponding to a drop of 0.36 +/- 0.08 on a 4-point scale. These findings are consistent with research [1] suggesting students cannot multitask effectively. While 75% of students reported regular cell phone use, systematic in-class observations suggest undergraduates typically under-report the frequency of their use of digital devices. In addition, we report findings from our current research, which attempts to replicate our initial findings in six additional science courses.
      • Implementation of Active Learning Methodologies in Introductory Physics*

      • PST2B04
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Hugo Alarcon
      • Type: Poster
      • The Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria is a well-known Chilean institution focused on educating engineers. All students entering college must take Introduction to Physics, which is prior to a traditional introductory mechanics course. This course is centered on developing basic tools that will serve the student in subsequent calculus-based physics courses, such as problem- solving skills. Recently the course has been redesigned to incorporate methodologies that promote active learning, such as peer instruction, collaborative activities, similar to Washington tutorials, and context-rich problems. To do this, professors have been trained extensively in both methodologies and classroom management in the SCALE-UP environment. They have also had to design the concept tests and the context-rich problems according to the course program. In this work we will present the strategy used to achieve an early implementation and the results.
      • LEAP-A Learner-Centered Environment for Algebra-Based Physics

      • PST2B06
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Paula Engelhardt
      • Type: Poster
      • This poster will focus on the curriculum development work that we have been doing with our algebra-based course sequence. LEAP is part of an NSF-funded grant (DUE-0737324) that is guided by research on student learning in physics and builds on the work of the NSF-supported project, Physics for Everyday Thinking (PET). Students work in groups to develop their understanding of various physics phenomena including forces, energy, electricity and magnetism, light and optics. Students utilize hands-on experiments and computer simulations to provide evidence to support their conceptual learning. Traditional problem solving is scaffolded by using the S.E.N.S.E. problem solving strategy. An overview of the curriculum and assessment results will be presented.
      • Team Teaching: Benefits for Instructors and Students in Introductory Physics

      • PST2B08
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Krista Wood
      • Type: Poster
      • It's summer and an introductory physics course needs to be offered. You don't want to teach all summer, but think students need a full term to digest the material. What about sharing a class with a colleague? Could it work? This poster will highlight the successes and challenges of team teaching an introductory physics course during a summer term. We will discuss the benefits two physics instructors experienced by working together to teach a summer introductory physics course. The planning process encouraged substantial reflection on how to teach the course and learning from one another. The students benefited from similar teaching styles, yet different perspectives. We will also discuss lessons learned and opportunities to improve.
      • Team Re-testing as an Alternative to Post Exam Review

      • PST2B10
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Richard Zajac
      • Type: Poster
      • Spending lecture time going over an exam after your students have taken itcan feel like a waste of class time. Students' lack of engagement in such reviews suggests the need for an alternative way to revisit and reinforce important content. In lieu of such post exam reviews, for the past several semesters we have tried having students re-take unit exams within small teams following their individual exam in an introductory physics course. The particular scheme employed allows more useful data to be collected to monitor student gains, assess course outcomes, and ultimately to evaluate the merits of this method. Collected student feedback is presented and intriguing performance trends are analyzed. Less formally, it is recognized that team re-testing can provide students some additional gratification on an emotional level.
      • Think Your Students' Math Skills Are Bad? Well, They're Worse!

      • PST2B12
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Robert Cohen
      • Type: Poster
      • We have examined the basic math skills of our students and found that a significant population have never understood fractions (e.g., which is bigger: 5/7 or 8/9). We will discuss the implications for physics, especially in regard to how these students have managed to pass math and physics courses (some up to calculus) and what we can do to address their weaknesses.
  • Labs/Apparatus - Posters

      • An Advanced Lab on Polarization Optics with Vector Beams

      • PST1G01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Enrique Galvez
      • Type: Poster
      • Polarization of light is an important topic of experimental physics. Thus,experiments that go beyond direct verification of creation and detection of polarization states is highly desirable. In this presentation I propose an experiment with "Vector beams" that serves this purpose. Vector beams are combinations of spatial Gaussian modes and polarization. The experiments entail preparing a collinear superposition of two first-order helical (Laguerre-Gauss) modes with orthogonal polarizations. This is done with two forked gratings and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with polarizing beam splitters. The resulting beams are Vector beams, which contain many different states of polarization in the same beam. Diagnosis consists of a set of waveplates and an imaging camera.
      • Creating Sustainable Positive Change in Upper-Division Laboratory Courses at a Large Research University

      • PST1G03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Heather Lewandowski
      • Type: Poster
      • Courses at a large research university are often taught by a large number of faculty members. This can present a challenge when transforming courses because a large number of faculty have to buy in to the transformed course structure. We highlight the steps we took to create widespread faculty support for significant transformations of the senior-level advanced lab course at the University of Colorado-Boulder. The process began with observations of the original course, followed by the development of consensus learning goals, renovation of the space, purchasing new equipment, redesigning curriculum, and finally assessing student learning. We demonstrate how physics education researchers can form a constructive relationship with the faculty to combine the expertise of traditional faculty with a research-based approach to create sustainable positive change to an upper-division laboratory course.
      • Remote Controlled Laboratory Experiments: Some Test with Selected High School Students

      • PST1G05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Alberto Stefanel
      • Type: Poster
      • The laboratory plays a key role in learning physics in particular when it activates the personal involvement of students in learning. Some experiments, particularly dangerous, expensive or complicated ones, however, may not be easy or even possible to make the equipment usable in educational lab with students. For this reason, remote controlled apparatuses (RCL) may be particularly significant. Several laboratories RCL can also be offered to high school students. As part of modern physics summer school held in Udine in 2011, six RCL laboratory activities on light and electron scattering, Millikan's experiment, the measure of the speed of light, Rutherford experiment, photoelectric effect (http://rcl.physik.uni-kl.de /) have been proposed to a select group of students from all over Italy. The results demonstrate effectiveness of the RCL lab in producing student involvement and enable positive learning paths on conceptual issues central in the processes explored.
      • Using Arduino and Tracker to Model Human Eye's Pupil Response to a Periodic Excitement

      • PST1G07
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Valentina Mazzanti
      • Type: Poster
      • Modelling is a basic skill to develop physical thinking in our students. We propose a particular situation to model human eye's pupil behavior using video modelling and a cheap electronic system based on Arduino.
      • Bibliography of Experiments for Physics Instructional Labs

      • PST1G09
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Randall Tagg
      • Type: Poster
      • A project was begun more than 20 years ago to create and maintain a bibliography of papers on experiments in physics useful for instructional labs. This includes papers from the American Journal of Physics, the European Journal of Physics, The Physics Teacher, and Physics Education. The first compilation appeared in the proceedings of the Labfocus93 conference in Boise, ID. Here is an update on the project, including efforts to merge with other resources for physics instruction and to include a wider range of publications. A significant effort went into a useful classification scheme that now needs to be cross-referenced to other systems used by physics educators.
      • Granular Physics Demonstrations

      • PST1G11
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Eli Owens
      • Type: Poster
      • Granular materials, for example sand, provide several opportunities for physics demonstrations. Composed of macroscopic particles interacting in a purely classical way through the particle contacts, granular materials have many industrial applications and are one of the most commonly transported materials. Granular physics is also relevant in many geophysics and astrophysics studies, yet physics students are rarely introduced to this important class of materials. Granular materials also display some interesting phenomena. For example, two different types of particles tend to segregate in seeming violation of increasing entropy. I will show and explain granular physics demonstrations that illustrate this and many other interesting granular physics principles. These demonstrations are very eye catching and many can be constructed using simple household materials.
      • How to Measure Selected Universal Physical Constants in Community College Lab  CANCELED

      • PST1G13
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Wojciech Walecki
      • Type: Poster
      • We present a series of very simple short laboratory measurements allowing advanced high school or freshman college students to measure many Universal Physical constants (such as Planck constant, speed of light (or length of a meter, charge of electron), with accuracy better than 20% using standard laboratory equipment in a reasonable time (within less then 45 min). The cost barrier to implement some of these experiments in classroom practice is small. With very few exceptions the presented experiments here do not require investment beyond $50 per station. The necessary additional components can be purchased in a local electronics store. The majority of the experiments already have been tested by PBSC students in our Introductory Physics Lab, and students loved it. We also describe the importance of it to modern technology in daily life, technology we use (electronics), and everyday applications. The hands-on experience with Universal Physical Constants allow students to better appreciate significance of the fundamental physics to development technology, human culture, and our civilization in general.
      • Interfacing Pasco Sensors with the LabJack U3-HV

      • PST1G15
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Timothy Niiler
      • Type: Poster
      • With recent budget cuts due to the economic situation, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain or replace failing electronics equipment in the physics lab. Other than computers, the most expensive equipment many labs maintain are their DAQ devices such as the PASCO Science Workshop 750. We demonstrate our successful integration of a lower cost alternative, the LabJack U3-HV, with our existent PASCO sensors. Our results include both easy to use open-source data acquisition software for many out-of-the box labs as well as schematics for creating the requisite wiring harnesses needed for the PASCO-LabJack interface. Data collection is shown to be easier than with the DataStudio interface and extensible with modest scripting experience.
      • New Laboratory for Non-scientists Includes Simple(st?) Equipment

      • PST1G17
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Leonard Finegold
      • Type: Poster
      • The setting is a science elective with no prerequisites, [1] to seduce students into an appreciation of physics. We have now instituted a laboratory component, with the aim of a range of equipment from the simplest (with the most information/$) to experiments using good oscilloscopes. The experiments start with g (dropping tennis balls, students have good reflexes), v = at (ball rolling down slope), test of general relativity with pendulum, modeling the faster cooling of Mars as compared to Earth by measuring relative cooling rates of metal spheres, and simulating radioactive decay by flipping 100 coins. Commercial experiments measure the speed of light in fiber optics glass, and show similar polarization of light and microwaves. We emphasize straight-line graphs, plotting manually and (later graduating to) Excel.
      • Real-Time Thermodynamic Experiments with High Resolution

      • PST1G19
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Eric Ayars
      • Type: Poster
      • The heat equation is often taught in upper-level physics and engineering courses, but laboratory equipment that allows students to test this important concept are lacking. Existing educational apparatus for this experiment is either expensive or extremely limited. Recent advances in microcontroller systems and sensor technology allow the use of large numbers of high-precision sensors to obtain temperature information with high spatial/temporal resolution in real time, at relatively low cost. We demonstrate one such apparatus here.
      • The North American Network of Science Labs Online (NANSLO)

      • PST1G21
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Todd Ruskell
      • Type: Poster
      • The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) is collaborating with the Colorado Community College System and BCcampus to create a network of web-based remote-controlled laboratory experiences for introductory physics, chemistry, and biology. We report on the status of NANSLO, discuss results from the initial implementation of these labs in introductory physics courses taught through Colorado Community Colleges Online, and describe plans for expanding the network.
      • Transforming Traditional Labs into Discovery Tasks for Non-STEM Majors

      • PST1G23
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Mark Liff
      • Type: Poster
      • The search for alternatives to traditional labs intensified lately since traditional labs are often perceived as insufficiently effective teaching vehicles. One of the directions of this search is based on developing discovery labs where the students are expected to solve a problem novel to them or sometimes make a re-discovery by a combination of the theoretical and experimental methods. Instead of step-by-step instructions, the students are given a brief review of the relevant theory, and speedy introduction into operating of the corresponding set-up. A certain knowledge base is indispensible for every creative task. We transformed a number of traditional labs into discovery labs and let our students complete them. In this paper we discuss merits and flaws of the newly developed labs based on the student reaction to them.
      • Creating a Better Bone: A Biomechanics Laboratory Exercise  CANCELED

      • PST1G02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Daniel Flynn
      • Type: Poster
      • A Biomechanics course with a lab is offered as an upper-level course for both biology and physics majors. The lab component is crucial for supplementing the lecture. One such lab allows students to apply their understanding of the strategies organisms use to balance strength with energetic costs in their support structure. To do this students design bone analogs which are tested in an in-class competition. The strength of the bones is tested in two modes: dynamic strength, representing impact, and static strength, analogous to constant loading. Bones are scored on the force they can withstand before failure taking into account their size and density (which represent energetic costs in production and upkeep). This lab reinforces the concepts discussed in lecture, emphasized the parameters under which organisms evolve and highlights the amazing ability of organisms to engineer high-performance structures that students realize are difficult to replicate.
      • Large-Scale Model of the Force Microscope Cantilever

      • PST1G04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Fredy Zypman
      • Type: Poster
      • Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM) has been used and developed for some 20 years and has played a pivotal role in the progress of hard and soft condensed matter. However, its insertion in the physics curriculum has been minimal both regarding theory and experiments. One possible justification of this situation is that an SFM is very expensive and difficult to use. In this presentation, we will show the use of a home-built scaled up model of the cantilever, which is the SFM's sensor. A flexible, 0.5-meter bar is made to vibrate about its horizontal equilibrium position. A laser beam is directed toward the top face of the cantilever and, upon reflection its trace is collected at a screen. The resonant frequencies can then be directly observed and photographed for further analysis. We study the effect of external forces on frequency shifts. We will discuss students' reports.
      • A Multi-Representational Bernoulli Lab and Assessment

      • PST1G06
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Katherine Misaiko
      • Type: Poster
      • Bernoulli's Principle (BP) is a confounding concept for students partiallybecause of the counterintuitive relationship between speed and pressure. When applied correctly, BP is quite useful in helping to quantify a variety of important and common biological phenomena. Complicating matters are the many phenomena erroneously attributed to BP on the web, some of which are assimilated into instruction. We have developed a lab activity around BP to measure the density of air using a barometric sensor and simple mathematical modeling. Wide variations in results tend to reduce the impact of the lab activity since great care is required in both data collection and corrections. We describe efforts to improve the lab activity along with the development of alternative diagrammatic and graphical representations to establish the best mechanism for helping students to construct understanding about BP. Supported by DUE 1044154
      • Analyses of The Blowgun Demonstration Experiment

      • PST1G08
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Koji TSUKAMOTO
      • Type: Poster
      • A demonstration experiment using a blowgun is effective for introducing dynamics. We will conduct this demonstration and show its effectiveness at our oral presentation, "Experimental Demonstration Using a Blowgun for Introducing Dynamics." Quantitative measurement is not necessary for presenting this demonstration in a classroom because its result is explicit and clear. We, however, measured the results of this experiment in order to see that they correspond to the prediction using elementary mechanics equations. We will show the results and analyses of the measurement.
      • Gelin' in the Physics Lab

      • PST1G10
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Aaron Titus
      • Type: Poster
      • Gel electrophoresis is a separation technique used to identify DNA. Yet, it is also an excellent application of introductory physics principles. A uniform electric field is set up across a gel. Negatively charged DNA molecules migrate toward higher electric potential. Due to drag, the DNA molecules travel at a terminal speed, and students can apply Newton's second law to investigate the drag on the DNA. In this experiment, groups of introductory physics students applied different voltages to the gel. They took final photos of the DNA after a measured time interval and used Tracker's line profile to measure the distance traveled by the DNA bands in the gel.Their data was aggregated to see if the terminal speed was proportional to the applied voltage. The results indicated that to some extent, DNA can be simply modeled as a uniformly charged cylinder. The experiment has tremendous value for an introductory physics laboratory. The experiment, its results, and its usefulness in teaching physics will be presented.
      • Helmholtz Coil Magnetic Fields Revisited

      • PST1G12
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Stephen Luzader
      • Type: Poster
      • At the 2006 and 2007 AAPT Summer Meetings, we reported on the magnetic field produced by the Helmholtz coils in three e/m setups. One apparatus in particular produced rather poor results, and we suspected that the error might arise from the electrons moving through regions where the magnetic field is less than the value predicted by the standard formula. We have revisited the problem and have done field calculations taking into account the finite axial and radial thicknesses of the coils. We find that all three setups can produce acceptable results as long as the mean radius of the coil is used to calculate the field, and if the electrons always pass through the central region between the coils where the field is relatively uniform.
      • Implementation of a Web-Enabled Interactive Renewable Energy Laboratory

      • PST1G14
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Steven Vuong
      • Type: Poster
      • Since the summer of 2011, I have collaborated on the Course Curriculum andLaboratory Improvement (CCLI) grant project at Hartnell College in partnership with the University of California, Santa Cruz. We have worked to implement a web-enabled renewable energy laboratory to include a remotely operated solar panel. I have assisted in the development of the lab modules, instruction of the labs, and assessment of learning outcomes. In this poster, I present assessment results as of spring 2012 and prospects for future project improvement.
      • Measuring Centripetal Force in Vertical Circular Motion with Force Probe

      • PST1G16
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Oather Strawderman
      • Type: Poster
      • A common introductory laboratory utilizes a rubber stopper that is spinning in a horizontal circle. The rubber stopper is attached to a string that is threaded through a plastic tube. At the end of the string hangs a mass that supplies the tension that supplies the centripetal force. My variation of this lab is appropriate for an advanced physics course such as AP Physics. The rubber stopper is this time spun in a vertical circle. The string is still threaded through a plastic tube but this time it is attached to a force probe. The tension in the string varies as it travels around the vertical circle. The graph of the string tension is sinusoidal in nature. Using the data from the graph and other measurements, the students can apply the equation for centripetal force in a more advanced and complex situation. The poster presents the details of the lab.
      • Pressure Beneath the Surface of a Fluid: Measuring the Correct Depth

      • PST1G18
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Richard McCall
      • Type: Poster
      • An experiment where the pressure beneath the surface of a fluid is measured as a function of depth can lead to substantial error if the depth is not measured correctly. In a laboratory exercise, a tube attached to a pressure sensor is lowered into a column of water, trapping air in the tube. As the pressure increases with depth, the volume of the air in the tube decreases resulting in water entering the tube. The water in the tube must be able to be observed in order to properly measure the depth. An example is presented where a 10% error is reduced to only 1% by taking this systematic error into account.
      • Sound Velocity and End Correction of Open Ended Circular Pipe

      • PST1G20
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Dongryul Jeon
      • Type: Poster
      • The antinode of an open-ended pipe is located outside the actual end of the pipe, known as the end correction. The amount of the end correction depends on the pipe size. We performed an experiment to measure the speed of sound and to find simultaneously the amount of end correction as a function of pipe diameter for a circular pipe. For this, we measured the sound intensity as a function of position by scanning a microphone along the pipe and corrected the data by taking into account the theoretical sound intensity. The results showed that the resonance frequency decreased and the length of air column increased proportionally when the pipe diameter increased. The speed of sound and the amount of end correction were calculated from the slope and the intercept of the graph of resonance frequeny vs pipe diameter.
      • The Reformation of Introductory Physics at University of Southern Mississippi

      • PST1G22
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Hiro Shimoyama
      • Type: Poster
      • The graduate teaching assistants (TAs) and I have reformed the introductory physics lab education at the University of Southern Mississippi over the last five years. The main goals were to provide proper equipment, to create quality of curriculum, and to establish good network among TAs and lecture instructors. Mississippi State is the worst state in terms of preparing STEM subjects for college study. Under such conditions, we have been seeking the best way to improve these students' ability. In the first phase, we organized the facility so TAs can teach well. In the second phase, we grasped actual students' learning processes and their background. In the third phase, we collected all aspects of feedback from TAs and students. Then, we eventually integrated the solution as our innovative lab manual with other external arrangement.
      • Addressing Multiple Goals in an Introductory Physics Laboratory

      • PST1G24
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Scott Bonham
      • Type: Poster
      • Physics laboratories can address a variety of goals, such as learning measurement techniques, developing conceptual understanding, designing experiments, analyzing data, reporting results, and others. As our department began revision of our university physics laboratory, we formed a task force representing a cross-section of the department to define learning outcomes for the new curriculum. This resulted in a list of eight general learning outcomes: measurement (using both low- and high-tech tools), developing experimental procedures, analyzing data, technical writing, conceptual understanding, uncertainty and error, team work, and a positive experience. A team led by faculty members with expertise in physics education research (Bonham) and LabView data acquisition (Harper) have developed the new curriculum to address all these goals, which will be described along with a preliminary assessment of the curriculum.
  • Physics Education Research - Posters

      • A Physics Problem Genome Project

      • PST2A01
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Andrew Pawl
      • Type: Poster
      • Online homework holds the promise of individualized tutoring. Before the promise can be realized, however, it is necessary to conduct empirical research on what problem sequences best engage students' interest and intellect in the online environment. To avoid bias in this research, it is necessary to employ randomized problem sequences. I have attempted this in a limited fashion in several courses over the past two years, and am using the experience to set up a freely accessible physics problem server in the LON-CAPA network. Students can log in and choose a topic or theme. The system then presents randomized sequences of related problems. The students' performance, comments, and timeline of interaction will be used to assess the effectiveness of the various sequences in promoting learning and engaging interest. The title of this presentation is an homage to the Music Genome Project's "Pandora" website, which inspired the work.
      • Assessing Students' Transfer of Learning Using Paper and Computer-Based Tests

      • PST2A03
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Dehui Hu
      • Type: Poster
      • We have developed research-based tutorials to facilitate students' application of the integral concept in a physics context. To assess students' transfer of learning, we combine paper-based tests and computer-based tests. Our assessment is based on the theoretical perspective of transfer as sequestered problem solving (SPS) or preparation for future learning (PFL). We investigate students' ability to solve a paper-based test without assistance, but also probe their ability to learn to solve the task with a series of online hints that target the major concepts introduced in the tutorials. Given that the transfer task is a challenging physics problem, the majority of students did not solve the transfer task successfully on the paper-based test. Students' extended learning with online hints provided us deeper insights about how our tutorials facilitated their future learning and limitations of the tutorials. This work supported in part by NSF grant 0816207.
      • Modern Physics Labs Using Responsive Inquiry to Create Research Experiences

      • PST2A05
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Benjamin Stottrup
      • Type: Poster
      • Augsburg College offers a sophomore-level modern physics course with associated lab. Traditionally this lab has been used to highlight the early development of quantum theory (photo-electric effect, Franck-Hertz, etc.). We will describe our redesign of this lab to create a semester-long responsive inquiry research experience focused on nanotechnology, materials characterization tools, and biology as an inspiration for engineers. Students gain hands-on experience using scanning electron microscopes, atomic force microscopes, as well as other sample preparation tools, and develop their own research projects using the equipment. A goal of the lab is to give students an experience of what research is like and what a scientist does, in order to improve their self-identity as scientists. The focus on contemporary skill building is intended to meet the changing demographics of our student body (increased enrollment, interest in engineering, and first generation college students). Finally, we address the potential for implementation of this model at other institutions.
      • Defining "Research Validation" for PER Users and Researchers

      • PST2A07
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Sarah McKagan
      • Type: Poster
      • The PER User's Guide (http://perusersguide.org), a website to help physicsinstructors apply the results of physics education research (PER) in their classrooms, includes guides to over 50 PER-based teaching methods. We are developing summaries of the "research validation" behind each of these methods. However, there is no consensus in the PER community about what this term means. There are many challenges and critiques of even the most commonly cited definitions of "research validation," and no definition seems appropriate to every context. In this interactive poster, we will present some common definitions, along with challenges, critiques, requirements, and contexts in which each definition may or may not be appropriate. We will solicit feedback, definitions, and concerns from the community.
      • A Refined Pintrich SRL Model for Micro-Analysing Learning and Mentoring

      • PST2A09
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Zvika Arica
      • Type: Poster
      • "Physics & Industry" is a two-year Project-Based Learning program in whichhigh-achieving 11th grade student pairs are tutored by expert physics teachers and high-tech engineers. The project focuses on an authentic technological problem and the design of a functional artifact. During the past six years we have implemented the program with under-achieving students. We aimed to promote their physics knowledge, learning skills, self-efficacy, self-regulation skills and creativity. To attain these goals, the instructional model provided a supportive environment encouraging the students to progress independently as far as possible. Initially, the Pintrich SRL model (Pintrich, 2000) was used to analyze interactions between students and mentors and amongst student themselves. However, since our research required deeper insights, we added a refined encoding of students' and mentors' discourse and actions. Using this encoding in a micro-analysis of extensive video and audio recordings facilitated the characterization of students' and mentors' behavior patterns.
      • Assessing Learned Problem Solving Behavior in the Cognitive Apprenticeship Paradigm

      • PST2A11
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by William Schwalm
      • Type: Poster
      • With the help of an NSF CCLI grant, introductory laboratories at the University of North Dakota were changed over to a problem-solving format. The laboratory periods focus more closely on problem-solving method, as do the classroom presentations. This has prompted us to develop a new way of assessing student learning in the laboratories. This assessment is based not on learned content but on learning of a problem-solving process within the cognitive apprenticeship paradigm. The instrument we have developed focuses on the first three steps of the Minnesota five-step problem-solving scheme. We attempt to measure the degree to which the importance a student assigns to certain bits of information or cognitive resources matches the importance attached to the same items by several expert problem solvers. Scoring is based on the closeness of fit to the expert responses. We present a description of the instrument and data analysis.
      • Canned or Live? Investigating the Effectiveness of Taped Demonstrations

      • PST2A13
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Lisa Carpenter
      • Type: Poster
      • Demonstrations on a variety of topics in introductory physics were shown to classrooms of high school students. Some classes were shown live demonstrations with the demonstration apparatus present, while others were shown taped demonstrations using the same apparatus. Students were given a pre-assessment to determine their prior knowledge of each topic. Students were then engaged in the Interactive Lecture Demonstration (ILD) format, which required them to form and discuss predictions about each demonstration. A post-assessment was administered to assess knowledge gained. Post assessment questions were repeated at the end of the school year in order to determine long-term gains. The data and analysis we present reflect the efficacy of ILDs in the classroom both with and without demonstration apparatus.
      • Clicker Engagement in Introductory and Upper-Division Physics Courses

      • PST2A15
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Patrick Kohl
      • Type: Poster
      • Clickers, while perhaps not ubiquitous, have become very common in introductory physics classes where the audience is composed of students from a variety of majors. They have also begun to see use in upper-division physics courses where the audience is almost entirely physics majors. In this presentation we examine the hypothesis that these substantially different populations will result in different levels of participation and engagement. We have videotaped the audiences of two introductory physics courses and two junior-level physics courses (mechanics and E&M in both cases) during clicker questions and quantified the level of engagement in each. Preliminary results suggest that upper-division majors-only courses exhibit more peer-to-peer interaction and overall engagement than introductory courses.
      • Computational Modeling as a Promoter of Cognitive Transfer: Pilot Study

      • PST2A17
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Scott Douglas
      • Type: Poster
      • We describe a study of the role of computational modeling in recognizing underlying similarities in different problems, a process called cognitive transfer. Previous studies have shown that this crucial process is highly sensitive to context, suggestion, and familiarity with the subject matter. We propose that courses emphasizing computational modeling, in which students repeatedly employ similar lines of code to model different physical systems, foster a more generalized cognitive transfer ability. We performed a think-aloud study on several students (some from a course involving computational modeling, others from a traditional physics course), exposing them to ordered pairs of problems of varying degrees of separation in specific details (molecular mechanics vs. projectile motion) and solution methods (numerical vs. analytical). With these data, we attempt to separate the influence of long-term instruction in computational modeling from the immediate priming effect of solving computational problems, and relate both to the promotion of cognitive transfer.
      • Developing a Conceptual Model for Both Entropy and Energy

      • PST2A19
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Abigail Daane
      • Type: Poster
      • Entropy is typically not a central focus either in introductory universityphysics textbooks or in national standards for secondary education. However, entropy is a key part of a strong conceptual model of energy, especially for connecting energy conservation to energy degradation and the irreversibility of processes. We are developing a conceptual model of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics as they relate to energy, with the goal of creating models and representations that link energy and entropy in a meaningful way for learners analyzing real-life energy scenarios. We expect this model to help learners better understand how their everyday experiences relate to formal physics analyses. Our goal is to develop tools for use with elementary and secondary teachers and secondary and university students.
      • Development of a Standardized Fluids Assessment

      • PST2A21
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by D. J. Wagner
      • Type: Poster
      • We are developing an FCI-style assessment covering hydrostatic topics commonly included in introductory physics courses. The beta version of this assessment was rolled out in fall 2011, and revisions are ongoing. This poster will present the assessment, along with analysis of the questions and plans for the future. We're particularly interested in receiving suggestions from other educators and in recruiting more beta-testers. Stop by and chat!
      • Eliciting Physics Faculty Expectations for Physics Majors

      • PST2A23
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Renee Michelle Goertzen
      • Type: Poster
      • As part of a project to investigate the goals physics faculty hold for physics majors, we have interviewed 17 physics faculty about what attitudes and abilities they expect students to have developed by the time they graduate with a bachelor's degree from our institution. Our preliminary analysis of the interviews suggests that some of these goals are both implicit and constructed in-the-moment in response to interview prompts. Understanding the nature of physics faculty expectations will allow us to better assess whether students meet these expectations, as well as whether physics programs standards adequately capture faculty goals. In the longer term, our goal is to investigate whether physics programs are providing sufficient opportunities for students to develop these desired attitudes and abilities.
      • Evolving Positions and Acknowledged Abilities: Expert Identity Development

      • PST2A25
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Idaykis Rodriguez
      • Type: Poster
      • This study examines how graduate students become physics experts in a physics research group using Wenger's apprenticeship framework within a Community of Practice. For an individual, the process of social reconfiguration is a matter of identity development through participation. We analyze data from an ethnographic case study of a biophysics research group with two professors and four graduate students. Data consist of six months of participant observations and video recordings of the group's research meetings, interviews, document analysis, and two months of observations a year later. We present how students? development of community membership is a matter of identification, how an individual is recognized or labeled, and negotiability, how individuals position themselves based on their abilities to negotiate meaning in an interaction. Differences in members' ability to negotiate in an interaction informs us of their evolving position within the research group and the acknowledgement of their abilities and technical expertise.
      • Characterizing and Resolving the Undifferentiated View of Ionizing Radiation

      • PST2A27
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Andy Johnson
      • Type: Poster
      • The Radioactivity by Inquiry project (NSF DUE grant 0942699) is developinginquiry-based materials for teaching radiation literacy at the high school and college levels. We have found that students initially do not distinguish between radiation and the radioactive source. This has previously been observed by Eijkelhof (1990), Millar & Gill (1996) and Prather & Harrington (2001). The undifferentiated view is that radiation is "bad stuff," that there is no difference between radiation and radioactivity, and that radiation causes contamination. Developing a view of radiation as high-speed, subatomic particles requires distinguishing between radiation and radioactive materials. In this poster we identify and characterize students' initial ideas about radiation in terms of the undifferentiated radiation view and we quantify student progress toward differentiation. We find that differentiating fully and abandoning the view of "radiation as stuff" involves a long and challenging process that some students find difficult to complete.
      • Exploring "Design" in the Introductory Physics Laboratory

      • PST2A29
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Jason Dowd
      • Type: Poster
      • Inquiry-based laboratory activities that emphasize scientific reasoning skills are better than more traditional alternatives, but how much "design" is too much? In this study, students in one semester of introductory physics are split into two different "design-focused" sequences of laboratory activities: heuristically scaffolded, ISLE-like (Rutgers) labs and largely exploratory, SCL-like (Maryland) labs. Both sequences are implemented over five biweekly meetings. Written reports were evaluated using the same rubrics as those used to assess scientific reasoning abilities in ISLE labs, so our findings are directly comparable with results reported from Rutgers. We observe slight differences between the two groups along some dimensions that seem to favor the more exploratory sequence, though our clearest observation is that five biweekly meetings is not sufficient for several important abilities. We elaborate on these findings and make suggestions for future implementation of these approaches to introductory laboratories.
      • Free Online Physics Course Emphasizing Problem Solving

      • PST2A31
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Saif Rayyan
      • Type: Poster
      • Our RELATE group is currently teaching an online course on Newtonian Mechanics (http://relate.mit.edu/physicscourse/). The course develops more expert-like problem solving skills using the MAPS Pedagogy [1], and includes hundreds of assessment questions, many based on results from physics education research. Open-source course content (modularized e-text, animations, videos, and solved examples) is divided into learning modules that are mapped to a list of learning objectives. The course is hosted on the LONCAPA network (http://loncapa.org), and anyone in the network can use our course content in their classes. We are currently integrating IRT into this platform, enabling standardized assessment of student and class skill on a national standard that is independent of which problems students work. We thank Yoav Bergner, Stephan Dröschler, Sara Julin, Boris Korsunsky, Gerd Kortemeyer, and Daniel Seaton for their significant contributions. [1]AIP Conf. Proc. 1179, pp. 51-54 (2009)
      • How Numbers Help Students Solve Physics Problems

      • PST2A33
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Eugene Torigoe
      • Type: Poster
      • The mathematical solution to a physics problem requires many different types of information to be represented by symbols. Some symbol properties are permanent, such as the association of a symbol with an object. And others change as the solution progresses, such as whether the quantity is known or unknown. Because of the different ways information is represented in numeric and symbolic problem solutions, symbolic problems can often be much more difficult for students than numeric problems. For example, while it is easy to distinguish a known and unknown quantity in a numeric solution, there is no explicit notation in a symbolic solution for such a distinction. The poster will also describe how such differences can affect the strategic choices made by students.
      • Instructor's Goals for Using Example Solutions for Introductory Physics

      • PST2A35
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by William Mamudi
      • Type: Poster
      • In light of recommendations from the literature for modeling expert-like problem solving approaches, we investigated instructors' goals for providing example solutions in introductory physics courses. Twenty-four graduate teaching assistants and 30 faculty were asked: 1) in a general context, to describe their main purposes for providing example solutions, and 2) specifically, to identify their considerations when comparing three example solutions that reflect different pedagogical views. Differences between the faculty and TAs will be discussed in order to describe possible progression of ideas throughout an instructor's professional career. For example, faculty explicitly emphasize the importance of developing expert-like problem solving when discussing their goals in the general context. In contrast TAs refer to the goal of developing expert-like problem solving mainly in an implicit manner, when examining specific solutions, and emphasize other values, such as helping students develop conceptual understanding, when asked explicitly on their purposes in the general context.
      • Interactive Learning in French University Physics Classrooms

      • PST2A37
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Alexander Rudolph
      • Type: Poster
      • This is a report on a project to introduce interactive learning strategiesto physics classes at Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris), one of the leading science universities in France. In spring 2012, instructors in over 20 classrooms, enrolling almost 1000 students, implemented Think-Pair-Share questions and Peer Instruction in the main lecture classrooms, and University of Washington "Tutorials in Introductory Physics" in recitation sections. In two of these classes, a second-semester mechanics class, and an introductory E&M class, enrolling 500 and 300 students respectively, pre- and post-instruction assessments (FCI and CSEM respectively) were given, along with a series of demographics questions. Not all lecture or recitation sections in these classes used interactive learning, allowing us to compare the results of the FCI and CSEM between interactive and non-interactive classes taught simultaneously with the same curriculum. We also analyze test results and course grades, as well as the results of student and instructor attitude surveys between classes.
      • Internet Coaches for Problem-Solving in Introductory Physics: Data Analysis

      • PST2A39
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Qing Xu
      • Type: Poster
      • The Physics Education Group at the University of Minnesota has been constructing web-based programs that can provide introductory physics students with coaching in the use of an expert-like framework in solving problems. During the fall 2011 semester, the coaches were introduced into a large (200+ students) section of the introductory mechanics course at the University of Minnesota to assess their educational impact. In this poster, we will present the results of using a problem-solving rubric to analyze students' solutions from problems on mid-semester quizzes and the final exam. The rubric evaluates a student's problem-solving performance along five axes based on expert-novice problem solving research. This work was supported by NSF DUE-0715615.
      • Investigating Science Learning Attitudes Among Chinese Students

      • PST2A41
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Lin Ding
      • Type: Poster
      • Empirical studies aiming at student conceptual learning in physics show that Chinese students overall demonstrate a higher level of content knowledge than do their U.S. counterparts, and that their reasoning skills in basic scientific practices, however, are comparable between the two nations. Since student epistemological ideas exert substantial influences on learning outcomes, it is reasonable to hypothesize, based on the previous literature, that students in the two nations may have different views about what physics is and how physics should be learned. As part of our ongoing project, this study looks into the epistemological beliefs of Chinese students in the learning of physics. We administered the Colorado Learning Attitudes Survey about Science to Chinese high school and college students. Some preliminary results are reported in this paper.
      • Investigating Visual Attention in Physics Using Scan-Path Eye Movement Analysis*

      • PST2A43
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Adrian Madsen
      • Type: Poster
      • Two types of processes, top-down and bottom-up, guide visual attention. Bottom-up processes are fast, automatic processes based on noticeable features in the environment. Top-down processes are based on prior knowledge, goals, and expectations. To investigate how top-down and bottom-up processes influence visual attention in physics problems, we recorded eye movements of 24 individuals on problems with diagrams that contained areas consistent with novice-like responses and areas of high perceptual salience. We used an algorithm that calculates a similarity score between pairs of participants' eye movements. We compared pairs of correct solvers (CC) and pairs of incorrect solvers (II). We found no statistically significant differences between the CC and II comparisons on five of the six problems. This result seems to imply that top-down processes relying on incorrect domain knowledge, rather than bottom-up processes driven by perceptual salience, influence the visual attention of incorrect solvers.
      • Knowledge Integration While Interacting with an Online Troubleshooting Activity: Findings

      • PST2A45
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Edit Yerushalmi
      • Type: Poster
      • A troubleshooting activity was carried out by an e-tutor in two steps. First the student diagnoses a mistaken statement, then the student compares his diagnosis to an exemplary diagnosis provided by the e-tutor. To examine whether and how the activity attains its objective -- to engage students in a process of clarifying and repairing the mistaken ideas underlying the mistaken statement, we studied the discourse between students working with the e-tutor on a statement implying that because there is no current on an open switch in a DC circuit, according to Ohm's law the potential difference is necessarily zero. We present an analysis showing how the activity triggered students to explicate multiple alternative interpretations of the principles and concepts involved and attempt to align conflicting interpretations. We discuss how successive amendations gradually culminated in the elaboration of students' understanding of these concepts.
      • Making Sense of Friction as an Interaction Using System Schema

      • PST2A47
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Brant Hinrichs
      • Type: Poster
      • After learning Newton's second law, students in a university modeling-based introductory physics class are asked to imagine a box sliding across a floor and slowing to a stop. Although they've had extensive experience with friction in the context of energy, this is their first exposure to friction within the context of forces. They are asked to make different representations for this scenario, including a system schema, and force diagram. During their small group work, students quickly run into a difficulty: there are only two interactions with the box (contact, gravitational), so there should only be two forces, yet the box is slowing, which means it must have unbalanced forces in the direction of acceleration. In this talk, I present evidence from the student-led whole class discussion showing how the class uses the System Schema to help reason about this problem in a productive manner and come to a useful consensus.
      • Particle Physics Masterclass as a Context for Learning About NOS

      • PST2A49
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Michael Wadness
      • Type: Poster
      • This research addresses the question: Do secondary school science students attending the Particle Physics Masterclass change their view of the nature of science (NOS)? The Particle Physics Masterclass is a national physics outreach program run by QuarkNet, in which high school physics students gather at a local research institution for one day to learn about particle physics and the scientific enterprise. Student activities include introductory lectures in particle physics, laboratory tours, analysis of actual data from CERN, and the discussion of their findings in a conference-like atmosphere. Although there are a number of outreach programs involving scientists in K-12 education, very few of them have been formally evaluated to determine if they provide adequate learning of NOS. Therefore, the significance of this study is that it investigates the claim that science outreach programs may be designed to address science literacy, specifically as a context for explicit NOS instruction.
      • Physics Pedagogy and Assessment in Secondary Schools: Key Findings

      • PST2A51
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Melissa Nemeth
      • Type: Poster
      • As physics provides a crucial link between mathematics and science, high school physics teachers are under constant pressure to deliver the best education possible. Our research aims to uncover current best practices in secondary physics education and make recommendations based on our key findings. With the knowledge that students' socioeconomic status and teachers' experience affects the way physics is taught, we surveyed teachers in the categories of demographics, student and teacher backgrounds, teaching practices, and assessment techniques. Using current education research, we created a measuring tool to rank and quantify responses in these categories. We used these numbers to quantify the key findings presented. Our main objective is to make recommendations of specific ways to make high school physics more engaging with the ultimate goal of ensuring higher student success in college and beyond. See talk by Dr. Gordon P. Ramsey and poster by David Haberkorn for further details.
      • Physics Sudents' Use of Layers and Representations to Understand Integrals*

      • PST2A53
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Joshua Von Korff
      • Type: Poster
      • Students' understanding of integration can be analyzed in terms of layers and representations. "Layers" are mathematical objects or procedures that are used to construct an integral: each integral can be conceptualized as a sum of many products. Representations are ways of expressing these layers in written or spoken form, including verbal, diagrammatic, symbolic, graphical, and tabular representations. We present an analysis of physics students' work in terms of layers and representations, and describe course materials designed to help students view integrals in terms of layers. The layers and representations framework has often been applied in a mathematics context; we present a modification of the layer structure that is useful in a physics context.
      • Pilot Testing of the Modeling Instruction Curriculum

      • PST2A55
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Jared Durden
      • Type: Poster
      • At Florida International University we are developing a curriculum guide and set of comprehensive video and digital resources to support the implementation of Modeling Instruction. In preparation for dissemination of the curriculum materials and instructor support guide, we pilot tested the curriculum guide. An instructor with no previous experience teaching introductory physics using Modeling Instruction utilized the curriculum guide and instructor resources. To better understand how to support Modeling Instruction curriculum use, we conducted interviews with the instructor during and after the semester. We have identified three types of instructional resources germane to implementing Modeling Instruction. The instructor brought considerable resources based on prior teaching experiences. Several resources were developed during the instruction with assistance of the curriculum materials. Finally, several resources were not developed. We investigate the role that these resources play in instruction and how to structure faculty professional development that supports the development of instructional resources.
      • Pre-service Physics Teachers' Moral Sensitivity in the Context of Physics-Related Socioscientific Issues

      • PST2A57
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Sungmin Im
      • Type: Poster
      • Since promoting scientific literacy for all students has been emphasized as a main goal of secondary school science, there are extensive discussions to argue how to define scientific literacy in a manner of functional form and how to promote it. Many studies support that achieving functional scientific literacy requires attention to moral factors associated with socioscientific issues (SSI) and moral implications of decisions made in the context of SSI. Although there is an increasing amount of research on SSI in the field of secondary science education and science teacher education, much has been focused on students rather than teachers, and interest in the context of biological or environmental issues such as global climate change, genetic engineering, stem cell research, and many modern health care options. The purpose of this study is to investigate pre-service physics teachers' moral sensitivity in the context of physics-related socioscientific issues (SSI). Moral sensitivity in this study was defined as the ability to recognize when a situation contains a moral aspect. When confronted with a situation, such as SSI, a person with moral sensitivity is aware of how possible resolutions of the situation have the potential to affect others in a negative manner. In this talk, the result and its significance would be discussed in the context of seeking viable strategy to confront moral aspect of physics teaching.
      • Research on Coherence Seeking Across Disciplinary Boundaries*

      • PST2A59
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Chandra Turpen
      • Type: Poster
      • We analyze coherence-seeking in ongoing student activity from a video-recorded discussion section. Here, students engage in a task designed to build connections between physics and biology. We present evidence of students 1) spontaneously bringing in unanticipated outside knowledge into their reasoning in this physics course and 2) seeking connections between the course material and other things they know. Throughout this process, we examine both implicit and explicit indexing of the disciplines throughout the reasoning episode to show that often these connections span disciplinary boundaries. Independent of whether reconciliation is achieved, we see coherence-seeking reasoning practices that students are engaged in as essential to scientific practice and as such we claim that those practices should be a focus of our assessment efforts.
      • Student Difficulties in Translating Between Mathematical and Graphical Representations in Introductory Physics

      • PST2A61
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Alexandru Maries
      • Type: Poster
      • Prior research suggests that introductory physics students have difficultywith graphing and interpreting graphs. We investigate introductory physics students' difficulties in translating between mathematical and graphical representations and effect of scaffolding on students' performance. We gave a typical problem that can be solved using Gauss's law involving spherically symmetric charge distribution (a conducting sphere concentric with a conducting spherical shell) to 96 calculus-based introductory physics students. We asked students to write a mathematical expression for the electric field in various regions and asked them to graph the electric field. We knew from previous experience that students' have great difficulty in graphing the electric field for this problem. Therefore, we implemented two scaffolding interventions to help them. Students who received the scaffolding support were either 1) asked to draw the electric field in each region first (before having to plot it as a function of distance from the center of the sphere) or 2) asked to draw the electric field in each region and asked to explicitly evaluate the electric field at the beginning, mid and end points of each region. The comparison group was only asked to plot the electric field at the end of the problem. We also conducted recorded interviews with individual students in order to better understand how the interventions impacted them. We will present some surprising results.
      • Students' Use of Real-World Knowledge During Collaborative Physics Problem Solving

      • PST2A63
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Mathew Martinuk
      • Type: Poster
      • In this poster I will describe students' use of their real-world knowledgeand their epistemological framing during collaborative group recitation problems in an introductory algebra-based physics course for non-physics majors. Analysis of 14 different student groups working on three different recitation problems reveals that: 1) Despite significant prompting within the problems and support in lecture, over half of the groups do not make significant use of their real-world knowledge as a part of their solution to the recitation problems. 2) Students that do make use of their real-world knowledge do so during conceptual discussion, but not during procedural discussion. Implications for instruction and future research will be discussed.
      • Students' Response Patterns to Research Tasks with Alternative Questioning Formats

      • PST2A65
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Jeffrey Hawkins
      • Type: Poster
      • Teachers, researchers, and curriculum developers utilize the results of formative assessment to elicit students pre-instruction physics ideas. In canonical physics education research tasks, students are asked to identify a correct answer and justify their answer choice. However, we find that students often know more than is revealed by their answers to these question formats. In two research tasks, students were either given the correct answer and asked to justify it, or they were asked which response they would eliminate and to provide a justification for why that response is incorrect. These tasks were randomly administered, online, to students in the first semester of an introductory calculus-based physics course. We present results from these pre-tests, comparing the types of reasoning and frequency of responses across question types. We find that the variations in responses given by students are context dependent.
      • Switching Behavior in the Peer Instruction Classroom

      • PST2A67
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Kelly Miller
      • Type: Poster
      • Peer instruction, a teaching strategy designed to increase student interaction, has been shown to improve student learning and retention in physics courses. In the classroom, students respond to conceptual questions, discuss with peers and then respond again. Student response patterns (or switching) provide the instructor with real-time feedback of student understanding and are used to guide the discussion during class. But how do these switching patterns relate to other dimensions of student learning? Does switching tell us more about students' confidence than understanding? How can we better understand this behavior that is essentially steering the course? We analyze the relationship between "switching" variables and other student metrics to better understand how the dynamics of student interaction lead to improved student learning.
      • Teaching to Learn: Exploring the Experiences of First Time Learning Assistants

      • PST2A69
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Kara Gray
      • Type: Poster
      • This physics education research explores, from the participants' perspective, the Colorado Learning Assistant program. Interviews, written records, and videos of first-time physics Learning Assistants (LAs) were analyzed. Experiences include the challenges LAs face, how they address these challenges, and their adoption and adaption of the teaching philosophy of the LA program. Findings suggest that through participating in teaching activities as LAs, students generate different ways of speaking and behaving that change their identities as physics teachers and learners. We conclude that the repetition of thinking about how students learn, constructing interventions, and reflecting on the results of their actions leads LAs to converge on certain ways of behaving and talking that are more closely aligned with the goals of the LA program. We hypothesize that pedagogical concepts such as formative assessment and dialogic discourse made available through the pedagogy course assist greatly in students' convergence on desired practices.
      • Understanding Projectile Motion in Classical Mechanics Course in the First Semester of College with the use of Physlets  CANCELED

      • PST2A71
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Fernando Molina
      • Type: Poster
      • Presented in this work is a strategy for teaching projectile motion near the Earth's surface using an iterative computer simulation package. Working with the simulation highlights the conceptual elements of Newton's laws and their application to models of situations close to reality. It is intended that the student construct a theoretical framework that will lead to establish a procedure for the solution of similar problem situations. Computer applications designed to simulate a physical system, or Physlets, takes its name from an abbreviation of physics applets (physlets) and refers to java applications designed specifically for teaching science and in particular in the case of this work package develops and proposes its application to the teaching of classical mechanics into regular courses in the first semester of college.
      • Using Community Expertise to Enhance Curricular Reform and Professional Development*

      • PST2A73
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Dedra Demaree
      • Type: Poster
      • Oregon State University (OSU) is working on an NSF-funded collaboration with a range of faculty within OSU and two local Community Colleges. The overall purpose of this project is three-fold: to better coordinate our introductory courses, to develop and share the best of our curricular activities, and to document the shared knowledge in a way that helps incoming/rotating instructors adopt the courses. We are developing a community of practitioners with a shared vocabulary and refined discourse on curricular issues. One method used in the project is having an observer in the classroom, which all community members feel is highly valuable. We have extended this model to peer teaching where neither teacher is viewed as the expert; this holds promise for an authentic model of professional development. This poster will outline the main project goals, our model for community and professional development, and our outcomes to date.
      • Using Student Provided Problem Comparisons to Observe Epistemic Reasoning Trends

      • PST2A75
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Frances Mateycik
      • Type: Poster
      • Compare and contrast strategies may be used to facilitate students' identification of important information within problems (Chi et. Al., 1981; Jonassen, 2000). As part of a larger study students enrolled in a spring 2011, algebra-based physics course were asked to choose the two problems they found to be the most similar in each of their weekly homework assignments. The two problems selected were then explicitly compared and contrasted in writing. The written statements were then collected by the researchers and divided by clause topics and further categorized into levels of epistemic reasoning. Emergent trends regarding how students' level of epistemic reasoning changes throughout the semester and how the physics context may elicit variance in the observable epistemic reasoning will be discussed.
      • Writing and Evaluating Explanations in a Large Enrollment Physics Course*

      • PST2A77
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Fred Goldberg
      • Type: Poster
      • We are currently adapting the small enrollment, discussion and lab-based Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum for large enrollment classes populated mainly by prospective elementary teachers. The new curriculum is called Learning Physics (LEP). To maintain PET's focus on some important practices of science, we have students engage in the practice of writing and evaluating explanations. Students do this online, using the Calibrated Peer Review (CPR) system developed at UCLA. After the instructor develops the explanation tasks, the students write their own explanations, practice evaluating "calibrated" explanations, and then evaluate three of their peer's explanations as well as their own. In our poster we will briefly describe the components of the CPR system, some of the explanation tasks we have developed for the LEP course, and our initial analysis of how the process is going. *Supported by NSF grant 1044172
      • Assessing Student Self-Confidence with the CLASS Learning Attitudes Survey

      • PST2A02
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Andrew Pawl
      • Type: Poster
      • Administering the CLASS to students in the mainstream freshman mechanics course at MIT yields significant negative shifts in all the categories related to problem solving and conceptual understanding. These shifts are consistent with the observations published by the creators of the CLASS. In the MIT sample, these shifts can be ascribed to five statements that unambiguously assess student self-confidence. No substantial shift is observed in statements assessing students' conception of what constitutes problem-solving expertise. By contrast, students enrolled in calculus-based introductory mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, a small state engineering school, enter the course with significantly lower rates of expert-like responses in the non-self-confidence statements but similar levels of self-confidence, and leave the course without a significant shift in either category of statements. Substantial remediation of the drop in MIT student self-confidence statements has been achieved by a three-week ReView course employing Modeling Applied to Problem Solving (MAPS) pedagogy.
      • Assessment of Scientific Reasoning: Instrument Development  CANCELED

      • PST2A04
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Jing Han
      • Type: Poster
      • Assessment of scientific reasoning has received much attention in recent years. Built on the existing work, we started to develop a new instrument that involves a wide range of contexts and skill dimensions on scientific reasoning. In this talk, we will discuss the validity issues of current assessment instruments and introduce the theme and the questions of the new development. Large-scale assessment results using both the existing questions and the new questions will be presented. The results are also used for equating analysis in order to calibrate the new questions in reference to the exiting instruments. Applications of the assessment tool will also be discussed.
      • Assessing the Impact of Responsive Inquiry Labs on Students' Science Identities

      • PST2A06
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Sarah McKagan
      • Type: Poster
      • We assess the impact of a modern physics lab designed to introduce students to contemporary tools of materials science and nanotechnology, to help them develop scientific research skills, and to help them view themselves as scientists. One goal of our project is to determine if the valuable experiences gained through undergraduate research can be re-enforced, supplemented, or extended to a broader student population through more traditional areas of the curriculum. Through interviews with students in the modern physics lab and with students participating in undergraduate research, we examine how attributes in the lab parallel those in undergraduate research experiences. We assess the impact of labs and undergraduate research experiences on students' understanding of the process of science and what a scientist does, and on their self-identities as scientists. We identify general features of labs, research experiences, and other educational environments that may impact student's self-identities as scientists.
      • How Energy Theater Supports Participants in Accounting for Energy

      • PST2A08
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Sarah McKagan
      • Type: Poster
      • Energy Theater is an embodied learning activity in which participants act out energy transfers and transformations with their bodies. We have observed that participants in Energy Theater are often surprised by scenarios in which large quantities of energy are transformed from kinetic to thermal. This surprise appears to be a result of an expectation that a quantity of energy should be equally "perceptible" in different forms, an expectation that is violated when easily visible kinetic energy transforms into imperceptible thermal energy. We claim that Energy Theater enforces energy conservation in a way that pushes participants to recognize the presence of forms of energy that they do not expect, and to adjust their models of scenarios to take into account counterintuitive phenomena.
      • An Examination of Expert/Novice Positional Identities in the Disciplines

      • PST2A10
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Vashti Sawtelle
      • Type: Poster
      • We present a qualitative analysis of a group of students working through atask designed to build connections between biology, chemistry, and physics. During the discussion members of the group explicitly index some of the ideas being presented as coming from "chemistry" and from "physics." While there is evidence that students seek coherence between outside knowledge and in-class knowledge, there is little evidence of reasoning with one another's ideas, resulting in a lack of reconciliation. In this poster we present evidence that the difficulty students face in trying to reconcile each other's ideas can be understood through a positional identity lens. We examine how students position themselves and each other as experts and novices in the disciplines. We argue that this disciplinary positioning contributes to the lack of the reconciliation of ideas for these students.
      • Assessing Scientific Reasoning: A Case in Control of Variables  CANCELED

      • PST2A12
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Shaona Zhou
      • Type: Poster
      • Scientific reasoning skills are becoming a necessity in modern society. Asa result, such skills are being emphasized in science curricula. This study focuses on the particular skill of control of variables. Two forms of an assessment instrument (providing and not providing experimental data) were developed to analyze how students handle data and how context affects performance. This instrument will allow us to identify common student difficulties and reasoning patterns at a finer grain size as well as determine levels of learning progression from naïve to expert use of control of variables. Results from this study show that (1) students perform better when no experimental data is provided and (2) students perform better in physics contexts than in real-life contexts. The new form of assessment instrument developed in this study provides a practical tool for researchers and teachers to evaluate student learning on control of variables.
      • Extending Modeling Instruction with Computational Modeling: A Pilot Study

      • PST2A14
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by John Aiken
      • Type: Poster
      • We describe the implementation and assessment of computational modeling ina ninth-grade classroom in the context of the Arizona Modeling InstructionTM physics curriculum. Using a high-level programming environment (VPython), students developed computational models to predict the motion of objects under a variety of physical situations (e.g., constant net force), to simulate real world phenomenon (e.g., car crash), and to visualize abstract quantities (e.g., acceleration). Students were assessed via an assignment that included completing a computational model of a baseball's motion (a new scenario to the students), conceptual questions similar to those appearing on the Force Concept Inventory, and two essay questions, one asking students to extend their computational model with a drag force, the other querying their understanding of while loops. This poster describes the common challenges students faced (programming and/or physics errors). It will also address student attitudes towards computation as a tool.
      • Comparing Student Conceptual Understanding of Thermodynamics in Physics and Engineering

      • PST2A16
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Jessica Clark
      • Type: Poster
      • Thermodynamics is a core part of curricula in physics and many engineeringfields. Despite the apparent similarity in coverage, individual courses in each discipline have distinct emphases and applications. Physics education researchers have identified student difficulties with concepts such as heat, temperature, and entropy as well as with larger grain-sized ideas such as state variables, path-dependent processes, etc. Engineering education research has corroborated these findings and has identified additional difficulties unique to engineering contexts. We are beginning a project that provides an excellent opportunity for expanding the interdisciplinary research on conceptual understanding in thermodynamics. This project has two goals: first, determine the overlapping content and concepts across the disciplines; second, compare conceptual understanding between these groups using existing conceptual questions from PER and EER. We will present a review of PER and EER literature in thermodynamics and highlight some concepts that we will investigate.
      • Continuing the Comparison Between Graphical- and Text-based Programming Instruction

      • PST2A18
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Kathleen Harper
      • Type: Poster
      • We previously reported the results of a comparison between two sections ofa freshman-level introductory programming course taught in 2008.[1] One was taught using C and C++, while the other was based on LabVIEW. The courses were structured such that they addressed the same basic programming constructs. The original study contained three major comparisons: ability to apply programming knowledge to problem-solving, ability to learn a second programming language (in this case, MATLAB), and epistemological views. Each sample contained 14 students. The C/C++ students were better at applying their skills to a common programming problem, the groups were nearly identical in learning MATLAB, and the LabVIEW students made more progress toward expert epistemological views. Here we report on a slightly larger (N=30 in each group) replication study conducted in 2011.
      • Developing a Research-Based Interdisciplinary Physics Course for Biologists

      • PST2A20
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Edward Redish
      • Type: Poster
      • We have piloted the first iteration of a new physics course for biology majors at the University of Maryland aimed at developing scientific competencies. The curriculum has been developed by an interdisciplinary team of physicists, biologists, and biophysicists, and involves departures from the traditional introductory physics curriculum in choosing physics topics that are most relevant for biology. The development process has also been deeply connected to an ongoing conversation among physicists, chemists, and biologists about creating a common thermodynamics across the scientific disciplines. We have been collecting extensive qualitative and quantitative data from the course, providing the basis for assessment of the course, iterative development of the curriculum, and research on student reasoning in interdisciplinary contexts.
      • Effect of Paper Color on Physics Exam Performance

      • PST2A22
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by David Schmidt
      • Type: Poster
      • A substantial number of studies in the cognitive sciences have establishedthat color, acting as an environmental cue, can significantly affect subject performance on a variety of tasks. However, there is a dearth of research into how this phenomenon manifests itself in 1) the combined conceptual and computational field of physics and 2) the context of preparation (i.e. where subjects prepare for relevant material prior to assessment as opposed to remaining ignorant of the tasks' nature until immediately before assessment). Our experiment involves approximately 450 students in an introductory E&M course in which the paper color used for examinations was varied. Analysis includes raw exam scores and differentiates between students' multiple choice, written response, conceptual, and computational performance. Additionally, we report on the time students require to complete exams and their confidence levels prior to and immediately following assessment.
      • Engineering Students' Kinds of Mental Representations in Kinematics

      • PST2A24
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Bashirah Ibrahim
      • Type: Poster
      • This study explores the categories of cognitive structures constructed by engineering students taking a calculus-based physics course. A sample of 19 students completed five non-directed tasks, with different representational formats, on the topic of kinematics. Individual interviews were conducted immediately following these tasks. The Johnson-Laird (1983) cognitive framework was applied to classify the participants' mental representations. It proposes three types of internal constructs: propositional representations, mental models, and mental images. The students' written solutions and individual interview responses were related to the cognitive framework to infer about the kind of mental representations. None of the students were classified with a mental model. Most (11 in 19) of the sample constructed propositional representation while the remaining students were identified with a mental image. This outcome indicates that these students have a poor understanding of the various concepts presented by the different tasks. Supported in part by NSF grant 0816207.
      • Experts Solving a Complicated Problem

      • PST2A26
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Bin Xiao
      • Type: Poster
      • Experts can normally solve end-of-chapter exercises efficiently with high confidence. Some researchers claim the experts are not truly working on "problems" since they usually know how to solve them right from the beginning. To investigate this, we asked several experts to work on simple exercises as well as a complicated circuit problem using a think-aloud approach while simultaneously rating their self-confidence throughout their solution processes. Compared to their performance in solving end-of-chapter exercises, experts spent more time on understanding the problem and showed weaker metacognition while solving the problem.
      • Exploring Learning Difficulties Associated with Understanding Ionizing by Radiation

      • PST2A28
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Andy Johnson
      • Type: Poster
      • "What does the word 'ionizing' mean in the phrase 'ionizing radiation'?" This question serves as a litmus test for student understanding on how radiation affects matter. The Radioactivity by Inquiry project (NSF DUE grant 0942699) is researching how non-science undergraduates can come to understand the interaction of radiation with matter through inquiry, and why some students fail to understand ionization. Despite carefully planned instruction on ionization, only 12% of students answered this question correctly post-instruction the first time it was asked two years ago. After major effort, we are up to 70% but we find additional problems with ionizing. It appears that understanding ionization requires a mechanistic mental model of atoms as well as differentiating radiation from radioactivity.
      • Force Concept Inventory Interviews: Gender Bias and Guessing

      • PST2A30
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Wendy Adams
      • Type: Poster
      • We have been investigating the issue of gender bias in the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) for several years. In introductory physics courses at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) our female students have much lower pre-test scores (26%) than do their male counterparts (42%). This difference is not consistent with their performance in the physics courses they are taking. UNC accepts students with a wide range of ability, so a large fraction of the pre-test scores are lower than is seen in recent published research. Therefore our students represent the full range of possible pre-test scores. Early this year we turned to think-aloud student interviews on a subset of 19 of the 30 FCI questions. Preliminary results indicate that students who score 20% or lower on the FCI are not guessing; they have reasons for their answers. Furthermore, particular incorrect answers are selected for a variety of reasons.
      • How Do Physics Majors Assert their Physics Identity?

      • PST2A32
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Sissi Li
      • Type: Poster
      • Declaring and pursuing a major is an explicit choice to interact with and join a community. As a part of becoming physics majors, students develop a relationship with the academic and professional physics communities which is shaped by the way the individual makes sense of how to be a part of the physics community. This physics major identity development can be expressed in the ways students engage in their physics classes, the ways they think about physics, and the ways they do physics in their everyday lives. In this study, we examine the ways in which students behave and think "like physicists" as they begin to take upper-division courses in their major. Using classroom observations, individual semi-structured interviews, and written reflective journals, we present common and unusual ways in which students assert their physics identity and propose implications for identity development as physicists.
      • Implementing SCALE-UP in Physics at UNC-CH

      • PST2A34
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Duane Deardorff
      • Type: Poster
      • During the summer of 2010, the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill renovated one of the traditional physics lab rooms into a SCALE-UP (Student Centered Active Learning Environment for Upside-down Pedagogies) style classroom with the first section being taught that fall. This method of instruction provides an opportunity to integrate lecture, lab, and recitation activities in a cohesive way that strengthens and synchronizes aspects of the various components while allowing students to work in groups with hands-on activities in a studio environment. While this instructional methodology has already been implemented in over 100 other schools around the world (and proven to be effective in most cases), this was the first time at UNC-CH. Lessons learned from this experience will be shared.
      • Instructors' Use of Specific Design Features in Example Solutions  CANCELED

      • PST2A36
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Shih-Yin Lin
      • Type: Poster
      • In light of recommendations from the literature for modeling expert-like problem solving approaches, we investigated how instructors use example solutions in teaching introductory physics. Twenty-four graduate teaching assistants and 30 physics faculty were asked to discuss their preferences for different solution features they observed in three example solutions provided. Data analysis focused on understanding instructors' considerations when using example solutions and how these considerations were manifested through the solution features they valued and used. We found that while TAs consider helping students develop expert-like problem solving approaches when choosing example solution for their students, they do not notice many features described in the literature as supportive of this goal, and use even fewer of these features. Differences between the faculty and TAs will be discussed in order to describe possible progression of ideas throughout an instructor's professional career.
      • Interdisciplinary Understanding of Osmosis and Diffusion Among Undergraduate Science Students

      • PST2A38
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Craig Wiegert
      • Type: Poster
      • Our multi-disciplinary collaboration of University of Georgia scientists and educators has been designing test items to assess college-level science students' understanding of osmosis, diffusion, and filtration -- topics that incorporate physical, chemical, biological, and/or physiological knowledge. We present the exploratory data analysis of the first results of administering our assessment items in introductory physics, biology, and physiology courses. In light of the coming revisions to the MCAT, and the growing importance of introductory physics courses that are tailored to the life sciences, results such as ours may help to guide curriculum changes in these introductory courses.
      • Internet Coaches for Problem-Solving in Introductory Physics: Experimental Design

      • PST2A40
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Leon Hsu
      • Type: Poster
      • The Physics Education Group at the University of Minnesota has been constructing web-based programs that can provide introductory physics students with coaching in the use of an expert-like framework in solving problems. During the fall 2011 semester, the coaches were introduced into a large (200+ students) section of the introductory mechanics course at the University of Minnesota to assess their educational impact. We describe the design of this experiment, including the construction of comparison groups, student reactions to the computer programs, and lessons learned. A companion poster addresses the data analysis, including results obtained to date. This work was supported by NSF DUE-0715615.
      • Investigating Students' Understanding of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

      • PST2A42
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Rabindra Bajracharya
      • Type: Poster
      • The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC) is an extremely useful computational tool widely used for solving various physics problems. It is implicitly invoked in the evaluation of integral problems. Research in mathematics education has documented student difficulties with the underlying concepts of the FTC. We are investigating student difficulties with the FTC, and extending the work in mathematics to include relevant situations in physics. Questions administered as written surveys and individual interviews in calculus-based introductory physics and multivariable calculus classes focused on the determination of signs of integrals, primarily in graphical representations. Negative integrals in particular provided a rich context for FTC application. We find that students use the FTC as a computational tool without understanding the underlying concepts. One observed difficulty is an operational confusion between the function endpoints and the antiderivative endpoints when determining the integral signs.
      • Item Response Theory and Collaborative Filtering: Is Your Course Unidimensional?

      • PST2A44
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Yoav Bergner
      • Type: Poster
      • Online homework is a natural way to assess what students know, but the questions themselves may not always fit the bill. Items may be flawed, too hard or too easy, or they may measure abilities that are different from the intended ones. Item response models not only measure student abilities independently of which subset of questions they answer, but these models also detect flaws in the questions. We demonstrate how collaborative filtering (used by Netflix to predict which movies you might like) can be used to analyze student response data, motivating and extending a class of item response models. Analysis shows that chemistry homework assigned using LON-CAPA at MSU indicates two-dimensional skill and discrimination, whereas the Mechanics Baseline Test at MIT is unidimensional.
      • Knowledge Integration While Interacting with an Online Troubleshooting Activity: Methodology

      • PST2A46
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Menashe Puterkovski
      • Type: Poster
      • A troubleshooting activity was carried out by an e-tutor in two steps. First the student diagnoses a mistaken statement attributed to the virtual student "Danny", then the student compares his/her own diagnosis to an exemplary diagnosis provided by the e-tutor. These steps are based on three design principles: 1) Eliciting common misinterpretations. 2) Incorporating knowledge integration processes. 3) Inspiring a non-judgmental argumentative environment. These activities aim to provide students with ample opportunities to recognize, acknowledge and attempt to resolve conflicts between possible interpretations of scientific concepts and principles. This talk will focus on the design of the artifacts implemented in these activities (mistaken statements and exemplary diagnoses) and the methodology used to explore the following questions: To what extent do knowledge integration processes take place? How do students make use of the opportunities provided by the activity to negotiate and possibly elaborate alternative interpretations of physics concepts and principles?
      • Optics Concept Assessment

      • PST2A48
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Timothy Grove
      • Type: Poster
      • In order to assess student learning of optics, we have created an optics concept assessment exam. Optics is a broad sub-field of physics (wave model of light, ray model of light, mirrors, lenses, interference, etc.) and this exam was designed to assess a broad range of these basic tenets. Testing for common misconceptions while using plain, student language, we have probed to better understand student thinking. We will show our preliminary findings.
      • Pedagogical Motivations and Practices of New Faculty Following Participation in an Intensive Physics Education Focused Workshop

      • PST2A50
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Melissa Dancy
      • Type: Poster
      • In our previous work we interviewed faculty retrospectively about their decision-making regarding research-based reforms. In order to develop a more in-depth understanding we are currently following 15 physics faculty during the change process. We report on interviews of 15 physics faculty pre- and post-semester for the two semesters they taught an introductory course following their participation in the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop. All faculty interviewed were in their beginning years as an instructor and expressed a strong interest in integrating Physics Education Research in their teaching practice. In this poster we present an analysis of the research-based instructional practices these faculty implemented, including the ways in which they modified practices and the reasons behind their decisions to implement and modify.
      • Physics Pedagogy and Assessment in Secondary Schools: Demographics  CANCELED

      • PST2A52
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by David Haberkorn
      • Type: Poster
      • The growing importance of science education calls for a close analysis on the status of secondary school physics. This research aims to pinpoint key differences in high school physics teaching pedagogy as well as disparities in student populations based on several factors. Often pedagogies are presented in a blanket format for all types of students. By analyzing this project's survey data of physics student populations, more efficient and appropriate allocations of pedagogies become apparent. This research also focuses on which groups of teachers utilize various styles of presenting physics. The goals of this research are to correlate demographic information with pedagogy to develop recommendations. Identifying the characteristics of each population in this survey allows for recommendations for physics teachers to be constructed with confidence. Please see talk by Dr. Gordon P. Ramsey for overview of project and poster by Melissa M. Nemeth for results and recommendations.
      • Physics Teaching Assistants' Beliefs and Practices: Applying a Framework

      • PST2A54
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Benjamin Spike
      • Type: Poster
      • Increasing attention is being paid to the role of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in supporting research-based instructional environments. We build upon a broad foundation of research in the nature of teacher knowledge to develop an analytic framework for how TAs talk about and enact their roles as teachers. In a previous work,[1] we began to outline a framework for TA pedagogical knowledge and highlighted examples of emergent differences between TAs along one particular dimension, Agency. In this paper, we extend this framework to include additional dimensions of goals and assessment in order to provide a more complete description of the pedagogical knowledge TAs draw upon when talking about and engaging in teaching practices. Using examples drawn from several semesters of TA interviews and classroom videotape, we then show the utility of this framework and describe instances of coordination and incoordination between TA beliefs and practices.
      • Preliminary Investigations of Physical Science Teacher Content Knowledge and PCK*

      • PST2A56
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Daniel Laverty
      • Type: Poster
      • There is ongoing discussion of the extent to which specific strands of teacher professional development influence student learning. We describe research efforts exploring the roles of teacher content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, particularly teacher knowledge of student ideas (KSI), in the context of the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership (MainePSP). The primary focus of the MainePSP is the professional development of physical science instructors in grades 6-9 via curriculum renewal using common instructional resources across multiple school districts. This particular study looks to assess teacher content knowledge and KSI in order to explore their respective effects on student learning in specific contexts, including density and mechanics. We will describe our methods, present preliminary results, and outline recommendations for further investigation.
      • Proportional Reasoning Competence Among Different Student Populations

      • PST2A58
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by King Wong
      • Type: Poster
      • A collaborative project between Western Washington University, Rutgers University, and New Mexico State University seeks to understand students' competence level on proportional reasoning. We have been collecting and analyzing data from introductory physics and science education courses using a set of assessment tasks. We utilize the notion of constructs to categorize student thinking according to repetitive patterns. Results suggest that, when students confront ratio and proportion problems, they often experience a gap between the mechanics of the mathematical operations and the conscious understanding of what they are doing. In this poster we will share results of our findings from different courses, institutions, and student populations. Supported by NSF grants DUE-1045227, DUE-1045231, DUE-1045250.
      • Research on Students' Reasoning About Interdisciplinarity*

      • PST2A60
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Benjamin Geller
      • Type: Poster
      • We present qualitative data of undergraduates describing the relationship between scientific disciplines. Rather than viewing biology, chemistry, and physics as existing in disconnected silos, these students often describe the relationships in a hierarchical or horizontal fashion. The hierarchical arrangements order the disciplines by degree of system complexity, or by the scale used to examine a particular system. For example, a student might view the full description of folded proteins at the top (biology), chemical reactions involving proteins' functions as chemistry, and motion of the protein's individual atoms as foundational (physics). Other students describe a horizontal view of disciplinary boundaries, without a foundational bottom but maintaining overlapping realms of interest. Others want physics embedded in a context that positions its relationship to biology via analogy. We examine evidence that students' conceptions are unstable and context-dependent, and suspect that these conceptions are related to course messaging in a bidirectional manner.
      • Student Generated Content for Learning

      • PST2A62
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Ross Galloway
      • Type: Poster
      • We report on an extensive, multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary project to evaluate student learning as a result of student engagement with content creation: specifically, the generation of course questions. The project involves the deployment of the PeerWise online system with undergraduate physics, chemistry, and biology students at multiple undergraduate levels at a number of universities. We find high levels of student engagement with the system, coupled with generally high-quality student contributions. We present evidence that suggests that meaningful participation in content generation tasks enhances student learning, as measured by typical course assessments. We find similar effects at multiple levels and across disciplines and institutions; beneficial aspects are also found for students with a range of abilities within the classes, suggesting that our mode of implementation has wide applicability. We highlight cognitive scaffolding tasks that we believe promote effective student engagement with the activity.
      • Students' Individual Performance After Group Interaction

      • PST2A64
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Bijaya Aryal
      • Type: Poster
      • Prior studies report the enhancement of students' task performance in group settings. Nonetheless, it is important for students to complete tasks in individual settings at some points of learning experiences as individual decision making is essential in everyday and professional lives. This study examined the effect of ordering group and individual exercise on students' subsequent individual problem-solving performance. Series of individual and group assignments having similar underlying physics principles were designed and implemented for two semesters of a physics course. The first two assignments of each series were used to help consolidating students' prior learning and the third assignment was used to examine their transfer of learning. This presentation describes some of the findings from last two semesters regarding the students' performances in learning consolidation phase. In addition, it reports the effects of ordering group and individual activities on students' subsequent individual transfer of learning.
      • Student-Teacher Interactions for Bringing Out Student Ideas Aabout Energy*

      • PST2A66
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Benedikt Harrer
      • Type: Poster
      • Modern middle school science curricula use group activities to help students express their thinking and enable them to work together like scientists. We are studying rural eighth-grade science classrooms using materials on energy. Even after spending several months with the same curriculum on other physics topics, students' engagement in group activities seems to be restricted to creating lists of words that are associated with energy. Though research suggests that children have rich and potentially valuable ideas about energy, our students don't seem to spontaneously use and express their ideas in the classroom. Only within or after certain interactions with a teacher do students begin to explore and share these ideas. We present and characterize examples of student-teacher interactions resulting in students' deeper engagement with their ideas about energy. This preliminary analysis of video-recorded classroom dialog is a step toward helping teachers improve their students' learning about energy.
      • Teaching Assistant Perceptions of Uncivil Student Classroom Behavior

      • PST2A68
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Jennifer Blue
      • Type: Poster
      • In this study, we ask graduate student teaching assistants to respond to alist of uncivil undergraduate student behaviors. Some examples of these are texting during class, doing work for other classes, and packing up books before the class is over. Our survey lists several of these behaviors and asks for participants to indicate how bothered they are by each behavior. Undergraduate student and faculty perceptions of uncivil behavior have already been studied, but this is the first study of its kind to survey graduate students, who are in the unique position of being both students and instructors. Findings from this study can be used in teaching assistant development and support.
      • The Effects of ICT and Cooperative Learning in Thermodynamics

      • PST2A70
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by David Méndez
      • Type: Poster
      • This teaching research has the objective to show a comparison between traditional methodology, ICT and cooperative learning with 14-year-old students in thermodynamics. This study was motivated by the failure of students at these ages. We had 93 students divided in three homogenous groups: one group follows traditional methodology, another cooperative learning, and the third ICT. The teacher explained concepts of density, pressure, volume, temperature, and heat. We investigated alternative conceptions, verified the homogeneity of the groups, measured motivational change generated by these methodologies and the learning of theory, exercises and problems at the end of the explanations. The results brought us to the conclusion that traditional teaching did not motivate and can even demotivate, ICT and cooperative learning caused a positive motivational change in the attitude of students toward thermodynamics; the results of cooperative learning were the best, followed by the results of the ICT students. Traditional methodology results came in the third.
      • Using a Roller Coaster to Teach Physics: A PBL Implementation*

      • PST2A72
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Aaron Adair
      • Type: Poster
      • Project-based learning (PBL) methods are effective means of instruction, but they are not yet widely used in physics teaching, let alone taking into account the results of PER. Here we present a curriculum that uses the construction of a roller coaster to teach students the concepts of centripetal force, potential energy, linear and rotational kinetic energy, as well as considerations of energy loss through friction. Lab sessions are designed to have students encounter concepts students are likely to be mistake about. We provide two versions of this sort of instruction: a more guided lab curriculum, and a more open lab curriculum. Not only can these versions of PBL labs be useful for interested instructors, but they can be instrumental in helping teachers develop their own PBL curricula.
      • Using Eye-Trackers to Study Student Attention During Physical Science Lectures

      • PST2A74
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by David Rosengrant
      • Type: Poster
      • This study investigates the gaze patterns of pre-service elementary education students in their physical science lecture. Our goal is to better understand the relationships between gaze patterns and student attention during class. If we better understand what keeps our students' attention or what distracts them, then we can have increased attention which increases what they learn. To accomplish this task, we used a portable eye-tracker: Tobii Glasses. These glasses eliminate the need for subjects to focus on a computer screen or carry around a backpack-sized recording device. We are able to record what a person sees, what they say or hear, and most importantly where they are looking. This investigation includes when, for how long,and what students focus on in the classroom (i.e. demonstrations, instructor, notes, board work, and presentations) during a normal lecture. The results are the initial data analysis of a year-long study over two separate semesters.
      • Validating a Short Hydrostatics Assessment

      • PST2A76
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Ying Chen
      • Type: Poster
      • As part of a large investigation into when students learn and forget introductory physics topics, we are developing a short survey on hydrostatics. The survey focuses on students' understanding of Archimedes' principle and Pascal's law. In this poster, we report on early validation interviews with introductory calculus-based physics students using a think-aloud protocol, and the modifications to the survey items which result.
  • Physics for All - Posters

      • Optics for Artists, Photographers, Film Makers and Others

      • PST1D01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Scott Bonham
      • Type: Poster
      • The Light, Color and Vision course at Western Kentucky University attractsmany non-scientists seeking to fulfill their science requirement, many of whom have strong interest in visual phenomena with art, photojournalism, and broadcasting majors strongly represented. To connect, challenge, and make the course relevant to this audience, I have developed a hands-on, studio curriculum that reduces use of mathematical calculation in favor of ray and spectral diagrams. Each unit incorporates a relevant artistic focus, such as works by George Seurat to illustrate principles of color and perception, and an important scientist, including Ahazan, Newton and Einstein, to build a historical storyline of the development of scientific ideas about light, color and vision. Assessments include photographing phenomena and ray diagrams of real-life situations, as well as quizzes and exams. This curriculum helps keep students engaged throughout the semester and connect physics to things they are interested in.
      • Princeton Science and Engineering Education Initiative

      • PST1D03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Carolyn Sealfon
      • Type: Poster
      • The Science and Engineering Education Initiative at Princeton University aims to inspire and prepare all undergraduates, irrespective of their majors, to become scientifically and technologically literate citizens and decision-makers. Launched by the faculty on the Council on Science and Technology in September 2011, the initiative involves revising and creating science and engineering courses that emphasize the role of science in society. We have begun by defining student-centered learning goals and surveying students' attitudes toward science and engineering. Course by course, we are also gradually applying research-based teaching methods to better align course activities with learning goals, assessing learning gains, and creating a repository of successful methods and courses.
      • Teaching The Physics of Music with an Activities-based Curriculum

      • PST1D05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Deva O'Neil
      • Type: Poster
      • By centering a course around the theme of sound and music, physics becomesfun and relevant for non-science majors. Students are introduced to the physics of sound waves, including the decibel scale, interference, and the mathematical representation of waves. The bulk of the course is devoted to the physics of music: resonance, intervals, properties of musical notes (pitch, volume, timbre), scales and temperaments, and the design of musical instruments. The Physics of Music lends itself well to experiential learning. In this presentation, various activities that have been implemented successfully at Bridgewater College will be described, including: using an oscilloscope hooked up to a piano keyboard to analyze waveforms of chords and intervals, playing and singing different notes into a microphone to study timbre, using resonance tubes to study the physics of wind instruments, measuring the beat frequency produced by tuning forks, making a "straw oboe," and much more.
      • Getting Students to Think Like a Geek

      • PST1D07
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Hillary Stephens
      • Type: Poster
      • As educators a common goal is to have students apply what they have learned beyond the walls of the classroom. However, the connection between class work and real life can evade many students. This poster presents ways to take students beyond the classroom using media from their everyday lives. Students are asked to critically think about physics concepts as they might encounter them outside of contrived classroom problems by analyzing television shows, cereal boxes, children's books, t-shirts and other media that portray physical phenomena in both accurate and inaccurate ways. Similar to "What if Anything is Wrong?" tasks inspired by physics education research, students discuss the good, the bad and ways to improve.
      • Cultural Shock of Teaching Physics in America  CANCELED

      • PST1D09
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Elena Gregg
      • Type: Poster
      • Differences in physics education in Russia and the U.S. were identified and discussed. Challenges experienced by students in each country were compared. Road of adjusting to a new teaching environment and new student's type was described. Long- term advantage of student's exposure to diverse teaching methods was established.
      • Poetry Writing in General Physics Courses

      • PST1D02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by William Schmidt
      • Type: Poster
      • Physics and poetry are two of the great human intellectual endeavors --each producing deep insights on self-created models of the universe. Poetry writing can be incorporated into general physics courses to provide a creative challenge to students who often perceive physics as being unrelated to the real world. Students write poems in a specific context of physics to help them develop a personalized window on the world. The poetry provides lively classroom discussion and a light-hearted approach to what is often seen as a purely logical subject. Teachers get insight into the minds of students from a broader and more personal perspective than problem solving. The assignments and the merits of poetry will be discussed. Some examples of student poetry will be shared.
      • Teaching Quantum Physics: There Are No Particles, Only Fields

      • PST1D04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Art Hobson
      • Type: Poster
      • A strong case for a pure fields view of reality has developed since 1970, especially since the standard model's confirmation. Electrons, photons, etc. are field quanta, yet we teach students that they are particles, leading to confusion and inconsistency. A textbook survey confirms this conclusion. The history of classical and quantum fields confirms that "the basic ingredients of nature are fields; particles are derivative phenomena" (Steven Weinberg). Thus the Schroedinger equation is the non-relativistic field equation for a real physical matter field (the electron-positron field). Individual electrons and photons really do come through both slits. An electron is its "wave function" (field). Testifying to the reality of fields are the Lamb shift, Casimir effect, Unruh effect, the recently discovered non-locality of single quanta, the inconsistency of relativity with quantum point particles, and more. These ideas can be taught at any level, from conceptual through post-graduate. A preprint will be available.
      • Global Energy Resources: A General Education Course

      • PST1D06
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Ernest Behringer
      • Type: Poster
      • Global Energy Resources is a course that fulfills a general education requirement in the area of global awareness. Initially co-taught by three instructors during fall 2010, it was taught by a single instructor during Fall 2011. Students were introduced to the distribution and use of global energy resources, and to energy concepts and technologies. Students were asked to complete homework assignments, in-class activities, a group project, and to generate a video presentation. The group project included an oral presentation and written report describing a plan to manage the energy resources of a foreign nation from the present time through 2030. A detailed description of the course will be given, along with a summary of successes and challenges, and plans for the future.
      • "The Core" Illustration of Poor Physics for Non-Science Majors

      • PST1D08
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Steven Sweeney
      • Type: Poster
      • The major concepts of physics, such as forces, gravity, and conservation of energy, are some of the most fundamental ideas we hold about the universe. For non-science majors, much of their exposure to these concepts comes through popular movies and television shows. One in particular, "The Core", does such a poor job of following basic physics that I have used it as a capstone-type event in a conceptual physics course for non-science majors at King's College, a liberal arts institution. The semester-long course introduces the major concepts of introductory physics with non-examples from many popular movies, and it finishes with a multi-page analysis by students of "The Core." This provides them both a chance to draw together the concepts learned over the semester and to use those concepts to analyze events and statements in the movie as practice for things they encounter in the media after college.
  • Post Deadline Posters

      • Increased Half-life of Pions in Motion

      • PST1H16
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Bharat Chaudhary
      • Type: Poster
      • Pions are radioactive charged particles. The half-life of pions in motion is longer than for pions at rest. This activity is explained on the basis of time dilation of special relativity. But, I have different ideas. They constitute a beam of parallel currents when in motion. This current has two effects. One, as is well known, parallel currents attract each other. This attraction between the charged pions binds them together. This reduces the force causing their radioactive decay. Thus, increasing their half-life. The other reason is Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction which opposes any change. As the pions in motion, tend to decay, the current tends to reduce. Faraday's law tends to maintain the original value of current by preventing their decay, thus increasing their half-life. Both reasons collectively increase the half-life of pions in motion. Source- Introduction to special relativity by Robert Resnick p-75.
      • Biofuels: Production and Quantification Methods for Undergraduate Laboratories

      • PST2D01
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Kevin Clark
      • Type: Poster
      • Ethanol and biodiesel are alternative energy sources currently being explored as viable substitutes for petroleum fuels. Novel ethanol production methods involving modification of gene expression to alter metabolism of Escherichia coli have been developed and are a major focus of this research. Potential for undergraduate laboratory exercises based on the analysis of E. coli fermentation products for ethanol content have been investigated. An outline of GC-FID determination of ethanol concentrations in E. coli fermentation products is presented. Biodiesel is an alternative energy source composed of long-chain fatty acid esters produced by the transesterification of methanol or ethanol and triacylglycerides found in plant oils. Production and quantification of fatty acid esters is the second major focus of this research, specifically those produced from ethanol. Development of a two-dimensional gas chromatography system (GCxGC) capable of performing complex separations involving fuel blends was initiated. A laboratory method utilizing GCxGC is outlined.
      • Wind Turbine and Geothermal Lab Development

      • PST2D03
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Amy Audette*
      • Type: Poster
      • As part of an NSF grant, new lab experiences are being developed in a variety of areas, including wind and geothermal energy. A MET station was installed in order to provide students with wind speed and direction data to use to assess the potential for energy production. A 2.0 kW Skystream turbine was installed on the edge of the Gustavus campus which will enable students to get some experience working with a small turbine. In order to test the effectiveness of ground source geothermal, an experimental loop was installed under Gustavus' new West Mall. The temperature at various distances from the loop is measured to allow students to determine how well the ground acts as a reservoir. In addition, a "sprinkler system" was installed to allow the water content of the ground near the loop to be altered so that students can explore its effect.
      • Inspiring Black Women Physicists

      • PST2D05
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Katemari Rosa
      • Type: Poster
      • The underrepresentation of women in STEM fields is a well-known issue. However, there is a particular group, namely Black women, that are even more underrepresented and often times have their struggles neglected. Black women in STEM fields experience what is called a double subordination because they face the hurdles women in science experience in addition to the challenges Black people face. This study will focus on Black women in physics, one of the fields with the smallest women representation. As part of a larger biographical study, this poster will address what do women physicists of African descent identify as obstacles and opportunities in their career paths. Analyzing the narrative of a successful Black woman physicists, within a critical race theory framework, we will discuss the strategies that she used to overcome these obstacles and what supported these opportunities.
      • A Mechanical Analog of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

      • PST2D07
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Mark Masters
      • Type: Poster
      • In our modern physics laboratory sequence, we use "Tracks" in which the students perform a series of related investigations that build on each other. Typically a track has at least one investigation that is a mechanical analog of a modern physics investigation. One of those tracks is Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The apparatus in this investigation is typically a black box system in which it is difficult to visualize what is physically happening. Using a spherical Neodymium magnet in an air-bearing and two sets of Helmholtz coils to provide guide and excitation fields we are able to mechanically simulate NMR.
      • Tutorials in Lab: Building on the Book

      • PST2D09
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by John Zwart
      • Type: Poster
      • Tutorials in Introductory Physics (1) provides excellent exercises to helpstudents develop their conceptual understanding of physics. We have begun to incorporate tutorials in a lab setting, building on a tutorial exercise using related lab activities in order to deepen student insights. Two examples of the lab activities are presented: an expansion of the ?Models for Circuits? tutorials adding batteries in series and parallel while measuring voltages, and a hands-on implementation of the ?Pressure in a Liquid? tutorial where pressure as a function of water depth is measured followed by an exercise in measuring pressure at various locations in a stoppered U shaped tube.
      • Reforming teacher professional development in preparation for the Next Generation Science Standards

      • PST2D11
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Jennifer Docktor
      • Type: Poster
      • Physical science is frequently identified as an area of weakness for elementary and middle school teachers. We will discuss the design of professional development workshops which integrate the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the draft Next Generation Science Standards into activities, specifically for the topics of Matter, Force and Motion, and Energy. Materials were developed as part of a project funded by a U.S. Department of Education Math Science Partnerships Program grant through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
      • The unique instructor model at the United States Coast Guard Academy  CANCELED

      • PST2D13
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Eric Page
      • Type: Poster
      • The United States Coast Guard Academy is one of the smallest of the five federal service academies. In order to facilitate the mission of preparing Leaders of Character for the Coast Guard, the Academy uses a unique three-tiered instructor model with rotating military faculty, permanent military faculty and permanent civilian faculty. Although all permanent military and civilian faculty have Ph.D.s, the rotating military faculty, who are generally on a three to four year military rotation, arrive at the Academy having just finished a Master?s degree and often with no teaching experience prior to their appointment. This poster will describe the details of the instructor setup and difficulties we have encountered in physics. In addition, we will describe future plans to adapt a Learning Assistant-type program to assist in preparing new military faculty to be effective instructors and the possible connection to adjunct preparation at civilian schools.
      • Assessing student learning of error propagation in the undergraduate lab

      • PST2D14
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Brent Barker
      • Type: Poster
      • A pre- and post- survey was conducted during an introductory calculus-based physics course to test students' basic skills in error-propagation. Additionally, students participated in a "think-pair-share" activity during the course. Overall, based on the surveys, students improved, especially in the case where they did not have any misconceptions initially. Qualitative assessment of the think-pair-share activity contrasts with the results of the post-survey.
      • Why The Third Semester Should Be Waves

      • PST2D17
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by David Kaplan
      • Type: Poster
      • A cause of the relatively high attrition rate of intermediate-level undergraduate physics majors is lack of preparation from already overflowing introductory courses. Even in basic Modern Physics courses, students are expected, perhaps with rapid piecemeal ?coverage,? to understand and use concepts of wave superposition, completeness, Fourier Bandwidth theorems, Fourier transforms and more. Exacerbating the problem is the implicit demand on students to mentally distinguish the new mathematics from the new and novel physics they are learning. Not surprisingly, often the result is reversion to memorization without understanding and frustration. The author describes how a dedicated third-semester course that carefully acclimates the student to how to approximate, properties of waves, wave equations, mode expansions, etc., in a comfortable classical setting, and which provides needed intuition on Fourier methods, can significantly help lessen this problem without sacrificing efficiency in the overall program. He also discusses what such a course should include.
      • Earthquake Physics: Understanding Earthquake Interaction by Listening to Seismic Data

      • PST2D19
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Chastity Aiken
      • Type: Poster
      • One earthquake can influence subsequent earthquakes. To demonstrate such earthquake interactions, seismologists have used in the past ?snapshot? static images of seismograms. Although static images can, by themselves, convey basic information about the spatial distribution of earthquakes, adding auditory information could help to provide additional details on the temporal evolution of the earthquake sequences. Recently, we have used standard tools like MATLAB and Quick Time Pro to produce animations with time-compressed sounds to demonstrate both immediate aftershocks and remotely triggered tremors related to the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki, Japan, earthquake. Here we show our development in this direction that includes multiple parameters of earthquakes and seismic waves to present the physical concepts of earthquake triggering.
      • Comparison of Two Methods for Characterizing Quantum Dot Size

      • PST2D02
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Joseph Kozminski
      • Type: Poster
      • The size-dependent properties of semiconducting quantum dots (QDs) make them ideal candidates for tunable absorbers/emitters in a wide range of applications. In the Advanced Lab setting, the size of QDs is typically approximated using the Effective Mass Approximation (EMA) model to relate the absorbance wavelength to the bandgap separation of the semiconducting nanoparticle. While the EMA model has proven effective in approximating QD size, it does not provide information about the overall hydrodynamic radius of the QDs, which is highly dependent on the capping agents used to stabilize the particles. Longer chain or bulkier capping agents increase the hydrodynamic radius of the QDs. This work employs Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) to characterize the hydrodynamic radius of QDs prepared in aqueous solution with various capping agents and reveals the complimentary nature of EMA and light scattering methods to provide a detailed picture of the QD's structure.
      • Using Smart Podium in Physics Lectures  CANCELED

      • PST2D04
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Pengfei Li
      • Type: Poster
      • At Savannah State University (SSU), a Historical Black College and University (HBCU), a smart podium system was used in an algebra-based physics introductory course during lectures. Various student-instructor interactions were implemented by using the smart podium. A survey was conducted to show the students' evaluation of using the smart podium in lectures. We also compared the students' performances between class who used the smart podium and class who did not.
      • Employing Joule-like Experiments in teaching the concept of Energy

      • PST2D08
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Yaron Lehavi
      • Type: Poster
      • Joule's famous series of experiments are claimed to demonstrate the equivalence between what he called heat and other phenomena: chemical, electrical, electro-magnetic, hydro-dynamical and mechanical. However, despite the latter's special historical and conceptual importance (Arons, 1999; Sichau, 2000), it was excluded from the curricula, symbolizing degradation in the status of energy conservation in physics education (Robinault, 1998). We developed a low-cost device for measuring energy change via temperature measurement, in such processes as change in velocity, height and shape. The results of the measurements enabled us to arrive empirically to the formulae which relates energy change (e.g. change in kinetic energy or gravitational potential energy) to the change in the characterizing parameters of each process (e.g. speed or height). The implications of such experiments for teaching the concept of energy will be discussed.
      • Eye-gaze patterns while interpreting kinematics graphs

      • PST2D10
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Jennifer Docktor
      • Type: Poster
      • Proficient problem solvers are able to interpret and use multiple representations of information (e.g. text, equations, pictures, diagrams, and graphs). In this study, introductory physics students viewed several kinematics graphs on a computer screen and were asked to select a numbered region of the graph corresponding to a text description of motion. We present an analysis of subjects? performance on the items and eye-gaze fixation patterns recorded using an eye tracker.
      • Teaching Physics through NASA Satellite Imagery

      • PST2D12
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Susan Kelly
      • Type: Poster
      • A wide variety of NASA remote-sensed images are freely available online. These images can be used as a platform to present a variety of secondary-level physics topics. Analysis of satellite images through open source software provides opportunities for student to calculate velocity of hurricanes and melting rate of polar ice. NASA Landsat images invite opportunities for students to practice unit conversions and analyze the characteristics associated with different wavelengths. Samples of classroom-tested activities and corresponding online resources will be presented.
      • Visual Thinking in a First Calculus-based Physics Sequence

      • PST2D15
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Norma Chase
      • Type: Poster
      • It is essential that students learn to relate verbal and mathematical descriptions of physics concepts and principles to happenings in the world -- sequences of events that they can "see in their mind's eye." However, many students have little or no experience with "visual thinking." The author has sought to make physics accessible for all students by developing and using a large collection of instructive simulations and videos as lecture demonstrations and homework assignments. For students who have not internalized a vocabulary of visual images, videos play the role of welcoming "foreign film subtitles." For those possessed of rich visual imaginations, and substantial physics backgrounds, several videos provide invitations to delve still deeper. In this poster presentation, the author will display (screen prints of) selected videos, discuss the use of "video analogies" to facilitate problem solving, and also suggest some ways to guide students around specific roadblocks in "spatial processing".
      • From Rube Goldberg to Reuben's Tube: Science Alive in Videos

      • PST2D18
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Kenneth DeNisco
      • Type: Poster
      • For this poster presentation, a number of YouTube video clips will be shown on the iPad, along with a display of screen shots and accompanying PowerPoint slides for classroom use. Two Rube Goldberg videos are particularly useful for demonstrating multiple physic principles, including kinematics -- The Cog" by Honda (1), and "This Too Shall Pass" by the band OKGo (2). The Ruben's Tube video (3) is excellent for helping students to visualize standing wave patterns through the use of propane flames. Since the actual device is somewhat dangerous and difficult to build, a video clip provides an easy classroom substitute.
      • Managing Large Scale Introductory Labs

      • PST2D20
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Larry Bortner
      • Type: Poster
      • Problems arise as the number of sections of a lab course increase. These include the large variability of grading styles among instructors and the constant or dwindling population of instructors to teach more and more classes. Traditional assessments of quizzes and lab reports are used in the physics labs taught at the University of Cincinnati. A nontraditional assessment, techniques used to promote fair and balanced grading, and various methods used to decrease instructor workload will be presented.
  • Pre-college/Informal and Outreach

      • AAPT's PhysicsBowl - A Contest for High Schools

      • PST1E01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Michael Faleski
      • Type: Poster
      • The PhysicsBowl is an annual contest for high school students. The contestitself is 40 multiple-choice questions in length to be answered in no more than 45 minutes In 2012, there were more than 5000 students participating from approximately 260 schools across the world. In the past few years, schools have competed from the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Italy. Prizes are awarded to both the students and schools for high performers. This poster is to give high school teachers more information about the contest.
      • Early Testing of Head-Mounted Display for Deaf Education

      • PST1E03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Holly Mumford
      • Type: Poster
      • In an educational environment deaf children must split their attention between a signer and any form of visual learning being presented. This is a particular problem in a planetarium where the need for a dark room conflicts with the need for a signer. We are working to remove this logistical barrier in the science education of deaf children, with the use of a head-mounted display. Plans call for this devise to display a streaming video or a pre-recorded "sound-track" that will allow the student to see the signer regardless of where they are looking. We have begun testing of the prototype and will present some early results from both hearing and deaf children.
      • Piloting a Fiber Optics and Electronic Theory Curriculum with High School Students

      • PST1E05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Pamela Gilchrist
      • Type: Poster
      • Previous high school student participants from a multi-year blended learning intervention focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content knowledge, technical, college, and career preparatory skills, were recruited to pilot a new module designed by the project staff. Participant activities included constructing a fiber optics communication system, troubleshooting breadboard circuits and diagrammed circuits as well as hypothesis testing to discover various aspects of fiber optic cables. Participants documented their activities, wrote reflections on the content and learning endeavor, and gave talks about their research experiences to staff, peers, and relatives during the last session. Overall, it was found that a significant gain in content knowledge occurred between the time of pre- (Mean=0.54) and post-testing time points for the fiber optics portion of the curriculum via the use of a paired samples t-test (Mean=0.71), t=-2.72, p<.05. The program design, findings, and lessons learned will be reported in this poster.
      • The International Young Physicists Tournament for High School Students -- 2012

      • PST1E07
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Donald Franklin
      • Type: Poster
      • The International Young Physicists Tournament is a contest for high schoolstudents from around the world. A team of five students develops solutions for the 17 questions that are proposed each year. At the contest they take turns in presenting, challenging other teams, and reviewing two teams in what is called a "Physics Fight." After five preliminary rounds, the top three teams as determined by the jurors will enter the final to determine the winner. The United States has sent teams to the 1999, 2001, 2004 to 2007 contests. Are we ready to develop a team for next year?
      • Building the Discovery Garden -- A Garden of Science Ideas

      • PST1E02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Anne Tabor-Morris
      • Type: Poster
      • The Discovery Garden,[1] located on the campus of Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ, was envisioned to provide a serene setting to contemplate science (via nature and art) and to provide a hands-on experience of scientific principles for all ages, from elementary-level to college-level students, as well as campus visitors. The garden is a place of serenity, contemplation, and relaxation where students can leisurely explore and experience science as a joyful encounter with nature, a pleasurable endeavor of discovery, in a venue designed to inspire guests to see self as a part of this wondrous universe. This poster will show photos of the garden and its learning modules, as well as the mechanics and pricing of building such a garden.
      • Middle School Students Exploring Fiber Optics!

      • PST1E04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Pamela Gilchrist
      • Type: Poster
      • Imhotep Academy is a pre-college science and technology program for underrepresented minority students in grades 6-8. The program uses thematic-based instruction and team-teaching approaches to introduce students to physics, chemistry, marine, earth and atmospheric science and mathematics. Come and learn about strategies used to develop students' awareness of fiber optics technology and applications through hands-on investigations of light, project-based activities that enhance students' technical skills, and field trips that connect students to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professionals using these technologies in innovative ways. Summative data will also be shared to document the impact of the learning intervention on student science attitudes and aspirations.
      • Ropes Course Physics

      • PST1E06
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Elizabeth Holden
      • Type: Poster
      • To counter the still-significant gender gap in physics and engineering fields, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville runs a multi-year outreach program for girls in grades 7-12. Girls stay at the university for one weekend per year and participate in a variety of activities intended to both introduce them to some engineering and physics and to generate excitement and interest about the topics. As part of the weekend's curriculum, I have developed a program to teach a variety of physical concepts through the use of a ropes course. The students take data as they ride the Giant Swing and climb the rope ladders, using the Vernier Wireless Data Sensor System and a digital video camera. Afterwards we meet to discuss energy conservation, periodic motion, and other concepts through the analysis of their experiences on the ropes course and the data they took. My poster will discuss the implementation of the program, its results, and how to modify it for use in a variety of physics outreach and classroom situations.
  • Reforming the Introductory Physics Course for Life Science Majors VII

      • Entropy in Biophysics, Biology, and Research

      • FD05
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Mark Reeves
      • Type: Poster
      • Diffusion and entropy are very important for understanding biophysical processes at the cellular level, but students have and maintain very strong misconceptions about these two topics. We have developed a first-semester IPLS course, in which roughly 1/3 of the class time is dedicated to teaching statistical physics, and the students are exposed to biology in a physics context. Students are introduced to statistics by considering simple coins flips. We move on from these to large numbers of coins and flips per coin and thereby to a meaningful physical model by connecting to Java-based simulations of the random walk problem. Hands-on exercises take this further by having the students directly observe entropically driven aggregation, Brownian motion, and stochastic and deterministic motion in cells. The material that we teach in the IPLS course is followed up in their introductory cellular biology course where the physics is retaught in a biological context.
      • Are Hybrid Physics Courses as Effective as Traditional Courses?

      • FD06
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Carl Schmiedekamp
      • Type: Poster
      • An introductory, first semester, algebra-based, physics course was presented to two course sections during the same semester. This course is taken primarily by life-science majors at the university. One section was taught face-to-face. The hybrid section met half as often and utilized only face-to-face problem sessions and laboratory exercises. Students in both sections were given the same evaluations, including common exams, homework and laboratory exercises. The influence of course structure on student learning results is compared.
      • Research on Students' Interdisciplinary Reasoning About ATP*

      • FD07
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Benjamin Dreyfus
      • Type: Poster
      • Students' sometimes contradictory ideas about ATP (adenosine triphosphate)and the nature of chemical bonds have been studied in the biology and chemistry education literature, but these topics are rarely part of the introductory physics curriculum. We present qualitative data from an introductory physics course for undergraduate biology majors that seeks to build greater interdisciplinary coherence and therefore includes these topics. In these data, students grapple with the apparent contradiction between the energy released when the phosphate bond in ATP is broken and the idea that an energy input is required to break a bond. We see that students' perceptions of how each scientific discipline bounds the system of interest can influence how they justify their reasoning about a topic that crosses disciplines. Building interdisciplinary coherence requires attending to these interdisciplinary issues, as part of both curriculum design and education research.
      • Influence of Different Instructional Methods on Student's Performance  CANCELED

      • FD08
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Elena Gregg
      • Type: Poster
      • The influence of different instructional methods (peer evaluation, interactive discussions, and motivation) on student learning was discussed. Several groups of pre-med biology major undergraduates were exposed to different instructional methods to evaluate their efficiency. Before and after instructions tests were administered to compare actual learning. Different assessment methods were applied and their efficiency was analyzed. Correlation between knowledge and grades was performed. Most common challenges experienced by students including minorities were listed and the ways to overcome them were suggested.
      • Introductory Physics Course for Life Science Students

      • FD09
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Phil Lockett
      • Type: Poster
      • I have developed a one-semester algebra-based introductory physics course for life science students. The course assumes students have completed a one-semester physics course covering the basic concepts of mechanics. My primary goal in the class is to relate everything I teach to the life sciences. I also emphasize important physical models such as the simple harmonic oscillator and random walk. The class focuses on oscillations, waves, sound, fluids, thermal physics, optics and the interaction of radiation with matter. The lab is an integral part of the course and includes experiments that expose students to Fourier analysis, ultrasound propagation in solids, nuclear decay and attenuation, and x-rays. The choice of topics was guided by the BIO 2010 and AAMC-HHMI reports on improving the education of life science students.
      • Investigating Student Understanding of Viscosity Using a Resource Framework

      • FD10
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Dan Young
      • Type: Poster
      • For introductory life science students, fluid dynamics is a topic that is important, relevant to biology, and yet difficult to understand conceptually. Our study focuses on probing understanding of pressure differentials and friction which underpin ideas of viscosity and fluid flow. Data was collected from think-aloud/demonstration interviews. The data was analyzed using the resource framework to look for productive student reasoning such as a microscopic viewpoint and gradient driven flow. Knowledge of these resources will guide development of instructional materials.
      • IPLS Student Reasoning about the Mathematical Description of Oscillations

      • FD11
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Dawn Meredith
      • Type: Poster
      • Many students in the introductory physics course for life science studentshave difficulty making sense of trigonometric functions in a physics context. In particular, data shows that the role of the 2*pi/T in the argument is not understood. We investigated several approaches to bridge from commonly held previous knowledge to the target concept, and found that several approaches did not work. However, the idea of 2*pi/T as a pseudo conversion factor was productive for many students.
      • Student Conceptions of Fluid Dynamics

      • FD12
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by James Vesenka
      • Type: Poster
      • Bernoulli's principle (BP) is a confounding concept for students partiallybecause of the counterintuitive relationship between speed and pressure. When applied correctly BE is quite useful in helping to quantify a variety of important and common biological phenomena. Complicating matters are the many phenomena erroneously attributed to BP on the web, some of which are assimilated into instruction. BP's mathematical representation, the Bernoulli equation (BE), may be partially responsible for some of the alternative conceptions. We are investigating student conceptions of fluid dynamics to help students properly use BP/BE. Our interviews indicate that: 1) Successful students use multiple-particle models in order to describe pressure at a microscopic level. 2) Closely aligned with the first, is the importance of understanding the concept of a vacuum. Ultimately we seek to help students correctly employ BP through the use of graphical and diagrammatic representations, in addition to BE. Supported by DUE 1044154
      • Preliminary Analysis of a Biology-based Physics Curriculum: Questions and Foundations

      • FD13
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Juan Burciaga
      • Type: Poster
      • For the last five years the physics department of Mount Holyoke College has offered an innovative algebra-based/biology-based introductory physics sequence. But how can we compare a physics course whose goals are fundamentally different from the mainstream physics curricula? What criteria can we apply to curricula of different courses, that allows us to critically examine the effectiveness of the pedagogy used to write the textbook and establish the lab environment, irrespective of their goals? The material (text and lab environment) of the two-semester course will be extensively evaluated during the 2012/13 semester. This poster is an early outline of the assessment criteria that will be used to evaluate the course pedagogy.
      • A New Order on a Classic Sequence

      • FD14
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Robert Cohen
      • Type: Poster
      • After years of trying different orders and approaches, we feel we've obtained an optimal order of physics topics within a traditional two-semester algebra-based physics sequence. We'll share what we've found, along with results that illustrate the success of the sequence.
      • Integrating Biomedical Contexts in a Three-Staged Instructional Model

      • FD15
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Bijaya Aryal
      • Type: Poster
      • We have designed a theme-based physics learning experience for health science majors. A semester of learning experience is divided into theme-based modules. A three-week-long module has three stages of teaching/learning activities. Each module starts with the concept construction stage where students are expected to explore concepts and relations of concepts within the module through concrete experiences and instructor guidance. Instructors in the next stage facilitate in consolidating students' learning using conceptual clicker questions, group-problem-solving activities and individual tasks. The activities of the third stage, usually designed through interdisciplinary collaboration, provide opportunities for students to apply the concepts learned in the earlier stages to biomedical contexts. In this presentation, we describe the learning stages and explain rationale and philosophy of the instructional model. Likewise, we provide some examples of integrated biomedical contexts and also report the preliminary assessment of the instructional model.
      • Why a Models Approach Makes Reform both Doable and Successful

      • FD16
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Wendell Potter
      • Type: Poster
      • Structuring introductory courses around central and important models, coupled with an emphasis on reasoning and sense making, offers pedagogical, epistemological, and content-organizational advantages compared to traditional approaches enshrined in large lecture-based and large textbook-defined courses. It is difficult to make significant progress in the reform of a particular aspect of the course for life science majors, e.g., in pedagogy, without simultaneously tackling all essential aspects together, simply because they are so interrelated. Success with reformed pedagogical approaches is tightly coupled to epistemological stances of students, which are in turn tied closely to the tasks they are asked to perform in both physics and in previous courses. These tasks, primarily finding answers to end-of-chapter numerical "problems," are in turn driven by the topic-centered, answer-focused way content is presented in standard textbooks. A models approach brings all elements together naturally and provides a rational approach to successful reform as will be illustrated.
      • Teaching Problem Solving with the Brain in Mind

      • FD17
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Maria Babiuc-Hamilton
      • Type: Poster
      • Problem solving is a skill that takes practice and time to fully develop. Exciting discoveries in neuroscience provide us with sound empirical data about how our brain changes through learning and offers suggestions to make teaching more effective. The most significant finding is the major role emotions and background knowledge is playing in learning new material. Modern classroom settings do not allow for the one-on-one emotional bridge between mentor and mentee. In order to overcome this impediment we make extensive use of office hours to talk with each of the students and determine what they know already. New knowledge needs to be kept simple, and build it up gradually through many examples, making sure students learn the unifying concepts. Brain-based learning will not solve all our educational problems, but by adjusting our teaching methods to take into account the lessons learned from brain research, we benefit both students and instructors.
      • Light absorption and pulse oximetry

      • FD18
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Ralf Widenhorn
      • Type: Poster
      • We will present a laboratory activity that introduces concepts from opticsin a way that is relevant to life science majors and pre-health students. The physics of light absorption is taught through the exploration of how a pulse oximeter is capable of non-intrusively measuring the oxygen content of blood as well as a patient?s pulse rate. Alternative to working with blood, we demonstrate how a common pH indicator, bromothymol blue, can be used to simulate oxygenated and de-oxygenated hemoglobin. Common physics laboratory equipment such as a light sensor and spectrometer are utilized and explained. After introducing carbon dioxide into bromothymol blue, changes in intensity due to absorption are confirmed both visually as well as by measuring intensities at two discrete wavelengths. The results from this experiment are used to demonstrate how oxygen concentrations in blood are determined using pulse oximetry. Students learn about the electromagnetic spectrum while examining attenuation dependence on wavelength, path length, and medium characteristics.
      • Pendulum laboratory exercise incorporating bio-mechanical model

      • FD19
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Elliot Mylott
      • Type: Poster
      • Laboratory exercises to study the dependence of a pendulum's period on mass, length of the pendulum arm, and amplitude displaced, along with conservation of mechanical energy, are commonly found in general physics curriculum. We present a modification on the typical pendulum lab with the goal of showing students, in particular pre-health students, that pendulum like behavior is seen in many real world phenomena, and in particular is found in something as common as a human walking. This has particular relevance to student?s whose careers will incorporate the study of bio-mechanics where the inverted-pendulum-model of walking for bipeds is a common model on which to base more complex systems. Students learn the basics found in most pendulum labs, then study how a simple pendulum behaves after rotating the mass around 180° to form an ?inverted pendulum,? and finally how that motion can model a portion of a human?s walking motion.
      • The Pre-Health iCollaborative Project: How can AAPT and PER help?

      • FD20
      • Wed 08/01, 8:30AM - 10:30AM
      • by Patricia Allen
      • Type: Poster
      • AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) has recently redefined itsunderstanding of the expectations of students pursuing medical degrees. This has resulted in a revision of the MCAT and a vision of a recommended undergraduate curriculum based on pre-health competencies. Pre-Health iCollaborative is a new project established by the AAMC to provide a free online, searchable collection of instructional resources to support undergraduate faculty of all science disciplines who work with students preparing for medical school. Teaching resources, effective practices, and strategies for including pre-health competencies into existing courses will be made available to faculty at all institutions. (Sample materials can be found at www.aamc.org/icollaborative/pre-health.) In this paper, we will describe the status of the project, with a focus on how the PER (Physics Education Research) community can contribute to the success of this project.
  • SPS Undergraduate Poster Reception

      • Instructor Rompting Mechanisms and Student Participation in a Reformed Classroom.

      • SPS01
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Maria Paula Angarita
      • Type: Poster
      • Classroom participation has been shown to improve learning gains. However,instructors may at times find it difficult to engage their classrooms in effective discourse. Understanding how instructors effectively engage their students is key to facilitating student participation. Through qualitative video analysis of a Modeling Instruction Introductory Physics I class, we present an analysis of the impact of Instructor prompts on student participation. Using microanalysis of a video segment in which an instructor is engaging students in a series of questions during a large group white board meeting, we identified prompting mechanisms that contribute to student participation in a reformed classroom.
      • Guided Inquiry Based Demonstrations Using Everyday Items: Examples from Electricity

      • SPS02
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Roy Prouty
      • Type: Poster
      • For most physics for life sciences students, the introductory physics course is a terminal course. Teaching by telling, the traditional approach to instruction in introductory physics, is ineffective for most physics for life sciences students. Subject matter has to be taught in ways that intellectually engage and involve students, foster self-directed learning, and eventually help students develop a coherent conceptual understanding. In this presentation we will share our experience in developing guided inquiry based demonstrations using everyday items for physics for life sciences students. In particular, we will highlight two interesting examples from electricity including producing electricity with a fruit/vegetable battery and electrical heating with a non-conventional resistance, hot dog.
      • Regression Analysis Exploring Teacher Impact on Student FCI Post Scores*

      • SPS03
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Jonathan Mahadeo
      • Type: Poster
      • In this poster we present the results of a regression analysis exploring teacher impacts on student Force Concept Inventory (FCI) scores. The data were collected from 1,373 students of 22 high school physics teachers. Additionally we collected demographic data; the independent variables in the regression analysis included the teacher, FCI Pre Score, Gender, and Ethnic Representation in an effort to predict the dependent variable, FCI Post Score. The regression analysis returned an effect size of .62 (Cohen's f2) and indicated that 19 out of 22 high school physics teachers had a significant impact in accounting for the variance within student FCI Post Scores. Further analysis showed that of the 19 teachers accounting for a significant amount of the variance, only two had a positive beta coefficient. This indicates that there are dynamic differences between teachers that may be revealed through other measures such as the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP).
      • Students' Beliefs Concerning Different Components of a Calculus-based Physics Course  CANCELED

      • SPS04
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Adam Szewciw*
      • Type: Poster
      • The Physics Department at Purdue University offers two sequential introductory calculus-based physics courses utilizing the Matter and Interactions (M&I) curriculum. These courses consist of a lecture twice a week, a one-hour recitation and a two-hour lab. Homework is delivered via WebAssign. Unlike traditional courses, Purdue's calculus-based sequence includes cooperative group problem solving during recitation and computational modeling via VPython during lab. To improve understanding of students' beliefs regarding the educational effectiveness of the different M&I course components, the researchers conducted a series of focus groups consisting of approximately 5-10 students either currently or previously enrolled in M&I 1. The purpose of this qualitative investigation is to provide the researchers with a more complete understanding of where students' believe they learn physics so as to better design instruction. Preliminary results will be discussed.
      • "Learning Arc": The Process of Resolving Concerns through Student-Student Discourse

      • SPS05
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Sean Stewart
      • Type: Poster
      • In reformed classrooms that utilize student-student interactions, a student's concerns can often be resolved through student-student discourse with minimal to no direct input from the instructor. To gain insight into such interactions, we used video data from a Florida International University reformed Physics I classroom. We micro-analyzed a segment in which the discourse between a group of three students leads to the resolution of a concern. In this study, we identified a pattern of discourse, which we are calling a "Learning Arc." In this poster, we present the "Learning Arc" as a cyclical process by which students use discourse as a means to achieve a consensus that resolves a concern.
      • Activities in the SPS Chapter of Southeast University

      • SPS06
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Zhi-Yong Zhou
      • Type: Poster
      • We present the organizations and activities of the SPS chapter in Southeast University of China after its establishment in 2010. As the first one established in China, the chapter has undertaken regular activities in rich and varied forms through the organization of its executive committees. The chapter provides an active atmosphere of learning among the students and helps more students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community. Some students have started to do some scientific researches by their own under the professional guidance and some enjoyable achievements have been obtained.
      • Mentoring a FIRST Robotics Team and a Middle School Robotics Camp

      • SPS07
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Richard Floyd
      • Type: Poster
      • We discuss the implementation of a mentoring program for local FIRST robotics teams as a Society of Physics Students (SPS) activity at Coastal Carolina University. Also, we present details about the development and implementation of a summer robotics camp for middle school aged children. Activities involving robotics are an excellent way to build interest in the SPS on campus, and provide an important connection with the local community. Working with middle school children in an exciting inquiry-based environment serves a dual purpose: enhancing the reasoning and creative design abilities of the future generation of potential (hopefully!) STEM students, as well as the abilities of the undergraduate mentors.
      • Step into the Mirror

      • SPS08
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Cui Du
      • Type: Poster
      • In recent years, people are looking more and more closely at another modality of matter--antimatter. In this article, firstly we will introduce the history of discovery of anti-particle and the basic properties of anti-particles. Next we will talk about how to collect natural antimatter and produce antimatter in laboratories, and then some of the applications and our own hypotheses about antimatter will be shown to you. Thanks to the bilingual physics teaching courses, that was put forward by Professor Yun Yin, for providing me with the chance to study the courses and the project of antimatter and for stimulating my enthusiasm of studying science, mainly about the cosmology.
      • The Harry Potter's Cloak of Invisibility Material

      • SPS09
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Zhiqiang Jiang*
      • Type: Poster
      • Imagine that if you put on Harry Potter's invisibility coat and disappeared into thin air, how magical and amazing it would be. Such kinds of invisibility materials or devices seem so attractive not only to sci-fi fans, but also to scientists. As freshmen we have been inspired by professor Yun's thoughts and also thrown new light upon self-study and inquiry learning by taking the Bilingual Physics with Multimedia course, and we decided to research on the invisibility material. By figuring out the principles behind the phenomena, our article will introduce three ways based on the present technology to create invisibility. At the same time, we will simply explore our methods to be invisible and look into the prospect of the invisibility materials.
      • Principles and Prospects of Bose-Einstein Condensate

      • SPS10
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Xiao Liang
      • Type: Poster
      • Recently, the fifth state of matter, the Bose-Einstein Condensate, has attracted more and more attention in academic circles for its unique physical properties. Inspired by a course called Bilingual Physics with Multimedia, we had a strong curiosity and interest on the topic, principles, and prospects of Bose-Einstein Condensate, and conducted a research study on it. This essay starts with some related concepts and the ultimate principle of Bose-Einstein Condensate, and then we lucubrate some pertinent properties together with the famous experiments on the fifth state. Moreover, the essay also expounds on the applications and prospect of Bose-Einstein Condensate.
      • Exploring the Quantum "Spring"

      • SPS11
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Zhigang Peng
      • Type: Poster
      • Zero-point energy is supposed to be the possible lowest energy that a quantum physical system may have. When the zero-point energy varies, the Casimir effect then can be observed. Recently, researchers have been more interested in repulsive Casimir force created by artificial methods. Actually, if we can adjust the properties of the materials and the medium independently so that the attractive force and the repulsive force can be obtained freely, we are likely to make an acquisition of restoring Casimir force. Therefore, with the help of quantum effect, the quantum "spring" can be achieved. Inspired by Professor YunYing's idea of education and our interest in this subject, our group studied it through the "Introduction to Bilingual Physics with Multimedia" course initiated by Prof. Yun. This article mainly makes a review of the Casimir effect and the research on the restoring Casimir force.
      • Detection of Small Radioactive Traces of K-40 with the NaI(Tl) Scintillation Detector and a GM Counter

      • SPS12
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Michael Carr
      • Type: Poster
      • We investigated the possibility of determining the absolute activity of radioactive potassium, K-40, in small samples of fertilizers, such as Miracle Gro, 24-8-16, using a scintillation detector with a NaI(Tl) crystal and a multichannel analyzer. We investigated the dependence between the magnitude of the percent error and the temperature variation during the long acquisition time as well as the possibility of calculating a reliable calibration factor between measured and true activity for a given fixed geometry that severely violates the point source approximation. For the calibration samples used, KF, KCl, KNO2 and K2SO4, the percent error in determining the absolute activity was less than 7%. For samples of MiracleGro that have lower concentration of K-40 than the samples above the error was as high as 40%. The main source of error seems to be the temperature variations and the detector efficiency at 1.461MeV.
      • Photocatalysis with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide Nanowire Films*

      • SPS13
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Cody Thompson**
      • Type: Poster
      • We have investigated the photocatalyitc activity of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanowire films grown in-house. Optimized transparent ZnO and TiO2 films could find use as fingerprint-resistant barriers on touch screen devices, such as cell phones and tablet computers. Furthermore, there is great need for reusable materials with environmental remediation potential. Low-cost films that are easily removed from aqueous environmental systems post-decontamination are ideal candidates. Our research goal is to determine optimal film growth parameters that result in increased photocatalytic activity of organics at the surface. The main challenge has been balancing the need for high surface area as a reaction site for the photocatalytic process, with the typical decrease in optical efficiency that results from polycrystalline films having small particle size. We report a low-temperature process that yields high optical efficiency and high surface area.
      • Modeling Gyroscopic Motion in Terms of Linear Momentum  CANCELED

      • SPS14
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Harvey Kaplan*
      • Type: Poster
      • Gyroscopic motion is often described in terms of torque and angular momentum. This method of describing gyroscopic motion proves to be convenient, but covers up the underpinnings as to what gives rise to those concepts: linear force and linear momentum. Using VPython programming, a simplified version of a gyroscope is depicted with four identical masses in place of a traditional massive disk. The program allows for effective analysis of gyroscopic motion in terms of forces and linear momentum, and permits the user to increase the number of masses until the limit of a physical gyroscope is reached. This program is intended to serve as a pedagogical tool for teaching, analyzing, and visualizing complex mechanical systems as it pertains to the gyroscope.
      • Trapping Electric Charge on the Surface of Semiconductors*

      • SPS15
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by James Bevacqua**
      • Type: Poster
      • We have investigated the trapping of electric charge and the subsequent bending of electronic energy bands at the surface of several semiconductor material systems. Using a novel combination of conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) we are able to inject surface charge locally on the nano-scale and measure the resulting change in surface contact potential. By investigating surface charge trapping in various environments, we can learn more about the native electronic energy band bending. We are also interested in further developing the technique for future nano-scale catalytic activity measurements.
      • The Study of Small Scale Features (Fronts) Found in Long Term Temperature Records

      • SPS16
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Jeniffer Allen
      • Type: Poster
      • An atmospheric front can be defined as sloping zones of pronounced transition of thermal, moisture, and/or wind fields in the atmosphere. These transition zones (fronts) are characterized by a strong horizontal temperature gradients and/or large horizontal wind shears. One of the signatures of the front is evident as a large horizontal temperature gradient. Wavelet Analysis is used to analyze the long and short term transition zones in long-term temperature records. The compact nature of the wavelets make them perfect candidates for analyzing the short term transition zones in the thermal field that comprise the fronts. The frequency, intensity, and shape of these transition zones are analyzed to examine long term trends in the number and magnitude of these transition zones.
      • Isolating Motions of a Spinning Tube

      • SPS17
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Keith Farrington
      • Type: Poster
      • We discuss participation in the spinning tubes authentic research experience as detailed by Sikkema et al.,* and we present a student-designed and constructed demonstration apparatus. Students in a conceptual physics course at Coastal Carolina University observed the rotation of a PVC pipe segment marked at opposite ends with different symbols. The symbol at one end is visible while the other symbol is not during the motion. The assignment is to use the scientific inquiry process to determine why. During the student-led investigation, one avenue of inquiry required the isolation and control of the major tube motions: (1) rotation about the center of mass, and (2) cylindrical rotation. An apparatus was designed and constructed that allowed for such control, and provided support for the student-generated model describing why one symbol is not seen.
      • Physically Interpreting Equations Workshop at Princeton University

      • SPS18
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Elizabeth Young
      • Type: Poster
      • We propose a workshop to help the novice learner link together equations presented in different contexts with the same physical principles. The ability to link together this information by physically interpreting equations is a skill that can be taught. Our method involves recognizing familiar terms in the equation and relating them to known effects in physical systems. Reasoning through the steps of tearing down and building back up an equation should help the students' intuition about the physical interpretation of the equation's form. Lessons learned and methods taught can be applied in the classroom and in understanding papers in research areas. Our goals include students gaining confidence when approaching complex, complicated, and seemingly foreign problems. Students can master workshop goals while at the same time achieving deeper levels of understanding through inquiry and the exploration of multiple problems. Specific strategies for implementation of this project are discussed in detail.
      • Cracks in thin layers of non-Brownian suspensions

      • SPS19
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Mitchell Johnston
      • Type: Poster
      • Many concentrated particle suspensions are shear thickening; the viscosityincreases with shear rate. Recently, it was suggested that shear thickening is connected with a liquid-to-solid phase transition. We provide direct evidence of this transition by studying the response of suspensions of corn starch to the impact of a free-falling object. Just after impact, we observe the propagation of a wave across the layer while a cavity expands around the impact region. When the cavity stops expanding radial cracks grow outwards from the impact region. These cracks have rough boundaries, as is seen for solids. Once the cracks have reached their maximal extension, the suspension relaxes, the solvent fills the cracks, and the layer returns to its initial shape. We discuss the influence of the layer thickness, starch concentration and impact energy on the dynamics of these cracks. We also discuss some properties of the solid phase of these suspensions.
      • Using Interdisciplinary Projects in Engineering Physics Courses

      • SPS20
      • Sun 07/29, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
      • by Stephen Palmquist
      • Type: Poster
      • To promote transfer of learning, the engineering physics students at Winona state university were encouraged to get involved in projects that were related to their major of study. We were seeking to improve students? understanding of physics concepts by enhancing their empirical understanding and facilitating the visualization of abstract concepts. Thinking across disciplines informed students about many applications of physics and improved students? beliefs about relevancy of physics. In addition, integrating several perspectives and learning approaches provided more accessibility in physics. We encouraged volunteer participation and students who contributed to the projects were rewarded course credits based on their efforts. Among the example topics were muscle activities and action potentials, electrophoresis of DNA, Micelle formations and polarization angle of carbon fibers in electric fields. In this poster we present a few examples of the students? finding.
  • Special Programs for High Performing High School Students

      • High School Students, Magnetic Field and its Nature of Pseudovector

      • PST2C01
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Stefano Vercellati
      • Type: Poster
      • The analysis of the nature of the magnetic field offers the ideal framework in which students could address the mutual integration between mathematical and physical aspects experimentally facing the analysis of the phenomenology. With the aim of investigating how high school students face experimental situations in which the phenomenology grounds the theory and the mathematics offers its formalism as the best language to describe the explored phenomena, an activity concerning the pseudovectorial nature of the magnetic field was performed in a course held in the context of a summer school for skilled students.The focus of the research was on the ways in which the students' reasoning evolves, addressing the property of symmetry of the magnetic field in a proposed situation. The results of this experimentation will be presented and discussed.
      • Mass in Classical and Relativistic Physics for Talented Students

      • PST2C03
      • Tue 07/31, 6:00PM - 6:45PM
      • by Alberto Stefanel
      • Type: Poster
      • In summer school IDIFO3 (Udine, 2011) both construction of and deepening into fundamental concepts of modern physics were proposed to high school talented students. A tutorial was made up, in which inertial and gravitational meanings were scanned according Newton and Mach. Proper time and 4-displacement allowed the definition of quadrimomentum through analogy reasoning. Relativistic kinetic energy was defined through expansion of the temporal component in the Newtonian limit. Mass was conceptually extended to relativity by means of rest-energy concept. The ways of looking at mass as well as the scientific meanings produced in students were analyzed, also considering the "quantity of matter." Relativistic mass was inquired separately, as an important spin-off. The analysis of data gave information about pupils' learning of mass-energy equivalence and allowed to recognize five physical representations of mass known in literature.
      • Summer School on Modern Physics for Talented Students

      • PST2C02
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Marisa Michelini
      • Type: Poster
      • To support the motivation of talented students is a task often disregardedby the school today. In the IDIFO3 project --"Innovation in Physics Teaching and Guidance," the Physics Education Research Unit (PERU) of the University of Udine in Italy has designed and implemented a national biennial summer school, in its third edition in 2011. The summer school provides the basic foundation for the construction of formal thinking, interpretation of phenomena, design of a reasoning path, and providing an overall conceptual framework about important aspects on various of topics of Modern Physics, such as quantum mechanics, relativity, superconductivity, electromagnetism and condensed matter physics. A group of 40 students with the highest marks in physics from different schools all over the Italy were selected to explore and experience these new terms in modern physics during an intensive week. The characteristics of the activities proposed and learning outcomes performed at three different levels such as for students, teachers, and university researchers based on the Inquired Based Learning (IBL) work sheets will be presented.
      • Teaching and Learning Superconductivity in Secondary School

      • PST2C04
      • Tue 07/31, 6:45PM - 7:30PM
      • by Alberto Stefanel
      • Type: Poster
      • Nowadays superconductivity can be brought into the educational laboratory both for qualitative exploration, and measurements with sensors interfaced to the computer. A research educational path of superconductivity for the high school level was designed. It adopts an inquiry-based approach that involves students in problem-solving activities to construct a phenomenological description of superconductivity. The focus of the proposal is the exploration of the Meissner effect using the conceptual tools of electromagnetism. To account for the superconducting transition, a qualitative introduction of the Cooper pair formation and related gap in the superconductor energy levels is also proposed to the students. Research was carried out using experimentations tutorial worksheets in Italian secondary schools. From monitoring tools analysis used in the experimentation, it is possible to document the educational activity carried out with students, their main difficulties and their main learning results for what concerns the magnetic property of the superconductor, how students link the magnetic property of a superconductor and the electric properties of it, and construct model on superconductivity.
  • Teacher Preparation and Enhancement - Posters

      • Assessing the PCK of In- and Out-of-Field Physics Teachers

      • PST1F01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Jennifer Neakrase
      • Type: Poster
      • Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) refers to how a teacher represents andformulates the subject being taught in order to optimize student understanding. Within physics, PCK is described as "an application of general, subject-independent knowledge of how people learn to the learning of physics." In choosing or designing successful lessons, a physics teacher must weave their knowledge of the discipline with knowledge of how students learn. When there is no certified physics teacher available, other "out-of-field" teachers are asked to fill the role. An out-of-field teacher may have adequate general knowledge of how students learn, but inadequate knowledge of the discipline of physics. This difference in knowledge between an in- and out-of-field physics teacher should be reflected in their PCK. This poster discusses how PCK of in- and out-of-field teachers can be assessed through a mixed-method design, which includes analysis of interviews, observations, and concept maps.
      • Evaluation of Physics by Inquiry Programs for K-12 Teachers*  CANCELED

      • PST1F03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Robert Endorf
      • Type: Poster
      • We report on our continuing evaluation of the effectiveness of the Physicsby Inquiry[1] professional development programs for K-12 teachers conducted at the University of Cincinnati. The study is based on data acquired from over 500 teachers that have completed either the 13 quarter-credit-hour graduate course in Physics by Inquiry for teachers in grades 5-12 or a separate seven quarter-credit-hour course for teachers in grades K-5. Both programs have been effective in increasing the teachers' science content knowledge and their understanding of scientific inquiry. The teachers also gained significantly more confidence in their ability to teach inquiry-based science lessons. An important consequence of the programs was the teachers' evaluation that their students had performed better after they had implemented inquiry-based science activities in their classrooms.
      • IDIFO3 Teachers Formation on Modern Physics

      • PST1F05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Marisa Michelini
      • Type: Poster
      • The main fall in motivation levels with regard to scientific studies in Italy has been collaboratively answered through the national project (Scientific Degree Project -- PLS). Master IDIFO3 is a project in this framework for in-service teacher formation, a project focused on Didactic Innovation in Physics Education and Guidance, carried out by Udine PER Unit in collaboration with 18 Italian universities. It offers educational innovation, science learning laboratories, formative orientation (problem solving) and teacher training on Modern Physics topics for in-service teachers. It implements a model for teacher training, with an aim to develop formal thinking and to relate associated connection between Computer Science-Mathematics and Physics on Modern Physics topics. The activities such as educational and experimental workshops in presence, training teachers at a distance and in presence, conducting exhibitions, designing Inquiry Based Learning materials, activities for the orientation training in physics, informal education through conceptual laboratories (CLOE) and use of ICT to overcome the conceptual nodes in physics, teaching laboratories using problem solving and Prevision-Experiment-Comparison strategies and in-depth analysis of learning processes in educational innovation are achieved.
      • Physics Education Through the Lens of Chemistry Education

      • PST1F07
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Mark Schober
      • Type: Poster
      • Physics first is increasingly touted in high school, but the benefits are only realized when the pedagogy and content coverage of the core sciences are coordinated. Teaching both physics and chemistry using Modeling Instruction, I have assembled a list of key concepts, skills, and instructional approaches in physics that I find essential for coherency between physics and chemistry. Treatments of mass, energy, electrostatics, and light; development of experimentation and data analysis skills; and employment of student-centered discussions can be enhanced in the physics classroom when seen as a stepstone to chemistry and beyond.
      • Science Education in Ethnic Minority Areas of China

      • PST1F09
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Bo Zhao*
      • Type: Poster
      • China is a multi-ethnic nation with rich and diverse culture traditions. Statewide standardized textbooks, however, take little into account the local ethnic minority cultures; thus limiting the opportunities of preserving the unique ethnic traditions through education. In this paper, we discuss the relation between ethnic minority cultures and science education in China. In particular, we propose ideas on development of effective curriculum resources for use by teachers, and on reform of classroom teaching in order to incorporate ethnic minority cultures into science education.
      • Web-based Resources for Responsive Teaching in Science*

      • PST1F11
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Fred Goldberg
      • Type: Poster
      • As part of a project to promote responsive science teaching in elementary classrooms, we have developed two web-based resources. One resource provides an example of a responsive "curriculum," one that could guide teachers as they implement responsive teaching in their own classrooms. The other resource is aimed at science educators and prospective teachers, providing a rich description of what responsive teaching in science looks like in elementary classrooms. In a responsive teaching classroom teachers attend and respond to students' ideas and reasoning; their next move decisions are based on their assessing the merits of the students' own ideas. Thus, a "curriculum" exists only in its enactment, and cannot be prescribed in advance. In this poster we will describe the goals and challenges of developing web-based resources for responsive teaching and provide some examples.
      • From Experiment to Model with the Interactive Whiteboard in the Primary School

      • PST1F13
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Alberto Stefanel
      • Type: Poster
      • The interactive whiteboard allows us to construct personal representationsstarting from photos, drawings, and diagrams. Therefore it can be used in science education to build a bridge between the experimental exploration of phenomena and the construction of formalized models. Some contexts such as optics, electrostatics, and electromagnetism are particularly suitable for developing educational proposals that help students even in basic school to build representations of physical phenomena, favoring the development of formal thinking. The proposals developed were tested with a group of 90 university students (future primary teachers) involved in physics education courses at the University of Udine. Some of these proposals exemplify some of the significant potential of the white board for new educational proposals based on active learning and personal involvements of students in the passage from real phenomenology to the construction of physical models.
      • ATE Project for TYC and HS Physics Teachers

      • PST1F02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Dwain Desbien
      • Type: Poster
      • The ATE Project for Physics Faculty provides intense three-day workshops for High School and Two-Year College faculty. These workshops are led by expert faculty and address all aspects of the introductory physics course (lab, lecture...). Topics range from interactive engagement techniques for lecture classes to using high speed video in the lab. Descriptions of the workshops and future workshops will be shared. Funded in Part by NSF DUE Grant #1003633
      • WNYPTA - Over 20 Years of Grass-Roots Professional Development

      • PST1F04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Joseph Zawicki
      • Type: Poster
      • The Western New York Physics Teachers Alliance (WNYPTA) was originally developed at the State University of New York at Buffalo, following the model used by the New York State Mentor Networks. The initial statewide networks were grant-funded and supported a network of physics teachers throughout New York state. The New Physics Teacher Institute at the State University of New York at Buffalo met regularly during the summers and occasionally during the school year, and developed a cadre of local physics teacher talent. WNYPTA grew out of a series of Saturday morning presentations initially hosted by Buffalo State College. The program meets once a month on Saturday morning during the school year, with the meeting agendas collaboratively developed by the participants.
      • Integrating Astrobiology and Heliophysics into Physics Courses

      • PST1F06
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Mary Ann Kadooka
      • Type: Poster
      • Physics applications abound in astrobiology, search for life in the universe, and heliophysics, research about the Sun and its impact on Earth. Relating physics to the questions scientists are asking today will motivate students to realize how understanding physics principles is critical for learning any other science. Our University of Hawaii NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) team has been sponsoring ALI-I, an astrobiology workshop for secondary science teachers. They learn that main belt comets discovered in the Asteroid Belt remain dirty snow balls despite being so close to the Sun, how mineral samples are studied with an ion microprobe for origin of solar system research, etc. The nuclear physics of the Sun's core, thermodynamics of its convection cells, magnetic fields of sunspots giving off coronal mass ejections, and solar wind speeds are heliophysics applications for physics topics.
      • Preparing Future Faculty: Enhancing Science Teaching Among Graduate Students

      • PST1F08
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Merideth Frey
      • Type: Poster
      • Enhancing science teaching is a critical goal for the nation at large and is clearly a complex issue with many possible solutions. At Yale University's Graduate Teaching Center, we aim to enhance teaching by training graduate students to become effective teachers through use of voluntary workshops and programs. This teaching-focused professional development is particularly important for future science teachers whose formal scientific training often lacks significant teaching experiences before becoming full-time faculty members. We have seen a great increase in participation amongst science graduate and post-doctoral participants by simply adding department-specific workshops as well as series that focus particularly on preparing future science faculty to teach their own courses. Here we analyze participation, assessments, and exit interviews to determine "best practices" for science teaching workshops. We offer evidence-based suggestions for enhancing graduate student and postdoctoral enrollment in, engagement with, and benefit from teaching-focused professional development workshops.
      • Using RTOP to Mentor Pre-service and Alternative Certification Candidates

      • PST1F10
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Kathleen Falconer
      • Type: Poster
      • Pre-service and alternative certification physics candidates at the State University of New York, Buffalo State College, have been observed, using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) for at least five years. Combined courses in content and pedagogy have utilized the RTOP instrument as a theoretical framework and practical assessment tool. Teacher candidates, and new teachers, often focus on the content, not on the learners; pedagogical content knowledge is not just pedagogy -- it is pedagogy and content within the context of the learner. By focusing on learner actions, the RTOP focuses the attention of the new teachers on the classroom culture. This poster will discuss trends in candidate performance data and in student teacher supervisor observations.
      • Hands-On-Science: An Integrated Science Curriculum for Pre-Service K-8 Teachers

      • PST1F12
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Mark Baumann
      • Type: Poster
      • Hands-On-Science is a new program at the University of Texas at Austin utilizing a guided-inquiry approach to deliver science content to pre-service K-8 teachers. Using "Physics and Everyday Thinking" and "Physical Science and Everyday Thinking" [1] as guide and inspiration, we have developed a four-semester sequence that provides an integrated approach to physics, chemistry, geology, biology, astronomy, and weather. A unified vocabulary and conceptual framework are employed throughout all four semesters. Fundamental ideas -- such as conservation principles, interactions, and atomistic models -- are applied in all semesters to understand a multitude of physical phenomena that span the various sciences. Hands-on experiments, computer simulations, and mobile apps provide students the opportunity to answer scientific questions using evidence-based reasoning. We present an overview of the structure and methodology of the Hands-On-Science program and its four-semester curriculum, as well as describe current and potential research questions that are enticing and available in an integrated science program such as this one.
  • Technologies - Posters

      • Electricity and Magnetism Self-Testing and Test Construction Tool

      • PST1C01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by John Stewart
      • Type: Poster
      • This poster presents an online resource for teaching and evaluating introductory electricity and magnetism classes and introduces a simplified version of the tool that can be used on tablet devices. The resource contains a library of highly characterized, multiple-choice, conceptual and quantitative electricity and magnetism problems and solutions all linked to a free online textbook. The library contains over 1000 classroom tested problems. Each problem is characterized by the complexity of its solution and by the fundamental intellectual steps found in the solution. Exam construction, administration, and analysis tools are provided through the resource's website. Problems may be downloaded for use in exams or as clicker questions. A self-testing tool is provided for students or instructors, an excellent tool for brushing up on conceptual electricity and magnetism. Conceptual inventory scores produced by the site are normed against the Conceptual Survey in Electricity and Magnetism. There is no cost associated with using any of the facilities of the site and you can begin to use the site immediately. Supported by NSF - DUE 0535928. Site address http://physinfo.uark.edu/physicsonline for the full version and http://physinfo.uark.edu/inventory for the version usable on tablet devices.
      • DeepTutor: An Intelligent Tutoring System for Force and Motion

      • PST1C03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Brinkley Mathews
      • Type: Poster
      • DeepTutor is an online, intelligent tutoring system designed to support students' conceptual understanding of force and motion. A student begins by responding to a conceptual physics problem. DeepTutor then engages the student in a dialogue that provides feedback and scaffolding to help the student correctly articulate how physics principles apply to the situation. Quality interaction is possible in DeepTutor through the use of a novel, state-of-the-art natural language-based knowledge representation called the latent semantic logic form. Quality instruction is possible through the use of Learning Progressions (LPs), a framework that describes a natural sequence of mental models and mental model shifts students go through while mastering a topic. LPs are used in DeepTutor to model the task domain, track students' knowledge states, and provide appropriate feedback to the student. DeepTutor adapts to maximize the student's learning by customizing an instruction sequence to each individual.
      • QuVis: The Quantum Mechanics Visualization Project

      • PST1C05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Antje Kohnle
      • Type: Poster
      • Since 2009, we have been developing and evaluating visualizations and animations for the teaching and learning of quantum mechanics concepts at the university level [Kohnle et al., Am. J. Phys. 80, 2 (2012) 148]. This resource builds on education research and our lecturing experience, and aims to specifically target student misconceptions and areas of difficulty in quantum mechanics. Each animation includes a step-by-step exploration that explains key points in detail, and includes instructor resources consisting of worksheets with full solutions. Animations and instructor resources are freely available at www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~qmanim, and can be played or downloaded from this site. Animations are available on a wide range of topics from introductory to advanced quantum mechanics. Evaluation using questionnaires, diagnostic surveys, and student observation sessions goes hand-in-hand with the development. Current work aims at extending the resource to include animations on introductory quantum chemistry, as well as animations to support a revised quantum mechanics curriculum starting from simple two-state systems.
      • Making Kinematics a Dynamic Vehicle for Launching Students into Physics*

      • PST1C07
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Frederick Thomas
      • Type: Poster
      • The NSF-funded project, "Math Machines and Algebraic Thinking," has developed hardware and software that empowers students to create, test, compare and modify free-form mathematical functions that CONTROL motion, rather than simply describing it. The software was created in LabVIEW, but distributed in executable form so the only programming skill required is in the language of "algebra." Based on a hobby servo motor with 0.1 degree precision, the system lets students control the motion of a laser dot across the front of a classroom whiteboard or a small laboratory screen, the motion of a block of wood as it creates scale-model earthquakes, the motion of gears as they drive other objects, and more. The system's role in motivation, pedagogy and assessment will be discussed along with opportunities for collaboration.
      • Extending the Laboratory Experience Through Remotely Controlled Experiments

      • PST1C09
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Johan du Plessis
      • Type: Poster
      • A suite of five experiments was newly developed to be accessed remotely and performed online: X-ray diffraction, the electronic specific charge e/m, electron diffraction by a graphite polycrystalline sample, photovoltaic cells and the Doppler effect. These experiments were designed in such a way as to preserve the hands-on experience and minimize the feeling of running a simulation. Some of the experiments were used as part of a semester course laboratory cycle and we report on the implementation and responses from non-major and major physics first year classes.
      • The Physics of Bouncing

      • PST1C11
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Yi Chen
      • Type: Poster
      • The physics of a bouncing ball demonstrates some interesting and often unexpected features. For example, a racquetball will not necessarily bounce at the same angle as it hits the floor. This can happen due to force of friction, if the amount of spin is not appropriately balanced with the linear speed of the ball before the bounce. In this work, we investigate the physics of the bounce, using the auxiliary theoretical models (described in the previous poster) and test our assumptions experimentally. For the experimental testing, we designed an original setup that allows us to easily control the relevant parameters, such as horizontal and vertical velocity components of the ball before the bounce, as well as its angular speed. The corresponding quantities after the bounce can be found by analyzing the ball's trajectory and/or using video analysis.
      • Interactive Visuals to Explore X-ray Spectrum and X-ray Attenuation

      • PST1C13
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Michael Gallis
      • Type: Poster
      • Interactive applets have been developed to help Radiologic Technology students explore some of the key physics concepts behind diagnostic X-ray images. The first applet uses a simplified model for mass attenuation coefficients to allow students to explore the roles of material properties and X-ray energy in differential absorption which in turn to contrast features in diagnostic X-rays. The second applet uses a simplified model to describe bremsstrahlung and characteristic X-rays, allowing students to investigate the effect X-ray tube high voltage and filters on the X-ray spectrum. The validation of the qualitative features of the simplified models is also discussed. These applets were created using the Easy Java Simulations tool from the Open Source Physics project.
      • Modelling the Coeffcient of Restitution with Video

      • PST1C15
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Sandra Leiva
      • Type: Poster
      • Using video modelling software Tracker, we develop (as a high school lab) a model of coefficient of restitution to different materials following Bernstein (Am. J. Phys. 45, 41), Smith et al (Am. J. Phys. 49, 136) and Stengaard and Lægsgaard (Am. J. Phys. 69, 301) ideas but without sound.
      • Position Sensing in the Physics Lab Using Open-Source Programming and Electronics.

      • PST1C17
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Camila Vargas
      • Type: Poster
      • We devised a method of determining particle position in a two-dimensional plane, using three no colineal distance sensors. We generate an interface using Proccessing to collect position data and time and with it, we determine the value of the instantaneous velocities and accelerations.
      • Developing Pre-flight Tutorials for Matter & Interactions

      • PST1C02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Andrew Hirsch
      • Type: Poster
      • Inspired by the success of "pre-flight" tutorials developed by physics faculty at UIUC, we are developing a series that are specifically tailored to students and faculty who use the innovative introductory text, Matter & Interactions: Modern Mechanics, by Ruth Chabay and Bruce Sherwood (Wiley). The M&I approach to mechanics (and electricity and magnetism) is distinctly different from that taken by more traditional texts. Our pre-flight tutorials will focus on those conceptual difficulties that have revealed themselves over 10 years of experience with M&I. Students will view the tutorials in advance of what would be a traditional lecture period and will be required to answer embedded questions in order to complete the assignment for course credit. The material presented in the tutorials will enable the course instructor to exercise Just In Time teaching, clicker questions that further probe student understanding, and any number of other pedagogically appropriate activities.
      • Multimedia Learning Modules as Preparation for Lecture-based Tutorials in Electromagnetism

      • PST1C04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by James Moore
      • Type: Poster
      • We have investigated the efficacy of online, multimedia learning modules (MLMs) as preparation for lecture-based tutorials in electromagnetism in a physics course for life science majors. Specifically, we report the results of a multiple-group pre-/post-test research design comparing two groups receiving the following treatments with respect to activities preceding participation in tutorials: (1) assigned reading from a traditional textbook, followed by a traditional lecture; and (2) completion of online multimedia learning modules developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), and commercially known as smartPhysics. Students completing the MLMs demonstrated significantly higher mid-term examination scores and larger gains in content knowledge as measured by the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM). Student attitudes towards "reformed" instruction in the form of active-engagement tutorials were also improved, with post-course surveys showing MLM-group students believed class time was used more effectively than reported by non-MLM students.
      • Using a Technological Platform in the Implementation of a Physics Course

      • PST1C06
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Enrique Peña
      • Type: Poster
      • In this work we presented the results obtained when implementing the use of the virtual platform of learning called WebCT to the course of Electricity and Magnetism, in the University of Monterrey. Our course is denominated online with support of the WebCT platform, that is to say, that the course takes the traditional component of the transmitting professor as of the content but it has an innovating element, the use of technological resources for the comprehensive formation to support the Teaching -learning process.The used didactic tools for the development of the course, as well as some of the obtained preliminary results after their implementation by four consecutive semesters in an approximated total of 300 students are described.
      • Using the iPad as a Pedagogical Tool: Analysis of the OSCIUM iMSO-104 as a Virtual Oscilloscope  CANCELED

      • PST1C08
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Leah Bush
      • Type: Poster
      • We report our experience in using the iPad as a pedagogical tool for enhancing learning in an algebra-based, introductory physics laboratory course. To take advantage of the iPad's familiar and user-friendly interface, we developed and implemented experiments that used a software application, along with a commercial accessory called OSCIUM iMSO-104, to transform the iPAD into a virtual oscilloscope for measuring the time constant of an RC-circuit. This approach was compared to a similar experiment that used the standard oscilloscope which, with its multiple knobs and settings, typically intimidates many students. Using student surveys and direct observation, we compared student responses to the iPad platform versus more traditional setups. We report on the advantages and disadvantages of using this mobile, popular platform in delivering experimental physics content and promoting student engagement.
      • Using Tablets in the Laboratory to Improve Feedback to Students

      • PST1C10
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Johan du Plessis
      • Type: Poster
      • As part of an initiative to achieve an all online submission, electronic marking and feedback system, pen-interactive displays as input devices were installed at first-year laboratory stations. We report here on the changes made to first-year laboratory procedures and resources provided to the students in order to complete the cycle within the laboratory session. Online submission was also a requirement for all physics assignments within the school. In the broader trials, both pen- interactive displays and iPads were used. Student, demonstrator and marker responses were canvassed in surveys and focus group discussions. These responses were overall positive but certain ingrained practices remain. We discuss possible problems and solutions.
      • Using Video Analysis to Reinforce Problem Solving

      • PST1C12
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Yi Chen
      • Type: Poster
      • Science and technology complement each other. Back in history, hypotheses were often developed without essential technologies to support it, and yet science theories were created and evolved. Nowadays science and technology are more than ever fused together. Some methods of examining physics phenomena can be tested in ways that no one would have imagined decades ago. One such possibility is using a video recording to analyze motion, which allows measurements of position, distance, time, velocity, and acceleration without setting up a complicated experiment. Here we present a few mechanical problems that have a clear analytical solution. The answers are tested using video analysis and the appropriate software, which would be highly non-trivial to do otherwise.
      • Accelerator Physics in High School Lab Using Video Modelling.

      • PST1C14
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Mauricio Mendivelso-Villaquirán
      • Type: Poster
      • A not too expensive experiment can be used to clarify main aspects of charged particles' trace analysis in a high school physics lab: Water drops free falling through vertical parallel plates must be deviated from vertical trajectory if there is a difference of potential between plates. Recording fall of water drops in a video can be used to determine forces over drops and its electric charge.
      • Enabling Modeling Pedagogy with Google Docs in the Laboratory

      • PST1C16
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Andrew Pawl
      • Type: Poster
      • I teach in an intermediate-size studio classroom with up to 14 groups of four students. At this size, the integrated laboratory component poses two challenges. 1) How can I efficiently lead 14 groups through a laboratory activity in two hours? 2) How can I effectively hold a class-wide discussion about discovery components of the lab? The ideal solution seemed to be data sharing. Give different groups responsibility for different portions of the lab or for performing the experiment with different parameters, then pool data and discuss. Personal experience, however, suggested that sending 14 groups to the instructor station to enter laboratory data is tedious and disruptive. In this presentation I describe an alternate approach: Google Docs. Each student creates a free account, and all groups can simultaneously enter data. Adoption has streamlined data entry, promoted comparison of results across groups, and enabled the detection of incorrect experimental procedure in real-time.
  • Two-Year Colleges Poster Session

      • Lab Activities Developed at the IPLWC*

      • EJ01
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Thomas O'Kuma
      • Type: Poster
      • The Introductory Physics Laboratory Writing Conferences are a series of working conferences to develop laboratory activities appropriate for introductory physics labs at both the college and high school level. From the two IPLWCs, a group of lab activities have been developed and tested at both high schools and two-year colleges. These developed lab activities will be displayed with some developed lab activities available for comments. These working conferences are part of the ATE Workshops for Physics Faculty project and are directed by Dwain Desbien.
      • ATE Workshops for Physics Faculty - Year 2

      • EJ02
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Thomas O'Kuma
      • Type: Poster
      • The ATE Workshop for Physics Faculty project is a series of workshops and working conferences for two-year college and high school physics faculty. This poster will give information about the project with an emphasis on the last year's five workshops and conferences.
      • Managing a Dynamic SPS Chapter (at a two-year college)

      • EJ03
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Brooke Haag
      • Type: Poster
      • The Hartnell College physics club has thrived as an SPS chapter at a two-year college for over 18 years through the efforts of several advisers and a number of enthusiastic students devoted to outreach. It has earned national recognition as well as a local reputation as one of the most dynamic and longest-lived clubs on campus. With a focus on several specific goals including outreach, fundraising, and project construction, the club consistently attracts a following of students led by a core of dedicated officers willing to expend the time and energy necessary for a robust program. In this poster, we present an overview of our outreach, fundraising, and project construction efforts. We also offer recommendations for guiding a successful SPS chapter.
      • Physics for Health Fields Course at Community College  CANCELED

      • EJ04
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Jingrong Huang
      • Type: Poster
      • In response to the growing need of students in radiology, physical therapy, nursing, and medical laboratory technology, a new course is designed to let students learn the physics concepts, problem-solving skills, and laboratory skills that are essential to their fields. This poster presents the highlights of the course.
      • TYC Meeting: Clickers as an Integral Part of Your Course

      • EJ05
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Michael Faleski
      • Type: Poster
      • There are many ways in which instructors can engage students in the classroom. The use of a personal response system (PRS), or clickers, is becoming more prevalent at college campuses. Clickers can be used for a variety of activities such as simple attendance taking and answering questions about a topic in lecture. At this past winter's TYC Tandem Meeting, participants were engaged in a sample class as students learning about ideal gas processes and thermodynamics with PV diagrams. Participants not only used clickers to answer questions given to students in actual classes, but also discussed common student responses and places at which misunderstandings occur. This poster will focus on the clicker techniques used in the sample class as well as providing results about the kinds of questions asked.
      • TYC Tandem Meeting Video Analysis Workshop Review

      • EJ06
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Todd Leif
      • Type: Poster
      • The TYC Tandem meeting held at Ontario, CA, in conjunction with the Winter2012 AAPT Meeting was a successful endeavor for the nearly 70 participants who attended. One of the sessions presented was a video analysis session led by two veteran TYC Physics Instructors Robert Hobbs of Bellevue College and Todd Leif Cloud County Community College. This poster will highlight the information that was presented during the TYC Tandem meeting. Some history of video analysis in the physics classroom and a couple of the instructors interesting "laboratory experiences" will be displayed.
      • Using ISLE Labs in the Class

      • EJ07
      • Tue 07/31, 1:30PM - 3:00PM
      • by Mikhail Kagan
      • Type: Poster
      • Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) is an inquiry-based teaching/learning approach developed by Etkina et al. Since fall 2011 I consistently implemented some of the ISLE techniques in my classes, mostly in the labs and homeworks. In addition, I took two ISLE labs on Newton's laws and made them part of my class. In the current poster, I describe this two-hour class. At the end, I also share my experiences and observations and provide my students' comments and writing samples.
  • Upper Division Courses and Topics

      • A Framework for Adopting Modeling in Upper-Division Lectures and Labs

      • PST1H01
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Benjamin Zwickl
      • Type: Poster
      • Modeling, the practice of developing, testing, and refining models of physical systems, is gaining support as a key scientific practice, and is included in the new Framework for K-12 Science Education released by the National Research Council. Modeling Instruction, RealTime Physics, Matter & Interactions, and other model-based curricula have introduced a modeling emphasis to many classrooms at the high school and introductory college level, but there has been little move to include modeling in the upper-division lecture or lab courses. In this poster we present a framework for adopting modeling into existing lab courses as part of general strategy for scientific inquiry. We also present a model of laboratory modeling that includes modeling the physical and measurement systems and their relationship. We elucidate the framework through the specific example of a pendulum lab.
      • Active Engagement Materials for Nuclear & Particle Physics Courses

      • PST1H03
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Jeff Loats
      • Type: Poster
      • The past three decades of physics education research have seen the development of a rich variety of research-based instructional strategies that now permeate many introductory courses. Implementing these active-engagement techniques in upper-division courses requires effort and is bolstered by experience. This can impede instructors who might otherwise be eager to use these methods. This particular effort, funded by an NSF-TUES grant (1), aims to develop, test, and disseminate active-engagement materials for nuclear and particle physics topics. We will present examples of the materials being developed, including: a) Conceptual discussion questions for use with Peer Instruction; b) warm-up questions for use with Just in Time Teaching, c) "Back of the Envelope" estimation questions and small-group case studies that will incorporate use of nuclear and particle databases, as well as d) conceptual exam questions. A contributed talk on the same topic will also be presented at the meeting.
      • Computing Across the Physics Curriculum

      • PST1H05
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Ethan Dolle
      • Type: Poster
      • We have received a grant from the NSF CCLI Phase I program to integrate computing into our upper-division physics and astronomy curriculum. Our end product will be a set of learning materials in the form of Matlab computational modules that will be freely available. Computation applications are both qualitative and quantitative in nature and involve simulations and demonstrations during class as well as student explorations and homework assignments outside of class. Pedagogical goals, Matlab code, samples of student work, and instructor comments are included in each module. Information gathered from instructors and students provide insight into benefits and challenges of infusing computation into upper-division courses. We present an overview of the project as well as modules written for upper-division physics and astronomy courses, including mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, thermal physics, and stellar and planetary astrophysics. We acknowledge the support of the NSF through DUE-0837368.
      • Enhancing the Experimental Experience: An Advanced Undergraduate Research Laboratory in Medical Physics

      • PST1H07
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Daniela Buna
      • Type: Poster
      • Laboratory experience in undergraduate physics is an essential component of the physics curriculum that in many instances seals the student's interest in physics and places the student on the path of graduate studies. Most undergraduate physics majors take two semesters of physics with calculus laboratory, one semester of Modern Physics and possibly another semester of laboratory usually associated with courses such as Electronics, Optics or Condensed Matter, atomic and nuclear physics. Small colleges such as Ramapo College of New Jersey do not offer the laboratory settings and equipment needed for advanced research in physics. However, based on the experience gained in Physics with Calculus and Modern Physics laboratory, a Medical Physics laboratory is a very rewarding experience for the students in the sense that is level appropriate for the junior year, it is based on solid foundation of Modern Physics and it introduces the student to an area that offers great job opportunities as well as an exciting lifelong career in interdisciplinary physics. We developed a Medical Physics laboratory which offers Gamma spectroscopy with a scintillation detector and a multichannel analyzer set-up, NMR measurements of resonance, relaxation rates, introductory spin sequences and signal processing via FFT, X-ray interaction with matter experiments, measuring absorption coefficients, radiation dose and interatomic spacing measurements via Bragg diffraction and an introduction to superconductors and measurements of resistivity of superconductors using SQUIDS. The physical phenomena studied are essential to the Medical Diagnostic Imaging equipment used in hospitals. The laboratory was offered very successfully to a group of 18 students in their junior/senior year, in 2011. The experience gained became very valuable when applying for summer REU internships and admission into graduate school.
      • Affordances of Group Problem Solving Activities

      • PST1H09
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Adam Kaczynski
      • Type: Poster
      • Tutorial instruction is often an effective method of content instruction but does not address all of the goals we have as instructors. A new group problem-solving activity was implemented in a sophomore-level mechanics course at a four-year university in place of the series of tutorials on damped harmonic motion from Intermediate Mechanics Tutorials [1]. The activity was designed to support students in finding coherence between graphical, symbolic, and qualitative representations of an underdamped harmonic system through discussion of their known models and observations of the system. We will discuss how this new activity affords students the opportunity to authentically solve problems in comparison to the tutorials it replaced.
      • Teaching New Tools to Majors: Computational Instruction in Upper Division Physics

      • PST1H11
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Marcos Caballero
      • Type: Poster
      • Scientific programming is a key skill for our majors to develop in a research environment that relies increasingly on computational models and complex data analysis. Broad consensus of physics faculty at CU-Boulder is that instruction in scientific programming should not be limited to a single course (i.e., a computational physics course), but rather be embedded in the major sequence. This sentiment is echoed by a survey of physics majors. At CU-Boulder, we have begun systematic instruction in scientific programming in our middle-division classical mechanics and upper-division senior laboratory courses. We will outline our approach to computational instruction in both courses, present materials developed to achieve our learning goals, present our preliminary observations of student challenges and students' impressions of computation in these courses, and outline research directions for systematic instruction in scientific programming.
      • Students' Use of Eigenvalue Equations in Quantum Mechanics

      • PST1H13
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Elizabeth Gire
      • Type: Poster
      • Eigenvalue equations are used extensively and in a variety of ways when solving problems in quantum mechanics. We conducted semi-structured interviews of upper-level physics students in which students solved a problem related to quantum measurements. In a phenomenographic analysis of the students' solutions, we identified five roles that eigenvalue equations play in student reasoning about quantum measurements: a key for matching eigenvalues, eigenstates and operators; a substitution of an eigenvalue for an operator; a generator of eigenvalues and eigenstates; an instruction for generating a transformed state; and a template for interpreting a measurement. We discuss how these roles may be leveraged to improve student understanding and performance in quantum mechanics.
      • Newton's Second Law for an Electrically Charged Particle

      • PST1H15
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Bharat Chaudhary
      • Type: Poster
      • Newton published his laws of motion in 1687. At that time the concept of charged particles was not known. Electromagnetic laws were discovered later but no attempt was made to combine that law with the Newton's second law to obtain a general equation of motion applicable to both charged and uncharged particles. My attempt in this paper is to combine the two laws to get a modified Newton's second law. According to Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, an opposing force is created when a charged particle moves with an acceleration under the action of an applied force. The opposing force increases with speed and the resultant force decreases. This results in decreasing acceleration with speed. The whole thing is explained by combining both forces into one equation, "FORCE minus back-emf-force equals mass times acceleration," in place of, "Force equals mass times acceleration." It applies to both charged and uncharged particles at all speeds.
      • Inconsistencies in the Equations of the Special Theory of Relativity

      • PST1H17
      • Mon 07/30, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
      • by Bharat Chaudhary
      • Type: Poster
      • In this paper, I discuss the inconsistencies in the four equations of the special theory of relativity, starting with the equation of variation of mass with velocity and working up to the equation of the applied force, the equation of acceleration and finally, the equation of relativistic kinetic energy. By examining these equations, we find that the mass of a moving body increases as gamma times of its rest mass, the relativistic magnitude of the applied force increases as the cube of gamma times the initial applied force, the magnitude of the acceleration decreases as the inverse of gamma cube even though the magnitude of the applied force increases. And at last, we examine the relativistic equation of kinetic energy, which shows more kinetic energy than the actual work done. It is to be noted that the relativistic kinetic energy equation leads to the mass energy relation making it doubtful.
      • Acousto-Optical Modulation for Advanced Laboratory and Research  CANCELED

      • PST1H02
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Hai Nguyen
      • Type: Poster
      • Acousto Optical Modulation (AOM) experimental setup was employed to shift the frequency of a single frequency laser and quickly turn on and off its intensity. Both of these goals are important tools in fields such as laser spectroscopy in which AOMs are used to vary the frequency of the laser light, telecommunications where AOMs can be employed to control signal modulations, Q-switching and cavity dumping studies, and in controlling the power of laser beams in laser printers. In our current experimental setup, up to 80 percent of the laser beam was shifted into the first order. The laser beam was turned on and off in order of 100ns. We are currently modifying our current experimental setup to introduce two frequencies into one single AOM. The historical details, the underlying principles, the potential uses of two frequency driven AOM, and the recipe for easy integration into advanced laboratory will be presented.
      • Computer Modeling for Sophomore Physics and Liberal Arts Engineering Majors  CANCELED

      • PST1H04
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Heather Whitney
      • Type: Poster
      • In Fall 2011, Wheaton College (IL) implemented a course entitled "ComputerModeling of Physical Systems" for our sophomore physics and liberal arts engineering majors. The course is designed to introduce students to computer methods for the analysis, modeling, and simulation of physical systems and analysis of experimental data. Students use the MATLAB environment to learn computer programming basics and apply that knowledge to homework sets and mini projects, designed to scaffold the modeling and analysis process, and culminating in a major project that is implemented and presented by each student at the end of the course term. The course serves as an important gateway to higher level courses, such as advanced labs and analytical mechanics, in which students use MATLAB frequently. We report on our experiences teaching this course two times thus far, as well as future plans.
      • Developing Research-Based Materials for Upper-Division Electrodynamics

      • PST1H06
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Charles Baily
      • Type: Poster
      • The PER group at the University of Colorado has spent several years researching student learning in the context of upper-division physics courses, and developing instructional materials designed to promote understanding of advanced topics in physics. We have recently expanded our previous efforts in the area of electrostatics, to include topics from junior-level electrodynamics, such as: Maxwell's time-dependent equations, boundary conditions, reflection and transmission of electromagnetic waves, and more. This poster provides an overview of the kinds of transformations we have incorporated into our second-semester E&M course, and offers examples of homework problems, concept tests, and other in-class activities we have developed.
      • Instructor Expectations of Undergraduate Students Entering Quantum Mechanics

      • PST1H08
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Christopher Oakley
      • Type: Poster
      • Characterizing faculty expectations is important to produce a comprehensive understanding of what knowledge and skills students should acquire before and during a quantum mechanics course (QMC). We describe interviews conducted with faculty members in the Physics & Astronomy Department of Georgia State University. These interviews probe faculty members' expectations of senior undergraduate students' background in mathematics, physics, and quantum mechanics concepts before entering a QMC. The interviews we conducted may provide students with a "map" for areas that will help strengthen the knowledge and skills obtained in their QMC. We will report on faculty members views on optimal preparation for an undergraduate student entering a QMC and appropriate learning goals for a student completing a QMC.
      • Benefits of Pre-Tutorial Homework Assignments in Advanced Thermal Physics Courses

      • PST1H10
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Trevor Smith
      • Type: Poster
      • Over the past decade, guided-inquiry worksheet activities (a.k.a. tutorials) have become popular and effective supplements to lecture-based physics instruction at both the introductory and advanced levels. In our research and curriculum development efforts, we noticed that students were not completing some tutorials in the allotted time because they could not recall or re-derive prerequisite ideas, concepts, or formulas. We designed "pre-tutorial homework" (assigned after the pre-test to complete and bring to tutorial) to address this issue. We find the pre-tutorial homework to be effective for orienting students to the necessary prerequisite information and ideas, thus making the tutorial more time-efficient. We present the benefits of pre-tutorial homework in two cases: one in which a tutorial was modified after the first implementation to include a pre-tutorial homework, and one in which a tutorial was initially designed with a pre-tutorial homework.
      • Teaching Fourier Data Analysis and Wavelet Data Analysis of Data Records Containing Small Scale and Large Scale Features

      • PST1H12
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Joseph Trout
      • Type: Poster
      • Long-term temperature records contain small scale (short period) and long scale (long period) features that are of interest in the study of weather and climate. On the small scale, an atmospheric front can be defined as sloping zones of pronounce transition of thermal and/or wind fields in the atmosphere. These fronts occur during changing weather. On the large scale, yearly oscillations and longer term trends are of interest in the study of the climate. This study uses Fourier analysis to help students look at the long-term trends in atmospheric data and uses Wavelet Analysis to teach students to analyze the short-term transition zones.
      • Discussion of Relativistic Kinetic Energy Equation

      • PST1H14
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Bharat Chaudhary
      • Type: Poster
      • In physics, there are two formulas of kinetic energy, the first one is theclassical formula, the other is the relativistic. The classical formula obeys the work-energy conservation principle as it shows the kinetic energy exactly equal to the work done; but the relativistic formula doesn't as it shows more kinetic energy than the work done. But, in both cases, the same force acts on the same body for the same distance and imparts the same speed--work done is the same. Hence, the same kinetic energy is delivered to the body. According to the conservation principle, we should get the same kinetic energy by both formulas. But, we don't get it. Therefore, the relativistic kinetic energy formula is something more than the conservation of work energy principle. We get something for nothing! Therefore, it is necessary to reexamine the derivation of the relativistic equation of kinetic energy.
      • Laser Spectroscopy of CarboDioxide Using Optogalvanic Method  CANCELED

      • PST1H19
      • Mon 07/30, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
      • by Aaron Kerschner
      • Type: Poster
      • Optogalvanic spectroscopy is based on measuring the electrical response ofa gas discharge to an optical perturbation. When a modulated laser beam is incident on a glow discharge, the voltage measured across the discharge will be modulated at the same frequency. This response depends on the amount of substance that interact with the beam -- among other factors. We designed of an optogalvanic spectroscopy system where the source is a CO2 laser, and the sample is a cylindrical glass tube of gas containing carbon dioxide. The discharge is produced using an oscillator board, and the electrical response is fed into a differential amplifier board. The electrical signal measured across the sample cell can be utilized to quantify the amount of CO2 inside the cell.