120
Portland
Wednesday afternoon
FC07:
2:10-2:20 p.m. Student Understanding of Newton’s
Second Law with Computational Modeling
Contributed – John M. Aiken, Georgia State University, 3736 Gloucester
Drive, Tucker, GA 30084;
Shih-Yin Lin, Scott S. Douglas, Michael F. Schatz, Georgia Institute of
Technology
Marcos D. Caballero, University of Colorado, Boulder
John B. Burk, St. Andrews’ School
Brian D. Thoms, Georgia State University
With any representation of a physical model (e.g., graphs, diagrams,
computation), students must learn to connect the model to the individual
representation. This paper follows previous work where computational
modeling (using VPython) was integrated into a high school Modeling
Instruction physics course. To characterize student understanding of
Newton’s second law, five representative students were recruited in a think-
aloud session with a follow-up interview. During the think-aloud session,
students wrote a program modeling the motion of a baseball. Students’
understanding of the physics concepts behind the computational model
will be reported. In particular, we will focus on students’ ability to relate
Newton’s second law to the velocity update in a computational model of
force and motion.
FC08:
2:20-2:30 p.m. Spatial Skills and High School Physics
and Math Performance
Contributed – Alfonso J. Hinojosa, United High School, 2811 United Ave.,
Laredo, TX 78045;
Ramon E. Lopez, University of Texas at Arlington
We are investigating the effect that student spatial skills have on student
success on statewide Texas Physics and Math assessment exams and STEM
course grades. Previous work indicates an increase in a student’s cognitive
load when mentally manipulating three-dimensional images. To investigate
if there is a broader academic impact, we conducted a study (nine sections)
of student spatial intelligence and the relationship to academic perfor-
mance during the fall 2012 semester using the introductory Pre-AP and AP
Physics courses. All students were administered the Mental Rotation Test
(MRT) which consists of 20 spatial intelligence problems. The scores were
then statistically correlated with the corresponding student state physics
and math assessment scores, as well as physics and math class grades. We
will contrast those correlations with the correlations between student exam
performance and high school courses taken.
Session FD: The AIP Career
Pathways Project
Location: Broadway III/IV
Sponsor: Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education
Co-Sponsor: Committee on Professional Concerns
Date: Wednesday, July 17
Time: 12:30–2:30 p.m.
Presider: Toni Sauncy
FD01:
12:30-1 p.m. AIP Career Pathways Project: An Overview
Invited – Roman Czujko, American Institute of Physics, One Physics Ellipse,
College Park, MD 20740;
This talk describes the Career Pathways Project (CPP) which was sup-
ported by the National Science Foundation beginning in October of 2010.
The number of physics bachelor’s degrees awarded to the class of 2011 set
an all-time high in the U.S. at around 6300. If departments want to con-
tinue to grow the number of bachelor’s, they will need to prepare students
to successfully enter the STEM workforce. The CPP team identified a set
of physics departments that have a strong record of placing their bachelor’s
recipients into the STEM workforce and we have completed nine site visits
to such departments in various size universities and in different parts of
the country. This talk describes the set of features that all these depart-
ments share and the features that may reflect the characteristics of the
universities, strengths of the departments or the opportunities in the local
economy.
FD02:
1-1:30 p.m. Career Preparation for Physics Majors at
UW-Eau Claire
Invited – Lyle A. Ford, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Department of
Physics and Astronomy, Eau Claire, WI 54702;
Heidtke L. Staci, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
A bachelor’s degree in physics can prepare an individual for a wide range
of careers but many students are not aware of the full range of employment
options available to them. The faculty in the Department of Physics and
Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire recognizes the chal-
lenges faced by graduates who want to apply what they have learned in col-
lege to careers that they begin after obtaining their bachelor’s degrees. We
have found that a pair of short courses that focus on career exploration and
the internship/job search significantly help our students find employment
after graduation. In this talk, we will describe these courses, our LabVIEW
certificate program, and the STEM recruiter position in our Admissions
Office. We will also give details on how our Career Services office interacts
with the Department of Physics and Astronomy to maximize the benefit
the office provides to our students.
FD03:
1:30-2 p.m. Physics Career Pathways Illustrated in the
Liberal Arts
Invited – Timothy N. Good, Gettysburg College, Physics Department, Get-
tysburg, PA 17325;
A recent analysis of data collected by the AIP SRC reveals that Gettysburg
College has both a strong record of granting physics bachelor’s degrees
compared to other liberal arts institutions and is among the national
leaders in terms of the percent of their recent physics bachelor’s recipients
who entered the STEM workforce within one year of earning the bachelor’s
degree. The college collaborated with the AIP Career Pathways team in a
study to learn, and then disseminate, effective practices. Herein we report
our findings; the significant factors are curriculum, climate, and commu-
nity. We will describe a flexible curriculum rich in one-to-one instruction
and advising, an energetic physics faculty devoted to “hands-on” laboratory
instruction across the major, the availability of independent research op-
portunities, and a departmental climate that nurtures community, fostering
a strong, positive relationship among physics majors at all levels and with
alumni participating in a vibrant colloquium series.
FD04:
2-2:30 p.m. Undergraduate Physics at UC Davis
Invited – Patricia C. Boeshaar, University of California, Davis, One Shields
Ave., Davis, CA 95616;
The physics program at UC Davis has seen our number of graduating
physics majors more than double in five years and the number of women
increase to approximately 25%. This success is due in part to incorporating
students’ suggestions throughout our program. On the pedagogical side,
three senior capstone courses offer an opportunity to try out a research
area in nuclear, particle, condensed matter physics, or cosmology. Our
Astrophysics Specialization plus five Applied Physics majors, as well as a
five-year BS in Physical Electronics with MS in Electrical Engineering have
attracted more multidisciplinary students. Scientific writing is emphasized
in our advanced labs and through the use of research wikis. A fall seminar
in career preparation is followed by spring seminar presentations by former
graduates. We offer undergraduate teaching assistant positions, both in
observational astronomy as well as pre-professional classes. Faculty along
with a staff coordinator are actively involved in advising students. An AIP
site visit report in 2011 cited many of the achievements of our program.
