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teachers may find the explicit evidenced-based scientific reasoning useful,
particularly for laboratories at the college level.
W25: What Every Physics Teacher Should Know About
Cognitive Research
Sponsor: Committee on Research in Physics Education
Co-sponsor: Committee on Physics in Pre-High School Education
Time: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $60
Non-Member Price: $85
Location: STSS 123
Chandralekha Singh, 221 A Allen Hall, Department of Physics, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213;
In the past few decades, cognitive research has made significant progress in
understanding how people learn. The understanding of cognition that has
emerged from this research can be particularly useful for physics instruc-
tion. We will discuss and explore, in a language accessible to everybody,
how the major findings of cognitive research can be applied to physics
teaching and assessment.
W26: Extreme Engineering for the H.S. Students & Teachers
Sponsor: Committee on Physics in High Schools
Time: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $60
Non-Member Price: $85
Location: STSS 432A
Ken Cecire, University of Notre Dame, Department of Physics, 225 Nieuw-
land Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556;
The Next Generation Science Standards strongly emphasize scientific and
engineering practices: this can be a challenge for physics teachers. Meet
this head on using data and design from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
at CERN. The LHC is not only at the forefront of physics research but
comprises some of the greatest engineering marvels of the 21st century. We
will use LHC data and design in scientific and engineering investigations
for your classroom and help you meet the new standards.
W27: Patterns Approach
Sponsor: Committee on Physics in High Schools
Time: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $70
Non-Member Price: $95
Location: STSS 530B
Bradford Hill;
Heather Moore, Jordan Pasqualin
Offered by AAPT’s 2014 Zitzewitz Award for Excellence in Pre-college Phys-
ics winner and collaborators
. The Patterns Approach for Physics is driven
by the recurring question: “How do we find and use patterns in nature
to predict the future and understand the past?” Students are continually
engaged in scientific practices, starting with anchoring experiments that
contextualize four common patterns in physics: linear, quadratic, inverse
and inverse square. Inquiry and engineering experiences serve to spiral
the anchoring patterns with new physics concepts, developing conceptual,
graphical, and symbolic understanding. Each experiment begins with an
initial guess that is contrasted with a data-informed prediction, found by
extrapolation of the pattern in the data. This allows students to explicitly
compare low- to high-evidence predictions and builds an experiential case
for why we engage in scientific practices. Creating models and discussing
their limitations is also key. The Patterns Approach has been used within
freshman and IB courses and is published in the March issue of
The Science
Teacher.
W28: Teaching Astronomy with Mobile Devices
Sponsor: Committee on Space Science and Astronomy
Time: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $20
Non-Member Price: $45
Location: STSS 330
Kevin Lee, 244D Jorgensen Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-
0299;
Kendra Sibbernsen
This workshop will cover many of the issues concerning usage of mobile
devices with students in astronomy classes. We will 1) survey the existing
simulations and apps available for teaching astronomy concepts, 2) dem-
onstrate and discuss experiences with Pearson’s advanced peer instruction
software Learning Catalytics, 3) discuss relevant issues such as what to
do about students who don’t have access to a mobile device and how you
keep students from using their mobile devices for other purposes in the
classroom, and 4) discuss recent trends in student ownership, use, and ca-
pability of mobile devices. Participants are encouraged to bring a relatively
recent mobile device (smartphone or tablet). We would like to thank the
NSF for funding under Grant No. 1044658.
W29: Demo Kit in a Box
Sponsor: Committee on Physics in High Schools
Time: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $70
Non-Member Price: $95
Location: STSS 312
Steve Lindaas, Minnesota State University Moorhead, 1104 7th Ave. South,
Moorhead, MN 56563;
Adam Beehler
Are you looking for easy ways to infuse inquiry into your classroom?
Don’t have a demo manager? We will help you establish having several
small demos conveniently packed into one box, ready for the classroom at
any moment. You may bring the box to your class and use the demos
to highlight lecture points, or use them when a student asks a question.
Use a “Just-In-Time” teaching approach but with a demo twist! We will
show you how to pack small demo kit boxes that pack a large instructional
punch. Participants will leave with demos and a box!.
W30: Interactive Engagement in the Upper Division:
Methods and Materials from CU-Boulder
Sponsor: Committee on Educational Technologies
Co-sponsor: Committee on Research in Physics Education
Time: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $72
Non-Member Price: $97
Location: STSS 412
Steven Pollock, University of Colorado, Department of Physics, 390 UCB,
Boulder, CO 80309;
Charles Baily, Marcos (Danny) Caballero, Bethany Wilcox
The physics department at the University of Colorado Boulder has been
developing active-learning materials and research-based assessments for
courses beyond the introductory level: Modern Physics, Math Methods/
Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Electrostatics & Electrody-
namics. We have shown that improved student learning can be achieved in
advanced courses by adopting and adapting student-centered pedagogies
and instructional techniques proven effective in introductory courses.
This workshop will provide participants with an overview of the research
base and course transformation process, along with a guided exploration
of our online resources. Discussions of how learning goals for advanced
courses differ from those for introductory courses will help you to adapt
these resources to your classroom. We will provide practical demonstra-
tions of how clicker questions and activities can be incorporated into
advanced courses. Please bring a laptop. (You will also receive a flash drive
containing a complete collection of our latest materials and assessments.
See
)
W31: Strengthening Mathematical Sensemaking in Physics
Sponsor: Committee on Research in Physics Education
Time: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $60
Non-Member Price: $85
Location: STSS 512B
Andrew Boudreaux, Department of Physics, Western Washington University,
516 High St., Bellingham, WA 98225-9164;
Suzanne Brahmia, Stephen Kanim
Physics Invention Tasks, a set of supplemental curricular materials appro-
priate for high school and college, provide students with opportunities for
