July 26–30, 2014
69
Monday afternoon
and checking for gaps in their understanding, but what can be done to
hurry the process along? In the context of a lab-based reflection activ-
ity, we have collected written and video data, with twin goals of guiding
modification to the instruction and contributing to the knowledge base on
student metacognition. This talk will describe the instructional approach
and illustrate specific modes of student reflection.
*Work supported by NSF DUE-1245993.
CB03:
5-5:30 p.m. Epistemic Impact on Metacognition in
Cooperative Group Problem Solving
1
Invited – Andrew Mason, University of Central Arkansas, Lewis Science
Center, Conway, AR 72035-0001;
Charles Bertram, Cassandra Lange, University of Central Arkansas
Cognitive apprenticeship for physics problem solving has been demon-
strated to show potential for students to reflect upon their problem solving
attempts. In the context of introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS), a
concern exists that non-physics science majors may have attitudes towards
physics that mitigate the efficacy of a metacognitive problem solving exer-
cise. A weekly metacognitive intervention adapted from Yerushalmi et al.
(2012) was administered in a lab group problem solving setting for a first
semester algebra-based introductory physics course. MPEX and CLASS
surveys were used in a pre-post format for respectively the fall 2013 and
spring 2014 semesters. Other forms of data include written artifacts from
the students themselves about aspects of problem solving with which they
struggled, as well as an end-of-semester survey about the usefulness of the
exercise. We discuss the effectiveness of the reflection task with respect to
the students’ attitudes towards problem solving.
1. E. Yerushalmi, E. Cohen, A. Mason, and C. Singh (2012),
Phys. Rev. ST-PER
8
(2),
020109 and 020110. (two papers)
CB04:
5:30-6 p.m. Metacognitive Intercessions in Student
Conceptions
Invited – Adam Johnston, Weber State University, Ogden, UT 84408-2508;
Eric Amsel Weber State University
Research in conceptual change is clear: Students cannot simply process in-
formation, but must also actively reflect upon and contrast it to what they
already know, even when the preexisting knowledge isn’t well articulated
to them. Our work sets up various prompts before asking conceptual ques-
tions to see if we can activate student metacognition, as well as to see the
extent to which these activations change student responses to such ques-
tions. In particular, we prompt students to consider how an expert in the
field would respond to particular questions, or how students themselves
would respond to the same prompts when considering different charac-
terizations of what they know (e.g., “belief” vs. “knowledge”). Our work
compares these strategies in introductory physics courses to introductory
psychology courses to further examine the kinds of metacognitive skills
and misconceptions students have in different disciplines.
Session CC: Panel – The Work of the
Undergraduate Curriculum Task Force
Location: Tate Lab 133
Sponsor: Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education
Date: Monday, July 28
Time: 4–6 p.m.
Presider: Ernie Behringer
The AAPT established the Undergraduate Curriculum Task Force
(UCTF), in part, to develop specific, multiple recommendations for coher-
ent and relevant undergraduate curricula. Please join your colleagues dur-
ing this discussion to hear a brief summary of the work of the UCTF and
to discuss significant curricular issues, including content, implementation,
and assessment with UCTF members.
Panelists:
Andrew Gavrin, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Joseph Kozminski, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
Beth Cunningham, American Association of Physics Teachers
Session CD: Perspectives in
Particle Physics
Location: STSS 312
Sponsor: Committee on Physics in High Schools
Date: Monday, July 28
Time: 4–5:30 p.m.
Presider: Ken Cecire
CD01:
4-4:30 p.m. The Future of Particle Physics Outreach
and Education
Invited – Daniel Cronin-Hennessy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
55455-0213;
Particle physics is more compelling than ever due to the excitement from
the discovery of the Higgs boson and other boundaries broken by the Large
Hardron Collider at CERN as well as the ongoing mysteries of neutrino
physics, dark matter, and dark energy. Much of this story has yet to be told
to the public and in our schools. Last summer, the Community Summer
Study was held at the University of Minnesota to chart a recommended
course for the particle physics community in the U.S. in the coming years.
Among these recommendations was a robust program of education, out-
reach, and public engagement. We will examine these recommendations
and discuss what they mean for physics education.
CD02:
4:30-5 p.m. High School Students Exploring the World of
Particle Physics
Invited – Shane Wood, Irondale High School, 2425 Long Lake Road, St.
Paul, MN 55112;
With the 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider
(LHC) in addition to the popularity of the television sitcom “Big Bang
Theory,” many high school students today have at least heard of CERN, the
LHC, and the Higgs boson. Students are often excited by the cutting-edge
nature of this research and may wonder how it relates to topics studied in
their introductory physics class. This talk will focus on opportunities for
high school teachers and students to investigate the world of quarks and
leptons using real data from the LHC through particle physics masterclass-
es and e-Labs, while covering required standards, including many Next
Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
