93
July 26–30, 2014
Tuesday morning
a given year. For such a program to be sustained, it needs (at least) two
things: bigger partners, and ancillary missions. I will discuss how at UNC-
CH we have formed strong partnerships across the science departments,
and have embedded our program into the educational life of the College of
Arts & Sciences, allowing it to thrive even though we graduate only a small
number of (excellent!) physics teachers.
Session DC: Broader Perspectives on
Research in Learning Quantum
Mechanics
Location: STSS 312
Sponsor: Committee on International Physics Education
Co-Sponsor: Committee on Research in Physics Education
Date: Tuesday, July 29
Time: 8–10 a.m.
Presider: Genaro Zavala
DC01:
8:30-9 a.m. Integrating Concepts, Multimedia, and
Applications in Curricula for Quantum Mechanics
Invited – Manjula D. Sharma, University of Sydney, School of Physics, NSW
2006 Australia;
Significant research effort is dedicated to student learning of quantum
mechanics from the perspective of concepts, multimedia, and applications.
Our research covers this landscape for both school and university curri-
cula. An emergent finding from our studies is that a shifting focus through
Schwab’s common places (learner, teacher, subject matter and milieu)
balances as well as enriches the learning cycle. This innovative curriculum
design will be illustrated by two examples using “video slices” based on the
Brunner cycle. The first example, Meissner effect, has been trialled with
university students and in schools, while the second, MRI in medical imag-
ing, with schools. The role of whole class discussions compared with small
group work, as well as prior knowledge will be discussed. This curriculum
design has been successfully implemented across selected topics in physics;
those that are difficult to teach and/or poorly resourced. The resources are
widely used in senior high school physics across the state.
DC02:
8-8:30 a.m. Improving Students’ Understanding of
Quantum Mechanics
Invited – Chandralekha Singh, University of Pittsburgh, 3941 Ohara St.,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260;
Learning quantum mechanics is challenging, in part due to the abstract
nature of the subject. We have been conducting investigations of the diffi-
culties that students have in learning quantum mechanics. To help improve
student understanding of quantum concepts, we are developing quantum
interactive learning tutorials (QuILTs) as well as tools for peer-instruction.
The goal of QuILTs and peer-instruction tools is to actively engage students
in the learning process and to help them build links between the formalism
and the conceptual aspects of quantum physics without compromising the
technical content. They focus on helping students integrate qualitative and
quantitative understanding, and discriminate between concepts that are
often confused. In this talk, I will discuss a theoretical framework to un-
derstand students’ difficulties with quantum mechanics and give examples
of how students’ prior knowledge relevant for quantum mechanics can be
assessed, and how learning tools can be designed to help students develop
a robust knowledge structure and critical thinking skills.
DC03:
9-9:10 a.m. The UK Institute of Physics Quantum
Physics Resources
Contributed – Derek Raine,* University of Leicester Centre for Interdisciplin-
ary Science, Leicester, LE1 7RH United Kingdom;
The Quantum Physics project quantumphysics.iop.org of the UK Institute
of Physics aims to support a modern approach to the teaching of introduc-
tory quantum mechanics based on two-level systems. The freely avail-
able online instructional materials include texts written by experts in the
field, interactive simulations, activities and problems, with multiple paths
through the material. This approach immediately immerses students in
quantum phenomena that have no classical analog, using simpler math-
ematical tools that allow a greater focus on conceptual understanding. It
allows from the start a discussion of interpretative aspects of quantum
mechanics and quantum information theory. This presentation will give an
overview of the online resources and the rationale behind the project.
*Sponsored by Antje Kohnle
DC04:
9:10-9:20 a.m. Interactive Simulations to Support
Quantum Mechanics Learning and Teaching
Contributed– Antje S. Kohnle, University of St. Andrews, School of Physics
and Astronomy, St Andrews, KY16 9SS UK;
The QuVis Quantum Mechanics Visualization project
.
ac.uk/physics/quvis) consists of research-based interactive simulations
with accompanying activities for the learning and teaching of quantum
mechanics at university level. Simulations support model-building by
reducing complexity, focusing on fundamental ideas and making the
invisible visible. They promote engaged exploration, sense-making, and
linking of multiple representations, and include high levels of interactiv-
ity and direct feedback. This presentation will give an overview of the
QuVis simulations embedded in the Institute of Physics Quantum Physics
resources and describe recent evaluation efforts using student surveys and
pre- and post-tests to assess learning gains. It will also describe recent work
on further simulation development, including the move to HTML5. QuVis
is supported by the UK Institute of Physics, the UK Higher Education
Academy and the University of St. Andrews.
DC05:
9:20-9:30 a.m. Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial
(QuILT) on Larmor Precession of Spin
Contributed – Benjamin R. Brown, University of Pittsburgh, 100 Allen Hall,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260;
Chandralekha Singh, University of Pittsburgh
We have been conducting research to develop and assess a quantum
interactive learning tutorial (QuILT) on Larmor precession of spin to help
students learn about the time dependence of expectation values in quan-
tum mechanics. The QuILT builds on students’ prior knowledge and helps
them organize their knowledge hierarchically. It adapts visualization tools
to help students build physical intuition about these topics. Details of the
development and assessment will be discussed. This work is supported by
the National Science Foundation.
DC06:
9:30-9:40 a.m. Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial
(QuILT) on Quantum Eraser
Contributed – Emily M. Marshman, University of Pittsburgh, Department of
Physics and Astronomy, Pittsburgh, PA 15260;
Chandralekha Singh, University of Pittsburgh
We are developing and assessing a quantum interactive learning tutorial
(QuILT) on quantum erasure. The quantum eraser apparatus uses a Mach
Zehnder Interferometer with single photons, and exposes students to
contemporary applications of quantum mechanics. The QuILT strives to
help students develop the ability to apply quantum principles in physical
situations, explore differences between classical and quantum ideas, and
organize knowledge hierarchically. The QuILTs adapt existing visualization
tools to help students build physical intuition about non-intuitive quantum
phenomena. Details of the development and assessment will be discussed.
This work is supported by the National Science Foundation.
DC07:
9:40-9:50 a.m. Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial
(QuILT) on Quantum Key Distribution
Contributed – Seth T. DeVore, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Phys-
ics and Astronomy, Pittsburgh, PA 15260-3583;
Chandralekha Singh, University of Pittsburgh
We have been conducting research and developing and assessing a quan-
tum interactive learning tutorial (QuILT) on quantum key distribution to
