23
January 4–7, 2014
Free Commercial Workshops
CW01: Perimeter Institute: Hands-On Wave-Particle
Duality
Location: Salon 13
Date: Sunday, January 5
Time: 12–1 p.m.
Sponsor: Perimeter Institute
Leaders: Damian Pope, Kevin Donkers
Come explore the Challenge of Quantum Reality, a classroom resource
designed by educators in collaboration with Perimeter Institute researchers
to introduce senior physics students to the wonder and power of quantum
physics. Experience the electron double-slit experiment as you participate in
a hands-on classroom activity that will introduce the fundamental concepts
involved in wave-particle duality.
CW02: Perimeter Institute: Spicing Up Classical Physics
with Modern Examples
Location: Salon 13
Date: Sunday, January 5
Time: 2–3 p.m.
Sponsor: Perimeter Institute
Leaders: Damian Pope, Kevin Donkers, Greg Dick
Tired of using the same examples to illustrate concepts in classical physics
every year? Looking for ways to expose your students to modern physics
without taking up extra time? This session will show you that what you
do every day in class can easily be applied to new, interesting concepts in
modern physics. We will show you how to use dark matter in your lessons
about circular motion, how to do nuclear physics using electric fields, and
how to detect sub-atomic particles using conservation of momentum. Come
and see how modern physics can be explored within classical curriculum in
these easy-to-adapt examples for your classroom.
CW03: Perimeter Institute: Curved Space-time in the
Classroom
Location: Salon 13
Date: Monday, January 6
Time: 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Sponsor: Perimeter Institute
Leaders: Damian Pope, Kevin Donkers, Greg Dick
Join us and explore Revolutions in Science: What Keeps us Stuck to the
Earth?, a classroom resource designed by educators in collaboration with
Perimeter Institute researchers to introduce senior high school students to
the fascinating topic of general relativity. Through a simple hands-on activ-
ity, you will be thoroughly convinced that when you drop something, it does
not fall down, but instead, the ground accelerates up!
CW04: Perimeter Institute: Measuring Planck’s
Constant
Location: Salon 13
Date: Monday, January 6
Time: 12–1 p.m.
Sponsor: Perimeter Institute
Leaders: Damian Pope, Kevin Donkers, Greg Dick
Come explore Measuring Planck’s Constant, a classroom resource designed
by educators in collaboration with Perimeter Institute researchers to intro-
duce senior students to the basis of quantum mechanics. Using light emit-
ting diodes (LED’s), your students will accurately measure Planck’s constant,
the fundamental constant that defines the scale of quantum physics.
CW05: Improve Learning and Deter Cheating Using
Expert TA and OpenStax
Location: Salon 12
Date: Sunday, January 5
Time: 12–1 p.m.
Sponsor: Expert TA
Leader: Jeremy Morton
Expert TA is a commercial online homework and tutorial system for
introductory-level physics. It grades problems the way instructors do,
considering more than just the final numeric answer. Expert TA has
multi-step problems that involve more aspects of physics problem solving;
such as symbolic equations, FBDs, algorithmic numeric answers, etc. The
majority of our problems involve symbolic answers and our sophisticated
math engine grades them in detail. It identifies detailed mistakes within an
equation, deducts points, and provides specific feedback. Join us and learn
how you can customize assignments and how you can monitor grades and
student progress real-time; this includes being able to review detailed work
(not just numeric grades) as it happens. We will also discuss how we keep
problem solutions off the web and deter cheating. OpenStax College is a
nonprofit organization committed to improving student access to quality
learning materials by providing free, peer-reviewed textbooks. OpenStax
College has teamed up with Expert TA to provide an easy-to-use, affordable,
high-tech online homework system for their Physics customers.
CW06: Pearson author Paul Hewitt
Location: Salon 9
Date: Monday, January 6
Time: 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Sponsor: Pearson
Leader: Paul Hewitt
Please join us for a discussion with Pearson author Paul Hewitt regard-
ing changes and updates to the new 12th edition of his hallmark textbook,
Conceptual Physics.
Former silver-medal boxing champion, sign painter,
uranium prospector, and soldier, Paul began college at the age of 27, with
the help of the GI Bill. He pioneered the conceptual approach to teaching
physics at the City College of San Francisco. He has taught as a guest teacher
at various middle schools and high schools, the University of California at
both the Berkeley and Santa Cruz campuses, and the University of Hawaii
at both the Manoa and Hilo campuses. He also taught for 20 years at the
Exploratorium in San Francisco, which honored him with its Outstand-
ing Educator Award in 2000. He is the author of
Conceptual Physics
and a
co-author of
Conceptual Physical Science
and
Conceptual Physical Science
Explorations.
CW07: How WebAssign’s Online Homework Can Help
You Achieve Your Pedagogical Goals
Location: Salon 8
Date: Monday, January 6
Time: 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Sponsor: WebAssign
Leader: Matt Kohlmyer
Since 1997, WebAssign has been the online homework and assessment
system of choice for introductory physics lecture courses. Through our part-
nerships with all major academic publishers, WebAssign supports over 160
introductory physics textbooks with precoded, assignable questions, and
advanced learning tools. Additionally, WebAssign provides question collec-
tions authored by experienced physics educators and designed to strengthen
student skills and conceptual understanding. Learn about free resources
for WebAssign adopters, including research-based collection that stresses
physics education research principles and direct measurement videos that
help students to connect real-world scenarios and classroom physics. We
will also discuss a new question collection featuring feedback that addresses
student misconceptions, tutorials that step students through complex prob-
lems and concepts, and a personal study plan that helps improve students’
prerequisite math skills.
CW08: How to Use a Free, Peer-Reviewed Textbook
with Leading Online Homework System
Location: Salon 11
Date: Monday, January 6
Time: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sponsor: OpenStax College
Leader: David Harris
OpenStax College is a nonprofit organization committed to improving
student access to quality learning materials by providing free, peer-reviewed
textbooks. OpenStax College has teamed up with Sapling Learning, an
interactive online homework provider that is tested and proven to increase
student performance, comprehension, retention and problem-solving skills.
Learn how to utilize the free OpenStax College College Physics textbook
alongside the low-cost Sapling Learning product and provide your students
with an affordable, quality learning solution.
