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Agenda Preview

Sessions & Panels

• • • AAPT Council Meeting

    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

  • • Bauder Endowment Committee

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    • Type: Committee Meeting

  • • Governance Structure Committee

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    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Special Workshop for Section Representatives

  • • Special Workshop for Section Representatives

    • EVT0
    • Sun 01/04, 9:00AM - 12:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting
    • At the Minneapolis Meeting, attending section reps/officers had a discussion about advocacy and spent time in one-to-one discussion about possible Physics advocacy ideas to address issues in their Section. This workshop will follow up on these discussions to craft specific advocacy messages and outreach efforts. You need not have attended this meeting to enroll in this workshop; all are welcome. While we tend to think on a national level and typically only politically when we consider advocacy, it does not need to be limited to those areas. While national efforts are certainly worthy topics, thinking locally or at the state level are equally important. Thinking not just politically but community-based, school district, or state science offices or departments are valid venues as well. We can continue to bemoan the current state of affairs in the Physics community or we can begin to act at multiple levels to effect positive change in the broader community’s opinions and perceptions of Physics.

• 30 Demos in 60 Minutes

  • • 30 Demos in 60 Minutes

    • AE
    • Sun 01/04, 11:00AM - 12:00PM
    • by Wendy Adams
    • Type: Panel
    • Come enjoy a fast paced session of great demos!

• AAPT Council Meeting

  • • AAPT Council Meeting

    • COM22
    • Sun 01/04, 8:30PM - 10:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• AAPT Fun Run/Walk

  • • AAPT Fun Run/Walk

    • EVT11
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00AM - 8:00AM
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    • Type: Event

• AAPT Symposium on Physics Education and Public Policy

  • • AAPT Symposium on Physics Education and Public Policy

    • PL05
    • Tue 01/06, 2:00PM - 3:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary
    • Policymakers formulate decisions everyday that impact curriculum, standards, funding, and many other aspects of physics education at all levels. AAPT works with a number of partners to keep policymakers informed on the views of physics educators and to suggest appropriate policy options within the Association’s sphere of influence. This session brings together individuals who play pivotal roles in helping to shape policies and who provide information to policymakers. We hope to provide a look at the process of policy making as well as actions you might make to contribute to decisions about policies affecting physics and STEM education.

• AIP Gemant Award – presented to Sean Carroll

  • • AIP Gemant Award – presented to Sean Carroll

    • PL06
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00PM - 8:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary
    • Sean Carroll is a physicist at the California Institute of Technology. Raised in Yardley, PA, he received his PhD in 1993 from Harvard University, and has worked at MIT, the Institute for Theoretical Physics at UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Chicago. His research focuses on theoretical physics and cosmology, especially the origin and constituents of the universe. He has contributed to models of interactions between dark matter, dark energy, and ordinary matter; alternative theories of gravity; violations of fundamental symmetries; and the arrow of time. Carroll is the author of The Particle at the End of the Universe, From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time, and the textbook Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity. He has been awarded fellowships by the Sloan Foundation, Packard Foundation, and the American Physical Society. He frequently consults for film and television, and has been featured on television shows such as “The Colbert Report”, PBS’s “Nova” and “Through the Wormhole” with Morgan Freeman. This event will be held off-site at the Fleet Center. Buses will leave the Grande Foyer of the Sheraton 6:15 p.m. Tickets available at the AAPT Registration Desk.

• ALPhA Committee

  • • ALPhA Committee

    • COM07
    • Sat 01/03, 5:30PM - 7:00PM
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    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall

  • • Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall

    • EXH05
    • Sun 01/04, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

  • • Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Hall

    • EXH09
    • Mon 01/05, 3:00PM - 3:30PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Amercian Express Gift Card Drawing

  • • Amercian Express Gift Card Drawing

    • EXH06
    • Sun 01/04, 3:45PM - 4:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Area Chairs Orientation & Programs I

  • • Area Chairs Orientation & Programs I

    • COM06
    • Sat 01/03, 5:30PM - 8:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Assessing Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for Teaching K-12 Physics

  • • Employing Distractor-Driven Assessments in Measuring Teacher SMK and PCK

    • GC01
    • Tue 01/06, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
    • by Philip Sadler
    • Type: Invited
    • Two exceeding simple measures of science teacher knowledge are investigated using distractor-driven assessments based upon the content of the National Research Council's Science Education Standards. Items are designed to force a choice between well-documented misconceptions and accepted scientific concepts. As a measure of SMK teachers select the correct answer. As a measure of PCK, teachers select what they believe to be the most popular student choice among the wrong answers, deemed PCK-M. We find that high SMK is a necessary, but not sufficient, predictor of high PCK-M. Examples are given for physical and life sciences at the primary, middle, and high school level. Using both measures, and a host of control variables, we examine knowledge gains for 9556 students of 181 middle school physical science teachers. We find that teacher SMK is a strong predictor of student gains on concepts not associated with students misconceptions. However, we find that only teachers who have both PCK-M and SMK (but not SMK alone) facilitate student gains for physical science concepts that are associated with strong student misconceptions. We find that this new measure of PCK is easy to assess and should be part of every teacher preparation, professional development, and state certification program for teachers of science.

  • • Assessing Specialized Content Knowledge for Teaching Energy in HS Physics

    • GC02
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by Lane Seeley
    • Type: Invited
    • Content knowledge for teaching energy (CKT-E) is the specialized content knowledge that teachers use or need to support student's productive scientific engagement with energy concepts and analysis. We will describe a set of assessment items that we have created to specifically probe the CKT-E that is relevant for recognizing and responsively engaging with the energy ideas of HS physics students. We will share results from pilot studies of over 500 HS physics teachers and analyze responses to both multiple choice and constructed response items. We will highlight the example of the use of systems for energy analysis that we have found to be both particularly relevant and conspicuously incomplete among many of the HS physics teachers surveyed. This work was supported in part by NSF grant DRL-1222732.

  • • Change in Teachers' Views about Energy in the MainePSP*

    • GC03
    • Tue 01/06, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
    • by Carolina Alvarado
    • Type: Contributed
    • The Maine Physical Sciences Partnership is an NSF-funded project to improve the teaching and learning of the physical sciences in grades 6-9. As part of the project, teachers have answered questions on a specially designed survey about energy. In one question about a block sliding down a ramp, teachers are asked to give a correct answer, predict and explain the most common incorrect student answer, and describe what they might do in class if a student gave that answer. We discuss the differences found in teachers' responses in two consecutive years of PD. We observe a refinement in teachers' interpretation of energy transformation, transference and conservation; in the recognition of the knowledge of student ideas; and a change in the pedagogical approach they consider to use when facing the students' alternative conceptions in the classroom. *Supported in part by NSF grant #0962805

  • • Developing PCK in Physics Teachers: Collaboration Between Scientist and Educator

    • GC05
    • Tue 01/06, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
    • by William Stoll
    • Type: Contributed
    • Effective pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) integrating the expertise ofphysics content knowledge with pedagogical methods is a challenge in pre-service science teacher preparation. A unique physics class designed to develop pre-service teachers' PCK focused on facilitating deep conceptual understanding in high-school physics students is the focus of this presentation. The course collaboratively developed and co-taught by physics and science education faculty integrated physics content with a conceptual change pedagogy in a modeled environment. In addition, the course was designed around providing students a practical teaching component -- leading mini-lessons in a SCALE-UP undergraduate physics class. First year results show the teacher candidates exhibiting a growing awareness of the important role students' ideas play in the teaching and learning of physics; an increase in both their physics conceptual knowledge and their confidence in understanding of physics; but limited confidence in applying teaching for conceptual change.

  • • How Do We Promote PCK Development? Model Its Use Ourselves!*

    • GC06
    • Tue 01/06, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
    • by Gay Stewart
    • Type: Contributed
    • At WVU we are developing an instructional program to better promote PCK inour pre-service teachers. At University of Arkansas we were part of a successful PhysTEC implementation, expanded by an NSF Noyce scholarship program. Our students are exposed to the use of pedagogy built upon an understanding of how students learn in their own introductory courses. They are then brought into those courses as apprentice teachers, with topic-specific teaching preparation each week, including the most useful forms of representing and communicating content and how students best learn the specific concepts to be covered (Shulman, 1987). Acquiring this sophisticated knowledge and developing a practice that is different from what teachers themselves experienced as students requires learning opportunities that are more powerful than reading and talking about new pedagogical ideas (Ball & Cohen, 1996). We ease this transition by providing both the powerful opportunity and building upon how they were taught. *This work supported in part by the PhysTEC and the Noyce program through grants DUE-9455732 PHY-0108787 and DUE-0733841

• Astronomy Poster

  • • Learning About the Moon: Results from a First-year Pilot Study

    • PST1A01
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Doug Lombardi
    • Type: Poster
    • Students often encounter alternative explanations about a phenomenon. However, inconsistent with scientific practice, students may not be critically evaluative when comparing alternatives. Critical evaluation is the process of weighing connections between evidence and explanations, and we have been developing instructional scaffolds, called model-evidence link (MEL) diagrams, to facilitate critical evaluation about Earth and space science topics. MELs were originally developed by researchers at Rutgers University and we have applied their design to new topics. Our poster focuses on one of these, covering a topic related to our Solar System's evolution: the Moon Formation MEL. In it, students critically evaluate evidence toward either a great impact or capture event in creating Earth's Moon. We will discuss the results of a study revealing how the instructional scaffold impacts student understanding about how our Moon came to be. *The material will be based upon work supported by the NSF under Grant No. DRL-131605. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the NSF's views.

  • • A Detailed Analysis of Emission Lines in Novae

    • PST1A02
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Glenda Denicolo
    • Type: Poster
    • Emission lines in the spectrum of novae are often heavily blended, even for low dispersion observations, hindering the study of the individual line behavior. We have modeled the optical emisson line spectra of nova KT Eri with using a chi-square minimization routine. Over 30 emission lines were fitted, whereas many were initially confirmed in high-resolution spectra. We have kept a constant line profile (central peak, and broad component when present) for the transitions of the same ion. The intensity of several lines was linked by transition probabilities, and case B recombination ratios. Hydrogen lines were fitted with blue, central and red gaussian components, whereas most other lines were sufficiently well fitted with single gaussians. [O III] and [Ne III] lines had the same broad profile and were modeled with four gaussians each. We study the time-evolution of several lines from day 30 to 100 after maximum for the nova KT Eri. The relation between the onset of the super-soft X-ray emission and evolution of optical spectral lines is also investigated.

• Awards Committee (Closed)

  • • Awards Committee (Closed)

    • COM23
    • Mon 01/05, 7:30AM - 9:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Best Practices in Educational Technology

  • • On SmartBoards

    • AC01
    • Sun 01/04, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
    • by Chris Roderick
    • Type: Invited
    • Interactive white boards provide extraordinary opportunities for teachers,students (as individuals), and classes (as a whole) to model, practice, document, and engage in physics education. Some of the ways in which a SmartBoard can be used to manifest the process of abstraction, and to facilitate the visualization and manipulation of physical concepts, will be put into practice, live.

  • • Technology to Foster Active Learning

    • AC02
    • Sun 01/04, 10:30AM - 11:00AM
    • by Manher Jariwala
    • Type: Invited
    • Two years ago, Boston University inaugurated its first studio classroom, the latest step in a series of efforts over the last two decades to transform undergraduate STEM education across campus through the effective use of technology. We describe the technological design and implementation of the new flat classroom, which encourages students to work together in class on minds-on and hands-on activities, supported by a cohesive teaching staff of faculty, graduate student Teaching Fellows, and undergraduate Learning Assistants. Moreover we describe how the blend of different technologies allows the teaching staff to better structure and assess the classroom learning experience, thus fostering faculty engagement in the use of evidence-based pedagogical tools as well as enhancing faculty-student interactions. By focusing on supporting the professional development of present as well as future faculty, we seek to reinforce and expand greater campus adoption of best practices in educational technology.

  • • Interactive Video Vignettes: Research-based Online Activities

    • AC03
    • Sun 01/04, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by Robert Teese
    • Type: Invited
    • Interactive Video Vignettes are online presentations that make use of active-learning strategies developed through Physics Education Research. They typically focus on a single topic, are short (5-10 minutes), and use multiple-choice questions, branching and video analysis for interactivity. The LivePhoto Physics Group is creating both a set of exemplary vignettes that are being tested at several institutions and also Vignette Studio software that anyone can use to make their own vignettes. The project's first workshop on making vignettes was held at the 2014 Summer Meeting of the AAPT. The current status, recent research results, and future directions of the project will be described. Supported by NSF grants DUE-1123118 & DUE-1122828.

  • • Reimagining Best Practices in Technology-Enhanced Physics Teacher Education

    • AC04
    • Sun 01/04, 11:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by Marina Milner-Bolotin
    • Type: Invited
    • Investigating and promoting best practices in teaching and learning have always occupied a prominent place in science education. From Socratic questioning to modern day technology-enhanced pedagogies, such as Peer Instruction, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations, simulation-enhanced pedagogies, educators have been looking for ways to engage students in meaningful science learning. However, frequently technology becomes a fad imposed on teachers, where, the technological tail wags the pedagogical dog. In this presentation I will invite you to re-examine the technology-enhanced pedagogical practices in physics teacher education. We will first question the applicability of the concept of "best pedagogical practice" itself and examine a number of research-informed "best practices" currently implemented in physics teacher education. We will also consider how prospective physics teachers can be engaged in creating their own "best technology-enhanced practices" that suit their views and goals of physics education and help them become the best physics teachers they can be.

• Beyond the MOOCs: The Impact of Open Online Courses on Teaching and Education Research

  • • Lessons Learned Implementing Online Education at the University of Arkansas

    • CG01
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by John Stewart
    • Type: Invited
    • The calculus-based physics sequence at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville was revised to feature inquiry-based methods as part of the PhysTEC project in 2001. Since this time, the sequence has been a key component to the exceptional growth of the undergraduate physics program and its production of physics teachers. In line with the university system's strategic goals for online education, online lecture sections were added to the sequence in the spring 2013 semester. To improve ease of transfer between university campuses, the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville began offering its first-semester, calculus-based physics class online to other campuses of the University of Arkansas during the fall 2013 semester. This required the production of online laboratories. These laboratories used a mix of simulations and video recording of experiments to replace face-to-face laboratories. Our experiences with taking a very well understood and highly successful course sequence online have been mixed. Some experiences suggest that online options can be an effective replacement of face-to-face options; some experiences suggest that caution is appropriate when considering replacing face-to-face experiences with online options.

  • • A Data-Driven Exploration of MIT MOOCs

    • CG02
    • Sun 01/04, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Daniel Seaton
    • Type: Invited
    • Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provide tremendous opportunities to study the learning behavior of diverse student populations on an unprecedented scale. This talk will be grounded in data gathered from over 30 MIT MOOCs (MITx), where across courses, over 1 million enrollees have generated greater than one terabyte of course-interaction data. Variations in the behavior and backgrounds of participants are abundant, indicating a need to move beyond simple metrics, such as certification rates, in describing participant activity. Analysis of video watching will highlight variation in participant content use, while summaries of enrollee demographics will simultaneously provide backgrounds and offer some explanation of participant video watching behavior. In addition, a reconceptualization of MOOC participants will be offered by highlighting a substantial number of enrolled teachers within the most recent analysis of spring 2014 MIT MOOCs.

  • • Adapting Physics MOOCs to Reality

    • CG03
    • Sun 01/04, 5:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by Charles Holbrow
    • Type: Invited
    • To date, most physics MOOCs have resembled traditional university-level physics courses, and, with large production and management teams and high production values, they have been expensive to make. Data show that physics MOOCs are taken not so much by college-age students as by mature, experienced learners. Designers of physics MOOCs have learned from their first efforts, and they are starting to produce physics MOOCs that are less like traditional courses and intended for people who are not college students. I will describe three such MOOCs, two developed at MIT and one proposed for Colgate University. I will also talk about blending online and face-to-face instruction. I will suggest ways for AAPT to help its members create and publish their own online instructional materials.

• Biophysics Labs Beyond the First Year

  • • Guiding the Transition: Biophysics Laboratory on Research Design and Implementation

    • FB01
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by Philbert Tsai
    • Type: Invited
    • We present the design and implementation of a laboratory course for physics/biophysics seniors and first-year physics and biology graduate students. This hands-on course is based on table-top exercises and quarter-long projects across a broad spectrum of biophysical topics including fluorescence microscopy, pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance, electromyographic recording, two-photon and second-harmonic scanning microscopy, microbial growth, fly olfaction, and visual encoding on the fly. Students are encouraged to select a project for which they have little or no previous experience. No formal instruction manual is available for the student projects. Instead, students are given access to the final reports of previous students and guided in performing literature searches for background and experimental details. Equipment manuals are provided. An emphasis is placed on teaching students to design, implement, and troubleshoot their own variants of a project. The course therefore serves to transition students from manual-based experimentation to independent research projects.

  • • Tethered Particle Motion with Single DNA Molecules

    • FB02
    • Mon 01/05, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
    • by Allen Price
    • Type: Invited
    • I will present a method for measuring the Brownian motion of microbeads tethered to surfaces by individual DNAs. The data can be used to test models of tethered particle motion and to determine the spring constant of the DNA. The method is suitable for integration into upper-division undergraduate physics or biology labs. In the method, modified Lambda DNAs are attached to functionalized glass coverslips and tethered to commercially available microbeads. Capillary action is used to load samples into a sample cell and data is collected using a webcam mounted on an upright microscope. Video data can be tracked manually using freely available software and analyzed in a number of ways. Sample lab protocols and material lists are available.

  • • Radar Systems for Biometric Experiments in Advanced Labs

    • FB03
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
    • by Douglas Petkie
    • Type: Contributed
    • There are several commercial radar sensor modules in the 24-35 GHz region that we have used for both undergraduate research projects and for an advanced laboratory course. These simple modules provide a powerful capability to combine electronics, data acquisition, signal processing, optics, and electromagnetic topics to explore any one of a number of physics-based applications that include biometric sensing. The continuous-wave homodyne I/Q architecture of these radar modules allow Doppler signatures to be measured to sense displacement, physiological signatures, such as heart beat and respiration rates, and micro-Doppler signatures to study intricate dynamical systems, such as human gait. We will describe a series of systems and experiments that have been performed that incorporate these topics.

• Bringing the New Physics Teachers Workshop (NPTW) to San Diego High School Teachers.

  • • Bringing the New Physics Teachers Workshop (NPTW) to San Diego High School Teachers.

    • EVT17
    • Sun 01/04, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event
    • For the past three years, workshops specifically directed at new physics teachers have been conducted in the Los Angeles area. These workshops are held on a Saturday three times a year and involve four experienced teachers working with teachers who have fewer than five years of experience teaching physics. Each of the three workshops spend a full day concentrating on topics that the new teachers will most likely to encounter in the next few months. There are demonstrations, teaching ideas, discussions of problems and each afternoon several labs are conducted to give the participants hands on experience with the equipment. This session will give a brief view of how the workshops are run with demonstrations and discussions. Both new and experienced teachers from the San Diego area are strongly encouraged to attend and learn how the NPTW concept can be extended to the San Diego area.

• Career Pathways - Mentoring Undergraduates

  • • Career Pathways - Mentoring Undergraduates

    • EA
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Toni Sauncy
    • Type: Panel
    • This tutorial/workshop style session will feature results from the American Institute of Physics (AIP) Career Pathways Project. While Physics departments do an excellent job of preparing students for physics graduate school, the statistics show that 40% of all physics majors in the United States opt to enter the workforce after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. AIP conducted an NSF-funded research effort to understand, compile and disseminate effective practices for preparing undergraduate physics students to enter the STEM workforce. Several results have emerged, including a unique set of resources for students and a guide for faculty. If you are interested in learning about how to educate your students (and your colleagues) about the multitude of career pathways made possible by a bachelor’s degree in physics and learning how to best prepare students for those career opportunities, then this session is for you!

• Challenges with Sea-Based Naval Operations and Unmanned Aerial System Integration

  • • The Sea-based Environment -- General Description of the Problem

    • CA01
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Robert Rutherford
    • Type: Invited
    • Since the dawn of warfare, naval operations have provided a significant element to the battle space. The power that controls the sea in a combat theater has historically enjoyed an insurmountable advantage and achieved predictable outcomes in regional conflicts. Air capable ships; aircraft carriers that support mainly fixed wing aircraft and smaller surface combatants that support helicopters; provide an additional dimension to sea based combat. This capability doesn't come without challenges however. This session will set the stage for the two sessions that follow. It will describe the operational environment and the corresponding considerations that must be made to effectively operate manned or unmanned aircraft from sea going vessels. This will include an unclassified primer on basic sea based tactics and typical operational flows for both carrier ops and independent surface combatants. The session closes with a summary of the operator training specific and unique to the maritime combat environment.

  • • Aircraft Carrier Equipment Introduction

    • CA02
    • Sun 01/04, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Tom Conklin
    • Type: Invited
    • Aircraft carrier operations are often described as precisely controlled chaos. On a flight deck that is 1092 ft long and 257 ft wide, the carrier/air wing team conducts daily flight operations that rival some of the nation's larger airports, and they do it on a moving platform no matter the conditions. In this session we will discuss how aircraft are launched and recovered on the carrier using some new and some not so new technology. As well, we will discuss the tools that aviators have to navigate in and around the carrier environment and land during all-weather operations, and how these have improved over the years.

  • • X-47B U.S. Navy's First Carrier Capable Unmanned Air System (UAS)

    • CA03
    • Sun 01/04, 5:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by Tighe Parmenter
    • Type: Invited
    • This session will examine the technical and operational aspects of the U.S. Navy/Northrop Grumman Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration (UCAS-D) program and the X-47B prototype UAS. The presentation will highlight the technical challenges and achievements of the program from concept development through flight test and demonstration at-sea on USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in the summer of 2013. Designed by Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy beginning in 2007, the X-47B aircraft achieved the goal of showing that a UAS can integrate seamlessly with and operate from an aircraft carrier during at-sea periods in 2013 and 2014. The presentation will discuss the unique design attributes and flying qualities of the tailless X-47B aircraft the challenges of developing and adapting existing carrier command, control and operating procedures designed for manned aircraft to the standards necessary to support carrier UAS operations.

• Committee on Apparatus

  • • Committee on Apparatus

    • COM28
    • Mon 01/05, 5:30PM - 7:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Diversity in Physics

  • • Committee on Diversity in Physics

    • COM26
    • Mon 01/05, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Educational Technologies

  • • Committee on Educational Technologies

    • COM24
    • Mon 01/05, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Governance Structure (COGS)

  • • Committee on Governance Structure (COGS)

    • COM12
    • Sun 01/04, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Graduate Education in Physics

  • • Committee on Graduate Education in Physics

    • COM25
    • Mon 01/05, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on History & Philosophy in Physics

  • • Committee on History & Philosophy in Physics

    • COM17
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on International Physics Education

  • • Committee on International Physics Education

    • COM29
    • Mon 01/05, 5:30PM - 7:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Laboratories

  • • Committee on Laboratories

    • COM18
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Physics in High Schools

  • • Committee on Physics in High Schools

    • COM19
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Physics in Pre-High School Education

  • • Committee on Physics in Pre-High School Education

    • COM30
    • Mon 01/05, 5:30PM - 7:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges

  • • Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges

    • COM20
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education

  • • Committee on Physics in Undergraduate Education

    • COM14
    • Sun 01/04, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Professional Concerns

  • • Committee on Professional Concerns

    • COM31
    • Mon 01/05, 5:30PM - 7:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Research in Physics Education (RiPE)

  • • Committee on Research in Physics Education (RiPE)

    • COM21
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on SI Units and Metric Education

  • • Committee on SI Units and Metric Education

    • COM34
    • Mon 01/05, 5:30PM - 6:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Science Education for the Public

  • • Committee on Science Education for the Public

    • COM27
    • Mon 01/05, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Space Science and Astronomy

  • • Committee on Space Science and Astronomy

    • COM32
    • Mon 01/05, 5:30PM - 7:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Teacher Preparation

  • • Committee on Teacher Preparation

    • COM15
    • Sun 01/04, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on Women in Physics

  • • Committee on Women in Physics

    • COM16
    • Sun 01/04, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Committee on the Interests of Senior Physicists

  • • Committee on the Interests of Senior Physicists

    • COM13
    • Sun 01/04, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Decreasing Stereotype Threat in Discourse and Assessment

  • • Stereotype Threat and Female Performance in Secondary Physics Courses

    • BD01
    • Sun 01/04, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
    • by Gwen Marchand
    • Type: Invited
    • This talk will discuss findings from quasi-experimental, school-based research as to the effects of different aspects of stereotype threat in assessment instructions on secondary student performance in physics. Using this work as a springboard, the presentation will include consideration of situational, personal, and assessment factors that may influence the role of stereotype threat in physics courses, with particular attention to motivational and affective course-related processes and the nature of assessment. Drawing on data collected with secondary physics students, the talk will explore the role that motivational factors may play in females' vulnerability to stereotype threat in physics courses. Ways to facilitate a positive motivational climate both during instruction and assessment in physics courses will be discussed.

  • • Evidence for a Model to Decrease Stereotype Threat in Assessments

    • BD02
    • Sun 01/04, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
    • by Dedra Demaree
    • Type: Invited
    • Collaborating with the University of Cape Town, the work discussed in thistalk has centered on studying what impacts how a student responds to various wordings of physics question in different contexts. This work has led to the development of a cognitive model for activation of resources and effective use of working memory during problem solving. This talk will share research findings from a few projects where the same physics content was presented, in the same context, but with subtle wording changes that attended to affective factors such as what the audience a student addressed on a written question. These projects include the wording of a lab worksheet, and the words said when giving a clicker question. Our findings indicate that attending to affect changes how students respond, and applying our cognitive model to improve question wording has the potential to positively impact student engagement and performance.

  • • Student-Driven Efforts to Promote Equality in STEM at CSM

    • BD03
    • Sun 01/04, 3:00PM - 3:10PM
    • by Libby Booton
    • Type: Contributed
    • When the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) hosted a CUWiP in 2013, there was a significant number of male attendees, which generated some controversy. However, it also inspired the formation of a new club at CSM: Equality Through Awareness (ETA). ETA’s mission is to spread awareness and support for issues faced by underrepresented groups in STEM fields. In addition, ETA serves as an affinity group for the women in physics at Mines. The club’s three main components are: weekly student-only discussion groups, guest speakers who are members of underrepresented groups, and a mentoring program for women. This presentation will discuss how the club was formed, its organizational structure, and plans for future growth.

• Department Lab Assessment

  • • Strategies and Goals for Assessment in Lab Courses

    • BG01
    • Sun 01/04, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
    • by Benjamin Zwickl
    • Type: Invited
    • Assessment has many goals, ranging from promoting student learning in the classroom to evaluating the effectiveness of widely disseminated curricula. Assessment spans scales from individual students learning a single topic to an evaluation of an entire program or department. I will provide a broad overview of assessment opportunities in lab courses and align the discussion with the preliminary laboratory curriculum guidelines developed by the AAPT Committee on Laboratories. In order for these guidelines to have a positive, sustained impact on physics education, they must be coupled with assessment. Using the six broad categories in the guidelines (constructing knowledge, modeling, designing experiments, analyzing and visualizing data, developing technical and practical skills, and communicating physics), I will provide examples of existing assessments and highlight areas for future development. Instructors, laboratory curriculum developers, and education researchers will find examples of interest.

  • • Physics Laboratory Performance Assessment at UNC-CH

    • BG02
    • Sun 01/04, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
    • by Duane Deardorff
    • Type: Contributed
    • In our introductory physics laboratories at UNC-Chapel Hill, we have been administering a lab practicum since 2001. This hands-on lab exam assesses students' ability to make accurate measurements with typical laboratory instruments, analyze and interpret empirical data, evaluate results, analyze measurement errors, and properly communicate findings. Trends in student performance and lessons learned will be shared in this talk. Sample lab exam questions and answers with explanations are provided for students to help them prepare for their exam; these can be found on our department website: www.physics.unc.edu/labs

  • • The Laboratory Skill Set in the Calculus Based Sequence

    • BG03
    • Sun 01/04, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
    • by Doug Bradley-Hutchison
    • Type: Contributed
    • In this talk we describe the process being employed, and the progress we have made in revising the laboratory sequence for our calculus-based introductory physics sequence. The goal being to develop, in our students, a set of measurable laboratory skills that exists over and above the support for lecture content that the laboratory might provide. Part of the process involves asking faculty, including adjuncts, to articulate their goals and expectations in regard to the laboratory. To better understand our students we are employing formative assessment techniques based on existing labs and other exercises to collect data related to student skill and concept development as they progress through the semester/sequence.

  • • Studying Students' Epistemology and Expectations of Experimental Physics

    • BG04
    • Sun 01/04, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
    • by Heather Lewandowski
    • Type: Contributed
    • In response to national calls to better align physics laboratory courses with the way physicists engage in research, we have developed an epistemology and expectations survey to assess how students perceive the nature of physics experiments in the contexts of laboratory courses and the professional research laboratory. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS) evaluates students' epistemology at the beginning and end of a semester. Students respond to paired questions about how they personally perceive doing experiments in laboratory courses and how they perceive an experimental physicist might respond regarding their research. Also, at the end of the semester, the E-CLASS assesses a third dimension of laboratory instruction, students' reflections on their course's expectations for earning a good grade. By basing survey statements on widely embraced learning goals and common critiques of teaching labs, the E-CLASS serves as an assessment tool for lab courses across the undergraduate curriculum and as a tool for physics education research.

  • • Assessment in Physics Distance Education: Practical Lessons at Athabasca University

    • BG05
    • Sun 01/04, 3:00PM - 3:10PM
    • by Farook Al-Shamali
    • Type: Contributed
    • Meaningful and valid assessment of students' learning is at the heart of credit granting institutions, especially for courses delivered at a distance. At Athabasca University, we have extensive experience in teaching online first-year physics courses, most of which include home lab components. Practical experiences and data-driven conclusions demonstrate that online assessment can be conducted effectively in the distance education environment. The turnaround time and quality of feedback on marked assignments and lab reports can be comparable to (if not exceeds) that in conventional classrooms. Blended exam format (multiple-choice and long answer questions) appears suitable for introductory physics courses since it balances exam validity and course administration efficiency. A comprehensive final exam that carries more weight than the midterm appears to be a justified practice.

• Development of Perception of Extraterrestrial Life

  • • NASA's Kepler Mission and the Search for Habitable Worlds

    • CF01
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by William Welsh
    • Type: Invited
    • NASA's Kepler telescope has discovered nearly 1000 planets and over 4000 more candidate planets. Its primary goal is to find Earth-like planets suitable for life. The vast majority of planets are not suitable for life (as we know it), but a handful are. But what makes a planet suitable for life? What does "habitable" mean, and how can we determine this? In our talk, we will discuss how Kepler finds planets and summarize the fascinating discoveries made to date. Dr. Welsh will briefly mention his main contribution as a member of the Kepler Science Team, specifically, the discovery of "circumbinary" (Tatooine-like) planets. Dr. Blanco will present some "tools you can use" to engage students by applying simple physics to Kepler's most Earth-like planets. As an example, we shall show how basic gravitation and thermal equilibrium concepts can be combined to estimate conditions on the exoplanet's surface.

  • • The Origin of Life on Earth, and Elsewhere

    • CF02
    • Sun 01/04, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Jeffrey Bada
    • Type: Invited
    • One of the major scientific questions that confronts humanity is whether life exists beyond Earth. It is generally assumed that there are two fundamental requirements for life, as we know it: the presence of liquid water and organic polymers needed to carry out the central biological functions of replication and catalysis. Liquid water would be needed to enable the chemistry involved in the origin of life to take place. Life elsewhere would likely be based on the same types of molecules as on Earth, although these molecules would not necessarily be exactly the same ones as in terrestrial life. The origin and early evolution of life on Earth is thought to have taken place through a series of stages that resulted in the emergence of molecular entities capable of multiplication, heredity, and variation. These simple entities marked the point of the origin of life and evolution, which eventually led to the modern DNA/protein biochemistry. If these processes are common elsewhere, life could be widespread in the Universe. However, as the Russian biochemistry Aleksandr Oparin noted, the evolution of primitive self-replicating entities elsewhere "must differ essentially from the terrestrial animals and plants since it is the environment that forms life." If life does exist elsewhere it would probably not have any resemblance to Earth-based life and would be uniquely suited to the environment of its host planet.

  • • Otherness and Life in the Universe: The Basis for a Wide-ranging Curriculum About Humanity?

    • CF03
    • Sun 01/04, 5:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by David Brin
    • Type: Invited
    • We've all seen sci fi dramas about encounters with alien life, but where does fiction meet scientific fact? Are Hollywood scenarios realistic? Or do they give misleading impressions, both plus and minus? No single good or bad scenario for First Contact can be called likely, but any list of plausible or possible risks should be laid on the table and reviewed. Good curricula could turn the concept of "otherness" into a teaching tool of profound potential.

• Development of Perception of Extraterrestrial Life II

  • • The Drake Equation and the Historical Extraterrestrial Life Debate

    • GG01
    • Tue 01/06, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
    • by Todd Timberlake
    • Type: Contributed
    • The Drake Equation was formulated in 1961 by radio astronomer Frank Drake as a tool for estimating the number of communicating civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. The equation is still a centerpiece of discussion about extraterrestrial intelligence. However, ideas about extraterrestrial life have their origins long before 1961. I will report on how I have used the Drake Equation as a teaching tool in a course on the extraterrestrial life debate. The Drake Equation (or a modified version) can be applied to this historical debate, from the Ancient Greeks to today, and the changing values of the parameters in the equation provide a convenient way to see how views about extraterrestrial life have evolved throughout history.

  • • Exploring the Scales of the Universe to Understand Fermi's Paradox

    • GG02
    • Tue 01/06, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
    • by Richard Gelderman
    • Type: Contributed
    • Of all the themes in science fiction, one of the most consistently popularis the First Contact between humans and extraterrestrial life forms. Yet we Earth creatures live with the reality of being the only example of life known to us. This presentation describes how we utilize "Fermi's Paradox" (Where is everybody?) as a chance to motivate students to learn about the vastness of space and time in our universe. Given a chance to understand the vastness of our Milky Way galaxy and the difficulties with near light-speed travel, students will tend to conclude that the absence of Federation starships is an expected outcome of how aptly "space" has been named. Then, however, students get exposed to how old is our cosmos and synthesize all the information together to understand that other, more nuanced, arguments are required if aliens exist in a non-"Men in Black" reality.

  • • Aliens in the Classroom: Astrobiology as an Introduction to Science

    • GG03
    • Tue 01/06, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
    • by Barbra Maher
    • Type: Contributed
    • A recent community college student survey showed an overwhelming majority believe in extraterrestrial life. Red Rocks Community College has introduced the subject of extraterrestrial life into several of our existing physics and astronomy courses through activities, papers and debates. However, such a high interest topic warranted more coverage in the curriculum. After a year in development, in 2013, AST 150:Astrobiology was approved as a guaranteed transfer science course for the Colorado community college system. The course is designed as an introductory level lecture class, with no pre-requisites. AST 150 develops foundational knowledge in astronomy, biology, geology and physics. Astrobiology is an excellent, interdisciplinary introduction to the process of scientific exploration and inquiry. It directly requires that students use critical thinking skills to analyze current theories and develop ideas through activities, presentations, discussions and article reviews, on topics such as extremeophiles, Jovian moons, planet terraforming, exoplanets and UFO sightings.

  • • Advanced Civilizations Below the Dyson Net Level: Terraformed Goldilocks Planets

    • GG04
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
    • by Ronald Metzner
    • Type: Contributed
    • Freeman Dyson proposed that an advanced civilization could disassemble a planet the size of Jupiter and create a net of matter to surround the parent star to utilize all of the star's energy for power. Only waste heat would escape. He proposed that we should look for these infrared signatures as evidence of an advanced civilization. An easier way for a civilization with nuclear power and local space travel to create "living space" would be to "transform" the planets in their "Goldilocks" temperature zone into habitats that support life. The signature of life on our home world is free oxygen in the atmosphere. Our next generation of space telescopes will be capable of finding oxygen in planetary atmospheres. Find one star with all its Goldilock's planets showing oxygen and you may have found an advanced civilization. Find a cluster of stars like that and you have found "The Federation of Planets."

• Disentangling Student Reasoning From Conceptual Understanding

  • • Using a Possibilities Framework to Understand Student Deductive Reasoning Attempts

    • GA01
    • Tue 01/06, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
    • by Jon Gaffney
    • Type: Invited
    • Students in physics courses often struggle to use or even follow formal reasoning when solving problems or analyzing physical situations. Instead, they tend to rely on "intuition" or temporarily salient thoughts that may be irrelevant to the situation at hand. Understanding what makes those ideas salient and why students make decisions based on them is necessary for improving communication with our students and helping them develop intuition based on proper reasoning. We approach this problem by assuming that students are authentically trying to reason, but they make subtle, nearly unconscious errors. Psychology research in deductive reasoning informs us that novice reasoners err by failing to consider all possibilities afforded by a given situation, either by failing to "see" them or by prematurely striking them down. We discuss how such errors may arise in physical situations and implications for instruction.

  • • Mathematical Reasoning Skills for Introductory Physics*

    • GA02
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by Stephen Kanim
    • Type: Invited
    • Why do so many students struggle with mathematics in introductory physics,even though most of this math should be very familiar to them from math classes? As part of an NSF-supported project to study student use of proportional reasoning in physics, we have noticed that many students have become proficient at mathematical procedures without having developed the conceptual understanding of mathematical notions and symbols that allow for the flexible and generative uses of mathematics essential for physics. In this talk, I will emphasize the differences between how many of our students have learned mathematics and the ways that mathematics is used in physics courses, and I will argue for a broadening of the goals for introductory physics to include the initial development of the habits of mind that are characteristic of physicists' use of mathematical tools to make sense of patterns in nature and in society. *This work is supported in part by NSF DUE-1045227, NSF DUE-1045231, NSF DUE-1045250.

  • • The Contours that Influence Reasoning

    • GA03
    • Tue 01/06, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
    • by Andrew Heckler
    • Type: Invited
    • One goal of science instruction is, at least implicitly, to improve students' ability to reason logically about physical phenomena, data, and scientific concepts and models. Here I discuss a way of describing the origins of student difficulties with reasoning using the analogy of a contoured terrain or boundary. Specifically, reasoning and decision making is often constrained by strong tendencies to, for example, reply quickly, use the most available information, and make unwitting assumptions and observations aligned with beliefs and experience. I will provide some data on several examples in the context of physics education. In one of the cases studied the results provide tantalizing implications on how to "reshape the contours" and generally improve some reasoning skills. However, in most cases it is not clear if or how one might be able to improve reasoning skills beyond the specific contexts in which the skills are practiced.

  • • Analyzing Inconsistencies in Student Reasoning Using Dual Process Theory*

    • GA04
    • Tue 01/06, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
    • by Mila Kryjevskaia
    • Type: Invited
    • A set of theoretical ideas, referred to broadly as dual process theory, asserts that human cognition relies on two largely independent thinking systems. The first is fast and intuitive, while the second is slow, logically deliberate, and effortful. A common, and particularly puzzling phenomenon has been a focus of an ongoing, collaborative investigation: introductory students often demonstrate competent reasoning on one task, but not on other, closely related tasks. In some cases, students may simply not possess the formal knowledge and skills necessary to arrive at a correct answer. In other cases, however, students may switch their cognitive mode, seeming to abandon the formal knowledge and skills in favor of (perhaps more appealing) intuitive ideas. In order to probe the nature of such inconsistencies, we developed a paired-question methodology that allows us to disentangle reasoning approaches from conceptual understanding and use dual process theory to account for the observed inconsistencies. *This work is supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DUE-1245999, DUE-1245993, DUE-1245313 and DUE-1245699.

• Early Career Professional Speed Networking

  • • Early Career Professional Speed Networking

    • EVT07
    • Sun 01/04, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• Effective Practices in Educational Technology

  • • A Few Ideas for Using Smart Phones as Data Collection Devices

    • GF01
    • Tue 01/06, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
    • by Kyle Forinash
    • Type: Contributed
    • We will discuss some introductory physics laboratory exercises using smartphones as data collection devices. Example exercises include the use of the accelerometer, magnetometer, and microphone. We also show a simple external headset circuit that extends the smart phone capabilities for photo gate timing and other data collection. The smart phone apps are adaptable for other exercises, performing data collection and analysis entirely on the smart phone using a spreadsheet that can also be downloaded to a computer. The reaction to this approach at recent workshops in Argentina was very positive.

  • • Measure the Speed of Sound with an iPhone

    • GF02
    • Tue 01/06, 8:40AM - 8:50AM
    • by William Fenton
    • Type: Contributed
    • The one piece of lab equipment that students always bring to class is the iPhone (or similar smartphone). They use them for video analysis, calculations, timing and linear measurement. I will describe and demonstrate a method for determining the speed of sound with only an iPhone and a video analysis app.

  • • Becoming Scientists Through Video Analysis

    • GF03
    • Tue 01/06, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
    • by Hwee Tiang Ning
    • Type: Contributed
    • This sharing highlights how the Tracker Video Analysis and Modeling Tool is used as a pedagogical tool in the effective learning and teaching of kinematics of a falling ball to grade 9 students in a Singapore classroom. Implemented with an inquiry-based approach, lessons facilitated varied opportunities involving students in active learning -- obtain real data, engage in evidence-based discussions, make inferences, and create a model to explain how the physical world works, in their technology-enabled environment. Students improved in sense-making and relating abstract physics concepts to real life. This work stems from a project collaboration (of four schools and education technology department) aim to encourage students to learn while behaving like scientists, aligned with the K12 science education framework. It has afforded teachers professional learning experiences, to be reflective and lead in their teaching practices.

  • • Circular Motion: An Online Interactive Video Vignette

    • GF04
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
    • by Priscilla Laws
    • Type: Contributed
    • Members of the LivePhoto Physics Group have been creating and conducting educational research on a series of Interactive Video Vignettes (IVVs) involving introductory physics topics. Vignettes are designed for web delivery as short, ungraded exercises to supplement textbook reading, or serve as pre-lecture or pre-laboratory activities. Each Vignette includes videos of a physical phenomenon, invites the student to make predictions, complete observations and/or analyses, and, finally, compare findings to the initial prediction(s). A new Vignette on Circular Motion will be shown, and the speaker will present results of preliminary research on student learning associated with its use. (NSF #1122828 & #1123118).

  • • Online Team Homework for Solving Numerical Problem Sets*

    • GF05
    • Tue 01/06, 9:10AM - 9:20AM
    • by Thomas Gredig
    • Type: Contributed
    • Many introductory physics textbooks minimize problem sets that require numerical computation due to its inherent complexity. Problems that include ball trajectories that take into account air friction and the electrical fringe field of capacitors are treated qualitatively, even though the methods to compute them numerically are presented in principle. Here, we show how students in introductory physics courses work out numerical problem sets using an online discussion forum. The unique part of the forum is how the teams are formed and its members are structured, so that they perform specific tasks. The other feature investigated is an integrated presentation platform that allows teams to present and share their final results with peer teams and vote them up accordingly. This online peer instruction method enables students to explore real world phenomena using numerical computation, share the results, and receive quick feed-back from peers. *Part of this work has been supported by the Chancellor's Office of the California State University through Gerry Hanley.

  • • Online Interactive Pre-class Adaptive Learning Exercises

    • GF06
    • Tue 01/06, 9:20AM - 9:30AM
    • by Cheryl Davis
    • Type: Contributed
    • A series of online interactive pre-class adaptive learning exercises was developed and initially tested with a class of 150 introductory physics students at Brigham Young University this past fall. These exercises -- which we call the Physics Guide -- start with a challenge question that tests the ability of students to apply select physics concepts. Students who correctly answer the initial challenge question are immediately given credit for the unit; students that do not are taken to a short tutorial consisting of short screencast explanations and several more basic questions that build the pieces needed to answer a larger final synthesis question. In addition to multiple choice interactions, we have students enter graphs and free-body diagrams using a "Drag and Drop" interface. The primary goal of the pre-class Physics Guide is for students to arrive at class with a stronger more uniform background ready to engage in active classroom learning.

  • • A Better Way to Study Sound Waves and Beats

    • GF07
    • Tue 01/06, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
    • by Larry Engelhardt
    • Type: Contributed
    • I will discuss a new laboratory experiment that involves analyzing sound waves and beats using free software that I have developed.[1,2] This software allows students to explore the concepts of amplitude, frequency, and phase shift in a very intuitive, hands on fashion. On a computer, students drag automatically created sliders to adjust parameters in their mathematical model and watch how each parameter affects the agreement between experiment and theory, ultimately formulating a quantitatively correct description of "beats."

  • • Vocal Doubling and Complex Beating

    • GF08
    • Tue 01/06, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
    • by David Keeports
    • Type: Contributed
    • Recording artists of the early 1960s, most notably the Beatles, routinely double tracked their vocals. When double tracking, a performer sings a vocal part and then attempts to reproduce that vocal part as closely as possible. Both takes are then mixed together on a recording. Rather surprisingly, the small pitch and timing discrepancies between the two takes improve the overall vocal quality by producing a pleasant shimmering sound. As I will explain, the chorus-like sound of vocal doubling is a consequence of the complex beating between waves that are not simple sinusoidal functions but instead are linear combinations of sinusoidal functions. Said another way, I will compare the simple sound of two beating tuning forks to the much more intriguing beating of complex waves. Finally, I will compare detuning, phase shifting, and chorus, three related effects commonly used to subtly enhance the sound of recorded music.

  • • New HTML5 Interactive Physics Simulations From cK-12 Foundation

    • GF10
    • Tue 01/06, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
    • by Byron Philhour
    • Type: Contributed
    • In collaboration with physics teachers, animators, and software developers, the nonprofit cK-12 Foundation has generated dozens of new free-to-use tablet and laptop-ready HTML5-based interactive physics simulations. Our goal for each sim is to build a bridge between compelling real-world situations and the more abstract and mathematical physics descriptions. These sims are appropriate for middle school, high school, and introductory college-level physics. Topical coverage is broad, from motion and mechanics to electricity & magnetism, sound and light, and modern physics. Our physics sims are based in engaging, real-world examples, big questions, a playful interactive sandbox, graphs of data, and diverse modes of instructional feedback. This presentation is one part of our efforts to engage in a discussion with the physics education community about how best this work can be used to facilitate both classroom-based and independent instruction, foster interest in science, challenge misconceptions, and support best practices in online learning.

  • • Doceri in and Out of the Physics Classroom

    • GF11
    • Tue 01/06, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
    • by Michael Gallis
    • Type: Contributed
    • Doceri (https://doceri.com/) is branded as "an Interactive Whiteboard for iPad" and allows users to control, annotate, and record presentations on a presentation workstation using wireless internet connections. The Doceri software provides inexpensive smartboard functionality with great flexibility. This presentation discusses our experience using Doceri for small introductory physics classes. In addition to standard smartboard functions, we'll discuss "in seat' student board work and out of class videos for additional examples and lecture snippets.

• Endangered Physics Teacher Preparation Programs

  • • Endangered Physics Teacher Preparation Programs

    • HE
    • Tue 01/06, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by Dan MacIsaac
    • Type: Panel
    • In 2012, a "perfect storm" of rising teacher certification expectations, arecession and the end of ARRA funds resulted in a downturn in physics teacher applications to many teacher preparation programs. Physics teacher preparation programs will share struggles and brainstorm short and long- term solutions to downturns of applicants.

• Evaluation of Teachers and Professors

  • • Using RTOP to Evaluate Teachers and Professors

    • EB01
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • by Kathleen Falconer
    • Type: Invited
    • Recent accountability requirements in education have focused on student test scores and value-added as large percentage of the teacher evaluation rather than the typical principal/administrator classroom observation. Ignoring the reliability, validity, and stability issues inherent in many student assessments, the use of student test scores to evaluate teachers' effectiveness disregards the complex nature of teaching and learning. While student learning, especially conceptual learning, should be a factor in the evaluation of teachers and professors, there needs to be a systemic and comprehensive evaluation of the classrooms. The evaluation of teachers should emphasize lesson planning, lesson implementation and instruction, content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, classroom culture, and teacher reflection and professionalism. Using an instrument including these multiple domains of practice, with a properly trained evaluator with the prerequisite content and pedagogical knowledge will ensure a multifaceted and more complete picture of a teacher's effectiveness than a primary focus on test scores.

  • • Teacher Evaluations in New York State: Education Law 3012-c

    • EB02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Bradley Gearhart
    • Type: Invited
    • In response to Race To The Top (RTTT) Assurance Section D: Great Teacher and Leaders, requiring improving teacher and principal effectiveness based on performance, New York State passed Education Law 3012-c which provided significant changes in the way teachers are supported and evaluated. In August 2010, New York State was awarded nearly $700M in funding through Race To The Top, partially based on their adoption of an Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) as a method for teacher evaluation in accordance with Education Law 3012-c. The APPR bases 60% of a teacher's evaluation on measures of teaching practice, half of which should be gained through classroom observations. The remaining 40% of a teacher's score is based on measures of student learning. APPR scores are then used to assign a HEDI rating (Highly Effective, Effective, Developing or Ineffective) to each teacher based on these multiple measures of teacher effectiveness. The intention of this law is to create a fair, accurate and equitable evaluation system for teachers across NYS that would enable easy identification of teachers at all levels of professional proficiency. In my presentation, I will describe the APPR evaluations enacted in one high needs urban district in NY, and their impact on teaching staff and practices, including the teaching of physics.

  • • Evaluating Teaching Effectiveness: Lack of Alignment Between Instructors, Institutions, and Research Recommendations*

    • EB03
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Charles Henderson
    • Type: Invited
    • Ideally, instructors and their institutions would have a shared set of metrics by which they determine teaching effectiveness. And, ideally, these metrics would overlap with research findings on measuring teaching effectiveness. Unfortunately, the current situation at most institutions is far from this ideal. In semi-structured interviews, we asked 72 physics instructors to describe how they and their institutions assess teaching effectiveness. Results suggest that institutions typically base most or all of their assessment of teaching effectiveness on student evaluations of teaching. Instructors, on the other hand, base most or all of their assessment of teaching effectiveness on student exam performance and nonsystematic formative assessments. Few institutions and instructors use assessment practices suggested by the research literature. Both instructors and institutions could benefit from broadening the assessment sources they use to evaluate teaching effectiveness through increased use of standardized measures based on student learning and greater reliance on systematic formative assessment. *Supported in part by NSF #1122446.

  • • How Do Student Evaluations of Instruction Relate to Students' Conceptual Learning Gains?*

    • EB04
    • Mon 01/05, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
    • by Warren Christensen
    • Type: Contributed
    • Across the United States, Student Evaluations of Instruction (SEIs) are often the primary (if not only) metric used to evaluate the quality of an instructor. Although SEIs probably reflect student attitudes towards the class in some way, it is not clear to what extent SEI scores represent how much students learned in the class. This study looks at data from faculty volunteers who were recruited from a pool of recent attendees of the APS's New Faculty Workshop. The study solicited numerous forms of class artifacts from these faculty including student evaluations of instruction and multiple-choice conceptual survey data. The data indicate that there is no correlation between SEI ratings and normalized learning gains on the FCI, or other instruments. Thus, it appears that faculty receiving high (or low) evaluations from their students has no connection to how much conceptual understanding their students developed throughout the semester. *Funded in part by NSF DUE #1156974

• Executive Board I

  • • Executive Board I

    • EXC02
    • Fri 01/02, 7:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Executive Board II

  • • Executive Board II

    • EXC03
    • Sat 01/03, 10:15AM - 4:45PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Executive Board III

  • • Executive Board III

    • EXC04
    • Tue 01/06, 4:30PM - 5:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Exemplary Ways to Prepare Elementary School Teachers to Meet the NGSS Challenge

  • • A Coordinated Approach to the Science Preparation of Elementary School Teachers

    • BF01
    • Sun 01/04, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
    • by Leslie Atkins
    • Type: Invited
    • California State University at Chico created a Department of Science Education in the College of Natural Sciences charged with the undergraduate science preparation of future teachers. Faculty in this department have advanced degrees and experience in both science and education; most have K-12 teaching experience. We redesigned the course sequence for future elementary teachers; developed a new majors program for future middle school science teachers, outdoor educators, and museum educators (with 38 majors and growing); and cultivated a cross-disciplinary community of researchers engaged in discipline based education research. This talk will outline our course sequence, including efforts to align courses with the new NGSS.

  • • Preparing Elementary Teachers in Science Through a Multi-Year, Integrated Experience

    • BF02
    • Sun 01/04, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
    • by Kara Gray
    • Type: Invited
    • At Seattle Pacific University we prepare future elementary teachers to teach science using a multi-year experience that includes content courses, a methods course, and Learning Assistant (LA) opportunities. Our students begin with a two course sequence that is designed around the NGSS physical science standards and emphasizes topics where research has shown elementary students and teachers tend to struggle. A key objective for these courses is for students to build a model of energy. These courses then prepare students for the science methods course which focuses on strategies for effectively teaching science. Students also have the opportunity to build on the experience by serving as an LA in the content courses. This experience deepens their content knowledge and allows them to build teaching skills. During this talk we will describe the program we have developed for elementary teachers in science and discuss evidence for its effectiveness.

  • • Using NextGen PET to Prepare Elementary Teachers for the NGSS

    • BF03
    • Sun 01/04, 3:00PM - 3:10PM
    • by Fred Goldberg
    • Type: Contributed
    • The project team who developed PET*, PSET* and LPS* have revised the curricula to make them more flexible for implementation and better aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards' physical science core ideas, the science and engineering practices, and the crosscutting concepts. NextGenPET consists of five separate content modules, each of which includes engineering design activities. There is also a Teaching and Learning module, with activities that embed in the five content modules and help the teachers make explicit connections between the NextGenPET activities, the core ideas, and science and engineering practices of the NGSS, their own learning, and the learning and teaching of children in elementary school. There are two versions of the modules, one for small classes with extensive laboratory work and discussion, and one for large, lecture-style classes. Both versions use the same extensive set of online homework assignments.

  • • Engineering In Your World

    • BF04
    • Sun 01/04, 3:10PM - 3:20PM
    • by Kaye Smith
    • Type: Contributed
    • The National Center for STEM Elementary Education (NCSEE) is located at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. Engineering in Your World is one of three courses that elementary education majors take as part of a specially designed STEM certificate at St. Catherine University; it is co-taught by an engineer and education faculty. This course integrates physics concepts, engineering applications, and a hands-on discovery approach to learning that emphasizes the iterative nature of the engineering design process. Faculty model best practices in teaching STEM, scaffolding the instruction to include guided, connected, and open/full inquiry. Pre-service teachers are actively engaged in learning through assignments in the course that relate both to engineering and education. This presentation will outline the course with examples of topics covered. The results of this work include increased teacher knowledge, greater confidence to address NGSS, and more use of hands-on, inquiry-based pedagogy.

  • • You've Got to be Smarter than a 5th Grader!

    • BF05
    • Sun 01/04, 3:20PM - 3:30PM
    • by Beverly Cannon
    • Type: Contributed
    • With 46 years in the HS classroom, I have begun teaching pre-service elementary teachers for Texas A&M Commerce. With the focus on state standards and NGSS, concepts in physics and chemistry dominate the class materials. No text, printed materials, hands-on labs and very creative uses of technology fill the curriculum. You decide if it is exemplary.

  • • Does the Pedagogical Learning Bicycle Promote Transfer?

    • BF06
    • Sun 01/04, 3:30PM - 3:40PM
    • by Claudia Fracchiolla
    • Type: Contributed
    • The classical definition of transfer involves the ability of applying whatyou learned in one context to a different context (Bransford, Brown, Cocking, 2000). More recently, transfer has been defined as the expansive framing learning context (Engel, et. al 2012). For instance, we might facilitate transfer by helping students see the connections between what they are learning in the classroom and their future professional role. The Concepts of Physics (CoP) course at Kansas State University is a physics class for pre-service teachers structured around the pedagogical learning bicycle (PLB). In this instructional model students learn the physics concepts and also learn about how kids think about and learn these same concepts. The PLB model frames students' learning around their future career as teachers. We investigate if the PLB can serve as an instructional model that frames learning in an expansive manner and therefore promotes transfer. Supported in part by NSF grant 1140855.

• Exhibit Hall Open

  • • Exhibit Hall Open

    • EXH02
    • Sun 01/04, 10:00AM - 5:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

  • • Exhibit Hall Open

    • EXH07
    • Mon 01/05, 10:00AM - 4:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Exhibit Hall Opens/Opening Reception

  • • Exhibit Hall Opens/Opening Reception

    • EXH01
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Finance Committee

  • • Finance Committee

    • COM01
    • Fri 01/02, 4:30PM - 5:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• First Timers' Gathering

  • • First Timers' Gathering

    • EVT03
    • Sun 01/04, 7:00AM - 8:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• FitBit Wristband Drawing

  • • FitBit Wristband Drawing

    • EXH09
    • Mon 01/05, 10:45AM - 10:50AM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Friday Registration

  • • Friday Registration

    • REG01
    • Fri 01/02, 4:00PM - 7:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Registration

• Graduate Student Topical Discussion

  • • Graduate Student Topical Discussion

    • TOP04
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by Ben Van Dusen
    • Type: Topical

• Great Book Giveaway

  • • Great Book Giveaway

    • EXH11
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• High School

  • • Preparing a MOOC for AP Physics 1

    • HG01
    • Tue 01/06, 12:30PM - 12:40PM
    • by Andrew Duffy
    • Type: Contributed
    • This year is the inaugural year of AP Physics 1, one of two courses to replace the algebra-based AP Physics B course in College Board?s Advanced Placement offerings. As part of a new High School Initiative from edX, Boston University, in collaboration with several Boston-area high school physics teachers, has developed a MOOC for AP Physics 1 that is slated to begin on Jan. 5, 2015. It is one of at least five courses on edX that target the various flavors of AP Physics. In this talk, we will preview the course, review our design and content decisions, and focus on how we plan to address the issue of doing labs in an online environment.

  • • Tutorial Curricula for Advanced High School Physics

    • HG02
    • Tue 01/06, 12:40PM - 12:50PM
    • by Michael Gearen
    • Type: Contributed
    • There is a dearth of tutorial materials available for high school physics courses. Mike Gearen, with support from the University of Washington Physics Education Group, has produced two full curricula for AP Physics 1-2, and AP Physics C based exclusively on tutorial instruction. In these courses, students construct knowledge using carefully sequenced series of questions, thought experiments, and problems rooted in research into student learning. This talk will give a general overview of how content units were constructed, look at a few specific sections to illustrate methods of instruction, introduce assessment results after three years of implementation, and look at how the development of materials will continue moving forward.

  • • Bouncing Ball Lab Introduces Models and Foreshadow Future Physics Concepts

    • HG03
    • Tue 01/06, 12:50PM - 1:00PM
    • by Lee Trampleasure
    • Type: Contributed
    • In my high school physics classes (both AP and college prep), I begin witha lab that challenges students to determine how high a ball will bounce if dropped from 1.5 meters, but they only have the ball and one meterstick. We develop procedures as a class, then they collect data, analyze it, and make their prediction. After testing their prediction, they all get greater than 90% accuracy, showing that physics experiments can work! But then they are asked to calculate how high the ball will bounce if dropped from 5 meters, and we test this from the second floor next to a stairway. Their accuracy tends to correlate to the density of the ball. This leads to questions, which foreshadow terminal velocity, air resistance, and energy concepts. When we address these topics in the future, we always return to the ball lab. My curriculum follows the Modeling Instruction pedagogy.

• High School Share-a-thon

  • • High School Share-a-thon

    • EVT09
    • Sun 01/04, 8:30PM - 10:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• High School Teachers Day Luncheon

  • • High School Teachers Day Luncheon

    • EVT06
    • Sun 01/04, 12:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• Historical Incidents Useful for Teaching Physics

  • • Nobel Prizes as Motivators for Physics Students

    • DC01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 11:10AM
    • by Chuck Winrich
    • Type: Contributed
    • The Nobel Prizes are simultaneously contemporary and historical events: contemporary in the sense that they are awarded annually and widely known through the popular press; historical both in the sense that there is a history of prizes, and in the sense that the prizes are typically awarded for historically significant achievements. The contemporary/historical nature of the Nobel Prize makes it ideally suited as a historical motivational tool for physics students, as they already have some context around the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Laureates' speeches and writings about their prizes provide readings that are generally useable in courses for college non-science majors and advanced high school students. The Nobel Foundation also produces educational materials based on prizes awarded. An example unit on semiconductors for college non-majors which uses the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics will be presented. Additional examples will also be discussed.

  • • Combining Physics and History: Modern Physics, Modernism, and the Bomb

    • DC02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:10AM - 11:20AM
    • by Andrew Rex
    • Type: Contributed
    • For over 20 years, we have regularly offered a course that introduces the rise of modern physics within the context of world history from 1895 to 1945. Normally team taught by a physicist and a historian, this course is intended for college juniors and seniors and satisfies a general graduation requirement. There are no prerequisites, so we draw students representing many different majors, which enriches class discussion. Despite the lack of physics prerequisites, social science and humanities majors gain some understanding of nuclear physics, for example by learning how to compute the energy released in a fission event or other nuclear reaction. Physics majors appreciate the context of the rise of modern physics and the participation in historical events by physicists, particularly Szilard, Einstein, Bohr, and Oppenheimer. The course culminates in a focused study of the Manhattan Project and the use of the atomic bomb in World War II.

  • • How Quantum Mechanics History Informs Our Understanding of Scientific Models

    • DC03
    • Mon 01/05, 11:20AM - 11:30AM
    • by Anne Leak
    • Type: Contributed
    • While much is known about the nature of scientific models and theories after their development and acceptance within scientific communities, physics teachers and students must also be familiar with the processes leading to their acceptance. One of the most recent and significant developments of a new scientific model occurred during the early part of the 20th century with the introduction of quantum mechanics. This time period is rich in debates regarding critiques of quantum mechanics and insight into what it means to be a good scientific model. This study uses historical letters, publications, presentations, and articles documenting two key debates in the early history of quantum mechanics to better understand the nature of scientific models. Results of this historical analysis provide a guide for structuring activities and discussions with students much like those key conversations between Einstein, Heisenberg, Schrödinger, and their contemporaries who shaped the formative model of quantum mechanics.

  • • The Origins of the Induction Coil

    • DC04
    • Mon 01/05, 11:30AM - 11:40AM
    • by Thomas Greenslade, Jr.
    • Type: Contributed
    • The induction coil, still used to excite Geissler tubes for demonstrations, has its origins in two simultaneous bursts of innovation, both in the late 1830s. One was Irish, the work of the Rev. Nicholas Callan of St. Patrick's College in Maynooth. The other was the first avowed American electrical inventor, Charles Grafton Page. Examples of their designs will be shown, as well as the perfected version of the French apparatus manufacturer Heinrich Rhumkorff.

  • • Tickling the Tail of the Dragon

    • DC05
    • Mon 01/05, 11:40AM - 11:50AM
    • by Paul Ohmann
    • Type: Contributed
    • Our Modern Physics course: From the Atom to the Big Bang explores relativity, nuclear physics, particle physics, and cosmology. In the nuclear physics unit we talk at length about radioactivity, comparing what we naturally encounter to man-made sources and accidents. We discuss the Fukushima disaster, comparing the radiation emitted with those from other incidents, notably those associated with the Manhattan project. This brings to life physicists of yore, including Feynman and Fermi, who cautioned researcher Louis Slotin about "tickling the tail of a sleeping dragon" during his rather cavalier experiments with a plutonium nuclear core. This core acquired the epithet "demon core" after separate mishaps killed Slotin and his colleague Harry Daghlian, and was later used in the Able tests on the Bikini Atoll. Lessons learned are many: respect for atomic power, the need for careful experimentation, and concern for the environment all feature prominently.

  • • Benjamin Thompson's Life and Work in Bavaria

    • DC06
    • Mon 01/05, 11:50AM - 12:00PM
    • by Ruth Howes
    • Type: Contributed
    • After the American Revolution ended in a defeat for England, Benjamin Thompson recognized that his utility to the English government had come to an abrupt end. He managed to gain a recommendation to the Duke of Bavaria and was asked to present a plan for reforming the Bavarian military. The Duke was so impressed that he appointed Thompson Minister of War, Minister of Police, Major General, Chamberlain of the Court and State Councilor so that he could implement his reforms. In the process of doing so, Thompson found himself required to answer several fundamental questions in physics. The story of his work highlights both his ability as a physicist and the unusually close ties between the physics questions he investigated and their applications to social problems.

• History and Philosophy of Physics

  • • History and Philosophy of Physics

    • TOP03
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by Shawn Reeves
    • Type: Topical

• Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service

  • • Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service

    • PL04B
    • Tue 01/06, 10:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary

• How To Publish an Article

  • • How To Publish an Article

    • BC
    • Sun 01/04, 2:00PM - 3:30PM
    • by Dwain Desbien
    • Type: Panel
    • This panel discussion will discuss the issues and barriers in getting published in The Physics Teacher. It is aimed primarily at those who don't typically publish papers (TYC and HS faculty)

• IPad Mini Drawing

  • • IPad Mini Drawing

    • EXH10
    • Mon 01/05, 3:15PM - 3:20PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Improving Pedagogy in Pre High School Education

  • • Improving Pedagogy in Pre-High School Education

    • CH01
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Fred Goldberg
    • Type: Invited
    • The project team that developed PET*, PSET* and LPS* have revised the curricula to make them more flexible for implementation and better aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards' physical science core ideas, the science and engineering practices, and the crosscutting concepts. NextGenPET consists of five separate content modules and a teaching and learning module, with activities that embed in the content modules. There are two versions of NextGenPET, one for small classes with extensive laboratory work and discussion, and one for large, lecture style classes. Both versions use the same extensive set of online homework activities. In this talk I will focus on one part of the curriculum, describing how it aligns with NGSS and showing classroom video to illustrate that alignment.

  • • Learning About Teaching and Learning in Next Generation PET

    • CH02
    • Sun 01/04, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Danielle Harlow
    • Type: Invited
    • The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) describe a significant shift in the goals for science instruction. NextGen PET is intended for undergraduate audiences that include pre-service elementary school teachers. Research shows that teacher education, including content instruction, is more effective when it is situated in the practices of teaching. For this reason, we have developed a set of activities that focus on teaching and learning science through the practices of science described in the NGSS. These activities make up the Teaching and Learning (TL) Module. In this talk, I will describe the ways that the activities in the TL Module provide structured opportunities for undergraduates to identify, analyze, and practice teaching that aligns with scientific practices and disciplinary core ideas of the NGSS. I will describe the learning trajectory of these activities and provide examples from specific tasks.

  • • Fun, Research-based Pedagogy with Phenomenon-based Learning

    • CH03
    • Sun 01/04, 5:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by Dr. Matthew Bobrowsky
    • Type: Invited
    • "Phenomenon-Based Learning" (PBL) builds knowledge of and interest in physical science as a result of observations of real-world phenomena, in this case, some fun gizmos and gadgets. Why PBL? PISA assessments showed that Finnish students were among the top in science proficiency levels, and Finland is now seen as a major international leader in education. The PBL teaching philosophy combines elements of what's done in Finland with what's known about effective science teaching based on science education research to present science in ways that are both fun and educational. The approach includes elements of progressive inquiry, project-based learning, collaborative learning, responsive teaching, and hands-on experiments. The idea is to teach broader concepts and useful thinking and performance skills (as with NGSS) rather than asking students to simply memorize facts and formulas. Attendees will get to enter a raffle for free PBL books and gizmos & gadgets!

  • • Developing STELLA Format Lesson Plans on Force and Interaction

    • CH04
    • Sun 01/04, 5:30PM - 5:40PM
    • by Jeff Howarth
    • Type: Contributed
    • The Noyce Master Teacher program at Cal Poly Pomona is a five-year video-based analysis of professional development program focused on improving Master Teacher science and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge and leadership skills. This program utilizes the Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis (STeLLA), to guide analysis of science teaching through two lenses: Student Thinking, and Content Storyline. The program features lesson plan development using strategies to reveal, support, and challenge student thinking as well as strategies to create a coherent science storyline. The objective is to help deepen understanding of core science concepts, examine how students make sense of those concepts and commonly misunderstand them, analyze and improve teaching and learning, and experience with coaching teachers. As teacher participants, we will share our experience on the process of developing lessons on "Force and Interaction," the implementation, and assessment of those lessons in our eighth-grade classes.

  • • Inquiry-Science Institute for the K-8 Classroom

    • CH05
    • Sun 01/04, 5:40PM - 5:50PM
    • by Thao Nguyen
    • Type: Contributed
    • We continue a study on the influence of hands-on and inquiry instruction (as opposed to traditional lecture and direct instruction) on student achievement and teacher/student attitudes toward science, with the goal of increasing interest in studying science, increasing confidence in communicating science ideas, and increasing student achievement in science and mathematics. We continue creating resources including lesson plans, associated content, and video for hands-on and inquiry-based lessons in the K-8 classroom, and post resources at the project website, tnst.randolphcollege.edu. We held our annual Science Institute for 65 local teachers in June. This professional development opportunity is designed to help teachers implement problem based lessons in the science and mathematics classroom. Data collection includes surveys, student performance measures (SOL end-of-course test scores, science and math grades), and classroom observations. The results of our research show that teachers use more technology after attending the Institute and implement more hands-on activities.

  • • Playing the Game of Science

    • CH06
    • Sun 01/04, 5:50PM - 6:00PM
    • by Michael Ponnambalam
    • Type: Contributed
    • Most of the students at the pre-high school level are too young for serious thinking. They would rather play a game. Turning the 'Teaching of Science' into 'Playing an Interesting Game' grabs and maintains their attention. And the students end up learning science! The author's experience in this connection in Jamaica and Grenada in West Indies will be presented in this talk.

• Informal Science Education

  • • LIGO Science Education Center: Building an Informal Education Center on Collaborations

    • EF01
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • by Amber Stuver
    • Type: Invited
    • The LIGO Science Education Center (SEC) is co-located with the LIGO Livingston Observatory and seeks to share the search for gravitational waves with students, teachers, and the public. The LIGO SEC is the result of nearly a decade of collaboration between a museum (The Exploratorium), a science laboratory (LIGO), a university (Southern University-Baton Rouge) and a local education agency (Louisiana Board of Regents) to scaffold this outreach. Programs are inquiry-based activities and include guided investigations in our classroom and free exploration of the more than 40 hands-on exhibits in our exhibit hall (mostly built by the Exploratorium). Students also get to visit the working LIGO observatory to interact with scientists and to see the concepts they're learning in action. This talk will focus on how our collaboration has produced a unique environment for students to learn new science, where diversity is spotlighted, and new research on learning is created.

  • • Informal Science Europe: Science Festivals, Shows and Centers

    • EF02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Stanley Micklavzina
    • Type: Invited
    • I have had the privilege of doing two sabbaticals in Europe with a focus on science outreach for research labs/universities and also interacting with science centers. As a result, I have been invited to perform physics demo show performances and workshops at meetings and science festivals located in Sweden, Slovenia, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, and most recently Estonia. I offer my experiences working with international colleagues and the experience of interacting with international audiences.

  • • Measuring Impact of Physics "Outreach": University Participation in Informal Learning

    • EF03
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Kathleen Hinko
    • Type: Invited
    • The Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) afterschool program is the main outreach effort of the JILA Physics Frontier Center and the Department of Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, which is facilitated by physics undergraduate and graduate student volunteers for K-8 kids. Physics student participation in PISEC is encouraged by faculty (!) at CU as part of professional development. I will report on the structural elements and the institutional growth of this informal "outreach" program as an activity of formal science education at universities (professional development for physics undergraduate and graduate education). Additionally, I will give examples of outreach research done in collaboration with the PER group at CU: we study the science communication skills and teaching strategies of volunteers in PISEC as well as the impact on kids in the afterschool program in terms of agency, communication and reasoning.

  • • Science at the Stadium: A Physics Lesson for 10,000 Students

    • EF04
    • Mon 01/05, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
    • by Brian Jones
    • Type: Contributed
    • In April, 2014, Colorado State's Little Shop of Physics crew had the pleasure of partnering with the Colorado Rockies and the local NBC affiliate to present "Weather and Science Day," a one-hour science lesson before a baseball game. It is far and away the biggest thing we've ever done. Our 200 volunteers distributed over 100,000 items to over 10,000 K-12 students, who did hands-on investigations interspersed with large-scale demonstrations on the field and demonstrations led by college student volunteers in the stands. In this talk, I'll share details of the program that we hope will soon be certified as the world's largest physics lesson.

  • • 8 Activities 8 Minutes

    • EF05
    • Mon 01/05, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
    • by Kathy Holt
    • Type: Contributed
    • Catch a wave and SWIM to LIGO. SWIM-Science With Inexpensive Material. TheLIGO Science Education Center uses inexpensive materials for activities and demonstrations to explain physical science concepts. Experience 8 SWIM activities in 8 minutes. These SWIM activities have been field tested with the public and are just downright fun! Come be inspired and motivated with ideas that will engage and delight the public and can be useful at any grade level. LIGO, Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, is a cutting edge research facility in Livingston, LA.

  • • An Electronics Kit for Groups of Homeschool Students

    • EF06
    • Mon 01/05, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
    • by Shawn Reeves
    • Type: Contributed
    • For several years Shawn Reeves has taught electronics labs to younger and younger home-schooled students, down to the age of nine. With his honed approach, all students learn several concepts about electronic components without a basics-first curriculum, instead diving headlong into intermediate circuits. Shawn will describe the necessary and optional components of a useful kit, how to ensure ownership and authentic enthusiasm, useful literature, trends, costs, and the possibility of a charitable organization to support interested teachers like you.

• Interactive Lecture Demonstrations – What’s New? ILDs Using Clickers and Video Analysis

  • • Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Active Learning in Lecture Including Clickers and Video Analysis

    • DF01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by David Sokoloff
    • Type: Invited
    • The results of physics education research and the availability of microcomputer-based tools have led to the development of the Activity Based Physics Suite. (1) Most of the Suite materials are designed for hands-on learning, for example student-oriented laboratory curricula such as RealTime Physics. One reason for the success of these materials is that they encourage students to take an active part in their learning. This interactive session will demonstrate "through active audience participation" Suite materials designed to promote active learning in lecture--Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) (2), including those using clickers and video analysis.

  • • Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Effectiveness in Teaching Concepts

    • DF02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by Ronald Thornton
    • Type: Invited
    • The effectiveness of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) in teachingphysics concepts has been studied using physics education research based, multiple-choice conceptual evaluations.(1) Results of such studies will be presented, including studies with clicker ILDs. These results should be encouraging to those who wish to improve conceptual learning in their introductory physics course. 1. David R. Sokoloff and Ronald K. Thornton, "Using Interactive Lecture Demonstrations to Create an Active Learning Environment," Phys. Teach. 35, 340 (1997).

• International Networks for Action Research in Physics Education

  • • Transatlantic Design Based and Action Research in Germany and the U.S.

    • EC01
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • by André Bresges
    • Type: Invited
    • In the Transatlantic Design Based Research / Action Research Network for physics teacher preparation, we are designing and assessing lessons and media for both German and U.S. schools. We are monitoring classroom interactions to foster cross-cultural, language-invariant physics teaching approaches for use in challenging heterogeneous multi-national classrooms. We present some theoretical background and literature review for DBR/AR in physics teacher preparation, and several designs that were evaluated in German schools in the local research network of the University of Cologne, and at the Waddell Language Academy of North Carolina.

  • • Transferring and Adapting Teacher Preparation Designs from U.S. to Germany

    • EC02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Philip Gaudenz
    • Type: Invited
    • Beginning in 2015, German teacher education students will be required to intern for six months in a public school as part of their Master Degree teacher preparation. As part of their program, they will be required to conduct Inquiry-Based Learning and small Action Research projects, documented in a mandatory portfolio. Prior to the internship, students take a 12-week preparation course where they define and prepare their Action Research project for inquiry learning. We discuss how teacher preparation classroom projects that have proven effective in U.S. classrooms can serve as case studies for the preparation of the students under a cross-cultural perspective. We argue that the careful adaption of the U.S. designs to German classroom needs qualifies as part of an action research project that provide deeper insights into educational processes, and foster a more inclusive, culture-sensitive teaching style.

  • • Adapting German Tablet-based Science Lessons for U.S. Classrooms

    • EC03
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Sandra Heine
    • Type: Invited
    • "Planetary Research with iPads" is a collaborative guided discovery science lesson activity, wherein students are guided by an iBook for Apple iPad document that includes motivational video, task description, self-assessment questions, sensor management, and tools to interpret and discuss data. In the activity, students take the role of astronauts and planetary researchers trying to figure out what makes a planetary surface habitable. This activity was developed together with several schools in Germany and adapted to U.S. classrooms with support from the Waddell Language Academy, North Carolina as part of a design-based research projected conducted by German students in the trans-Atlantic design-based research network.

• Introductory Courses

  • • Inquiry-based and Active Learning in the Physics Freshman Lab

    • FA01
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00PM - 7:10PM
    • by Nina Abramzon
    • Type: Contributed
    • This project investigates new elements of research experience introduced in the physics freshman level laboratory course. All lab experiments were re-designed in the spirit of inquiry-based learning with very short handouts and minimal lectures. Where possible, students are not told the laws of physics governing their assigned experiments, but are required to"discover and verify" them. In these labs, instructors also introduce new active learning elements, such as open-ended experiments. Students in these lab courses gain experience in the act of discovery, in which they actively learn by determining, processing, and applying the information that is important to their assigned experiments. They engage in higher-order thinking tasks such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Other studies have shown that more discovery-oriented and student-active teaching methods ensure higher student motivation, more learning at higher cognitive levels, and longer retention of knowledge. The design elements will be presented in detail together with assessment of student learning and student attitudes.

  • • Trying to Put the "Wow" Back in the Intro Laboratory

    • FA02
    • Mon 01/05, 7:10PM - 7:20PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Contributed
    • We have tried many different formats and topics in our introductory laboratories with fairly significant success at improving student learning. However, we have felt that there was something missing from the laboratory experience. What was missing was the "wow" of discovery. The process that would give students ownership of an investigation and the opportunity to make their own discoveries. For context we will present a very brief overview of our previous laboratory innovations followed by a description of our latest "experiment" on the introductory laboratory curriculum.

  • • Predict-Experiment-Assess Labs for Large-Enrollment General Physics Course

    • FA03
    • Mon 01/05, 7:20PM - 7:30PM
    • by Kasey Wagoner
    • Type: Contributed
    • Physics labs tend to follow recipes, using equipment unfamiliar to students. Those labs lose students' attention and don't maximize instruction. We developed a series of innovative, inquiry-based labs for our large-enrollment, active-learning, introductory physics course. Using familiar objects (bicycles, Christmas lights, speakers, etc.), students answer a series of questions in three steps: predict, experiment, assess. In this series students create models, build equipment, and design their own experiments. These labs have captured the attention and piqued the natural curiosity of our students by elucidating physics in their everyday environment, providing a historical perspective, and putting each experiment in the context of a story. Pre-Lab activities introduce students to lab apparatuses while preparing them for in-lab activities. This allows more time for experiments in lab, maximizing student learning. Student and teaching assistant feedback indicates students are more engaged and leave lab with a better perceived understanding of the material.

  • • Is Angular Displacement a Vector Quantity?

    • FA06
    • Mon 01/05, 7:50PM - 8:00PM
    • by William Dittrich
    • Type: Contributed
    • A fundamental error in the foundation of rotational kinematics and dynamics is described. All current textbooks treat angular displacement as a scalar quantity, yet the time derivative of angular displacement is suddenly a vector quantity. This fundamental violation of the mathematical laws of vector calculus is corrected by adoption of a new vector definition of angular displacement, from which all equations of rotational kinematics and dynamics can be derived while improving the symmetry between equation sets of both linear and rotational kinematics and dynamics. This preserves the vector nature of all subsequent angular quantities including angular momentum. Co-Author(s): Robert Drosd, Portland Community College; Leonid Minkin, Portland Community College; Alexander S. Shapovalov, Saratov State University (Russia)

  • • Integrating the Fundamentals Principles of Physics Into the Training

    • FA07
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
    • by Mohammmad Alshahrani
    • Type: Contributed
    • As one of the biggest training organizations in the Middle East, we are interested in helping Saudi youth to find job. We enroll the trainees and provide a professional learning and training environment; not just on the infrastructural level but also in the teaching and training methods that we use. As a matter of fact that most of our training programs are based on the students' need to understand some elementary physics concepts such as the electric current, torque, the rotation motion, and so forth. The goal of this paper is aimed at explaining some innovative new ideas about teaching physics in two-year colleges. It contains new technique to help the trainees to understand and practice physics better throughout their training. We integrate the training with the teaching itself to make the students feel, see, and smell the aroma of physics.

  • • Form and Function: Rube Goldberg Machines in Conceptual Physics

    • FA08
    • Mon 01/05, 8:10PM - 8:20PM
    • by Franz Rueckert
    • Type: Contributed
    • Conceptual Physics at Wentworth Institute of Technology presents a survey of physics topics to an audience of mostly interior and industrial design majors. The goal of the course is to develop the ability of students to evaluate the form and function of their work through an understanding of general physical principles. In the past, student engagement has suffered as students struggled to relate class topics to the design fields. To better complement the practical and applied nature of these disciplines, we have recently redesigned this course to focus on project-based learning rather than traditional problem solving and calculations. As a centerpiece of the course, standard exams are replaced with the construction and presentation of novel Rube Goldberg chain-reaction machines. This provides a structure by which students can demonstrate their understanding of physics topics while highlighting their creativity and ingenuity. In this talk, we will outline the new structure of the course and detail the effect of the changes on student comprehension, retention, and engagement.

• Investment Advisory Committee

  • • Investment Advisory Committee

    • COM23
    • Mon 01/05, 7:30AM - 10:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• K-12 PER

  • • Student Interactions and Substantive Contributions in Whole Class Consensus Discussions

    • CE01
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Michelle Belleau
    • Type: Invited
    • The Physics and Everyday Thinking-High School (PET-HS) curriculum is a series of activities in which students build an understanding of physics principles through careful experimentation and whole-class consensus discussions. This learning environment is characterized by shifting the authority for validating science knowledge from the instructor to available laboratory evidence and class consensus. This presentation will focus on these whole-class consensus discussions. The audience will have an opportunity to view and analyze a sample of classroom videos and we will work together to extract the norms and values associated with these consensus discussions. I will then present our coding scheme and a sample of findings from investigating student interactions and substantive contributions. Additionally, I will share how engaging in a practitioner-researcher dual role has affected my teaching and how I view student interactions in whole class discussions.

  • • Characterizing Student Engagement in Consensus Discussions

    • CE02
    • Sun 01/04, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Michael Ross
    • Type: Invited
    • The Physics and Everyday Thinking-High School (PET-HS) curriculum was developed to model scientific induction and relies heavily on collaborative discussions to facilitate student sense-making and consensus on the learning targets of the course. This study presents a method for characterizing the participation and substance of student engagement in whole-class discussions. Videos of three sections of a high school physics class using the PET-HS curriculum were analyzed to determine the curricular structures, norms, and teacher and student moves that mediated productive dialogue, including maximizing student-to-student interaction. An interrupted time series design was used to make claims about the impact of teacher moves and classroom structures on the productivity of class discussions. We discuss claims about what classroom structures, norms, and teacher facilitation led to increased student engagement, as well as implications for the design and facilitation of productive classroom discussions.

  • • Physics Teachers' Views on Factors that Influence Urban Physics Participation and Accessibility

    • CE03
    • Sun 01/04, 5:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by Angela Kelly
    • Type: Invited
    • The accessibility of secondary physics in U.S. urban school districts is acomplex issue. Many schools do not offer physics, and for those that do, access is often restricted by school policies and priorities that do not promote it. To analyze this problem, the researcher explored urban physics teachers' views on school-based variables that may marginalize traditionally underrepresented students. Teachers from three large urban districts shared perspectives. They believed expanding access could be facilitated with differentiated levels of physics, incorporating mathematical applications with multiple representations, educating students and counselors on the ramifications of not taking physics, grant-funded initiatives, and flexibility with prerequisites and course sequencing. Teachers experienced frustration with standardized testing, lack of curricular autonomy, shifting administrative directives, and top-down reforms that did not incorporate their feedback. Data from this study revealed that physics teacher networks have been a key resource in sharing best practices that may promote physics participation.

  • • Effect of Peer Instructions on the Knowledge of Concept in Physics at Swiss High Schools

    • CE04
    • Sun 01/04, 5:30PM - 5:40PM
    • by Clemens Wagner
    • Type: Contributed
    • We have developed a new model of formative assessment in order to foster concept knowledge in physics at the high school level in Switzerland. In our formative assessment approach teaching units include peer instructions using clicker questions. We are investigating the effect of these clicker sessions on the learning progression of high school students concerning physics concepts. Our experimental setting consists of three groups, a control group, with traditional teaching, a frequent testing group, administrating clicker questions as test to students, and the formative assessment group using peer instructions. More than 30 high school teaches are involved in this project and are equally distributed among the three groups. The topic of the teaching units is kinematics, 15 lessons in total, including velocity, acceleration and their vector properties. We are going to present our first results about the effect of these clicker sessions on the concept knowledge in physics.

  • • Correlation Between Mathematics and Physics Concepts in Kinematics

    • CE05
    • Sun 01/04, 5:40PM - 5:50PM
    • by Andreas Lichtenberger*
    • Type: Contributed
    • We have developed a diagnostic test in kinematics to investigate the student concept knowledge at the high school level. The multiple-choice test consists of 51 kinematics items and nine additional mathematics items. The kinematics items are based on seven basic kinematics concepts we have identified. Conducting a factor analysis with data from 400 students from 20 Swiss high schools we have found that there are two basic mathematical concepts that are crucial for the understanding of kinematics: the concepts of rate and vector (including direction and addition). This result has direct implications for the instruction. It suggests that the mathematical concepts are a prerequisite for learning kinematics. Transferring the mathematical concepts to physical contents and applying them in different contexts might be easier for students than learning physical concepts without a mathematical background. These findings are in line with the results of Bassok & Holyoak (1989) and others.

  • • Monkeys and Bananas: Middle School Students' Productive Ideas About Energy

    • CE06
    • Sun 01/04, 5:50PM - 6:00PM
    • by Benedikt Harrer
    • Type: Contributed
    • We examine middle school students' ideas about energy for progenitors of disciplinary knowledge and practice by using an extension of Hammer and colleagues' resources framework. This elaboration on an established theory allows for the identification of disciplinarily productive resources--i.e., appropriately activated declarative and procedural pieces of knowledge--in individual students' utterances as well as across the interactions of multiple learners engaged in collaborative learning situations. Further, we show how resources that appear in conversational sequences can be evaluated for how they become productive in a situation, based on its outcome. This provides an additional dimension of productiveness beyond disciplinary appropriateness.

• Karl Mamola

  • • 2015 Oersted Medal

    • PL04
    • Tue 01/06, 10:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary
    • AAPT, TPT, and Me
      AAPT established The Physics Teacher more than 50 years ago as a magazine for high school teachers. Over the decades, the publication has evolved in a number of important ways, and I was privileged to play a part in that evolution. I will describe some of the important preparation I received for that role and share some of the insights I gained during my 13 years as editor. I’ll outline the history of The Physics Teacher, leading to its eventually becoming a peer-reviewed journal serving a very broad audience. I will also discuss TPT’s role in the physics teaching community and the important positive influence it has had on the evolution of AAPT. I’ll conclude with some observations and conclusions drawn from my more than 40 years of teaching experience.

• Kindle Fire Drawing

  • • Kindle Fire Drawing

    • EXH04
    • Sun 01/04, 10:15AM - 10:20AM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Labs/Apparatus

  • • Refractive Index of Transparent Substances Using a Home Tool: The Laser Meter

    • PST2C01
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Romulo Ochoa
    • Type: Poster
    • Laser distance meters can be purchased at hardware stores or online for under $100. They are commonly used in home improvement projects. Although intended to measure distances, we have adapted them to measure index of refraction of liquids and transparent solids. The laser meter uses the accepted value of the speed of light in vacuum to determine distances based on the phase shift between an internal reference and an outgoing beam that is reflected back to the device. Given that light slows through media, such as water or glass, the laser meter is "tricked" into displaying a longer apparent distance when measuring a length of a transparent material as compared to the same length of air. A simple ratio of the two distances results in the index of refraction of the substance. Measured values for sugar solutions and glasses are in excellent agreement with accepted values for these substances.

  • • "Bullet Time" for K-12 Outreach

    • PST2C05
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Larry Engelhardt
    • Type: Poster
    • Our SPS group is building and programming a "bullet time" apparatus for use in outreach activities with local high school students. This is the effect that was made famous in the movie "The Matrix," wherein time freezes while a camera pans around a scene. We are achieving this using programmable "Raspberry Pi" computer boards, as described at Ref. 1. We will discuss what we have done and what we have planned for the future.

  • • PSoC-ing the Laboratory

    • PST2C07
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Poster
    • A PSoC is a programmable system on a chip made by Cypress Semiconductor. In particular, we will be describing various uses of the PSoC 4. The PSoC is a 32 bit Arm microcontroller with some analog capabilities. While not as flexible as the PSoC 1, 3 or 5 for mixed signal processing, Cypress has just released the CY8CKIT-049. This is a developer kit for the PSoC 4 that costs only $4 and plugs directly into your USB port for programming. It is very flexible and quite powerful. We present a number of uses we have found for PSoC 4s and for the dev kit as well.

  • • A Low-Cost Arduino-Compatible Instrument for Resonance Studies

    • PST2C02
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Jeffrey Groff
    • Type: Poster
    • An Arduino-compatible microcontroller with an on-board timer configured togenerate audio-frequency square waves provides a low-cost alternative to a function generator for driving a speaker for resonance experiments. The hardware and software components of this apparatus are described, and the apparatus is demonstrated by calculating the speed of sound via a study of resonance in an air column. In addition, data from a lab for non-science majors using this system is presented.

  • • Magic Eggs: Magnetism at Any Level of Sophistication

    • PST2C04
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Martin Connors
    • Type: Poster
    • The concept of a dipole field is of basic importance in electromagnetism, but poses conceptual difficulties for students, which may in particular underlie the difficulties in teaching about magnetism. "Magic Eggs" are strongly magnetized, cm-scale spheres often sold as toys. At a low level of sophistication, they allow exploration of many aspects of magnetism, including the ideas of attraction and poles. With progressing levels of knowledge of physics, they can help illuminate concepts ranging from the nature of fields in space to the properties of magnetic materials. A uniformly magnetized sphere has the external field of an ideal dipole despite being a macroscopic object. Quantitative measurements that are easily done with inexpensive apparatus allow a link to be made between theory and measurement that is particularly instructive and satisfying.

  • • Strategies for Assessing Student Laboratory Skills within the Physics Program.

    • PST2C06
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Steven Sahyun
    • Type: Poster
    • The purpose of this project was to develop an initial assessment program to evaluate student laboratory skills across the physics program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. A UW-Whitewater physics faculty team met in 2014 to develop a method for assessing student proficiency at laboratory skills fundamental to all of our laboratory courses. The overarching theme was that students should be able to set up equipment to Acquire some "signal," Analyze data related to the signal, and Assimilate the results into their understanding by communicating results in a manner consistent with departmental goals. We are calling the evaluation of students' ability for Acquisition, Analysis and Assimilation as our "AAA" activities. This poster will discuss the series of embedded AAA activities and checklist type rubric evaluations for our laboratory courses that were developed to assess student proficiency in these fundamental skills.

  • • Trying to Keep the Intro Lab from Being Mind-numbingly Boring

    • PST2C08
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Poster
    • Often times, the introductory laboratories become incredibly tedious for the students and the instructor. Even though we have had very successful laboratories (as measured by student learning), we have felt that the labs do not excite students. Therefore, we wanted to develop a laboratory that would get the students much more engaged in physics and mirror scientific experience. Our hopes were that this would be less boring. This poster will describe our most recent introductory laboratory innovation and some of our measures of success (or failure).

• Lecture/Classroom

  • • Analysis of Classroom Demonstrations: Newton's Cradle and Bouncing Stacked Balls

    • PST2B01
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Michael Ottinger
    • Type: Poster
    • Newton's Cradle and Bouncing Stacked Balls are frequently used to demonstrate conservation laws in elastic collisions. However, student and instructor misconceptions lead to misinterpretation of the demonstrations. For example, in Newton's Cradle when two balls are pulled back, released, and allowed to collide with the remaining balls, two balls exit on the opposite end. This is frequently explained as "the only way to conserve both energy and momentum." That is not totally accurate. The same result does not occur when the two initial balls are replaced with a single ball of twice the mass, even though the initial momentum and energy remain the same. This poster provides a quantitative explanation of Newton's Cradle including a demonstration using multiple low-friction carts. A similar analysis is also presented for the Bouncing Stacked Balls demonstration.

  • • Early Investigations Gauging Effects of Classroom Design on Learning Outcomes

    • PST2B03
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Eric Mandell
    • Type: Poster
    • As active-learning activities have become more common, institutions have invested in the redesign of many learning spaces, replacing the traditional chalkboards and row upon row of desks with whiteboards, huddleboards, smartboards, and a variety of table and seating arrangements. Introductory college physics classes were used to investigate the effect that the learning space itself might have on course learning outcomes. Some students met for recitation in an older, traditional-style classroom with a blackboard and rows of desks, while others met in a newly constructed active-learning classroom equipped with circular tables, whiteboards, and huddleboards. Both groups performed the same active-learning activities throughout the semester. Here, we measure student performance through coursework, conceptual gains using tests such as the FCI and EMCS, and survey student attitude in an effort to better understand the effect of the learning space on students.

  • • Modernizing Modern Physics

    • PST2B05
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Hai Nguyen
    • Type: Poster
    • Modern Physics is a gateway course for physics majors. However, because modern physics concepts were never introduced in K-12 education, students taking modern physics after their first year of introductory physics often have misconceptions and confusions on the fundamental knowledge, practicality and relevancy of relativity and quantum mechanics. To reflect the ever changing nature of "modern" physics in the 21st century and its relevancy, new concepts and applications such as Bose Einstein Condensations, Higgs Bosons, and Satellite Atomic Clocks were introduced into the curriculum. We present learning opportunities, practical challenges, and assessment outcomes of these changes to the modern physics course at the University of Mary Washington.

  • • Using Clickers for Active Learning in Small-to-medium-sized (30-50 students) Classes

    • PST2B07
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Naresh Sen
    • Type: Poster
    • Physics education research (PER) shows that student understanding of concepts is enhanced when students are actively engaged in the classroom. In the classroom, student engagement can be facilitated by positing conceptual questions that students discuss in small groups and respond individually using "clickers." A common setting in which clickers are used is large-enrollment courses, typically more than 100 students. However, clickers can be used just as effectively in smaller classes with 30-50 students. This poster discusses the author's use of clickers in introductory physics courses in such small classes. Examples of student response histograms show that even in these classes, clickers can be used effectively to get students engaged and to serve as launching pads for extended discussions when appropriate. Thus, clickers can be effective in classes of almost all sizes that are typical of introductory physics courses at most educational institutions.

  • • Active Engagement Materials for Nuclear and Particle Physics Courses

    • PST2B08
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Jeff Loats
    • Type: Poster
    • 20+ years of Physics Education Research has yielded a variety of research-based instructional strategies for use in introductory courses. Putting those techniques to use in upper-division courses presents a time and energy barrier that is daunting to most physics faculty. In this NSF-TUES grant we have developed hundreds of active engagement items for nuclear and particle physics in a handful of categories. These materials are currently being tested and reviewed. We will present examples of these materials, including: a) Conceptual discussion questions for use with Peer Instruction; b) warm-up questions for use with Just in Time Teaching, c) 'Back of the Envelope' estimation questions and small-group case studies that will incorporate use of nuclear and particle databases, as well as d) conceptual exam questions. Visit bit.ly/subatomicgrant to see our materials or get in contact.

  • • Analyzing How Internal and External Factors Affect Student Attention

    • PST2B02
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by David Rosengrant
    • Type: Poster
    • In this study we investigate the gaze patterns of undergraduate college students attending a lecture-based physical science class to better understand student attention during class with the help of an eye-tracker. These students are elementary education majors and were selected based on the following factors: age, gender and G.P.A. Once the class ended, we were able to analyze other student factors such as location in the classroom, grade earned in the class, how they took their notes and material that the instructor covered at the time. We then placed each student into a group for each factor (those sitting in the front of the room versus those in the back of the room for example) and compared how long they spent on task (looking at board, notes, instructor, discussion partner) in each category with the time spent off task (focusing on other students, other peoples computers, etc.).

  • • Just In Time Teaching in Large Physical Science Classes

    • PST2B04
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Jean-Francois Van Huele
    • Type: Poster
    • We illustrate how Just in Time Teaching can enhance the experience of students and instructor in a large General Education Physical Science class, with examples of assignments, instructor feedback, and student feedback on the feedback.

  • • The Physics of Smartphone Sensors

    • PST2B06
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Al Adams
    • Type: Poster
    • The principles we teach in physics are embodied in all modern technology, perhaps none so abundantly as in the smartphone. In addition to the basic communication functions requiring radiowave and acoustic transceivers, the smartphone is literally packed full of sensors, most of which measure physical parameters which make possible useful applications. Examples of sensors include acceleration, rotation, magnetic field, light, and even the presence of the human body near the display. Ambient environmental parameters including temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity are also being seriously considered for future implementation. This presentation will identify the physics which underpins many of the sensors found in smartphones. It will relate the physics to the physical structure and function of the actual sensors within the phone. It will suggest ways to introduce these sensors into the relevant topics within the introductory and advanced courses of our curriculum, and present several examples of introductory laboratories which help to reveal the physical principles behind smartphone sensors.

  • • Using Narratives to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills in Introductory Classes

    • PST2B09
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by William Schmidt
    • Type: Poster
    • Studies in the past few decades have shown that traditional methods of problem solving may not be the best approach for developing problem-solving skills and critical thinking in introductory physics courses. To develop critical thinking and communication skills necessary for problem solving, we had students write multiple narratives over the course of the semester, describing in detail how they solve complex real-world problems. The narratives require students to think critically about the problem-solving process and "tell a story" about each problem in their own words. Sophistication of the narratives was compared during the semester to investigate development of critical thinking skills. We administered the CLASS as an epistemological pre- and post- assessment tool to investigate attitudes and approaches to problem solving. Emphasizing the problem-solving story in conjunction with the final answer puts students at a higher level of problem-solving accountability and mastery.

• MOOCs as Outreach, Moving towards MOOO

  • • Superheros and Complexity: Two Examples of MOOCs as Outreach

    • FE01
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by Michael Dennin
    • Type: Invited
    • Developments in online technology for teaching have led to a wide range ofexperiments. Among those that have received the most press are Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs). MOOCs attempt to provide an educational experience to 10,000 or more people. Two challenges for MOOCs are establishing any reasonable model for course credit or making money. Having been involved in both MOOCs and more simple OpenCourseWare courses (where there is no attempt at course credit or money), there is strong evidence that MOOCs are really best suited as outreach vehicles instead of classes. In this presentation, I will discuss two past experiences with MOOCs (one on superheroes and one on zombies), both of which are better described a outreach, and a planned MOOO (Massive Online Open Outreach) on complexity. I will discuss issues related to the effort to create these vehicles and their expected impact.

  • • Educating Educators with edX: How Will MOOCs Impact Teaching?

    • FE02
    • Mon 01/05, 7:30PM - 7:40PM
    • by Daniel Seaton
    • Type: Contributed
    • Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can be conceptualized as public-facingeducation that provides opportunities to better share and manage content for a variety of educators and institutions. However, the impact on current teaching practices around the world is still unclear, particularly since the majority of MOOC providers are still focused solely on delivering content through a student-centric user experience. Surveys addressing teacher enrollment in 10 spring MIT MOOCs provide evidence that attention should perhaps also be given to teachers, where nearly 1 in 10 (9%) respondents identify as being a current teacher. Offering alternative user experiences for teachers could potentially accelerate sharing or reuse of content and pedagogy. Such possibilities will be discussed in terms of the Davidson Next project at Davidson College, which is providing Advanced Placement modules to high school teachers within the edX platform. This presentation will discuss both the development and deployment of Davidson Next as an alternative model for impacting students and teachers using the edX MOOC platform.

  • • 8.05x: a MOOC for Undergraduate Intermediate Quantum Mechanics

    • FE04
    • Mon 01/05, 7:50PM - 8:00PM
    • by Saif Rayyan
    • Type: Contributed
    • The physics department at MIT will be offering a MOOC: "8.05x, Mastering Quantum Mechanics" starting on Feb. 10, 2015. The course follows the syllabus of MIT residential Quantum Mechanics II (8.05) course; the second of a series of three courses in Quantum Mechanics offered to physics majors. The course features video lectures and notes by Professor Barton Zwiebach. Homework assignments and exams are transformed into a machine gradable format using the tools of the edX platform. A discussion forum offers the opportunity to collaborate with others in the course, and interact with Professor Zwiebach and TAs from MIT. Part of our target audience are undergraduate physics students looking to deepen their understanding of quantum mechanics by taking a course that may not be available at their home institutions. The course will also be open to MIT students for credit during the off-semester when the residential version is not usually offered.

• Meetings Committee

  • • Meetings Committee

    • COM02
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Member and Benefits Committee

  • • Member and Benefits Committee

    • COM33
    • Mon 01/05, 5:30PM - 6:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Mentoring Graduate Students for Careers Outside of Academia

  • • Mentoring Graduate Students for Their Likely Non-Academic Careers

    • GB01
    • Tue 01/06, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
    • by Lawrence Woolf
    • Type: Invited
    • Most graduate students will not have academic careers. This talk will provide recommendations for how to mentor graduate students throughout their graduate program. Topics to be discussed include statistics on post graduate school employment, the recommendations of the second graduate education in physics conference, internships and collaborations with industry, and mentoring for professional skills, research and development skills, and science and engineering skills. I'll conclude with some thoughts about restructuring the graduate education program to better prepare students for industrial careers.

  • • Bridging the Gap Between Graduate Programs and Careers in Industry

    • GB02
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by Stefano Spagna
    • Type: Invited
    • Traditional PhD and Master Physics programs teach little about how to apply the acquired knowledge to careers in "high-tech" companies. Quantum Design, the world leader in the manufacture of automated temperature and magnetic field platforms for materials characterization, has successfully partnered with UCSD to better prepare students for a career in industry. Quantum Design's sponsorships are structured to give students the opportunity to learn in a manufacturing environment, working alongside industry professionals to transform physics and engineering knowledge into products to be sold worldwide. Here we describe our graduate student mentoring process that yields new applications of cutting-edge technologies and original research for their Thesis. New skills are learned, and new mentoring situations arise as a result of academia and industry collaborations.

  • • Thriving in Industry: Tips and Tricks

    • GB03
    • Tue 01/06, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
    • by Paul van der Wagt
    • Type: Invited
    • This talk covers technical career development principles that I have accumulated over many years in industry in my roles as individual contributor and team lead: - Think long term even during crises. - Focus on gaining knowledge and skills. - Document work thoroughly. - Perfectionism is tolerated if you consistently hit schedules. - Five to 10 years is enough to reach expert level in any sub-field: Move on. - Avoid projects with difficult personalities or budding management conflicts. - Do tasks in the efficient order, not the externally requested order: You will hit some deadlines while others hit none. - Automate and/or delegate what you can. - Dysfunctional work environment: A written record, an email, can force weak management to act, since in-action now has a risk attached. - Leadership and delegation require letting others make mistakes while they grow and are empowered -- did I mention to think long term?

• Mentoring Newly Graduated Teachers to Improve Retention

  • • Addressing Early Career Physics Teacher Attrition by Developing Professional Vision

    • DE01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by Gregory Rushton
    • Type: Invited
    • Through a five-year, NSF supported professional development program that seeks to recruit, prepare and retain STEM professionals in secondary physics teaching careers, we are studying how the formation of their professional identity influences their dispositions towards implementing reform-based practices and their decision to remain in the K12 profession. We have been developing intentional experiences during the pre-service and induction phases using Gee's identity framework and Goodwin's notion of professional vision as the lenses through which we see the teachers' development as competent and active members of the teaching community of practice. Herein we describe the theory base for our study, the research methods for studying the teachers' identity formation and progress, and the nature of the professional development experiences that we hope will positively impact their views of using research-based practices in their classrooms and their choice with respect towards remaining in the career for an extended period of time.

  • • Friday Night Physics: Learning Communities to Improve Teacher Retention

    • DE02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by Danielle Buggé
    • Type: Invited
    • A feeling if isolation is one of the reasons for teachers to leave the profession. Thus a strong physics teacher preparation program should not only prepare pre-service teachers to implement high-quality instruction but must also support them after graduation. A community of graduates can help provide this support naturally. Experienced teachers share experiences with the new teachers, the new teachers provide a constant support of energy and enthusiasm and both groups grow together solving common problems. What does it take to create and sustain such community? What effects does it have on the participants? The goal of this talk is to answer these questions and to provide helpful hints for those who are interested in organizing similar communities.

  • • Collaborative PER as a Form of Teacher Induction and Mentoring*

    • DE03
    • Mon 01/05, 12:00PM - 12:30PM
    • by Emily Quinty
    • Type: Invited
    • The Teacher Research Teams model improves teacher retention by increasing job satisfaction through the intellectually engaging activity of working with other researchers to investigate difficult problems of practice. The model provides opportunities and support for engaging in collaborative, publishable, discipline-based education research. These research experience also: (a) provide teachers with the skills necessary to advocate for themselves regarding the instructional decisions they make, especially when dealing with parents, administrators, and colleagues and (b) is a form of scholarly professional development since teachers induce principles about effective practice from their research. Since prospective teachers also serve on these teams, the experience is a progressive model for teacher preparation. Three Physics Research Teams are currently field-testing the Physics and Everyday Thinking-High School Curriculum and studying its implementation and class participation. We are investigating teacher learning and teacher preparation throughout this process. Our project will be described and our preliminary results will be discussed.

  • • Fifteen Years of Success from the Exploratorium's Leadership Program

    • DE04
    • Mon 01/05, 12:30PM - 12:40PM
    • by Marc 'Zeke' Kossover
    • Type: Contributed
    • The Exploratorium's Beginning Teacher and Leadership Programs have been training teachers new to the profession since 1998. The program has several components from three weeks of training for coaches and mentors, three weeks of pedagogy and content training for new teachers, mentor meetings during the academic year, observations from coaches in the classroom of the beginning teachers, an exclusive email list to get help, and ongoing pedagogy and content workshops for teachers' entire careers. We find that this whole teacher approach helps to decrease attrition, rapidly develop teaching skills, and create solid content knowledge that is passed on to students. Further, it creates a corps mentors that help teachers outside our program.

• Monday Registration

  • • Monday Registration

    • REG05
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00AM - 5:00AM
    • 
      
    • Type: Registration

• Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall

  • • Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall

    • EXH08
    • Mon 01/05, 10:30AM - 11:00AM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall

  • • Morning Break in the Exhibit Hall

    • EXH03
    • Sun 01/04, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
    • 
      
    • Type: Exhibit Hall

• Multicultural Luncheon

  • • Multicultural Luncheon

    • EVT12
    • Mon 01/05, 12:30PM - 1:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• New Executive Board Orientation

  • • New Executive Board Orientation

    • EXC01
    • Fri 01/02, 5:45PM - 6:45PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Nominating Commitee I (Closed)

  • • Nominating Commitee I (Closed)

    • COM05
    • Sat 01/03, 3:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Nominating II Committee (Closed)

  • • Nominating Committee II (Closed)

    • COM38
    • Tue 01/06, 3:00PM - 5:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Other

  • • Identity Development for Undergraduate Female Physics Majors

    • PST2E01
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Mary Mills
    • Type: Poster
    • Research has shown that identity formation during college shapes vocational decision-making. In this mixed methods study, we assessed the physics identify formation of 1249 undergraduate female physics students. The results from this study formed a set of characteristics that these undergraduate women believe define a "physicist" and fell into three categories -- skills, attitudes, and experiences. Additionally, three predictors for whether a student would call herself a physicist were identified -- satisfaction with her institution's physics department, belief in her future in physics, and the amount and type of negative feedback she has received from others. This project has led to the need and desire for a deeper examination of these students' identity formation, specifically how a student's experiences in the physics community affects her identity development, how a physics identity plays a role in career choice, and whether developing a physics identity can help retain women in physics.

  • • Dealing with Still More Climate Myths

    • PST2E03
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Gordon Aubrecht
    • Type: Poster
    • Many scientists understand that climate change has a sociopolitical aspect, but some scientists are unwilling to address the issue lest they be perceived as political themselves. Nevertheless, when we scientists find climate myths, I think it is our duty as scientists to be willing to debunk them. Posters at Orlando and Minneapolis on this topic were well received. This poster exhibits some more climate myths and contrasts them with the science.

  • • Anomalous Effects in Crookes' Radiometer

    • PST2E05
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Timothy Heumier
    • Type: Poster
    • When the vanes of a Crookes' radiometer are subjected to constant illumination (thereby differentially heating the black and white sides of the vanes), they begin to spin, reaching an equilibrium rotation rate. Upon removal of the light source, the vanes coast to a stop, sometimes reversing direction briefly. In contrast, if the vanes are caused to rotate without illumination (e.g., by shaking in a swirling motion), they take longer to coast to a stop from the same initial rotation rate, with no reversal. This suggests that there is a reverse force acting on the vanes after the illumination is removed, and possibly even during the forward motion. We show the experimental configuration and display data illustrating this effect. We also discuss the ongoing attempts to extract the temporal behavior of the thermal forces from the vane position data.

  • • Using the Peer Review to Help Students Understand their Physics Laboratory

    • PST2E07
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Mark Masters
    • Type: Poster
    • Students often fail to understand their physics laboratory. This is in part because, like "All the king's horses and all the king's men" the students fail to put together the humpty dumpty of physics involved in their laboratory investigation. When students write a laboratory paper they direct the paper to the Instructor who will fill in all the gaps. This inhibits student sense making of their laboratory investigations. To correct this we created JAUPLI; the Journal of the Advanced Undergraduate Physics Laboratory Investigation. In this journal the students write for peers at other universities, perform peer review on the student manuscripts with complete anonymity. We present our results from our most recent experiences with this process.

  • • Student Response to “Equality Through Awareness” Club at CSM

    • PST2E02
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Libby Booton
    • Type: Poster
    • The physics student-run club Equality Through Awareness (ETA) is entering its second year of existence at Colorado School of Mines (CSM). The club aims to promote equality in STEM by spreading awareness about the issues faced by underrepresented groups. One of the club’s three main components is a weekly, student-only discussion group, where students discuss articles they’ve read about various topics related to underrepresented groups in STEM. This poster will describe the topics discussed, and the results from an anonymous survey of students’ reactions to this discussion group.

  • • Interdisciplinary Nanomaterials Research for Undergraduate Students

    • PST2E04
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Michelle Chen
    • Type: Poster
    • With this poster I will share my experience involving undergraduate students of all levels on interdisciplinary nanomaterials research at a primarily undergraduate institution. I will present projects on carbon nanotube / graphene synthesis and their interactions with biological cells that were carried out by both lower- and upper-level undergraduate researchers. Collaborations with major research institutions that were instrumental for our research will also be discussed.

  • • Different Faces of Crackpottery

    • PST2E06
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Sadri Hassani
    • Type: Poster
    • Traditionally, crackpot science was the prerogative of people whose most advanced scientific knowledge came from watching programs on the Discovery Channel and Nova or reading articles in Reader’s Digest and Popular Mechanics. Recently, however, more and more professionals have been attracted to crackpottery. This poster shows some examples of crackpottery in physics and points out some of its main characteristics. Among the people with tendencies toward crackpot ideas are some well known physicists, whose strange ideas are discussed in the poster.

  • • Clouds From Other Worlds: Example - Titan Methane Cloud Droplet Microphysics.

    • PST2E08
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Tersi Arias-Young
    • Type: Poster
    • One of the most interesting aspects of Titan having an atmosphere is the formation of clouds. On Earth, the atmosphere contains significant concentrations of particles – aerosols – of micron and sub-micron size which have an affinity for water and serve as centers for droplet condensation or cloud condensation nuclei. On Titan, the atmosphere contains a large amount of the so called tholins – a photochemical byproduct of nitrogen and methane – which are believed to serve as cloud droplet nuclei. Like for water droplets on Earth, methane droplets on Titan will need to be formed by heterogeneous nucleation for the liquid phase. We approximate a value for the supersaturation needed for pure methane droplets to form and confirm that homogeneous nucleation is most likely not found in Titan’s atmosphere and, we present the microphysics needed for insoluble heterogeneous nucleation – known as Fletcher theory – of methane cloud droplets with tholins as nuclei.

• Outdoor Yoga

  • • Outdoor Yoga

    • EVT14
    • Tue 01/06, 7:00AM - 8:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Event
    • Amateur and seasoned yogis will join a professional yoga instructor to flex and meditate their way into the day under the beautiful San Diego sky. In the event of inclement weather, the class will be held inside the hotel. Attendees should meet in the hotel lobby.

• PER in the Professional Preparation of Teachers

  • • PER as a Guide to In-service Teacher Preparation in Physics

    • EG01
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • by Lillian McDermott
    • Type: Invited
    • No more than 35% of high school physics teachers in the U.S. have majoredin physics or physics education.1 In 1999 this situation led to an AAPT/APS joint resolution urging physics departments to participate actively in teacher preparation. Thus far, most of the emphasis has been on pre-service teachers. The shortage of qualified teachers is so severe, however, that a concerted effort beyond short workshops is also necessary to improve the preparation of in-service teachers to teach physics. Examples will be presented of how research and research-based curriculum development can contribute to inservice teacher professional development.2

  • • Teacher Research Teams: Dual Roles for Teachers Impacts Their Practice*

    • EG02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Valerie Otero
    • Type: Invited
    • Teacher Research Teams are designed to meet three goals: (1) scholarly professional development--teachers induce principles about effective practice from their own research, (2) self advocacy--teachers develop skills, confidence, and courage necessary for defending their (sometimes unpopular) instructional decisions to administrators, parents, colleagues and (3) retention and job satisfaction--the intellectually engaging activity of conducting publishable research on "problems of practice" is challenging and satisfying. The original nine teachers currently lead 60 teachers and prospective teachers in nine teams. Their publications and talks have increased from two in 2010 to 25 in 2013. The dual role of teacher/researcher has affected teachers' practice by supporting or refuting teachers' claims about what is best for students. For example, an interrupted time series analysis revealed that a slight modification of whiteboard usage and teacher talk led to an increase in student participation in consensus discussions. These and other results will be discussed. *This work is partially funded by the Gill Foundation and NSF Grant #1340083, 1240073, 0934921

  • • PER to the Rescue: Incorporating Research in Physics Teacher Education

    • EG03
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
    • by Marina Milner-Bolotin
    • Type: Contributed
    • Physics methods courses provide a great opportunity to interest physics teacher-candidates in physics education research (PER). While acquiring physics teaching skills, teacher-candidates have to become aware of the PER implications on teaching physics and of the research-informed pedagogies. However, raising awareness is insufficient to assure teacher-candidates teachers will use PER in their practice. To do so, they have to become members of the physics education community of practice. In this presentation I will discuss how PER became a backbone of the Physics Methods Course I teach at the University of British Columbia. In this course teacher-candidates have an opportunity to experience PER-informed pedagogies and design PER-informed lessons. They also explore and discuss PER papers and incorporate their findings in their practicum classrooms. Most importantly, teacher-candidates become members of the local physics teaching community and have an opportunity to be mentored by experienced physics teachers outside of the university walls. This research is generously supported by the University of British Columbia Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund.

  • • Quantifying Changes in School Teachers' Practices*

    • EG04
    • Mon 01/05, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
    • by Gordon Aubrecht
    • Type: Contributed
    • Grant agencies are requiring documentation that goes beyond anecdote. We work with inservice middle and high school teachers in two high-needs urban school districts in Ohio. The Ohio Department of Education requires supported programs to involve at least 120 hours of professional development, with at least half during the school year. We estimate that new teachers who attend the summer institutes received at least 188 hours of professional development involvement this past year (70 h, summer; 70 h, grade-level meetings; 48 to 96 h, common formative assessment (CFA) analyses; plus staff classroom visits and voluntary attendance at professional society meetings). We expect to see changes in teacher practice as a result. This presentation explains our attempt to quantify changes in teacher practice by using student common formative assessments, RTOP, and other self-assessments to quantify changes in teachers and teaching practice. *This work supported in part by grants from the Ohio Department of Education C1457-OSCI-09-49 (2008-2009), C1667-MSP-10-410 (2009-2010), EDU01-0000006141 (2010-2011), EDU01-0000007902 (2011-2012), GRT00029161 (2012-2013), ODE-MSP-10673 (2013-2014), and EDU01-0000013704 (2014-15).

  • • Adapting Modeling Workshops for the Distance Learner

    • EG05
    • Mon 01/05, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
    • by M. Colleen Megowan-Romanowicz
    • Type: Contributed
    • For 25 years Modeling Workshops have reached high school physics teachers nationwide with 90-hour summer professional development experiences targeted at helping them optimize their effectiveness in designing and managing the learning environment in their physics classroom. Demand has risen in recent years for an online version of the Modeling Workshop that will provide teachers who cannot manage the travel to a workshop location with sufficient grounding in Modeling Theory and practice to successfully deploy it in their physics classrooms. Modeling Instruction is discourse-intensive and student-centered. It relies heavily on small group work and whole group sense-making discussion. To what extent can this be reproduced in an online setting? This presentation will report on what we learned from two pilot distance learning Modeling Workshops offered on different distance learning platforms; what we learned, and where we will go from here.

  • • Elementary Teacher Candidate's Personal Interest in Physics

    • EG06
    • Mon 01/05, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
    • by Wendy Adams
    • Type: Contributed
    • The literature shows that pre-service elementary teachers have lower personal interest than most, if not all, other populations that have been evaluated with the CLASS instrument. This is very concerning for the future students of these teacher candidates. It is also a plausible contributor to the lack of personal interest in high school students and women since elementary teachers are predominantly female. In this talk I will present several years of data for pre-service elementary teachers at the University of Northern Colorado collected from two different courses which provides data for students in their freshmansophomore year and again in their junior/senior years. The courses are Physical Science Concepts and Principles of Scientific Practices, a capstone course. Pre-post data will also be presented showing significant increases in personal interest of students in the capstone course which was taught using research-based practices.

  • • Internships in High School STEM Academies for Undergraduate Physics Majors

    • EG07
    • Mon 01/05, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
    • by Stacey Carpenter
    • Type: Contributed
    • To address the need to recruit more physics and engineering majors into teaching, a scholarship program was created at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In this program, undergraduates majoring in the physical sciences or engineering have an opportunity to "intern" in local physical science and engineering classrooms. These internships take place in the unique classroom contexts of STEM-focused academies within traditional public K-12 schools where interns are able to observe and interact with exceptional teachers. One of these academies is a project-based engineering academy with an integrated physics, visual arts/design, and engineering curriculum. The other academy includes separate courses in physics and engineering that focus on environmental issues. We are investigating how these different contexts contribute to the preparation of prospective physics teachers. Findings on the development of interns' ideas about effective physics and engineering teaching will be presented.

  • • Preparing Future Physics Teachers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

    • EG08
    • Mon 01/05, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
    • by Jennifer Docktor
    • Type: Contributed
    • The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L) Physics Department is nationally recognized as a thriving undergraduate physics program, and routinely ranks among the top producers of physics majors among bachelor's-only granting institutions. Recently, UW-L was selected as a targeted site by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) and has made focused efforts to increase the number of students pursuing careers in physics teaching. Effective practices identified include: establishing a "point person" within the physics department to advise and mentor teacher candidates and collaborate with the School of Education, fostering a departmental culture which values teaching, providing undergraduates with early experiences, and building a community of secondary education teacher candidates. This talk will include a description of these practices and additional changes which have been made to further improve pre-service physics teacher education at UW-L.

• PER: Evaluating Instructional Strategies

  • • Assessment and Instructional-Element Analysis in Evidence-based Physics Instruction

    • AB01
    • Sun 01/04, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
    • by David Meltzer
    • Type: Contributed
    • Decades of investigation by hundreds of research and development groups worldwide have yielded an impressive array of curricular and instructional innovations in physics that show evidence of improved student learning. [See, for example, D. E. Meltzer and R. K. Thornton, "Resource Letter ALIP-1: Active-Learning Instruction in Physics," Am. J. Phys. 80, 478-496 (2012).)] In this brief review I will survey the range of assessment instruments and methods that have been used in this work, as well as the extent to which the relative effectiveness of specific elements of the instructional methods has been subjected to analysis.

  • • Impacts of Web-based Computer Coaches on Student Attitude and Learning

    • AB02
    • Sun 01/04, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
    • by Bijaya Aryal
    • Type: Contributed
    • We have implemented web-based computer coaches into small classes at University of Minnesota Rochester over the last three years. The varying usage of coaches by individual students outside of class allowed us to categorize them into different user groups. This presentation reports on a comparative study on examining if and how different user groups' attitude toward problem solving changes after the completion of an introductory-level physics course as measured by an attitude survey. The relationship between the use of the coaches and students' conceptual learning measured by a concept test will also be discussed. A consistent tendency has been found correlating the user groups with their course performance and gender. Likewise, time of completion of the coaches seems to correspond with individual student attitudes toward problem solving as well as conceptual learning.

  • • Active Reading Documents in Introductory Physics

    • AB03
    • Sun 01/04, 10:20AM - 10:30AM
    • by Shawn Hilbert
    • Type: Contributed
    • A constant struggle for professors is getting students to read the textbook. This year, I piloted a reading companion called an Active Reading Document (ARD). The goal of the ARD is for students to condense the important information from a chapter into one clear, well organized document. The ARD consists of three parts: a visual representation (for example, a concept map) of the content and connections within the chapter, a list of important terms with original definitions, and a set of original connections from within the chapter, to previous chapters, to their own life. This presentation will introduce the concept of an ARD and discuss the successes and failures in a first attempt of implementation into a physics course.

  • • Sector Vector: An Interactive Game to Learn Vectors!

    • AB04
    • Sun 01/04, 10:30AM - 10:40AM
    • by James O´Brien
    • Type: Contributed
    • In recent years, science and particularly physics education has been furthered by the use of project-based interactive learning. There is a tremendous amount of evidence that use of these techniques in a college learning environment leads to a deeper appreciation and understanding of fundamental concepts. Since vectors are the basis for any advancement in physics and engineering courses the cornerstone of any physics regimen is a concrete and comprehensive introduction to vectors. Here, we introduce a new turn-based vector game that we have developed to help supplement traditional vector learning practices, which allows students to be creative, work together as a team, and accomplish a goal through the understanding of basic vector concepts. The results of student retention of concepts has increased dramatically, and engagement and time spent in lab have been amazingly increased. The disguise of the lesson and impact of a competitive game environment will be discussed.

• PER: Examining Content Understanding and Reasoning

  • • A Taxonomy of Conceptions about Buoyancy

    • HD01
    • Tue 01/06, 12:30PM - 12:40PM
    • by DJ Wagner
    • Type: Contributed
    • Numerous studies, dating back at least as far as Piaget, have used buoyancy to probe students' understanding of density. A few studies have instead probed students' understanding of buoyancy in terms of pressure, buoyant force and Archimedes' Principle. In this talk, we present an overview of our buoyancy conception taxonomy. Included conceptions were collected both from prior studies involving subjects having a variety of ages, and from our own interviews and assessments given to college students.

  • • Quantum Mechanics Concept Assessment (QMCA): Development and Validation Study

    • HD02
    • Tue 01/06, 12:40PM - 12:50PM
    • by Homeyra Sadaghiani
    • Type: Contributed
    • The Quantum Mechanics Concept Assessment (QMCA) is a 31-item multiple choice (MC) concept assessment instrument for first semester upper-division quantum mechanics. The process of developing this tool started with converting a preliminary version of an existing 14-item open-ended test to a MC format. During two years of testing and refinement, the QMCA has been given in alpha (N=61) and beta versions (N=263) to students in upper division quantum mechanics courses at 11 different institutions with average posttest score of 54%. In this talk, we will discuss the construction process of effective distractors and the use of student interviews and expert feedback to revise and validate both questions and distractors. We will also discuss the results of common statistical tests of reliability and validity, which suggest the instrument is presently in a stable, usable, and promising form.

  • • Physics Learning Study in Uganda: Observations, Suggestions and Questions

    • HD03
    • Tue 01/06, 12:50PM - 1:00PM
    • by Lane Seeley
    • Type: Contributed
    • We will present the findings from a recent study of conceptual physics understanding among pre-college students and pre-service physics teachers in Uganda. The study included the Force Concept Inventory, individual and group interviews about both physics content and pedagogical issues. We will discuss the quantitative and qualitative results of this study in the context of the Ugandan physics education system. Finally, we will share recommendations and discuss opportunities for physics learning experts in the U.S. to support instructional reform efforts in Uganda.

  • • Scaffolding Student Understanding of Energy in Physics and Chemistry

    • HD04
    • Tue 01/06, 1:00PM - 1:10PM
    • by Beth Lindsey
    • Type: Contributed
    • Potential energy is a conceptually rich topic presenting many difficultiesfor students. One key feature of potential energy is that it is a function of the distance between interacting objects. This concept is relevant to understanding potential energy in both physical and chemical contexts. Data from student responses to written surveys and small-group interviews reveal that students do not spontaneously make connections between ideas they have about energy from physics classes and the ideas necessary for an understanding of energy in chemical contexts, but that they can be guided to draw these connections with appropriate scaffolding. In this talk, I will describe research into the levels of scaffolding that are necessary and sufficient to aid students in drawing connections between energy concepts across the disciplines.

  • • Effect of Verbal and Visual Cueing on Conceptual Task Performance*

    • HD05
    • Tue 01/06, 1:10PM - 1:20PM
    • by Xian Wu
    • Type: Contributed
    • Our previous study shows visual cueing with feedback can be very helpful to students in physics problem solving. Effective linguistic cueing is an obvious complement of visual cueing in computer-aided instruction. In this study, we focus on the effects of verbal cueing and the interaction between linguistic cueing and visual cueing on correctness of students' responses on conceptual physics tasks. Participants solved four sets of conceptual problems, each of them containing one initial problem, six training problems, one near transfer problem, and one far transfer problem. Their spoken answers were analyzed for their reasoning and correctness. Our study provided insights into the relationship between the modality of cueing and students' physics problem solving performance. *This research is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grants 1138697 and 1348857. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.

  • • Self-Explanations Influencing Performance on Tasks with Feedback or Visual Cues*

    • HD06
    • Tue 01/06, 1:20PM - 1:30PM
    • by Elise Agra
    • Type: Contributed
    • Research has shown that using visual cues and correctness feedback can improve problem solving. In this study, we investigate the effect of self-explanations as well as visual cues and correctness feedback on conceptual physics tasks. Students enrolled in an introductory mechanics course were interviewed individually and asked to provide self-explanations on conceptual physics tasks. Participants worked through four sets of tasks, each containing a diagram. Each set contained an initial task, six isomorphic training tasks, a near transfer task, and a far transfer task. Students in the cued conditions saw visual cues on the training tasks, and students in the feedback conditions were told whether their responses were correct or incorrect. We discuss the influence of self-explanation on students' ability to solve the training and transfer task with respect to the cue and feedback conditions.

  • • Online Homework Activities to Help at Risk Students

    • HD07
    • Tue 01/06, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
    • by Tim Stelzer
    • Type: Contributed
    • Introductory physics is a roadblock for many aspiring engineers at the University of Illinois. The overall attrition rate in our introductory mechanics and E&M courses is approximately 15%, however that rate doubles for some under-represented populations. In fall 2014 we introduced a set of online activities designed to provide students both an accurate assessment of their current understanding, and the resources to improve their performance. This talk will describe the design of these activities, and their impact on student attitude and understanding.

• PER: Student Engagement and Metacognition

  • • How Student Research Experiences Shape Perceptions of Scientists

    • BH01
    • Sun 01/04, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
    • by Gina Quan
    • Type: Contributed
    • Many universities have created programs to support undergraduate retentionby placing students in research positions. I will present research on first-year undergraduate students' evolving ideas about physics research. Students in the study were part of a research seminar at the University of Maryland in which they worked with research mentors on research projects. Class time was dedicated to teaching research skills and supporting students through emotional hurdles associated with research. In classroom video and interviews, students described ways in which their research experiences were different from their expectations. Students tie an improved sense of competence in research to a better understanding of who does physics and how physics research works.

  • • Student Views on the Nature of Disciplines

    • BH02
    • Sun 01/04, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
    • by Dyan Jones
    • Type: Contributed
    • At our institution, all freshmen are required to take a multidisciplinary course taught by three faculty members from different departments. Anecdotally, faculty members have long discussed the variations in student perceptions of the disciplines and how they are manifested in this context. This study presents pre- and post-data gathered from one such interdisciplinary class to determine whether there are measurable differences in the way students view natural science, social science, and humanities.

  • • Exclusively Visual Analysis of Classroom Group Interactions

    • BH03
    • Sun 01/04, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
    • by Laura Tucker
    • Type: Contributed
    • Data that measures group learning are time-consuming to collect and analyze on a large scale. As an initial step toward scaling qualitative classroom observation, our team qualitatively coded classroom video using an established coding scheme with and without its audio. We find that inter-rater reliability is as high when using visual data only "without audio" as when using both visual and audio data to code. Also, inter-rater reliability is high even when comparing use of visual and audio data to visual-only data. We see a small bias that interactions are more often coded as group discussion when visual and audio data are used compared with video-only data. This work establishes that meaningful educational observation can be made through visual information alone. Further, after initial work from qualitative researchers validates the coding scheme in each classroom environment, computer-automated visual coding could drastically increase the breadth of qualitative studies and provide meaningful educational assessment to a large number of classrooms.

  • • Using the ITIS to Evaluate Simple Interventions in Introductory Physics

    • BH04
    • Sun 01/04, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
    • by Alexandra Kopecky
    • Type: Contributed
    • Recent publications have indicated that there is a link between students' performance and students' beliefs in whether intelligence is fixed or capable of growth. They also argue that these beliefs can be changed by simple interventions. In this talk, we will provide pre- and post-course evaluations of students' beliefs on intelligence using the Implicit Theory of Intelligence Scale (ITIS) for both an experimental and a control class. The experimental class had both a brief written and oral intervention. We will also show correlations between students' beliefs on intelligence and their success in the course.

  • • Shifts in Student Views About Metacognition in Calculus-based Physics

    • BH05
    • Sun 01/04, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
    • by Sara Julin
    • Type: Contributed
    • Student attitudes about learning and understanding physics have been shownto be naïve and remarkably stable, failing to become more expert-like even after instruction informed by PER. This talk describes the efforts of one community college faculty member, already committed to and experienced with student-centered methods, to integrate explicit instruction in metacognition into her teaching of the introductory mechanics course. Students had weekly practice reflecting in writing on changes in their own thinking, supported by frequent full-class discussion in which this type of metacognition was modeled and framed. The sophistication of student attitudes about the role of reflection in their learning was tracked through an end-of-course learning commentary assignment. Preliminary analysis indicates substantial positive changes in attitudes as compared to results from sections of the course in which metacognition was not explicitly taught. The instruction will be briefly described, and data from multiple sections of the course will be shared. This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DUE-1245999, DUE- 1245993, DUE-1245313 and DUE-1245699.

  • • Measuring How Accurately Students Evaluate Changes in Their Own Thinking

    • BH06
    • Sun 01/04, 2:50PM - 3:00PM
    • by Andrew Boudreaux
    • Type: Contributed
    • How People Learn summarized decades of research on learning and included metacognition as one of its Three Key Findings. Active self-monitoring characterizes expert learning, and HPL advocates the explicit teaching of monitoring strategies in context. But how accurately can students identify specific changes in their understanding? As part of a collaborative effort at WWU, WCC, NDSU, and U. Maine, we have examined student metacognition using paired questions. This talk presents results from a mechanics question administered at the beginning of instruction in a course for preservice elementary teachers, and again two weeks later toward the end of relevant instruction. The re-assessment included a prompt asking students to describe how their thinking had changed. Researchers coded responses on the initial assessment and re-assessment for content accuracy, and then compared differences in these codes to the students' self-reported descriptions of changes in their thinking. This work partially supported by NSF Grant Nos. DUE-1245999, DUE-1245993, DUE-1245313 and DUE-1245699.

  • • Authentic Student Work as a Vehicle for Enhancing Metacognitive Abilities

    • BH07
    • Sun 01/04, 3:00PM - 3:10PM
    • by MacKenzie Stetzer
    • Type: Contributed
    • As part of an ongoing project aimed at improving student learning by investigating and supporting student metacognitive abilities in the context of physics, we have been examining the role of metacognition in the kind of qualitative, inferential reasoning emphasized in research-based instructional materials. In particular, we have been using paired question sequences shown to elicit inconsistencies in student reasoning as the basis for a think-aloud interview protocol in which pairs of students collaboratively work through such question sequences. Audio, video, and real-time writing data have been used to identify instances of socially mediated metacognition. This talk will focus on targeted interventions in which student pairs are guided to reflect on multiple samples of authentic student work after the pairs have completed the problems collaboratively. Preliminary findings will be presented. This work is supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DUE-1245313, DUE-1245999, and DUE-0962805.

• PERLOC (Closed)

  • • PERLOC (Closed)

    • COM36
    • Mon 01/05, 5:30PM - 7:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• PERTG Town Hall Meeting

  • • PERTG Town Hall Meeting

    • EVT15
    • Tue 01/06, 7:30AM - 8:30AM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• PTRA Oversight Committee

  • • PTRA Oversight Committee

    • COM35
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 10:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting
    • time changed 10/22 jmb.

• Panel of Support and Information for Graduate Students

  • • Panel of Support and Information for Graduate Students

    • DH
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 12:30PM
    • by Abigail Daane
    • Type: Panel
    • This 90 minute panel session will address many of the professional concerns brought up by graduate students during the past Crackerbarrels/Topical Group Discussions. Topics covered include: CV Writing, Job Hunting, Getting Involved with Committee, Publishing Articles, and Reviewing Articles.

• Physics Bowl Advisory Committee

  • • Physics Bowl Advisory Committee

    • COM09
    • Sun 01/04, 8:00AM - 9:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Physics Education Research

  • • The Item Response Curves of the FMCE and Conceptual Dynamics

    • PST1B01
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Michi Ishimoto
    • Type: Poster
    • The item response curve (IRC), a simplistic form of item response theory, was introduced as a way to examine items on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) (1). The IRC relates the percentage of students at each ability level to each answer choice. This study used the total scores of 1633 students on the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) as a proxy for ability level as used on the FCI. A comparison of the IRCs of the pre-instruction test to those of the post-instruction test showed that the total score functioned reasonably as an invariant. The IRCs also showed that some incorrect responses were favored by students with certain ability levels. The results were consistent with the responses indicated in conceptual dynamics by Thornton (2), which identifies a sequence of intermediate states of concept learning.

  • • A Taxonomy of Conceptions about Buoyancy

    • PST1B05
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by DJ Wagner
    • Type: Poster
    • Numerous studies, dating back at least as far as Piaget, have used buoyancy to probe students' understanding of density. A few studies have instead probed students' understanding of buoyancy in terms of pressure, buoyant force and Archimedes' principle. In this talk, we present an overview of our buoyancy conception taxonomy. Included conceptions were collected both from prior studies involving subjects having a variety of ages, and from our own interviews and assessments given to college students.

  • • Do Sinusoidal Graphs of Pressure Variation in Pipes Mislead Students?

    • PST1B07
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Deva O´Neil
    • Type: Poster
    • This study examines whether students are misled by sound wave diagrams that represent pressure variation by a sinusoidal curve inside a pipe. This representation is at odds with the physical reality of sound waves as compression of the medium. After instruction in introductory physics courses about properties of sound waves, students were prompted to identify sound waves as transverse or longitudinal, and to represent the waves pictorially. Exposure to sinusoidal diagrams of pressure variation led a small proportion of students (about 10%) to change their correct answers to responses that were less consistent with the longitudinal nature of sound waves. This effect was observed both in physics majors taking calculus-based physics courses as well as non-majors taking algebra-based physics.

  • • Self-Explanations Influencing Reasoning on Tasks with Feedback or Visual Cues*

    • PST1B09
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Elise Agra
    • Type: Poster
    • Research has demonstrated that visual cues and correctness feedback can influence the kinds of cognitive resources that learners activate on conceptual physics tasks. In this study, we investigate the effect of self-explanations in solving conceptual physics tasks containing a diagram. Students enrolled in an introductory mechanics course were individually interviewed. Using the self-explanation method, students worked through four sets of problems containing a diagram. Each problem set contained an initial problem, six isomorphic training problems, a near transfer problem, and a far transfer problem. The students provided verbal responses to the problems. Students in the cued conditions saw visual cues on the training problems, and students in the feedback conditions were told whether their responses were correct or incorrect. We discuss the influence of self-explanations on students' reasoning resources in the training and transfer problems with respect to the cue and feedback conditions.

  • • Complex Relationships From a Trivial Math Test

    • PST1B11
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Thomas Foster
    • Type: Poster
    • A two-part math test was given to University Physics students during theirfirst semester of the course. The test had an arithmetic (numbers) portion and an algebraic (symbolic) portion where the solution-steps to the questions on each portion of the test should have been the same (isomorphic). Theoretically, the performance should have been identical on each portion of the test, instead it mattered which test was given first as to how the students would perform. Students given the algebra test first did better on the subsequent arithmetic test. Interpretations surrounding this finding and implication for problem-solving instruction will be discussed.

  • • Innovative Experiments for Large-Enrollment General Physics Course

    • PST1B13
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Kasey Wagoner
    • Type: Poster
    • We have developed a series of innovative, inquiry-based labs for our large-enrollment, active-learning, introductory physics course. In our talk we outlined the philosophy behind our predict-experiment-assess labs which connect class content to the students' experiences by experimenting with familiar objects (bicycles, Christmas lights, speakers, etc.). Here we show the subjects, learning goals, and experimental procedures for a representative sample of the 18 novel labs we developed for our two-semester introductory physics sequence. We will provide an excerpt of our lab manual for a direct illustration of our approach. Additionally, we will present the extra materials we have developed to help our teaching assistants effectively implement the new labs (rubric, In-Lab guide, wiki, etc.). Finally, we will present feedback which indicates these labs are a significant enhancement to our introductory physics course.

  • • Investigation of Spin-first Versus Wavefunction Approach in Teaching Quantum Mechanics

    • PST1B15
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Homeyra Sadaghiani
    • Type: Poster
    • We are investigating student learning of quantum mechanics in two different contexts. In one approach, postulates of quantum mechanics are introduced in the context of the wavefunction of a particle in potential wells with continuous bases of position probability densities. The second approach uses the context of Stern-Gerlach experiments with discrete spin bases. We have measured student learning of the core concepts in courses using these approaches with common exam questions and Quantum Mechanics Concept Assessment (QMCA). Preliminary data suggest a small but positive impact on students' scores on topics related to quantum mechanical measurement in the classes taught using the discrete bases in the second approach. Preliminary data also suggest that using the discrete bases approach may shift student focus from computation to more sense making by providing concrete experimental evidence and simplifying the mathematical calculation processes. We will discuss the implications of this study for choices of initial context, the order, and emphasis of content being taught.

  • • Student Interactions Within an Online Homework Forum in Introductory Physics

    • PST1B17
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Brandon Kawata
    • Type: Poster
    • Student conversations in an online homework forum (Social Homework) for introductory physics were examined to see how students interact in this new type of setting. With the ability to "like" posts and make comments to a discussion (as with Facebook), Social Homework was designed so students in a large lecture hall could participate in small learning groups. Initial analysis of the most liked discussions revealed that most of the posts are related to physics, however, most of these posts were procedural (e.g. Here is the formula we should use) as opposed to conceptual (the net force includes friction). Further research found that most of the contribution within these online discussions came from 1-2 students. Social Homework provides an opportunity for students and instructors to contribute to physics discourse but some modifications may be needed to support a more meaningful learning experience.

  • • Teaching Assistant-Student Interactions in Problem Solving: The Issues Framework

    • PST1B19
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Meghan Westlander
    • Type: Poster
    • Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) have the opportunity to promote an interactive environment in their classrooms through their interactions with students. Research on students' ideas and behaviors within and surrounding those interactions is valuable to obtaining a more complete understanding of how GTAs promote an interactive environment. This research is growing but limited. The Issues Framework was developed to address this area by examining how GTA-student interactions are situated in students' processes during physics problem-solving activities. The framework is focused on the procedural moves students make and physics content they express while working through physics problems. The framework is general in nature with a visually friendly design that makes it a useful tool for consolidating complex data and quickly pattern-matching important pieces of a complex process. I introduce the Issues Framework and show some results of the insight it can provide.

  • • Outcomes of an REU Cohort Model in Discipline-based Education Research*

    • PST1B21
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Warren Christensen
    • Type: Poster
    • Growing up STEM at North Dakota State University is one of the first REU programs in the nation to focus on discipline-based education research (DBER). The goal of our REU is to foster the retention and recruitment of talented students to graduate programs in DBER. Through 10-weeks of immersive research, students build a cohort of like-minded peers and develop as scholars. Results from our first two years indicate participants were deeply engaged, motivated, and committed to their research while on campus. Several participants are matriculating into graduate programs in DBER and nearly all of our remaining participants plan to continue on to graduate programs in STEM. As the program matures, we seek to increase the diversity of our applicants and aim to track these students as they progress in their graduate careers and beyond.

  • • Tutorial Curricula for Advanced High School Physics

    • PST1B23
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Michael Gearen
    • Type: Poster
    • There is a dearth of tutorial materials available for high school physics courses. Mike Gearen, with support from the University of Washington Physics Education Group, has produced two full curricula for AP Physics 1-2, and AP Physics C based exclusively on tutorial instruction. In these courses, students construct knowledge using carefully sequenced series of questions, thought experiments, and problems rooted in research into student learning. This poster will expand on the brief contributed talk by making the complete tutorial curricula available for examination and discussion. Mike Gearen and Steve Kaback will provide more in-depth information on the implementation of these curricula.

  • • Previous Ideas About Electricity in Mexican Preschool Boys

    • PST1B25
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Mario Ramirez Diaz
    • Type: Poster
    • We show previous ideas kids have about electricity, its origin and use. Tomake this activity, the teacher was trained in a physics workshop built by doctors in physics. As a result, the workshop was elaborated as an indagation cycle, rubrics and the activity was video recorded to analyze. The result of the implementation of indagation cycle, the boys express their previous ideas answering guiding questions like this: "What do some devices often used in regular life have in common?" "Where do you think electricity came from?," and, "What do you want to know about electricity?" In every case, they expressed their own hypothesis orally, in writing, or in cartoon form. Finally, for an end activity, the teacher did a recount of new words learned and their relationship with the environment.

  • • A Concept Inventory for Momentum, Energy, and Rotational Dynamics: An Examination of Student Reasoning

    • PST1B02
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Alex Chediak
    • Type: Poster
    • For over 20 years, David Hestenes' diagnostic, the Force Concept Inventory(FCI), has been used in college physics courses to gauge student understanding of Newtonian concepts. While the FCI has proven invaluable for this purpose, semester-long physics courses generally cover topics that go beyond the scope of the test. In order to broaden coverage, items addressing energy, momentum, and rotational dynamics have been created to fit seamlessly with the FCI. An Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis of initial results, presented at AAPT 2013 in New Orleans, found that the distractors for the new questions were not optimized. In this poster, we will present the concept inventory and an analysis of free response answers we collected in order to better understand student reasoning. From this analysis, better distractors (and possibly revised test items) will be written.

  • • How Do Verbal and Visual Cueing Affect Student Reasoning?

    • PST1B08
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Xian Wu
    • Type: Poster
    • Our previous study shows visual cueing and feedback together can help students solve physics problem decently. In this study, instead of giving students feedback, we were interested in seeing how a verbal hint might help students solve a conceptual physics task. Participants solved four sets of conceptual tasks, each of them containing one initial task, six training tasks, one near transfer task, and one far transfer task. They were asked to use a "think aloud" protocol in solving each task and their spoken answers have been analyzed. Our study explored the relationship between the modality of cueing and students' task-solving performance. This study can shed light on creating effective cueing in computer-based instruction. This research is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grants 1138697 and 1348857. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation. Additional author: John Hutson from Kansas State University.

  • • Mapping Student Attitudes and Network Positioning in Introductory Physics

    • PST1B10
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Adrienne Traxler
    • Type: Poster
    • Student networks of cooperation and information-sharing in a course form an important but often unmeasured dimension of the learning environment. Physics education researchers have recently begun to explore links between student positions in classroom social networks and various learning outcomes. Here I present a preliminary investigation of the interaction between student attitudes toward physics and their study partner networks in a large introductory physics course. I will investigate the development of the network structure over the semester, and also ask whether students' pre- or post-course attitudes toward science are related to their initial or eventual position in the network.

  • • Comparing Inquiry Labs to Traditional Labs in Introductory College Physics

    • PST1B12
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Erin Sutherland
    • Type: Poster
    • This study investigates the impact of replacing "cookbook" labs with Inquiry labs and using predominantly basic equipment instead of the more complicated and expensive equipment normally used in physics I labs. This study involves three Physics I labs taught by the same professor during the summer of 2013. Two of the classes were taught using the standard lab book and equipment. The third class was taught using the reformatted labs to teach the same physics concepts. We theorized that students would understand the physics behind the labs more clearly if they did not have to spend a large portion of the lab learning to use the equipment and getting it to work correctly. We found that students enjoyed the inquiry labs more and looked forward to the next assignment. Furthermore students spent less time getting the equipment to work which resulted in more time learning the physics concepts.

  • • Investigating Students' Epistemological Changes in Physics Experiments

    • PST1B14
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Dehui Hu
    • Type: Poster
    • There is a need for tools that assess the growth of students' laboratory skills, attitudes, and expectations across the whole undergraduate curriculum, ranging from introductory labs to research experiences. Building on results from the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS), we are focusing on students' changes in epistemology across the whole undergraduate curriculum. In summer 2014, we conducted a pilot study to explore students' views about nature of doing physics experiments in lab courses and research. We conducted eight open-ended individual interviews with students enrolled in introductory algebra-based physics courses, calculus-based courses, upper-division physics majors, and graduates students in physics-related disciplines. We identify emergent themes in students' discussions of physics experiments and in the past experiences they use to support their ideas. Results will be used to design refined assessments of students' epistemology and expectations in physics laboratory classes.

  • • Simulating Nanoscale Magnetism in a Single Domain

    • PST1B16
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by David Sederberg
    • Type: Poster
    • High school and even undergraduate students' explanations of magnetic phenomena seldom involve the dynamic alignment of fundamental structural components, their individual contribution to net forces, reversibility, and effects of applied fields. These concepts carry special meaning with respect to the size dependency of ferromagnetic materials at the nanoscale where, as consequence of ambient thermal energy, materials can exhibit zero remanence. In an interactive computer simulation of a single domain ferromagnetic particle, students manipulate three variables: size, applied field, and temperature. Initial piloting in both middle and high school settings suggests that the immediate feedback depicting the magnetic moments of the atoms on the surface of the domain, relative to those comprising the whole, provided a framework with which students could interpret the effect of each of the variables, individually or in concert on overall magnetic moment and remanence. Opportunities are sought for additional field testing of the simulation module.

  • • Synergy Between PhysTEC and LA Program Impacts Learning Outcome

    • PST1B18
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Homeyra Sadaghiani
    • Type: Poster
    • The Cal Poly Pomona PhysTEC Program utilizes the Learning Assistant program as a mechanism for recruiting and preparing physics and engineering majors for careers in teaching. The Learning Assistant program does not only provide potential future teachers with early teaching experiences, but the program also promotes interactive engagement among students enrolled in the introductory physics courses. We have used pre-/ post-diagnostic test scores to study the impact of the LA program in the Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate physics program. This poster will report preliminary data on student FCI and CSEM gain as well as the LAs own learning gains on topics for which they were Learning Assistants.

  • • Access to and Awareness of Undergraduate Research Opportunities at a Large Research University

    • PST1B20
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Heather Lewandowski
    • Type: Poster
    • The American Physical Society has recently endorsed a statement that "calls upon the nation's four-year colleges and universities and their physics and astronomy departments to provide or facilitate access to research experiences for all undergraduate physics and astronomy majors." The first step in reaching this goal is to understand, from both the student and faculty member perspective, the awareness of research opportunities and the available access to significant research experiences. We present a study of these issues at a large research university where the number of undergraduate physics majors outnumber the number of faculty by over five to one.

• Physics Outreach at Science Festivals

  • • Physics Outreach at Science Festivals

    • DB
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 12:30PM
    • by Peggy Norris
    • Type: Panel
    • The last five years have seen a surge in the number of science festivals around the U.S. A science festival is a fun event that provides an opportunity for our community to bring physics activities to large numbers of people in a short period of time; however, surging crowds, weather, noise and other factors can cause problems that may not be anticipated and are hard to control. This panel discussion will present ideas and best practices for physics activities at science festivals large and small. There will be plenty of time for discussion, so bring your own successes and war stories.

  • • Catching Gravitational Waves (and people's attention) at Science Festivals

    • DB01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 12:30PM
    • by Marco Cavaglia
    • Type: Panel
    • As a frontier physics effort, a core mission of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration is to increase interest in, and understanding of, gravitational-wave astronomy and fundamental science among students and the broader community. Over the past decade, LIGO has participated to many science events across the U.S., from local fairs with just a few tens of visitors, to national gatherings such as the World Science Festivals in New York City and the USA Science and Engineering Expos in Washington D.C. In many of these occasions, LIGO's participation featured "Astronomy's New Messengers: Listening to the Universe with Gravitational Waves," an innovative outreach project reproducing the physics and technology of the actual LIGO instrument in an eye-catching and entertaining way. We will discuss the elements of the Astronomy's New Messengers exhibit and share some of the experiences (and lesson learned) from this project. Astronomy's New Messengers is funded by the National Science Foundation through grant NSF-0852870 from the Informal Science Education program, the EPSCOR program, and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, and managed by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.

  • • Making Science Festive: The Challenge of Outreach at Science Festivals

    • DB02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 12:30PM
    • by Brian Jones
    • Type: Panel
    • Most of the programs the Little Shop of Physics presents are hands-on programs at schools. Our audiences are all the same age, are directed by responsible adults, and are eager for the experience, which compares favorably to most classroom instruction. Science festivals are a different matter. Audiences are a mix of ages and interests, and we are competing with other presenters--and other entertainments and distractions. This challenging but rewarding environment has given us a chance to hone our skills and made us better presenters in all of the work that we do.

• Physics and Society Topical Discussion

  • • Physics and Society Topical Discussion

    • TOP01
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by David Sturm
    • Type: Topical

• Physics of Scuba

  • • Physics of Scuba

    • EVT04
    • Sun 01/04, 8:00AM - 3:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event
    • Physics of Scuba is a hands-on special event exploring the effects that divers and their equipment are subject to underwater. The classroom portion combines multiple topics such as laws of physics relevant to diving, physical effects of scuba on divers and physical phenomena of interest to divers in an interactive and engaging format. This event is co-presented by physics & education faculty together with licensed dive instructors. After a morning of classroom activities and instruction, after lunch, your day will culminate with the opportunity for you to get in the water using scuba gear in an afternoon (heated) pool session with dive instructors who will guide your pool experience. If you would like to experience scuba to either enhance your physics instruction or just for fun, this is the event for you. Both the classroom and pool sessions will be held at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel. Bring a swimming suit for pool session.

• Plenary I (Adrian Bejan, Duke University)

  • • Plenary I (Adrian Bejan, Duke University)

    • PL01
    • Sun 01/04, 7:30PM - 8:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary
    • Evolution, Life and Sustainability, As Physics: What the Constructal Law Is, and How It Gives Us a New Worldview Why is “sustainability” such a natural urge, in each of us? In this lecture I draw attention to the law of physics of design evolution in nature (the Constructal Law) that provides the scientific basis for sustainability. The human urge is about greater flow access with freedom to change, to evolve. This urge is universal. Design evolution happens, it is natural, animate, inanimate and human made. Evolutionary designs that illustrate this tendency are river basins, vascular tissue, animal locomotion (fliers, runners, swimmers), athletes, power technology evolution, and city and air traffic flow patterns. All the flows needed to sustain human life (food, transportation, heating, cooling, water) are driven by the purposeful consumption of power, and as a consequence the wealth of a country (the GDP) is directly proportional to its annual consumption of fuel. Sustainability comes from greater freedom to change the flow architecture that sustains life, from water and power, to the evolution of science, technology, law and government. Life is flow, and flow leads to better flow over time.

• Plenary II: Eugene G. Arthurs, SPIE, The International Society for Optics and Photonics

  • • Plenary II: Eugene G. Arthurs, SPIE, The International Society for Optics and Photonics

    • PL03
    • Mon 01/05, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary
    • How Light Has Changed Our Lives As Nobel laureate Ahmed Zewail puts it,“Light is life”. Our existence and evolution have depended on and been shaped by light from the Sun. It is only a few centuries since we used optics to augment vision, helping us understand biology and the universe, and about 150 years since Maxwell built on millennia of studies to advance our understanding of the nature of light. Planck and Einstein were not the first to propose the idea of light as made up of particles, but they added the modern quantum concept. And now our understanding of the production, control, and detection of light have brought us the broadband internet, the ubiquitous affordable large area color rich displays, medical systems that promise both personally optimized medicine through genomics, and new imaging weapons for the war against diseases. The list is much, much longer, and during 2015, The International Year of Light, we hope to get a better sense of how much we already rely on light and the rich promise for future masters of light.

• Post-deadline Abstract (Paper)

  • • Bringing Research Experiences for Physics Teachers Back into the Classroom

    • IA01
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 3:40PM
    • by Eric Botello
    • Type: Contributed
    • A summer Research Experience for Teachers can be both personally fulfilling and open your mind as an educator to the current research in physics. These professional developments should have a goal that brings the experience back to the classroom so that the students can be part of the experience as well. As part of two separate RETs at Texas State University - San Marcos offered through the Physics and Engineering Department, classroom instruction and overall environment was enhanced by offering activities not typical in a physics classroom. In the fall of 2014, a mini course in Nanotechnology was offered that highlighted STEM careers, a lab was conducted that highlighted properties of Nanotechnology, and a trip was made to the university to visit the facilities and experience the research first hand. The students became part of the RET by making the experiences a transformative event for the students and the educator.

  • • Exercises for Connecting Math Methods to Physics Problems

    • IA02
    • Tue 01/06, 3:40PM - 3:50PM
    • by Gary Felder
    • Type: Contributed
    • Many physics curricula include a ?\"math methods" course, a brief introduction to a variety of math topics that students will use in later courses. Under the auspices of an NSF grant, we have developed a set of "motivational exercises" connecting each mathematical topic to the physical topics where it is applied. For example, Taylor series are introduced with an exercise (for homework or in class) in which students write down the equation of motion for an atom in a crystal and recognize that they can't solve it. Then they are handed a linear approximation for the acceleration, plug in some numbers to verify that this new formula approximates the true acceleration well, and easily solve the resulting equation. At the end of the exercise they are told that in this chapter they will learn how to derive the approximation they just used.

  • • The Double Atwood Machine: A Multiple Device

    • IA03
    • Tue 01/06, 3:50PM - 4:00PM
    • by Paulo Borges
    • Type: Contributed
    • The double Atwood machine problem is revisited. We will take account reference frames on fixed and mobile pulleys; coordinate transformations, weak and strong principle of equivalence, gravitational and inertial mass, and invariance of physics laws. To calculate accelerations on machine we will solve this problem from scratch, describing its dynamics in two different reference frames: inertial and non-inertial. Our aim is show that even classically this problem can be solved in any reference frame completely. Besides, we will analyze the system motion according of equivalence principle and the coordinate transformation between both reference frames. Comparing our results with those from other works we can relate the contra intuitive unbalanced motion with the principle of equivalence. Numerical outcomes from these works and our work are in agreement. What is a reference frame and when such object is inertial or non-inertial is also discussed in our work.

  • • Using iPython Notebook and iVisual in an Advanced Mechanics Course

    • IA04
    • Tue 01/06, 4:00PM - 4:10PM
    • by Aaron Titus
    • Type: Contributed
    • The recent development of iVisual has made it possible to incorporate 3D visualization and vector operation features of VPython with iPython Notebook. As a result, iPython Notebook can be used by teachers and students to write interactive documents that include LaTeX for mathematical typesetting and Python for computational modeling and plotting experimental data. Teachers can develop tutorials, and students can develop lab reports and annotated computational modeling projects. I will present the use of iPython Notebook, along with other tools like Trinket and Google Drive, to flip my Advanced Classical Mechanics course, implement modified problem-based learning, and enable Standards-Based Grading.

  • • Making Sense of Y-intercepts in Introductory Laboratories

    • IA05
    • Tue 01/06, 4:10PM - 4:20PM
    • by Bradley Moser
    • Type: Contributed
    • Modeling instruction methods emphasize paradigm discovery labs that encourage students to invent physical models themselves instead of relying on textbook equations. The key component of each lab is the "linearization" of data collected in order to answer the problem statement "How does Y depend on X?" Students determine the physical meaning of the slope, either through deduction or by defining new quantities. The slope is typically of great importance while the y-intercept is negligible or merely an initial value of the dependent variable. What if, however, the experimental scenario was rich enough to support a y-intercept just as meaningful as the slope? Then a laboratory could host multiple opportunities to hone the art of sense-making. In this talk, we will highlight various paradigm experiments, each with a meaningful and physically interesting y-intercept, such as buoyancy, standing waves, static equilibrium, and Newton's second law.

  • • My Journey in Physical Science with Elementary Education Majors

    • IA06
    • Tue 01/06, 4:20PM - 4:30PM
    • by Beth Marchant
    • Type: Contributed
    • After six years teaching high school physics, nine years as a QuarkNet staff member, and four years teaching as a consultant, I am currently teaching a three-credit-hour university course called “Physical Science for Elementary Teachers.” It is the only college-level physics and chemistry course that this group is required to take before entering the elementary school classroom full-time. In the course design and implementation of this lecture and lab course, I have combined research-based backwards design principles, some flipped instructional strategies, standards-based grading measures, and repeated assessment opportunities to enhance student learning. I will present data on my students’ learning outcomes in six major content areas, MOSART pre- and post-test results, and student course evaluation data.

• Post-deadline Abstract (Poster)

  • • Is Angular Displacement a Vector Quantity?

    • PST3A01
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by William Dittrich
    • Type: Poster
    • A fundamental aspect of rotational motion has been found to be false. Thiscasts the entire subjects of rotational kinematics and dynamics into doubt unless the mistake is corrected. The vector nature of angular velocity, acceleration, torque, and angular momentum are then in jeopardy of becoming scalars, which would have disastrous effects on the entire structure of physics. A new vector definition of angular displacement is introduced, preserving the vector nature of all quantities mentioned above. From this new definition, all subsequent rotational kinematic and dynamic equations can be derived, and it improves and completes the symmetry between rotational and linear equations. This new definition of angular displacement is the subject of a submitted paper to The Physics Teacher, and will be described and discussed at this poster session. Co-Author(s): Robert Drosd, Portland Community College; Leonid Minkin, Portland Community College; Alexander S. Shapovalov, Saratov State University (Russia)

  • • Formscanner: Open-source Solution to Processing Bubble Forms

    • PST3A03
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Chadwick Young
    • Type: Poster
    • The multiple-choice exam remains a staple for many introductory physics courses. Grading these exams typically involves a scanner enabled with optical mark recognition software. However, these tools are often inflexible and prohibitively expensive. Formscanner is a new open-source software--free and without advertising--created to process multiple-choice "bubble" forms. With just a few simple steps, faculty can scan, interpret, and analyze the results from multiple-choice exams.

  • • International Cosmic Day Experience at Cowley College

    • PST3A05
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Martin Shaffer
    • Type: Poster
    • The 3rd Annual International Cosmic Day was held on Oct 8, 2014. This event, sponsored by DESY and Fermilab, invited cosmic ray detector users to collaborate in a worldwide event to conduct an entry-level investigation for students using their cosmic ray detectors. Cowley College in Arkansas City, KS, has participated for the last two years in this event. This poster presentation shows the final products of the investigations done and shared among the participating high schools, two-year colleges, and universities.

  • • Structural Features of Quantum Notations and Representational Fluency

    • PST3A07
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Elizabeth Gire
    • Type: Poster
    • Quantum mechanics is rich with different notational systems for representing quantum systems, including Dirac notation, algebraic wavefunction notation, and matrix notation. Mastery in quantum mechanics includes being able to coordinate these notational systems while performing computations. We identify four structural features of these notational systems: individuation, degree of externalization, compactness, and structural support for computation. We discuss how these structural features mediate students' reasoning when representing a particular quantum system and calculating the expectation value of the energy of that system. In particular, the structural features of Dirac notation support student reasoning and translating to other notational systems.

  • • New Physics Teacher Workshops - Southern California

    • PST3A09
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by James Lincoln
    • Type: Poster
    • SCAAPT has been offering free New Physics Teacher Workshops for the past four years with a very successful turnout and enthusiastic response from participants. Three times annually teachers meet to be trained in hands-on laboratory and lecture-based demonstrations. This poster session introduces the structure and individuals involved in the program that make it a success.

  • • Cheap Audio Tricks: Inexpensive Earbud-based Sound Experiments

    • PST3A11
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by James Vesenka
    • Type: Poster
    • A suite of economical sound laboratory experiments are described using "earbuds," inexpensive supplies and free software available for pcs or mobile devices. Two interference laboratories (beat frequency and two-speaker interference), two resonance labs and a Doppler shift lab are described. Typical data is provided along with supporting simulations. The resonance labs are inexpensive variations of the classic quarter and half wavelength tuning fork frequencies vests cavity length tube experiments. The half wavelength resonance condition can be easily detected by generating surprisingly loud frequencies through the use of free signal generator apps on a mobile device attached to earbuds. The Doppler Shift experiments detect the frequency shift of the earbud(s) spinning at the end of the cables near the pc's internal microphone. The captured audio signal is analyzed on free spectral analysis software. The slopes of many of the experiments incorporate the unifying theme of the speed of sound in air.

  • • Astrobiology Applications for Physics Classes

    • PST3A15
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Mary Ann Kadooka
    • Type: Poster
    • Astrobiology, the search for life in the universe, has been a wonderful way to integrate learning all the sciences. This mystery has fascinated people throughout history. Is physics a part of this search? YES! Physics principles in optics, electromagnetic radiation, mechanics, and thermodynamics form the basis for so many investigations in astrobiology. Astronomers look for Earth-like habitable planets using methods based upon Doppler shift to light transits from telescope images. Physicists study cosmic rays and its behavior through planetary atmospheres so biologists can research its impact on life on other planets. They learn how electromagnetic radiation affects the Earth. Microbial oceanographers study bacteria living beneath the ocean floor in extreme temperatures, both very hot and very cold. Astrobiology national workshops conducted in Hawaii have shown science teachers how to motivate students to learn more physics as necessary background for all the other sciences.

  • • A New Way to Measure Student Engagement

    • PST3A17
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Rebecca Lindell
    • Type: Poster
    • We know that engagement is important in any instructional setting; however, engagement in the classroom is often determined by the colloquial statement, “I know it when I see it.” Instruments, such as the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP), focus on in-class observation and are thus limited to what occurs in the classroom. The question now becomes: are there other ways to measure student engagement outside of just observation. One such tool that we believe can be utilized to measure student engagement outside of the classroom is CourseNetworking (The CN), available at http://thecn.com. The CN is an academically focused social media platform with some course management capabilities. Unlike most CMS’s that only transmit information, The CN encourages students to engage with the material and with each other. In this poster, we will give an overview of the software as well as discuss our research on how to measure student engagement.

  • • Engineering Practices in the Physics Classroom

    • PST3A19
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Kathleen Agnostak
    • Type: Poster
    • For our poster, we would like to address the idea of incorporating engineering into the physics classroom. The new common core standards have introduced the new standard of engineering design practices however, it can be difficult to incorporate these practices into the existing curriculum and how should the students be introduced to these ideas. We plan to propose some different engineering design projects that can be used in the classroom to teach physics concepts. Additionally, we will present an engineering design process that can be given to the students as a guide. This process is like the scientific method, but for engineering. It will be a guide for the students to use when engaging in engineering tasks.

  • • Physics Demonstration Seminar for Graduate Students

    • PST3A21`
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Marcelo Saba
    • Type: Poster
    • Monthly seminars on physics are presented for graduate students on varioustopics of classical physics (electricity, optics, thermodynamics, acoustics and mechanics) and modern physics. This seminar series has had a good attendance from graduate students and researchers from different areas of the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research - INPE. In each seminar physics demonstrations related to topics that are under research at INPE and some related scientific curiosities are presented. The idea is to show the physics behind topics that are being studied by graduated students of the institute. It is therefore an opportunity to see the physical phenomena as they appear in nature and not only in theory or in mathematical equations. Some graduate students have a very little background on practical physics and sometimes have never seen an elementary demonstration. Therefore the demonstrations are focused on basic concepts that can be learned through a few demonstrations. Most of their learning was based on theoretical classes or just what is found in textbooks. Most have never had the opportunity (in high school or college) to visualize the formation of the rainbow, electrical discharges in gases or see different materials immersed in liquid nitrogen. In this presentation the content and style used in these seminars to grasp the attention of the attendants will be presented.

  • • Assessing Student Understanding of Measurement Uncertainty in Introductory Lab Classes

    • PST3A23
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Ian Schanning
    • Type: Poster
    • A simplified statistical approach for non-major lab classes is presented that still contains some important ideas from more rigorous statistics: data as a range with uncertainty, comparisons of different data sets, and propagation of uncertainties. Students were taught the techniques as a part of their physics lab classes and used them in written lab data analysis. Student understanding (pre- and post-instruction) of uncertainty is assessed via a survey containing estimation and comparison problems, including a short answer section. Student responses and self-reported justifications for them are categorized on a point vs spread basis.

  • • DALITE: Asynchronous Online Peer Instruction

    • PST3A25
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Nathaniel Lasry
    • Type: Poster
    • Approaches such as Peer Instruction (PI) have resulted in improved conceptual understanding. PI engages students in discussion at the conceptual level and focuses their attention on explanation and reflection. The Distributed Active Learning and Interactive Technology Environment (DALITE) is a virtual learning environment, conceived from principles of PI. We report on this design experiment and the ongoing efforts to improve DALITE’s functionality for instructors as well as its impact on student’s conceptual learning.

  • • Investigating Student Responses to the Grading by Category Assessment Method

    • PST3A27
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 4:15PM
    • by Annie Chase
    • Type: Poster
    • Instructors who teach large courses have difficulty providing assessment feedback for students when using free-response questions because they take more time to grade than multiple-choice questions. Studies show that assessment feedback provided by the instructor is important for student learning. Instructor feedback helps students become better self-regulators (i.e., students who have the ability to create an effective learning environment for themselves). Students who have high levels of self-regulation perform better than students who do not self-regulate. However, little is known about how assessment feedback affects student academic performance. This research examines student performance on assessments and how self-regulation correlates with achievement on those assessments. We analyze student responses to instructor feedback and identify differences in student perceptions and achievement on assessments that occur between two feedback methods used in two introductory college-level physics courses. This method of individualized feedback may help instructors support students’ self-regulation practices.

  • • Bouncing Ball Lab Introduces Models and Foreshadow Future Physics Concepts

    • PST3A02
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Lee Trampleasure
    • Type: Poster
    • In my high school physics classes (both AP and college prep), I begin witha lab that challenges students to determine how high a ball will bounce if dropped from 1.5 meters, but they only have the ball and one meter stick. We develop procedures as a class, then they collect data, analyze it, and make their prediction. After testing their prediction, they all get greater than 90% accuracy, showing that physics experiments can work! But then they are asked to calculate how high the ball will bounce if dropped from 5 meters, and we test this from the second floor next to a stairway. Their accuracy tends to correlate to the density of the ball. This leads to questions, which foreshadow terminal velocity, air resistance, and energy concepts. When we address these topics in the future, we always return to the ball lab. My curriculum follows the Modeling Instruction pedagogy.

  • • Exercises for Connecting Math Methods Topics to Physical Problems

    • PST3A04
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Gary Felder
    • Type: Poster
    • Many physics curricula include a "math methods" course, a brief introduction to a variety of math topics that students will use in later courses. Under the auspices of an NSF grant, we have developed a set of "motivational exercises" connecting each mathematical topic to the physical topics where it is applied. For example, Taylor series are introduced with an exercise (for homework or in class) in which students write down the equation of motion for an atom in a crystal and recognize that they can't solve it. Then they are handed a linear approximation for the acceleration, plug in some numbers to verify that this new formula approximates the true acceleration well, and easily solve the resulting equation. At the end of the exercise they are told that in this chapter they will learn how to derive the approximation they just used.

  • • Introductory Physics Workshops Enhance Student's Performance in Electricity and Magnetism

    • PST3A06
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Adam Pullen
    • Type: Poster
    • In the US, it is a common occurrence to teach introductory physics in a traditional format. We study the effects of one-hour optional workshops, which were offered outside the class, at the University of West Georgia. The workshops employed inquiry-based learning techniques that align with the lecture classes. Data, compiled since the workshops began in 2010, included D, F, and withdrawal (DFW) rates. Breakdowns of the letter grades were compared with and without workshops; the comparison-included pre-/post-tests scores on a conceptual survey in electricity and magnetism. The results showed that the DFW rate has fallen by 7% when compared to 10 years of institutional data without offering workshops. The pre-/post-tests results show that the workshops enhanced the students' understanding of related topics, and the process involved in the workshops increased the students' problem solving ability. The authors acknowledge the financial support from UWise (UWG Institutional STEM Excellence Initiative).

  • • Demonstrating Phase with Binaural Hearing from Stereo Speakers

    • PST3A08
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by James McLean
    • Type: Poster
    • A relatively simple electronic circuit duplicates an audio signal shited by a variable phase difference. When these two signals are delivered to a pair of stereo speakers, the apparent sound source position can be manipulated. When teaching about waves, phase is often an abstract and difficult subject for students. This is partly because there are many situations in which phase is irrelevant; waves carry information and energy without reference to phase. Binaural hearing offers a case where phase matters. For frequencies below approximately 1000 Hz (that is, wavelengths longer than the width of a human head), directional hearing is primarily based on the phase difference (or time delay) between the sound reaching the two ears. Classroom demonstration of the effect offers an interesting, concrete phenomenon with which to motivate discussion of phase differences. Deeper investigation can illustrate limitations on stereo imaging based on interference patterns.

  • • Drop Tower Physics

    • PST3A10
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by William Dittrich
    • Type: Poster
    • A drop tower is a way to produce micro gravity for a short period of time by dropping a box and air shield for a distance of 100 m or more. The Dryden Drop Tower on the campus of Portland State University allows a micro gravity environment for 2.1 seconds. Drop Tower Physics is a discussion of how basic physics demonstrations like a pendulum, floating cork, mass spring oscillator, gyroscope and conical pendulum would behave if gravity suddenly went to zero. The resulting discussion is exciting and challenging to students in introductory physics courses, especially calculus physics. This is from an article published in The Physics Teacher in October 2014. What would a stack of coins do when dropped? The provided experimental videos might surprise you!

  • • Scientific Reasoning Skills in Physical Science Course for Non-Majors

    • PST3A12
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Teresa Burns
    • Type: Poster
    • In this poster, we will describe a semester-long study of the effect of incorporating explicit scientific reasoning training in a science course for non-majors. PHYS 103 is a physical science course for non-science majors that can be used to satisfy general education requirements and is a physical science choice for elementary education majors. For both of these populations, improvement in scientific reasoning is a desirable learning outcome. In this study, students are trained to construct scientific arguments using If-And-Then statements. Student performance on the Lawson Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning is measured pre- and post-instruction, and compared to a section that received no formal reasoning instruction. Results will be presented and discussed.

  • • Developing New STEM Outreach with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02)

    • PST3A14
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Kathryn Whitman
    • Type: Poster
    • The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) is a state-of-the-art particle detector that was installed onboard the International Space Station on May 19, 2011. With the formation of a new AMS-02 group in the University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Physics and Astronomy, we have begun to design workshops based on this exciting instrument. AMS-02 can be used as a focal point to explore technology, particle physics, astrophysics, heliophysics, electricity and magnetism, and more, lending itself to STEM EPO in many ways. AMS-02’s primary science goals are on the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics and its design is a prime example of cutting- edge spaceborne technology. In this poster, we will detail science topics that can be explored with AMS-02 and present example curricula for student/teacher workshops.

  • • A Decade of ALI'I: Bringing Astrobiology into Science Classrooms

    • PST3A16
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Michael Nassir
    • Type: Poster
    • The young, interdisciplinary field of astrobiology — the intersection of astronomy, geology, chemistry, and biology, with special focus on origins — draws upon students’ natural curiosity about the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and provides an exciting supplement to almost any science curriculum. Every summer from 2004 to 2013, the ALI'I (Astrobiology Laboratory Institute for Instructors) workshop, sponsored by the University of Hawaii’s NASA Astrobiology Institute, introduced 15 secondary science teachers to astrobiology and ways to incorporate it into their classrooms. Professional development included daily lectures on current research by active UH scientists; field trips and lab tours; review of relevant background scientific concepts; demonstrations of hands-on activities and educational tools; and development of new astrobiology units tailored to participants’ own classrooms. Participants were encouraged to return multiple years to become master teachers and lead their own ALI'I sessions, and to form a lasting network for sharing new activities and best practices.

  • • Lightning Physics from High-speed Video Observations

    • PST3A20
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Marcelo Saba
    • Type: Poster
    • Most of what is known about the structure and time evolution of lightning was determined by high-speed photography. The first measurements were obtained using a two-lens streak camera, named Boys camera, after its inventor, in the beginning of the 20th century. In a streak camera a relative movement between the lens and the film is used to record the phases of a lightning discharge. Currently, robust and portable high-speed video cameras offer a wide range of frame rate and exposure options ranging from 1000 to over 300,000 images per second. With higher temporal resolution, processes that occur during a lightning flash can be visualized with detail. This work will show recent findings on negative cloud-to-ground lightning flashes, positive flashes, upward and bipolar lightning flashes.

  • • Calibrating Objective Scales for Knowledge Measurement

    • PST3A24
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Emanuela Ene
    • Type: Poster
    • An objective linear item-scale ranks a person's ability to operate with knowledge from a specific domain. The metric on the objective scale can be calibrated on a small sample. The scale may be used to compare learning gain across universities. The diagnose matrix may be utilized by instructors for choosing an optimal teaching approach and by students for remediation.

  • • Examining the Impact of Assessment Format on Student Problem Solving

    • PST3A26
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Andrew Reid
    • Type: Poster
    • Previous studies have determined that student performance on assessment measures in physics is dependent on the format of the question. Less is known, however, about the cognitive approaches students use to solve problems across different formats. In order to give educators better insight into how assessment format influences cognitive strategies chosen by students, a qualitative analysis of student problem-solving behavior is necessary. We interviewed students while solving problems in three formats: multiple-choice, free-response, and verbally stated. We present evidence suggesting that multiple-choice format encourages students to check each answer for correctness, but may unintentionally guide their reasoning process. The free-response format requires that students come up with their own answer, but does not necessarily encourage students to show their reasoning. In the verbal format, instructors get an opportunity to freely probe student thinking. We will discuss our findings in the context of differing student learning goals and outcomes.

  • • Using the Student Participation Observation Tool for Faculty Professional Development

    • PST3A28
    • Tue 01/06, 4:15PM - 5:00PM
    • by Cassandra Paul
    • Type: Poster
    • While educational research overwhelmingly indicates that interactive instructional techniques are superior to lecture for fostering student learning, the vast majority of higher education STEM courses are taught using a traditional lecture format. The Student Participation Observation (SPOT) tool was built to serve as a faculty professional development intervention with the purpose of catalyzing reform. SPOT is a computerized observation protocol that allows an observer to categorize and collect student actions in real-time. SPOT is: 1) Low inference (for users without formal training) 2) Illustrative (output includes color-coded plots) 3) connected to STEM best practices (i.e., student-centered, active). Use of the SPOT was implemented as a part of a professional development workshop series for STEM faculty, to determine how the tool impacted faculty reflection on teaching practice. Audio and video recordings of workshop meeting dicussions as well as pre- and post-workshop surveys are analyzed and preliminary results are discussed.

• Post-deadline II (paper)

  • • Assessing Learning Gain for Undergraduate Physics Courses

    • IB01
    • Tue 01/06, 3:30PM - 3:40PM
    • by Emanuela Ene
    • Type: Contributed
    • Responding to the acute need to assess the effectiveness of various teaching approaches across different universities, the author demonstrates a metric for knowledge tests that can be calibrated on a small sample size. Physics of Semiconductors Concept Inventory (PSCI), the knowledge test calibrated with this method, is made available to any instructor who wants to employ it for baseline or progress measurement. PSCI comes with a diagnose matrix that may be utilized by instructors for choosing an optimal teaching approach and by students for remediation.

  • • How Policymakers Work on STEM Education Issues

    • IB02
    • Tue 01/06, 3:40PM - 3:50PM
    • by Aline McNaull
    • Type: Contributed
    • Abstract 1: How Policymakers Work on STEM Education Issues This talk willprovide an overview on the policy process and will describe how Congress and the Administration approach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education policy issues. Participants will learn how issues are introduced and debated on Capitol Hill and what steps occur as ideas become laws. Examples of arguments for and against funding for science education will be presented. The current Administration is very focused on STEM education and the talk will provide an outline of some of the STEM education initiatives and objectives. Also discussed will be how policymakers receive advice from the stakeholder community then work to implement suggestions as they address problems and seek to change regulations. Abstract 2: Why and How to Get Involved in Advocacy This talk will discuss the rationale, purpose and mechanics of advocacy. What are some desired results of getting involved in advocacy? Some examples of recent advocacy efforts will be provided as a part of a discussion about how to communicate with policymakers. Resources will be discussed which will allow participants to understand how to setup and have successful meetings. Questions about appropriate messaging will be addressed in an interactive dialogue. Information on how to draft appropriate handouts will also be included and participants will gain an understanding of the resources available within the scientific society community. Abstract 3: Current Topics In STEM Education Policy This interactive discussion will include critiques of current approaches to STEM education issues. As policymakers seek to address state and local education issues through federal policy decisions, they are faced with choices about regulations, providing guidance to States, and allocating appropriate funding. This talk will address how the stakeholder community can develop effective messages to participate in dialogues with policymakers. Examples will be provided and the audience will have a chance to practice crafting a message about science education policy issues. Session participants will be able to engage with others and ask questions about current topics in STEM education policy.

  • • Project-based Teaching in Calculus-based Physics Courses

    • IB05
    • Tue 01/06, 4:10PM - 4:20PM
    • by Mojgan Matloob Haghanikar
    • Type: Contributed
    • To promote interdisciplinary learning, the introductory physics students at several universities were encouraged to get involved in projects that were about application of physics concepts to their major of study. We were seeking to improve students’ understanding of physics concepts by enhancing their empirical understanding and facilitating the visualization of abstract concepts. Thinking across disciplines informed students about many applications of physics and improved students’ beliefs about relevancy of physics. In addition, integrating several perspectives provided more accessibility in physics. The projects were evaluated at the poster session that was held at the end of semester. In addition, the university provided few other opportunities such as scholarly programs and students were able to participate and present their work. Students elaborated on one of the physics concepts that we discussed in the class and emphasized its particular application in their major. Among the topics were bee’s navigation systems in using polarization, measuring laminar flow using concave mirrors, Micelle formations, polarization of light angle of carbon fibers in electric fields, aerodynamic of dolphins, using fiber optics in architectural design to replace electricity solar power, fractasl and civil engineering, and using Doppler effect in measuring heart beats. In this paper we present a few examples of the students’ findings.

  • • Using High Performance Computing in Cosmology in Undergraduate Teaching and Research

    • IB06
    • Tue 01/06, 4:20PM - 4:30PM
    • by Jan Kratochvil
    • Type: Contributed
    • Using the example of cosmological simulations and astrophysics, I highlight how modern high-performance computing on computer clusters with thousands of cores using tens of terabytes of data can be included in undergraduate education and research. It is a field easily accessible with proper guidance and resources, where even second-year undergraduates can make valuable research contributions. The skills acquired by the students can be transferred easily to other disciplines in computer science and statistics, involving large clusters and the analysis of enormous petabyte-scale datasets which are becoming increasingly ubiquitous and for which special computing techniques have to be used. Acquiring the knowledge and first-hand expertise in this field makes our students very marketable across several disciplines in industry and academia.

• Poster Session I

  • • Poster Session I

    • POS02
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by
    • Type: Posters

• Poster Session II

  • • Poster Session II

    • POS03
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 10:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Posters

• Powerful, Simple, Collaborative Graphing with Plot.ly

  • • Powerful, Simple, Collaborative Graphing with Plot.ly

    • BE
    • Sun 01/04, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
    • by Mariah Hamel
    • Type: Panel
    • Plotly provides a free, online graphing and analytics platform for science. Users can import, analyze, and graph data from Google Drive, Dropbox, or Excel, and collaboratively work from different devices, browsers, and a Chrome App. In this panel, we’ll examine the uses for the classroom, including integration with Vernier’s state of the art interfaces, sensors, and experiments. Supported plot types include scatter, line, and bar charts, as well as histograms, heatmaps, 3D plots, and box plots. Plotly supports fits, ANOVA, statistics and spreadsheet formulas, and error bars. Best fit lines in Plotly can be run with many types of regressions: linear, inverse, inverse square, squared, bell curve, and fits to custom functions. Plotly is free and online for public sharing, provides tutorials and instruction, and is used by researchers at SpaceX, Aerospace Corporation, and NASA.

• Pre-college/Informal and Outreach

  • • Chespirito's Characters Helping to Physics Learning

    • PST2A01
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Mario Ramirez Diaz
    • Type: Poster
    • In Latin America, especially in Mexico since the '70s, the kids have fun with the characters created by Chespirito. An anti-hero like "Chapulin Colorado" or the adventures of a little boy "El Chavo del 8" provides fun for several generations. On the other hand, it is common in the last years to use superheroes or action movie characters to try to teach science, however these kind of personages have no relationship with the Latin America region. In this work we want to show the use of Chespirito's characters to present some themes of physics, for example waves and sound with the "Chicharra paralizadora" of Chapulin Colorado or equilibrium with the plays of Chavo del 8. The objective is showing to the kids some phenomena in a friendly form like a first step to introduce them to the physics themes.

  • • IYPT and USIYPT-- Physics Contests for High School Students

    • PST2A02
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Donald Franklin
    • Type: Poster
    • The International Young Physicists Tournament will be held June 27-July 3 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. One team can represent a country. I would like to see the U.S. develop a contest to select a team to compete each year. The USIYPT will be held at Woodberry Forest School, Woodberry Forest, VA. The dates are Jan. 30-31, 2015. This contest was designed for U.S. schools, but International school can also attend. Check both websites for more information on questions and information.

• Presidential Transfer

  • • Presidential Transfer

    • PL04C
    • Tue 01/06, 10:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary

• Programs II

  • • Programs II

    • COM37
    • Tue 01/06, 7:00AM - 8:30AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Project Learning Labs for Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Physics

  • • Project Learning Labs for Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Physics

    • ED01
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • by Duncan Carlsmith
    • Type: Invited
    • Open labs fostering innovation and entrepreneurship through project-oriented learning complement academic physics classwork. This talk will describe innovation and entrepreneurship trends, the UW-Madison Physics Department Garage Physics open lab, and the UW-Madison entrepreneurial ecosystem, and offer program suggestions.

  • • Beyond Maker Spaces: the Innovation Hyperlab with 52 Technologies

    • ED02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Randall Tagg
    • Type: Invited
    • Emerging technologies have put powerful tools into the hands of physics student inventors. These tools include 3D printers, micro-controllers, low-cost sensors, and wireless digital communication. However, a trip to a running R&D lab, a manufacturing plant, a thrift store, or a junk yard reveals a broader range of technologies -- some quite traditional, some extremely new -- that comprise the goods and processes that support 21st century society and foster innovation around the world. This range is a gold mine of applied physics. We have set up the Innovation Hyperlab next to Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado. The lab integrates 52 technologies into one project space, combining physical resources with online curriculum for learning-on-demand. The lab's motto is "Omnis Technologia Omnibus," or "All of Technology for Everyone." The design is modular so that pieces can be adopted elsewhere as time and space permit.

  • • Updating Physics Curricula: Professional Development and Entrepreneurship Education

    • ED03
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Douglas Arion*
    • Type: Invited
    • The engineering community long ago took on the task of delivering entrepreneurship and professional training to its undergraduates. The physics education community is now poised to do likewise -- to fully develop students for the careers they are likely to undertake. Entrepreneurship and career preparation programs, like the ScienceWorks program at Carthage College, represent just one of the many means by which schools can provide this much needed content to their students. This talk will address delivery methods that can be utilized, as well as pedagogical content and student experiences that can prepare students for careers in physics and allied areas.

  • • Tinker, Thinker, Maker and CEO: Reimagining the Physics Student as Engineer, Inventor, and Entrepreneur

    • ED04
    • Mon 01/05, 5:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by Crystal Bailey
    • Type: Invited
    • We live in an era of immense opportunity for physics graduates: their scientific training helps to make them key members of industry teams developing new technologies, or translating cutting-edge research into viable products. Physics as a discipline stands to make tremendous gains by implementing new educational approaches that provide training for success in what is increasingly the largest employment base for physicists: the private sector. In this talk, I will examine the role of physicist as innovator and how this role intersects with other similar STEM disciplines (such as engineering), and provide some insight into how implementing physics innovation and entrepreneurship (PIE) education will benefit both physics departments and the students they serve, regardless of students' eventual career choices. I will also talk about some exciting new PIE related developments in the physics community, and provide information about how educators can get involved in this growing movement.

• Publications Committee Meeting

  • • Publications Committee Meeting

    • COM03
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Recruiting & Facilitating Alternative Certification of Teachers

  • • Helping Scientists Become Teachers: This Distance Education Program Delivers!

    • FD01
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by Robert Carson
    • Type: Invited
    • The Northern Plains Transition to Teaching program (NPTT) evolved from thenexus of two major challenges -- providing an exceptionally rich preparation and licensure program to increasing numbers of non-traditional learners, and creating a source of highly qualified teachers for the small, isolated schools in the vast rural areas we serve. Ensuring high quality and rigor for an audience of advanced learners meant creating entirely new course and program structures, and developing new strategies for the practica, supervision, and performance assessments at a distance. NPTT now serves as a model for advancing the quality and structure of teacher preparation for working professionals who are already qualified in their subject matter. Find out why this might be a surprisingly robust response to the shortage of qualified math and science teachers, and why this program attracts an international clientele.

  • • Alternative Teacher Certification: A Personal Account

    • FD02
    • Mon 01/05, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
    • by David Hembroff
    • Type: Invited
    • Adults who want to become teachers have often been required to quit their jobs and go back to college in order to become qualified to teach in the public school classroom. They often find themselves sitting in classrooms with 20-somethings who forgot to do their homework. The curriculum is at an undergraduate level, and traditional teacher education has a significant task of helping young people grow up enough to become responsible for the education of other people's children. This is a poor fit for mature adults who have already acquired high levels of professionalism, personal responsibility, academic achievement, and work-related experience. This presentation explores the path of one high school teacher in his transition from one profession into the world of teaching--the options available and experiences in the certification program. The presentation will also look at the challenges faced moving from industry into the high school classroom.

  • • Physical Science PD: An In-Road for HS Physics Certification*

    • FD03
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
    • by Steven Maier
    • Type: Contributed
    • One way to increase the number of teachers certified to teach physics statewide is to recruit from the pool of already certified in-service teachers. NWOSU's ToPPS program has offered Oklahoma teachers professional development opportunities in physical science since 2011. As a result, a network of Oklahoma physics and physical science teachers has grown, and some of these participants have become certified to teach HS physics. The successes of the ToPPS program will be shared along with challenges, outlook and goals for the future. *The NWOSU ToPPS program is supported by the ESEA Title II state grant program through the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE)

• Recruiting and Retaining Underrepresented Physics Teachers

  • • Recruiting and Retaining Underrepresented Physics Teachers -- What's Going On?

    • DJ01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by Elizabeth Walker
    • Type: Invited
    • In recent years more high schools have made pPhysics a graduation requirement, thus increasing the demand for qualified physics teachers. While efforts have been made to increase the number of qualified high school physics teachers and the quality of physics instruction, attracting qualified individuals to consider teaching physics as career continues to be a challenge. Has the recruitment and training of underrepresented groups kept pace with the increasing diversity of our high school classrooms?

  • • Preparing Physics Teachers to Teach Diverse Student Populations Through Collaborations

    • DJ02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by Geraldine Cochran
    • Type: Invited
    • As the demographics of the K-12 population continue to change, it is imperative that pres[ervice teachers are prepared to teach diverse populations of students. For physics teachers, this requires preparation in physics pedagogical content knowledge and early teaching experiences with diverse populations. Effective use of the Learning Assistant program and external collaborations can facilitate this. At Chicago State University, a four-year university serving predominantly African American students on Chicago's Southside, faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Physics have collaborated with local community colleges, in-service physics teachers, and retired veteran teachers to prepare prospective teachers to teach students on Chicago's Southside. At Rochester Institute of Technology, a private institution in Upstate New York, faculty and staff in the Center for Advancing Science/Mathematics, Teaching, Learning, and Evaluation (CASTLE) have built up collaborations with local schools and CASTLE-affiliated programs to provide prospective teachers with experience teaching diverse populations of students. Both programs will be presented.

• Recruitment and Retention

  • • Tripled Our Number of Majors Through Research and Retention Programs

    • BB01
    • Sun 01/04, 2:00PM - 2:10PM
    • by Peter Sheldon
    • Type: Contributed
    • With the help of a National Science Foundation S-STEM grant, we have instituted a recruitment and retention plan to increase the number of physical science majors at Randolph College (total 700 students). While the grant provides scholarships to two cohorts of 12 students, we have exceeded our goal to recruit 24 students each year into the physical sciences, and to retain them at a higher rate than the college as a whole. We have also made research experiences the norm for students starting from the first year. Our historical average was 2.7 physics majors/year, while we now have about 10 each year for the foreseeable future, with an incredible 18% of the current first-year class expressing some interest in physics or engineering. As well as an active recruitment program and early research program, we have a summer transition program, an industry mentor program, enhanced tutoring, and a first-year seminar. This project is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1153997. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

  • • Ramping up Recruitment in Advance of a New Physics Major

    • BB02
    • Sun 01/04, 2:10PM - 2:20PM
    • by Jolene Johnson
    • Type: Contributed
    • St. Catherine University is launching a new applied physics major in fall 2016. In this talk, I will discuss the ways we are ramping up our recruiting and retention of physics students. These methods include adding a math review at the start of Physics I, adding an Intro to Engineering class, working more closely with advising, starting a freshman seminar for physical science majors, and designing new student spaces in our new building. I will also discuss the challenges we have encountered and our proposed solutions. These challenges include historically poor advising of physical science students, designing a curriculum that appeals to students interested in a wide variety of careers, and the relatively low number of females taking physics in high school.

  • • Building a Thriving Undergraduate Physics Program from Scratch

    • BB03
    • Sun 01/04, 2:20PM - 2:30PM
    • by Charles De Leone
    • Type: Contributed
    • At CSU San Marcos, we recently began offering an undergraduate degree in applied physics -- our only physics degree program. We graduated our first student in 2009, and currently have over 100 majors in the program. CSUSM, located in north San Diego County, is a Hispanic Serving Institution, and approximately 30% of our applied physics majors are Hispanic. This talk will describe the development of the program, recruiting efforts, and current challenges. We will emphasize the critical features of our success and lessons that generalize to other programs.

  • • A Learning Community for Freshman Engineering Students

    • BB04
    • Sun 01/04, 2:30PM - 2:40PM
    • by Michael Eads
    • Type: Contributed
    • For the past several years, Northern Illinois University (in DeKalb, IL) has offered a Themed Learning Community (TLC) for freshman engineering majors in their first semester. In this TLC, a group of 24 students are in the same sections of Calculus I and General Physics I. Additional resources are provided by the university and coordination between the calculus and the physics instructor is also encouraged. The calculus and physics for engineers TLC is one of several TLCs offered by the university. Data indicates that student grades and retention rates are better for TLC students compared to comparable students who were not in a TLC. One question that has not yet been studied is whether there are differences in the students' learning of physics in the TLC versus non-TLC sections. A research study is described to begin to address this question and some preliminary data are presented.

  • • More Fun Produces More "A" Students

    • BB05
    • Sun 01/04, 2:40PM - 2:50PM
    • by Christine Carmichael
    • Type: Contributed
    • In the Physics Lab at Woodbury University, my undergraduates enjoyed the hands-on experiments even more than I expected. "That's the most fun I've had since kindergarten," said the group leader of students at one lab bench. And isn't that our goal? Isn't it our mission to make physics irresistibly fun to engage our students? Given that we are professional physics teachers, who know the Physics content well, and the methodologies of teaching (pedagogy) -- we can use traditional assessment methods to validate that the content is genuinely being learned. In my experience: More Fun = More "A"s. Some teaching methods for making introductory physics more fun will be discussed.

• Remote Labs

  • • Interactive Online Labs: Status and Outlook

    • EI01
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • by Mats Selen
    • Type: Invited
    • We have developed an inexpensive battery-powered wireless laboratory system that allows students to do hands-on physics activities outside the classroom, guided by their own computer. The system, called IOLab, combines flexible software with a wireless data acquisition platform containing an array of sensors to sample and display real-time measurements of position, velocity, acceleration, force, rotation rate, orientation, magnetic fields, voltages, light intensity, sound intensity, pressure, and temperature. In this talk I will describe recent progress in the development of IOLab content and pedagogy for students at both College and K-12 levels, as well the latest word on manufacturing and availability.

  • • Remotely Controlled Lab on Newton's Rings

    • EI02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:00PM - 4:10PM
    • by Yongkang Le
    • Type: Contributed
    • The lab on Newton's rings is a very illustrative demo of the wave nature of light. The lab is also frequently employed in undergraduate level for the measurement of wavelength when the light speed is give or vise versa. Recently, we upgraded our apparatus of the lab on Newton's rings so that it can be remotely controlled via the Internet. Necessary modification to the apparatus will be discussed in detail.

• Report from International Conference on Women in Physics

  • • Report from International Conference on Women in Physics

    • CB
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by Anne Cox
    • Type: Panel
    • Watch the new "HERstories: Encouraging words from women in physics" video from AAPT and SPS based on interviews with delegates of the 5th International Conference on Women in Physics. Learn about the My STEM Story project (http://mystemstory.wlu.ca/). Hear about what is happening around the world to encourage girls and women to participate in physics. Discuss ways ideas from other countries might be implemented by AAPT and at your local institution. Come and join us to think about ways to promote women in physics. Partial support provided by NSF #PHY-1419453.

• Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)

  • • Incorporating Summer Research Experience into the STEM Teacher Preparation Pathway

    • EH01
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • by John Keller
    • Type: Invited
    • Since 2007, the California State University STEM Teacher and Researcher Program (STAR) has provided 425 paid summer research internships at national laboratory and campus facilities for 332 pre-service and early career science and mathematics teachers. Over nine weeks, STAR Fellows engage in mentored research projects and participate in weekly half-day workshops integrating their research experience into future classroom practice. At an annual Closing Conference, Fellows present research posters and related lesson plans aligned with the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. The program is open to pre-service teachers affiliated with any CSU campus or Noyce Scholar Program across the country. Partner lab sites include over 20 research facilities run by NASA, NOAA, NSF, DOE, and DOD, along with several CSU campuses and non-profit research organizations. This collaborative endeavor involving eight 100Kin10 organizations provides a powerful model for the development of "teacher-researchers" as an innovation in teacher preparation.

  • • QuarkNet: 15 Years of Teachers Contributing to International Research

    • EH02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Thomas Jordan
    • Type: Invited
    • QuarkNet* is a collaboration of physicists and physics teachers that has worked since 1999 to introduce particle physics to high school classes. The project invites teachers to collaborate with particle physicists at nearby universities. There are currently 54 universities and labs in the U.S.; each year, about 550 teachers attend summer meetings. Some of those teachers perform research and contribute to the local university's efforts on large experiments at facilities such as CERN and Fermilab. I will focus on the science research that these teachers have carried out in the 15 years of the project. It ranges from the exploration carried out in particle accelerators to the discoveries made in large sky surveys and dark energy searches.

  • • Physics, Astronomy & S.O.F.I.A.

    • EH03
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
    • by Cliff Gerstman
    • Type: Contributed
    • In June of 2013, I flew into the stratosphere on the NASA plane SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy.) The plane flies into the stratosphere specifically to get above the weather and the water vapor in the atmosphere. This allows her 2 meter tall telescope to see far more clearly than any view from Earth. The NASA Airborne Ambassador program was designed to give teachers a science/astronomy lesson that they could take back to the classroom and the public. After a rigorous application process I was selected and made my flight. There was much science to be seen, including astronomy, physics, and cosmology. This talk will show what project S.O.F.I.A. is all about and what we can learn from her flights.

• Resource Letters Committee

  • • Resource Letters Committee

    • COM04
    • Sat 01/03, 11:30AM - 2:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Retired Physicists Mixer

  • • Retired Physicists Mixer

    • EVT13
    • Mon 01/05, 12:30PM - 1:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• Review Board

  • • Review Board

    • COM10
    • Sun 01/04, 7:30AM - 9:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• SEES (Students to Experience Engineering and Science)

  • • SEES (Students to Experience Engineering and Science)

    • EVT16
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 12:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• SPS Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award - Randy Booker, University of North Carolina Asheville

  • • SPS Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award - Randy Booker, University of North Carolina Asheville

    • PL02B
    • Mon 01/05, 10:30AM - 11:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary
    • Dr. Booker is a tireless champion for SPS at the University of North Carolina Asheville, serving as his local chapter advisor and as a member of the SPS National Council. Through his unmatched teaching and mentoring, he has impacted the lives of countless students and has seen the SPS chapter recognized for excellence repeatedly. Randy received his Ph.D. from Duke University, and has taught at UNC Asheville since 1986, where he received the Distinguished Teacher Award in 1992. He served as department chair from 2000-2010, and currently teaches modern physics, upper-level experimental physics, and astronomy. His research interests include the microwave spectra of molecules found in the Earth's atmosphere and the interstellar medium. For seamlessly picking up where the classroom efforts leave off to ensure the success of students, Randy Booker is truly an SPS Outstanding Chapter Advisor.

• SPS Outstanding Chapter Advisor Awards, Adrian Dingle, Westminster Schools in Atlanta

  • • SPS Outstanding Chapter Advisor Awards, Adrian Dingle, Westminster Schools in Atlanta

    • PL02C
    • Mon 01/05, 10:30AM - 11:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary
    • As a high school chemistry teacher since 1990, Adrian Dingle has hands-on experience getting young people interested in science in general and chemistry in particular, helping kids see that science is involved in both the wondrous and the everyday. The first ten years of his career were spent in and around London, teaching chemistry in a number of different public and private institutions. In 2000 he moved to the United States, and he has been teaching at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Ga. since then. His outside work includes projects for Barnes & Noble SparkNotes, Shmoop, The Discovery Channel and many others. In his recent book, How to Make a Universe with 92 Ingredients: An Electrifying Guide to the Elements, from publisher OwlKids, he tackles questions such as what gives comets their tails and how matches ignite. This book is the winner of the 2014 American Institute of Physics (AIP) Science WritingAward in the Writing for Children category. More about the book and Adrian can be found at website: http://www.adriandingleschemistrypages.com

• SPS Undergraduate Awards Reception

  • • SPS Undergraduate Awards Reception

    • EVT08
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• SPS Undergraduate Research and Outreach

  • • Evolution of an Outstanding SPS Chapter

    • AA01
    • Sun 01/04, 10:00AM - 10:30AM
    • by Logan Hillberry*
    • Type: Invited
    • Since 2008, Colorado School of Mines' Society of Physics Students (SPS) has blossomed under strong student leadership as it selflessly participates in numerous on-campus and off-campus science outreach programs. The chapter has earned the SPS Outstanding Chapter Award six years in a row, hosted three regional SPS Zone 14 Meetings, won four Marsh White Outreach Awards to promote science in local K-6 schools, and used one Future Faces of Physics Award to travel to two rural secondary schools that serve underprivileged and underrepresented students. Our annual Haunted Physics Lab recently served as a resource for iWonder, a groundbreaking new children's television series that follows teams of adventurous kids as they research and explore the wonderful curiosities of their everyday worlds. This presentation will discuss our chapter leadership and organizational structure that other chapters can emulate to develop successful campus-valued in-reach activities and meaningful outreach efforts.

  • • A Teacher's Guide to African-Americans in Physics and Astronomy

    • AA02
    • Sun 01/04, 10:30AM - 11:00AM
    • by Simon Patane
    • Type: Invited
    • Historically, the paradigms that worked to oppress and marginalize African-Americans in society acted similarly within the bounds of science. Very little research fleshing out the struggle of African-Americans in physics, astronomy, and related fields exists and the need to fill this gap drove our research this summer. Supported in part by a Society of Physics Students summer internship at the American Institute of Physics' Center for History of Physics, we researched the experiences of African-American scientists from across a range of physics disciplines, eras, geographical boundaries, and genders. Our work resulted in the creation of a "Teachers Guide to the History of African-Americans in Physics and Astronomy," which includes lessons plans, a bibliography, a trivia card game, and other resources. In this talk, I will explain our research methodology and give an overview of some of the resources we created for use by teachers, students, and outreach professionals.

  • • African-Americans in the Physical Sciences: A Teacher's Guide

    • AA03
    • Sun 01/04, 11:00AM - 11:10AM
    • by Jacob Zalkind
    • Type: Contributed
    • Physics like any other discipline is a part of history. It has undergone multiple changes and made huge leaps and bounds forward, but is also still a slave to the societal climate and issues pertinent to the various time periods. With this in mind, together with a team of researchers at the Center for the History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics, we did research about the roles that African-Americans have played in the physical sciences, and how their standing has changed in the past 300 years. Once the research was complete, we used the research to generate a set of materials for teachers and students to use in class and integrate this part of the history of physics into a teacher's curriculum to help better tell the stories of these scientists.

  • • Light a Spectrum of Utility

    • AA04
    • Sun 01/04, 11:10AM - 11:20AM
    • by Kearns Louis-Jean
    • Type: Contributed
    • The Society of Physics Students (SPS) partnered with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create the 2014 SPS Science Outreach Catalyst Kit (SOCK) with a theme titled: "Light A Spectrum of Utility." This resource, aimed at encouraging outreach by SPS chapters around the country, celebrates the International Year of Light (2015) and the International Year of Crystallography (2014) with activities that demonstrate how we use light as a tool. The kits have been tested at the NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers. Feedback from the teachers was used to refine the outreach kit. The kits will be sent to 25 SPS chapters who will use the activities and demonstrations in local outreach events. This talk will introduce the 2014 SOCK, highlighting several of the activities and how they are used by SPS chapters to promote physics in outreach to K-12 classrooms.

  • • Randolph College's Astronomical Research Ensemble

    • AA05
    • Sun 01/04, 11:20AM - 11:30AM
    • by Hartzel Gillespie
    • Type: Contributed
    • At small liberal arts colleges, where major astronomical research facilities are often unavailable, it is often difficult to make contributions to modern astronomy. However, using Randolph College's modern observatory along with a research grant from the college, I've been able to perform research on asteroid occultations, stellar spectroscopy, and exoplanet transits. I have observed two positive asteroid occultation events, which happen when an asteroid passes between a star and an observer, blocking the star's light. Preliminary spectroscopy results show that a DSLR camera and a 100 line/mm diffraction grating reveal clear hydrogen Balmer lines in the spectra of type A stars, and further research will attempt to measure rotational velocities of shell stars, primarily of type Be. A DSLR alone is sensitive enough to record the light curves of some exoplanet transits such as the HD189733b transits.

  • • Ray-Tracing and Electromagnetic Wave Propagation Web-based Simulators

    • AA06
    • Sun 01/04, 11:30AM - 11:40AM
    • by Sarah Luciano
    • Type: Contributed
    • Two web-based educational tools have been developed to show how light propagates, refracts, and is reflected from different media. The first tool is a ray-tracing application to visually represent the propagation of light as a ray through diverse media. The second tool analytically and graphically studies the behavior of electromagnetic waves as they propagate through space and through an interface between two different media. The animated simulation allows users to manipulate the model parameters and acquire an intuitive understanding of how electromagnetic p- and s-waves propagate in a homogeneous medium and how they are modified as they are refracted and reflected at a material interface. The applications were built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript libraries for the calculations and simulations. The developed programs address the need to visualize physical phenomena. Some interesting particular cases that are considered are: normal incidence, total internal reflection, absorptive media, and amplifying media.

  • • Gaussian Laser Made by LabVIEW

    • AA07
    • Sun 01/04, 11:40AM - 11:50AM
    • by Xiayang Zhou
    • Type: Contributed
    • There is a program for LETO to LabVIEW to produce a light shaped by a picture given. However, the program given is only used for a static picture. If we want to do research based on a dynamical beam like Raguel-Gaussian laser, the traditional way would not work. So in my project, I try to revise the program in order to make LETO produce an dynamical beam.

  • • AC Circuit Lab for an Introductory Physics Course

    • AA08
    • Sun 01/04, 11:50AM - 12:00PM
    • by Cadee Hall
    • Type: Contributed
    • We will share our experience in designing an AC circuit laboratory experiment for an introductory physics lab at Valencia College. Majority of students enrolled in Physics with Calculus at Valencia College are pre-engineering majors, and knowledge of fundamental concepts related to AC circuits is very important for their success in higher level courses. Currently, there is no AC circuit physics lab offered within physics courses curriculum at Valencia College, therefore we took an initiative to develop one. Design of the experiment, aimed concepts, expected learning outcomes, experimental results and suggested analysis will be presented.

• SPS Undergraduate Research and Outreach Poster Session

  • • Fabrication of Nanofilm Capacitor for Use in a Portable EKG

    • SPS01
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Amiras Simeonides
    • Type: Poster
    • Methods of fabricating a thin, flexible EKG lead that can be integrated into clothing are investigated. Physical vapor deposition is used to add a thin gold film to a PDMS-coated silicon chip; the fabrication process is refined to create a surface that is sensitive to electric fields caused by cardiac myocytes.

  • • Multi-component Chalcogenide Gradient Index Materials Research

    • SPS02
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Stephanie Pettit
    • Type: Poster
    • Aberrations in lenses obscure images, and correcting these aberrations canbe costly and difficult. To work toward a new way to correct aberrations, refractive indices of optical lenses were studied. Using fused silica and silicon wafers with films made of several compositions of Ge2Se3-As2Se3-PbSe (GAPSe), experiments were done to study the effect of the optical properties of these materials when heated. To heat the samples, a rapid thermal annealer (RTA was used at various temperatures. Indices of refraction were measured with an ellipsometer for every sample. Results showed an increase in the sample's refractive index as the annealing temperature increased. These results were verified using TEM images, which showed crystal growth in the samples.

  • • Physics in Non-Inertial Reference Frames

    • SPS03
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Hallie Stidham
    • Type: Poster
    • This project focused on creating classroom-friendly videos of motion in non-inertial reference frames where fictitious forces are required in order to apply Newton's laws. To explore motion in a linearly accelerating frame, we attached a camera to a fan cart which accelerated down a track, and we recorded video of a neighboring fan cart accelerating down a parallel track at a lower rate. To explore motion in a rotating frame, we attached a camera to a rotating turntable and rolled a steel ball across the turntable. We collected data on the ball's motion from one video camera in the rotating reference frame and from a second camera in the lab frame. We analyzed the videos from each experiment using the video analysis software Tracker to determine mathematical models for each force. We created simulations of the motion in each frame in VPython.

  • • Using Integral Transforms to Evaluate Sums in Statistical and Quantum Mechanics

    • SPS04
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by John Vastola
    • Type: Poster
    • Evaluating sums analytically is a problem that is easy to pose and to giveapproximate solutions to, but is difficult to exactly solve in general. A method is proposed of evaluating sums using integral transforms that can reproduce many results obtained using other techniques. In particular, representing polynomials as Laplace transform gives some nontrivial exact results. Some applications of the method are demonstrated, and extensions of the method using integral representations of frequently appearing functions are suggested. One useful representation of the gamma function is supplied, and used to provide both well-known and more obscure results. Interestingly, the application of this integral representation to evaluating sums suggests the introduction of a novel integral transform, which itself can be used to evaluate sums. Some physical problems involving the partition functions of statistical mechanics, and some infinite sums appearing in quantum mechanics, are considered.

  • • PTRA: The Next Generation

    • SPS05
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Caleb Heath
    • Type: Poster
    • The Physics Teaching Resource Agent Program (PTRA) is an AAPT initiative "to improve the teaching and learning of physics topics in pre-collegiate education for all teachers and students in the United States." The teacher-leaders of the PTRA accomplish this goal by developing and running workshops for other K-12 educators. These workshops particularly benefit elementary and middle school teachers and help them bring physics into their classrooms. The PTRA is well-suited to supply the increased demand for professional development in physics and engineering teaching necessitated by the Next Generation Science Standards. To make the most of this opportunity, the PTRA will need to continue to innovate its workshops. I will showcase current efforts by the program to incorporate links to the NGSS and to develop new engineering/design activities. I will also present proposals for new types of workshops aligned to these purposes.

  • • VPython Modeling to Design Artificial Cilia Platform Magnetics

    • SPS06
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Jacob Brooks
    • Type: Poster
    • Cilia are a biological structure found in a variety of locations in the human body, including the brain, lungs, and kidneys. These cilia oscillate in a metachronal pattern, which causes a traveling wave to propagate through the cilia, moving fluids throughout the body. Improper cilia movement and function can seriously impair health and contribute to a variety of ciliopathies, including primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and nephronophthisis (which causes kidney failure). Additionally, cilia malfunction can affect embryonic development and left-right asymmetry determination in humans. As cilia drive fluids to one side continuously, they initiate asymmetrical development. Both synchronous and metachronal wave patterns in cilia result in fluid flow, and to increase our understanding of the effect of the metachronal wave patterns in cilia result in fluid flow, we are utilizing both a computer simulation and biomimetic cilia system. We hope to investigate cilia beat amplitude and frequency with an array of artificial cilia, where each cilium is a polymer rod with its upper portion surrounded by a magnetic tube. These cilia respond to the magnetic field from a permanent magnet moving above them. To construct a magnetic setup that results in metachronal waves arising in the cilia array, we developed a VPython computer program that simulates changing magnetic fields and in turn, cilia movement in response. The program assumes artificial cilia align with the magnetic field, allowing us to explore a variety of magnet configurations to understand beat patterns before exploring the artificial system experimentally. The program outputs the tilt angle for each cilium, magnet position, and net magnetic field at each cilium location, as well as a 3-D visual model of the system. This output is used to inform our experiment, and results of the simulation and progress in the experimental investigation will both be discussed.

  • • Optical Detection Device for Boltzmann Factor Demonstration with Bouncing Balls

    • SPS07
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Seong Joon Cho
    • Type: Poster
    • Bouncing balls contained in a rigid box is an ideal apparatus to demonstrate and visualize the exponential form of the Boltzmann factor. It is relatively simple to make and one can easily observe with his/her naked eye that smaller number of balls are at higher vertical position. However, it is not easy to record the exact number and show the exponential dependence as the balls are constantly moving very fast. We present an optical detection device to count the total number of balls passing through a horizontal line in a given time. The device consists of arrays of LEDs and photodiodes, and an electronic counter circuit. The circuit is carefully tuned that it does not miss any event. The apparatus uses only basic electronic components easily obtainable at an electronic shop and can be made by undergraduate students with a basic knowledge of electronics.

  • • Nonlinear Ion Trap Dynamics in an Undergraduate Laboratory

    • SPS08
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Robert Clark
    • Type: Poster
    • The surface-electrode multipole ion trap is a new type of rf (Paul) trap that creates a highly nonlinear trapping potential near the electric field null. Here, we present details of the design and characterization of such a trap. In particular, we measure upconversion of the oscillation frequency of a single confined charged particle. These experiments point to a new line of research in atomic ion trapping, as well as a relatively straightforward way to combine the subjects of charged particle optics and nonlinear dynamics in an undergraduate laboratory.

  • • Experimental Demonstration of the Boltzmann Factor for Undergraduate Laboratory

    • SPS09
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Jeong Seok Lee
    • Type: Poster
    • The Boltzmann factor is the basic quantity in statistical and thermodynamic physics. It can be used to understand both classical and quantum mechanical behavior of all systems exchanging energy with their environment. However, the mathematical derivation of the exponential form is not easy and the experimental demonstration is rarely done, even though the Boltzmann factor is a fundamental concept in physics. We present an experiment for the undergraduate laboratory to demonstrate directly and visualize the Boltzmann distribution. Easily available equipment such as plastic balls (BBs), a home audio, an acrylic glass container, and off-the-shelf electronic components are used. Plastic balls inside a container are excited by an audio speaker and the number of balls bouncing and crossing each height are measured with array of LEDs, photodiodes, and digital counters. The result shows excellent agreement with the theoretical calculation with Boltzmann factor.

  • • Magnetic Drag in a Friction Laboratory

    • SPS10
    • Sat 01/03, 8:00PM - 10:00PM
    • by Benjamin Catching
    • Type: Poster
    • Dry frictional forces are commonly investigated in introductory mechanics courses. We propose here an enrichment of such laboratories by measuring the "frictional" drag produced on a magnet sliding down an inclined aluminum ramp. This drag is quite distinct from that produced by the usual type of dry sliding friction. Rather than being characterized by coefficients of kinetic and static friction, we find the drag force to be proportional to the velocity of the magnet. The qualitative differences between dry and magnetic drag opens opportunities for discussion of the deeper conceptual issues, such as: what makes a force a frictional force.

• San Diego Zoo

  • • San Diego Zoo

    • EVT01
    • Sat 01/03, 10:00AM - 3:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• Saturday Night Registration

  • • Saturday Night Registration

    • REG03
    • Sat 01/03, 7:30PM - 9:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Registration

• Saturday Registration

  • • Saturday Registration

    • REG02
    • Sat 01/03, 7:00AM - 4:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Registration

• Science and Society

  • • Increasing Job Placement Rates for STEM Students with Disabilities

    • HC01
    • Tue 01/06, 12:30PM - 12:40PM
    • by Laura McCullough
    • Type: Contributed
    • In this talk I will describe an NSF-supported project called "Soft Skills,Hard Science," which aims to improve the employment rates of STEM students with disabilities. Our project involves a curricular intervention focused on soft skills, mentorship with an industry partner, and a short work-based learning internship. Examples of the curriculum and results from our first cohort will be shared. Students in our program loved participating, and the majority who have looked for jobs have found them. Please visit our program's website for further information. http://www.softskills-hardscience.org/

  • • Re-envisioning the Panel Discussion*

    • HC02
    • Tue 01/06, 12:40PM - 12:50PM
    • by Sytil Murphy
    • Type: Contributed
    • Panel discussions typically feature a few people at the front of the room facing a crowd, which may or may not be paying attention. Most of the crowd cannot or will not ask a question. In preparing for the Seeding Your Future Conference -- a one-day STEM event for middle-school aged girls, the benefits of a panel were desired -- a chance for the girls to interact with many different female scientists in a short span of time without the "impersonalness" of it. Thus, the panel became more of a speed dating event -- each panelist having approximately five minutes with a small group of participants. Impressions from both panelists and participants of the efficacy of the panel discussion will be presented.

  • • What Is Modern Superstition?

    • HC03
    • Tue 01/06, 12:50PM - 1:00PM
    • by Sadri Hassani
    • Type: Contributed
    • Modern superstition is the abuse and mutilation of science to promote non-scientific, pseudo-scientific, and anti-scientific ideas among the educated public. Many college graduates believe in mind/body medicine, Tao of physics, energy field of Qi, and a universe run by a computer code. The aim of this talk is to expose modern superstition as promulgated by doctors, physicists -- including Nobel Laureates -- and computer scientists.

  • • Teaching Physics with Pseudoscience

    • HC04
    • Tue 01/06, 1:00PM - 1:10PM
    • by David Dixon
    • Type: Contributed
    • University physics instructors occasionally receive unsolicited pseudoscientific theories from amateur scientists. Although they are generally useless as science, some of these "crank" theories may be useful as pedagogical tools by getting students to recognize and address the underlying physical misconceptions. This talk will show a few examples of these object lessons that I employ in both my algebra- and calculus-based introductory physics courses.

• Section Representative and Officers

  • • Section Representative and Officers

    • COM08
    • Sat 01/03, 5:30PM - 8:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Single Photon Detectors

  • • The Weirdness of Quantum Mechanics, One Photon at a Time

    • DD01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by Theresa Lynn
    • Type: Invited
    • Spontaneous parametric down conversion provides a simple and affordable source of entangled photon pairs, and single-photon counting modules are increasingly affordable tools for detecting individual photons with high efficiency. These technologies allow undergraduates to gain hands-on experience with some of the most important -- and strangest -- aspects of quantum mechanics. Using entangled photon pairs as a source of heralded single photons, students demonstrate that light is quantized by observing anticoincidence between photon counts on the two output ports of a beam splitter. Then, replacing the simple beam splitter with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, students observe single photons interfering with themselves! The interference is destroyed by which-way information but revived when which-way information is "erased," demonstrating a quantum eraser. Finally, by measuring the polarizations of entangled photon pairs, students observe the violation of local realism in quantum mechanics. An hour's worth of data easily violates Bell's inequality by more than 100 standard deviations.

  • • Photon Counting Instrumentation in Quantum Optics and Nano-Optics Teaching Laboratory*

    • DD02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by Svetlana Lukishova
    • Type: Invited
    • I will outline my experience of using single-photon counting avalanche photodiode modules (Perkin Elmer) and low-light level, cooled EM-CCD cameras of Andor Technology in undergraduate teaching experiments on quantum optics and nano-optics. We developed four teaching laboratory experiments on generation and characterization of single and entangled photons: Lab. 1. Quantum entanglement and Bell's inequalities. Polarization and angular momentum of light. Discussion of quantum cryptography, quantum teleportation and quantum computing; Lab. 2. Single-photon interference (Young's double slit and Mach-Zehnder interferometers), quantum eraser. Low-light level EM-CCD cameras and sources of noise. Lab. 3 Single-photon source: Confocal microscope imaging of single-emitter fluorescence, atomic force microscope imaging of nano-emitter topography. Nanoplasmonics, photonic bandgap materials and metamaterials. Lab. 4. Single-photon source: Hanbury Brown and Twiss setup. Photon antibunching. Single-photon counting avalanche photodiode modules. Electronics for photon counting instrumentation. This activity was supported by four NSF Grants (Material-Research-Instrumentation, CCLI Phase I, CCLI Phase II, NUE program). *Funding Agency: National Science Foundation

  • • Quantum Mechanical Ghost Interference

    • DD03
    • Mon 01/05, 12:00PM - 12:10PM
    • by David Jackson
    • Type: Contributed
    • Quantum-mechanical ghost interference is a phenomenon in which a double-slit interference pattern is observed without sending light through a double-slit aperture. This phenomenon makes use of a source of entangled photons that produces two beams of light (the signal and idler beams). When placing a double-slit aperture in the signal beam, an interference pattern is not observed in the signal beam unless the signal and idler beams are observed in coincidence. Remarkably, an interference pattern can also be observed in the idler beam even though the double-slit aperture is in the signal beam. In this talk I will give a brief overview of our attempt to perform such an experiment with undergraduate students.

• Spouse/Guest Gathering

  • • Spouse/Guest Gathering

    • EVT05
    • Sun 01/04, 10:00AM - 11:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• Stories from the Leading Edge of Astronomy

  • • From One to Many: Habitable Planets and the Multiverse

    • HB01
    • Tue 01/06, 12:30PM - 1:00PM
    • by Virginia Trimble
    • Type: Invited
    • Twenty years ago, we were sure of only one normal star with planets (the Sun), one of which was habitable (Earth). But from one system in 1995 to several thousand now, we have learned that something like half of all stars have multiple planets (many of us had suspected this before!). Similarly, from Copernicus onward, scientists have come to think that everything is common -- stars, galaxies, clusters, and super-clusters, perhaps even universes. Again the prevailing point of view has changed a great deal in the last 20 years, so that many quite respectable people, not just your speaker, take the Multiverse and many-worlds concepts seriously. The talk will focus on how we have come to change our minds about both these issues; what kinds of tests and evidence you need for an idea to count as scientific; and how one can convey thoughts about the cosmos to friends, relations, and students who had not cared about them before.

  • • The Dramatic Lives of Galaxies and Black Holes

    • HB02
    • Tue 01/06, 1:00PM - 1:30PM
    • by Alison Coil
    • Type: Invited
    • We can use the Universe as a time machine, to observe how galaxies and black holes change with time. Detailed measurements of galaxies nearby and far away reveal that galaxies undergo dramatic changes as they age; they grow substantially in size and mass, they merge with other galaxies, and they form stars at high rates and then suddenly cease to form any new stars at all. Most galaxies also harbor super massive black holes in their centers, with masses of a million to a billion times more massive than a star. In some galaxies these black holes are actively accreting material and shine during this process; in other galaxies they seem to lie dormant. I will talk about how we are using the largest telescopes in the world to observe galaxies and black holes near and far at different wavelengths to learn about what is driving these dramatic changes.

  • • The Dark Energy Survey and the Mystery of the Accelerating Universe

    • HB03
    • Tue 01/06, 1:30PM - 2:00PM
    • by Joshua Frieman
    • Type: Invited
    • In 1998, two teams of astronomers studying distant supernovae announced evidence that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up, instead of slowing down as one would expect from the attractive nature of gravity. Cosmic acceleration could arise from a new, gravitationally repulsive component of the Universe "dark energy" or alternatively from a breakdown of Einstein's theory of gravity, General Relativity, on cosmic scales. Combined with other observations made in the intervening years, these data point to a Universe composed of 4% ordinary matter (atoms), 25% dark matter, and 70% dark energy. In this talk, I will review the evidence for dark matter and dark energy and describe the methods cosmologists are now using to probe the nature of dark energy and the origin of cosmic acceleration. I will focus on their implementation in the Dark Energy Survey, an ongoing, five-year project using a new, 570-megapixel camera on a 4-meter telescope in Chile to survey hundreds of millions of galaxies and thousands of supernovae. In the process, I will discuss basic observational facts about the Universe, its age, size, expansion, big bang origin, and luminous and dark components; that I believe all high-school and college students should be familiar with.

• Sunday Registration

  • • Sunday Registration

    • REG04
    • Sun 01/04, 7:00AM - 4:00PM
    • 
      
    • Type: Registration

• TYC Partnerships

  • • Elements of Successful Two- and Four-year Partnerships: A Case Study

    • HA01
    • Tue 01/06, 12:30PM - 1:00PM
    • by Charles De Leone
    • Type: Invited
    • Many geographically related two- and four-year institutions share a large percentage of their students. However, most two- and four- year institutions have weak STEM-specific linkages between the institutions despite the benefits of such linkages to the students. So, how can local two- and four-year institutions forge strong, lasting relationships between their STEM programs? In this talk we report on results of a study of the elements essential to building robust STEM linkages between two regional institutions, -- California State University, San Marcos and Palomar College. The talk focuses specifically on the roles of i) cross-campus trust building, ii) jointly funded of external projects, iii) and activities that support cross-campus linkages at the administrative, faculty, and student level. Lastly, the talk will focus on the current state of this inter-campus relationship and the elements needed to maintain the relationship over the longer term. Additional Speaker for this abstract is Daniel Sourbeer, Dean, Mathematics and the Natural and Health Sciences at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA.

  • • Undergraduate Research at a Community College -- A Unique Partnership

    • HA02
    • Tue 01/06, 1:00PM - 1:30PM
    • by Chitra Solomonson
    • Type: Invited
    • For the past two years Green River Community College and the University ofWashington have worked together to introduce Green River students to the nature of research. The University of Washington has provided lab facilities and valuable training to the community college instructor to fabricate and test organic photovoltaic cells. With the help of a grant from NSF, organic photovoltaic cells are now being fabricated at Green River Community College and characterized by Green River Community College students as part of a research-like lab. The students also learn about other energy sources and concepts relevant to the operation of a photovoltaic cell through an online inquiry lab module developed at Green River Community College. This talk will focus on how the partnership started, challenges, successes and ideas for future partnerships. An additional speaker for this abstract is Christine K Luscombe, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

  • • Physics Partnerships with Four-year Schools at the College of DuPage

    • HA03
    • Tue 01/06, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
    • by Thomas Carter
    • Type: Contributed
    • All community colleges and public four-year schools in the state of Illinois work within the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) which both guarantees transferability of all two-year college courses and helps to standardize curriculum across the state. The advantages and disadvantages of this program will be reviewed. In addition, we will discuss the Pathways Engineering partnership in which a sub-set of Illinois community colleges have a joint admissions agreement with the state's flagship public engineering department at the University of Illinois. This provides guaranteed seamless transfer for students who meet the criteria of the program.

  • • Transfer Pathways: Partnerships Between SUNY Two-Year and Four-Year Colleges

    • HA04
    • Tue 01/06, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
    • by Renee Lathrop
    • Type: Contributed
    • Beginning January 2014 the State University of New York (SUNY) asked two-year and four-year faculty to discuss through an online platform what courses would be needed for approx. 50 majors, one of them being physics, in the first two years of college study. This was the beginning of a process within the SUNY system to try to improve retention and transfer between the colleges and required faculty at many different campuses to work together. This talk will focus on that journey describing what was learned as two-year colleges and four-year colleges connected their programs.

• Teacher Training/Enhancement

  • • A Table of Specifications for a Physics Teaching PCK Instrument

    • PST2D01
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Alyssa Pauli
    • Type: Poster
    • As part of my graduate project in physics education, I am conducting a literature review and survey preparing a Table of Specifications for a possible instrument that could eventually assess the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of HS physics teachers. This instrument might inform physics teacher candidate preparation or physics teacher professional development. For example, most introductory HS physics content includes significant mechanics, kinematics, some electrostatics, circuits, waves, sound and optics, so new teachers should know something about common student conceptual difficulties associated with these topics (like Aristotelian physics, confuting position, velocity and acceleration; graph reading, centripetal acceleration direction) as well as touchstone pedagogical measurements and activities (FCI and FMCE; developing kinematics equations from the motion of battery operated toys) and something of research-based introductory curricula. As part of my presentation I am seeking feedback and nominations of possible physics PCK topics for HS teachers (or specifications or even possible items).

  • • Action Research and Design-based Research for Physics Teacher Preparation: A Literature Review

    • PST2D03
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Joseph Heimburger
    • Type: Poster
    • We describe a literature review of Design Based Research and Action Research used for the preparation and development of physics teachers. AR projects have been widely used in the US for teacher development, notably by physics teachers enrolled at Arizona State University. This review was prepared to inform and guide an initiative creating a Transatlantic Design Based Research / Action Research Network for physics teacher preparation in German and U.S. schools. Authors will undertake DBR/AR projects with German physics teaching students during spring of 2015.

  • • Lessons From an Integrated Engineering and Physics Summer Course for K-12 Teachers

    • PST2D05
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Dan MacIsaac
    • Type: Poster
    • Since 2012 we have been developing and offering summer workshop courses integrating physics and engineering content following NGSS guidelines for K-12 teachers from a struggling LEA as part of an NSF-funded Math Science Partnership called ISEP (Integrated Science and Engineering Partnership). We describe the curriculum evolution to date, demographics of enrolled teachers and teachers aides, participant work samples and pre-post evaluation of participant efficacy and content knowledge. Comparisons to other teacher and education professional populations will also be presented, together with interpretations and lessons learned.

  • • Physics by Inquiry Programs for Grades K-5 and 5-12 Teachers*

    • PST2D09
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Robert Endorf
    • Type: Poster
    • We describe and evaluate the effectiveness of the Physical Science by Inquiry professional development programs that we have been conducting at the University of Cincinnati for teachers in grades K-5 and grades 5-12 every year since 1996. Separate graduate courses in Physics by Inquiry are offered each summer for teachers in grades 5-12 and for teachers in grades K-5 with follow-up academic-year seminars. The courses use modules from Physics by Inquiry1 developed by Lillian McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington. Data will be presented from pretests and posttests taken by the participants that illustrate large gains in the teachers' science content knowledge, science process skills, and confidence in being able to prepare and teach inquiry-based science lessons.

  • • The OK PhysTEC Collaborative*

    • PST2D11
    • Mon 01/05, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    • by Steven Maier
    • Type: Poster
    • The OK PhysTEC Collaborative is a statewide effort to recruit HS and undergraduate students into HS physics certification programs among Oklahoma institutions. Efforts to achieve the goals of the program include a statewide marketing campaign, shared colloquia speakers, travel to high schools, support for HS teachers/advisors and higher education program collaborations. Currently, members of the collaborative include NWOSU, ECU, OSU and SWOSU. Funding for the program began in the fall of 2014. We will share our progress to date and welcome ideas for the future.

  • • Developing PCK in Physics Teachers: Collaboration Between Scientist and Educator

    • PST2D02
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by William Stoll
    • Type: Poster
    • Effective pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) integrating the expertise ofphysics content knowledge with pedagogical methods is a challenge in pre-service science teacher preparation. A unique physics class designed to develop pre-service teachers' PCK focused on facilitating deep conceptual understanding in high-school physics students is the focus of this presentation. The course collaboratively developed and co-taught by physics and science education faculty integrated physics content with a conceptual change pedagogy in a modeled environment. In addition, the course was designed around providing students a practical teaching component -- leading mini-lessons in a SCALE-UP undergraduate physics class. First year results show the teacher candidates exhibiting a growing awareness of the important role students' ideas play in the teaching and learning of physics; an increase in both their physics conceptual knowledge and their confidence in understanding of physics; but limited confidence in applying teaching for conceptual change.

  • • Physics and the Berkeley Engineering Research Experiences for Teachers (BERET)

    • PST2D04
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Benedikt Harrer
    • Type: Poster
    • With the widespread adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards, engineering has moved into the center of K-12 science instruction. However, many science teachers are not well prepared to take on the challenge of engaging their students in authentic engineering practices. The Berkeley Engineering Research Experiences for Teachers (BERET) program provides pre- and in-service teachers with summer research fellowships and guides them to develop and teach lessons that connect engineering research to K-12 science and mathematics curricula in the classroom. We present the experiences of pre- and in-service physics teacher pairs in their respective research laboratory placements.

  • • PET, PSET and LPS Will Become NextGenPET

    • PST2D06
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Fred Goldberg
    • Type: Poster
    • For instructors who have taught using PET*, PSET* or LPS*, or for those who have not, this poster provides information about a new set of robust and flexible curriculum materials that build on the previous curricula, and are more explicitly aligned with the science and engineering practices and physical science core ideas of the Next Generation Science Standards. The Next Generation PET curricula consists of modules that focus on: (1) developing models for magnetism and static electricity; (2) energy; (3) forces; (4) waves; (5) matter and interactions; and (6) teaching and learning physical science. All or a subset of these modules could serve the needs of instructors and students in small-enrollment physics or physical science courses for prospective elementary or middle school teachers, large-enrollment general education courses, science methods courses, or workshops for in-service teachers. An extensive set of online tutorial-style homework assignments accompanies the printed materials.

  • • Social Context in a Physics Class for Future Elementary Teachers

    • PST2D08
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Claudia Fracchiolla
    • Type: Poster
    • We investigate how the pedagogy and tools utilized in a class affects students' attitudes towards science. There has been research on the self-determination theory and its impact on learning. In a physics class for future elementary teachers we have incorporated tools that allow students to express themselves and engage with other students in the class to make them feel more integrated into the classroom community. Typically students in this class have been known to be apprehensive about physics. We describe the extent to which the class pedagogy and tools creates an environment where students feel more comfortable expressing their ideas and transforms their negative attitudes toward physics and science into a positive experience. Supported in part by NSF grant 1140855.

  • • Project-based Instruction and Foundations in STEM

    • PST2D10
    • Mon 01/05, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    • by Joel Berlinghieri
    • Type: Poster
    • The Master of Education in Interdisciplinary STEM Education at The Citadelis designed for current educators and others who seek to advance their skills in the STEM disciplines. The online program facilitates an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of STEM, a deeper knowledge of STEM content, and the use of a project-based approach for the teaching and learning of STEM content. Graduate students entering the program are exposed to physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and engineering/technology content through project-based instruction. Since student applicants come with a variety of science or engineering backgrounds two Foundation Courses are designed to even out content knowledge and preparation for other courses in the degree program. Presented here will be the project-based approach for covering content in physics, chemistry, and biology in the Foundations in STEM I course along with the challenges of an online course environment.

• Teaching Advanced and Honors Students

  • • Serving Dessert First: An Inverted Introductory Course for Potential Majors

    • GE01
    • Tue 01/06, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
    • by Thomas Moore
    • Type: Invited
    • How can one entice incoming students having a variety of different backgrounds to explore physics as a possible major? By serving dessert first! This talk will describe Pomona College's introductory sequence for potential physics majors having at least some high school physics and calculus. The first semester, instead of reviewing (yet again) the mechanics of frictionless blocks on inclined planes, introduces students to conservation laws, special relativity, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics. Second-semester half-courses then allow students to improve their strength in classical physics as needed. I will also discuss implications for upper-level courses as well as the latest data on enrollment patterns and the sequence's impact on the number of physics majors we attract.

  • • Honors Physics Instruction at a Large State University

    • GE02
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by Paul Crowell
    • Type: Invited
    • The College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota admits approximately 1000 students as freshmen each year. Of these, approximately 120 are admitted to the University Honors Program (UHP). The School of Physics and Astronomy has offered an introductory course for these students since approximately 1985. The vast majority of the UHP students enroll in this class for two semesters. A third semester, which is required by only a few majors in the college, enrolls about 30% of the honors class. Although the prerequisites are similar to those for the standard calculus-based introductory class, the honors sequence has its own laboratory sections and is provided with more instructional resources than the standard course. Although the level of difficulty is generally higher than in the regular sequence, the honors course is not intended to cover more material, nor is it specifically designed to appeal to prospective physics majors. I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach from the standpoint of the College as well as the physics program. In the 2013-2014 academic year, the department inaugurated a new honors introductory class with a much smaller enrollment (approximately 20) and much more selective entrance requirements. One of the goals of this class is to serve prospective physics majors, although it is open to all who meet the prerequisites. As the instructor for this class, I will offer my perspective based on our one year of experience. Finally, I will review the role of the honors program in the upper level physics curriculum.

  • • Honors Physics for First-Year College Students

    • GE03
    • Tue 01/06, 9:30AM - 10:00AM
    • by Keith Griffioen
    • Type: Invited
    • William & Mary has long offered an honors course in introductory electromagnetism for those who did well in introductory mechanics. Two years ago we introduced an honors mechanics course for incoming undergraduates. We put 40 eager, mathematically inclined students into a class together with the goal of creating a microcosm of the larger physics community, complete with collaboration, peer review, experimentation, mutual problem-solving, and presentation. We expect our students to understand mechanics thoroughly, to develop mathematical sophistication in problem-solving, to gain insight into how physical theories are constructed and tested, to get a sense for what is currently on the forefront of physics, and to see what majoring in physics might be like. I will discuss trials, errors, and successes.

  • • Outcomes of Learning Undergraduate Physics Through a Transdisciplinary Science Program

    • GE04
    • Tue 01/06, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
    • by Scot Gould
    • Type: Contributed
    • AISS, Accelerated Integrated Science Sequence, is an honors-based yearlong, transdisciplinary double course for students majoring in the natural sciences at the W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps colleges. AISS integrates topics from introductory biology, chemistry, physics, calculus and computer science. We report on how we have incorporated the principles of physics into AISS in relation to these other disciplines, and describe the pedagogical modifications we have made to our regular physics program in response to what we have learned from teaching this transdisciplinary course. Outcomes of AISS include: students and faculty in the life sciences are more likely to approach problems using statistical physics methods, and physics/biophysics majors are more likely to participate in internships or attend graduate school in non-physics disciplines. Since the inception of AISS, the number of students majoring in physics or biophysics has nearly quadrupled.

  • • A Course and Textbook on Physical Models of Living Systems*

    • GE05
    • Tue 01/06, 10:10AM - 10:20AM
    • by Phil Nelson
    • Type: Contributed
    • I'll describe an intermediate-level course on "Physical Models of Living Systems." The only prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in several science and engineering departments. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional courses: * Basic modeling skills * Probabilistic modeling skills * Data analysis methods * Computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python * Dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. These basic skills, which are relevant to nearly any field of science or engineering, are presented in the context of case studies from living systems, including: * Virus dynamics * Bacterial genetics and evolution of drug resistance * Statistical inference * Superresolution microscopy * Synthetic biology * Naturally evolved cellular circuits. Publication of a new textbook by WH Freeman and Co. is scheduled for December 2014. *Work supported in part by National Science Foundation EF -0928048 and DMR-0832802, and by WH Freeman and Company.

• Teaching Math Methods in the Upper Level UG Physics

  • • Order of Magnitude Physics: The Importance of Non-mathematical Methods

    • CC01
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Sterl Phinney
    • Type: Invited
    • Caltech physics graduates are good at calculating resonant EM frequencies of cylindrical cavities, and QED cross-sections. But in 1989, blank stares were the general response to questions like `what's the fundamental vibration frequency of that building?' or `is the heating that's wrecking your experiment from radiation or the lead wires?' So I created a course: "Order-of-Magnitude Physics," offered biennially for the past 25 years. We cover Fermi estimates, dimensional analysis, approximation methods, derive from first principles and fundamental constants all the tabular entries in the AIP handbook (to order of magnitude), and then have fun with everything from nerve cells and Olympic records to weather, bombs and stars. The course is not required by any department, but 1/4 of all Caltech undergraduate and graduate students now take it. Former students teach versions around the world. I discuss the benefits and pitfalls of teaching non-mathematical methods.

  • • Kinetic Energy in Galilean and Special Relativity -- A Unified Derivation

    • CC05
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 6:00PM
    • by Roberto Salgado
    • Type: Poster
    • The expression for the relativistic kinetic energy bears little resemblance to its classical counterpart, as noted by Kleppner and Kolenkow in their mechanics textbook. Using Spacetime Trigonometry,* a unified presentation of Euclidean geometry and Galilean and Minkowskian spacetime geometries, we show that the kinetic energy can be expressed in terms of the Galilean and Minkowskian analogues of a now little-used trigonometric function: the Versed-Sine. Our derivation of the relativistic work-energy theorem becomes much shorter than that of Kleppner and Kolenkow.

  • • Teaching Quantum Mechanical Math Using an Elastic Solid Model

    • CC06
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 6:00PM
    • by Robert Close
    • Type: Poster
    • One difficulty in teaching quantum mechanics is that the concept of angular momentum density is not generally understood. This is primarily because the usual treatment of elastic waves in solids assumes infinitesimal rotations. We derive the equation of evolution of classical angular momentum density, which is independent of the choice of origin (and radius vector). Using a simple wave interpretation of Dirac bispinors (yes, simple!), we show that Dirac's equation of evolution for spin angular momentum density is a special case of our more general equation. We derive a Dirac Lagrangian and Hamiltonian and show that they have a familiar interpretation in terms of elastic and kinetic energy. Dynamical momentum and angular momentum operators are equivalent to those of quantum mechanics. Spin and orbital angular momentum are associated with motion of the solid medium and the wave, respectively.

  • • Introductory Theoretical Physics: An Activity-based Course

    • CC02
    • Sun 01/04, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Robert Boyle
    • Type: Invited
    • The development, evolution and underlying philosophy of Dickinson's course, Introduction to Theoretical Physics, will be discussed. Created with the help of an NSF grant, the course was designed as a project-centered presentation of introductory and intermediate mathematical topics with an "impedance matching" role. Motivating projects and a guided-inquiry approach to mathematics theory would be used to introduce students, who might come to the physics major with a variety of preparations in formal mathematics, to the tools they would need for advanced courses. The challenge in the design of such a course was to introduce these tools without either repeating the applications students would see in those advanced courses, or presenting the mathematics in a purely formal manner divorced from applications. The challenge was met in part by discussing topics that many majors might not otherwise encounter, including some topics in astronomy and astrophysics.

  • • Unpacking Student Challenges in Middle-Division Classical Mechanics/Math Methods

    • CC03
    • Sun 01/04, 5:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by Marcos Caballero
    • Type: Invited
    • At the University of Colorado Boulder, we have transformed our middle-division classical mechanics and math methods course using principles of active engagement and learning theory. As part of that work, we are investigating how students use math, and how they connect math with physics. To better understand students' use of math, we developed (through task analysis) an analytical framework that helps to organize and to provide some coherence among the difficulties that students present on written work and in interview settings. Among other contexts, we have used this framework to understand students' use of Taylor series in physics problems. More recently, at Michigan State University, we have begun observing students working in groups while they solve canonical back-of-the-book problems. These in situ observations are leading us to unpack students' in-the-moment reasoning strategies. We are developing theoretical tools to investigate how students solve such problems.

  • • Mathematical Methods in the Paradigms in Physics Curriculum

    • CC04
    • Sun 01/04, 5:30PM - 6:00PM
    • by Corinne Manogue
    • Type: Invited
    • In the Paradigms in Physics program at Oregon State University, we have implemented a unique combination of "just in time" math methods integrated into physics content courses for the early upper-division, combined with a later, separate Mathematical Methods course. This order is exactly the reverse of many other institutions that teach a sophomore level Math Methods course and advanced topics integrated into physics content courses. We will discuss why we made our choice and which content we chose to address in each part. In addition, we will share a number of unique hands-and-bodies-on activities that make esoteric math topics in thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and E&M more vivid and geometric for the students. This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 1023120, 1323800. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

• Teaching Sustainability in Non-major Courses

  • • Building Physics as an Avenue for Sustainability Studies

    • EE01
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 4:00PM
    • by Robert Knapp
    • Type: Invited
    • Buildings, homes, and workplaces, are a key challenge for sustainability. Almost half of U.S. energy use goes to the building sector, along with other large environmental effects. Progress requires both scientific understanding of constraints and opportunities, and human understanding of building uses and meanings. Physics is at work in buildings in multiple ways, from structures to heating/cooling to lighting to machinery and appliances. So are values, memories and experiences. Non-science students can readily understand the science conceptually and semi-quantitatively, but rightly wish it merged with non-science considerations, whether personal (the beauty of a rainbow) or collective (productivity in a day-lit office). From 15 years of teaching beginning environmental design students in a liberal arts context, this talk brings forward key physics concepts related to sustainable buildings, including heat transfer, solar electricity and daylighting, as well as approaches for science/non-science convergence in studying them.

  • • Broadening Student Exposure to Sustainability: New Course Development

    • EE05
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
    • by Barbra Maher
    • Type: Poster
    • Incorporating sustainability into non-major science classes has been a focus of curriculum development at Red Rocks Community College. New labs have been written for physics classes of all levels that deal with sustainability. In addition to infusing existing curriculum, we developed several new course offerings to expand student exposure to sustainability and energy issues. Energy Science and Technology (PHY107) is an introductory level, lab-based course exploring many aspects of energy. Introduction to Climatology (MET151) is a new lecture course for non-science majors. Science and Society (SCI105) is a lecture course that focuses heavily on energy and climate change. Field Studies in Energy (PHY208) is a field course that will allow students to study energy topics in locations such as Iceland, Colorado, and Wyoming. These new offerings are generating student interest and excitement about energy, climate, and the relevance of sustainability in their lives.

  • • Curricular Goals for a General Education Course in Sustainability

    • EE06
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
    • by Juan Burciaga
    • Type: Poster
    • Sustainability issues will remain one of the most challenging social issues of the short-term and long-term future. But many physics departments have no course in sustainability -- or address these issues in courses for non-majors. What can physics contribute to the education of the public? What are the concepts, experiences, perspectives that will encourage an engaged, flexible, critical analysis by non-scientists as they grapple with these issues privately, publicly and commercially? This poster describes the curricular objectives of a non-majors course taught in the spring of 2014, the readings and experiences that framed the content, and the response of the students to the expectations and delivery of the course.

  • • Electricity: Generating Interest in Physics and Sustainability

    • EE07
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
    • by Chuck Winrich
    • Type: Poster
    • Babson College is a small private business school where no students can major in science. All science courses taught at Babson are interdisciplinary in nature, however two foundation courses include a significant discussion of electric power generation and distribution: Sustainable Energy Solutions and Electronics. We will present examples from class where we use sustainability as a theme to introduce issues beyond the physics of power generation, including renewable resources, managing distributed generation, and critically analyzing public policy decisions. The explicit discussion of sustainability applications engages the students more deeply with the physics content; and the complexity of the issues around sustainability promotes discussion of the nature of science.

  • • Teaching Scientific Modeling and Physics Content Using Alternative Energy

    • EE08
    • Mon 01/05, 3:30PM - 5:30PM
    • by Rachael Lancor
    • Type: Poster
    • We have developed a series of quantitative case studies that force students to examine real world issues through the lens of physics, with a particular emphasis on alternative sources of energy. Wind turbines give students a motivation to study kinetic energy, hydropower teaches gravitational potential energy, and solar panels teach the electromagnetic spectrum and blackbody radiation. Our goal is to help students develop a conceptual understanding of how energy conservation is a useful model for understanding real world systems. These case studies help students to gain practice analyzing data, interpreting graphs, building conceptual and mathematical models, and thinking about broader issues of science in society, all important Scientific Practices articulated in the Next Generation Science Standards. These case studies provide a way to give students use scientific thinking skills outside of the laboratory.

  • • Environmental Physics as Part of a Sustainability Certificate and Degree

    • EE02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Kyle Forinash
    • Type: Invited
    • An environmental science course for non-science majors has been taught annually by the physics department at Indiana University Southeast for about 10 years. The course focuses on energy (fossil fuels, conversion process, first and second law of thermodynamics, renewable energy) and introduces students to many important conceptual principles of introductory physics. Recently it has become the core course for a certificate in sustainability available on our campus. We are planning to eventually increase interdisciplinary course offerings so that a BA degree in sustainability can be offered. My talk will first discuss the contents of our science course and then offer some suggestions for getting other disciplines involved in creating a certificate and/or BA degree in sustainability.

  • • Earth Literacy Across the Curriculum: New Materials from InTeGrate

    • EE03
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Anne Egger
    • Type: Invited
    • InTeGrate is NSF's STEP Center in the geosciences that seeks to increase the Earth literacy of all students such that they are better positioned to make sustainable decisions in their lives and as part of broader society. Our approach involves rigorous, rubric-based development of curricular materials that use best practices from research on learning, are focused by engagement with grand challenges faced by society, and are suitable for use in diverse institutional, disciplinary, and course settings. Assessment and evaluation data from the first round of teaching with these new materials suggest that students gain skills in interdisciplinary problem solving, show improvements in Earth literacy, and show increased motivation towards sustainable behaviors. All of our resources are (or will become) freely available on the InTeGrate website: http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/index.html.

  • • A Renewable Energy Course Emphasizing Student Role as Change Agent

    • EE04
    • Mon 01/05, 5:00PM - 5:30PM
    • by Alexi Arango
    • Type: Invited
    • The strategy underlying our course on renewable energy, a course that regularly attracts over 45 non-major students per semester, is to regard students as change agents, engaging a largely math phobic population to embrace mathematical problem solving. The material is presented as training for activists, with facts and figures as instruments of persuasion, underlying scientific knowledge as the genesis of sound solutions, and cooperative group problem solving as an essential team forming skill. Three central objectives are to (1) account for energy usage of every personal daily activity, (2) determine the size of renewable energy resources, and (3) develop a realistic pathway toward widespread renewable energy production coupled with aggressive gains in energy efficiency. Context-rich problems are designed to reinforce the notion that simple mathematical calculations can profoundly upend conventional wisdom and serve as springboards for important discussions.

• Technologies

  • • Developing Interactive Simulations for Touch-Enabled Devices

    • PST1C01
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Daniel Loranz
    • Type: Poster
    • By leveraging the power of modern development environments and accompanying frameworks, an educator with a limited programming background can quickly create simple custom apps for use in his/her classroom. This poster will highlight tools and libraries useful for creating interactive simulations, with an emphasis on creating 2D and 3D interactive animations for iOS devices.

  • • Survey of Video Creation Technologies

    • PST1C05
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Jeff Stephens
    • Type: Poster
    • Whether you are interested in flipping your classroom, or not, you may benefit from the ability to create and distribute informative video content to your students. This work presents a survey of technologies including iOS and Android apps, traditional video technologies, and computer software. Each is capable of creating a quality video for student learners. We also offer a comparison of key features for each technology to help users fit their individual needs.

  • • Teaching Physics with iPads: The 1:1 Classroom

    • PST1C07
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00AM - 8:45AM
    • by Katie Page
    • Type: Poster
    • This session will give teachers a very specific grasp of how to begin to transform their physics classroom into a 1:1 environment with the iPad. I will show how I began by just using the ipad simply as a tool, to adding more and more interactive activities, to completely transforming my classroom to a 1:1 digital environment using the SAMR model. Since transforming my class to a 1:1 environment, students are more prepared, they have less Ds and Fs, and my classroom is more efficient with less transition time between activities. Since we are more efficient with the implementation of videos and flipping the classroom, there is more time for "doing" hands-on activities or practicing the content. Formative quizzing apps make for more effective teaching and learning through student self-assessment and teacher knowledge of student understanding.

  • • Two Simulation Tools to Promote Learning in Science

    • PST1C02
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Pamela Maher
    • Type: Poster
    • This study examines two simulation tools used in science education to answer the question, "Can simulations promote learning in science"? We compare the affordances of virtual reality headsets (VRH) with affordances offered in a fulldome planetarium. Each tool provides users with an interactive representation of a programmed environment. VRH has the ability to provide users with an interactive experience that conveys spatial relationships. VRH is used on an individual basis and until recently for gaming. The uses of the VRH are relatively unknown in traditional teaching and learning. Fulldome planetarium technology has been in use since the 20th century and offers an environment that affords multiple participants a similar experience. Both tools afford and are constrained by features inherent to their construction. We analyze each tool and its capacity for science content delivery. The research investigates how these tools facilitate development of, access to, and engagement in science concepts.

  • • LON-CAPA -- Online Homework for Increasing Out-of-Class Student Engagement and Learning

    • PST1C04
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Naresh Sen
    • Type: Poster
    • Physics education research (PER) shows that graded online homework that provides immediate feedback to students dramatically increases out-of-class student engagement and learning. However, commercial online homework systems can be prohibitively expensive. This poster discusses the author's introduction and administration at Cal Poly-SLO of LON-CAPA, an open-source online homework system. LON-CAPA was introduced in fall 2014 for two physics courses instructed by the author for a total of about 80 students. Cal Poly was approved as a new member of the LON-CAPA cluster, and work has begun for on-campus installation and implementation of LON-CAPA for wider student use -- for all sections of introductory physics courses. When fully implemented, student use is expected to be about 5000-7000 students each year for several years. The cost to students is zero, an important factor compared to commercial online homework systems. Administration cost to the physics department is minimal, approximately $600 per year.

  • • Approaches to the Online Lab Problem in Physical Science

    • PST1C06
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by Robert Collins
    • Type: Poster
    • Adapting a physical science core course for online delivery has been challenging. Currently, integrated labs give students experience with the scientific method, scientific writing, quantitative literacy, and help sustain interest levels. Our first online plan envisioned a "lab in your car" approach with students recording and analyzing real-world driving data from OBD2 data loggers in their car or location information from cell phones. While offering real pedagogical advantages, concern about student safety (and university liability) from possible distracted driving was a serious issue. Keeping the high-interest focus on cars, we addressed safety concerns by recording data for students and helping them access the rich body of publicly available data from motor sports, such as drag racing. Simple numerical strategies using Euler's method permit students to explore interesting motion models of increasing complexity by adapting spreadsheets. Students use computer animation to visualize motion models and collaborate on a group research project.

  • • The Effect of Online Lecture on Persistence in a Physics Class

    • PST1C08
    • Mon 01/05, 8:45AM - 9:30AM
    • by John Stewart
    • Type: Poster
    • This poster will examine the difference in the rate students successfully complete a physics class between students attending lecture in person and students choosing to watch the lecture on video as part of an online class. The option to watch the lecture on video was implemented mid-semester in fall 2012 so that the performance of the same set of students could be compared. A fully online lecture section was introduced in spring 2013, but students were allowed to select the lecture viewing option. The online lecture section was continued in the fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters; however, students were no longer allowed the choice of lecture viewing option. Higher than expect withdrawal rates have been experienced in the online sections of the class. This poster will examine this effect using both data gathered from the performance on required assignments and the rate those assignments were submitted for grading. Differences in student self-reports of examination preparation behavior and time-on-task will also be presented to develop a detailed model of the differences in student behavior between a blended class and a fully face-to-face class.

• Technology-Enhanced Teaching Environments

  • • When Form Meets Function - Designing a Next Generation Technology-Rich Collaborative Learning Environment

    • CD01
    • Sun 01/04, 4:00PM - 4:30PM
    • by Chris Whittaker
    • Type: Invited
    • Active learning classrooms are still relatively new to colleges and universities across North America. The development and growth in popularity over the last decade of pioneering classroom designs such as SCALE-UP was a natural next-step as the evidence for active learning pedagogies mounted and interest turned to designing classrooms that complemented constructivist and social constructivist educational paradigms. Building on these models of success, we believe that we have taken an important next-step in classroom evolution by integrating Student-Dedicated Interactive Whiteboard (SDIW) technology in a way that enriches collaborative student processes and classroom orchestration. Unlike personal computing devices, SDIWs are shared spaces that allow for the creation and manipulation of dynamic learning artifacts by an entire group of students or class. We will review our classroom design, present results of student surveys as well as preliminary results of a design-experiment to investigate factors that promote or constrain student collaboration and learning.

  • • DALITE: An Asynchronous Peer Instruction Platform

    • CD02
    • Sun 01/04, 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    • by Nathaniel Lasry
    • Type: Invited
    • Few student-centered pedagogical approaches have been as widely adopted inhigher education as Peer Instruction. Peer Instruction however, is limited to physical classrooms. Can the effectiveness of Peer Instruction be taken outside of classrooms? In this talk we present DALITE, an online pedagogical tool that enables Peer Instruction outside of classrooms by engaging students in conceptual questions and enabling asynchronous peer discussions. DALITE was developed by researchers at Dawson College and John Abbott College (both in Montreal, Canada) and was designed from theoretical principles and models of cognition, learning and instruction. Asynchronous Peer Instruction is of interest to instructors who want their students to discuss concepts with peers either in assignments after class, or before class as in flipped classroom where students engage with the content before coming to class.

  • • Engagement Beyond Clickers

    • CD03
    • Sun 01/04, 5:00PM - 5:10PM
    • by Tetyana Antimirova
    • Type: Contributed
    • Peer collaboration aided by clickers played a great role in turning the traditional introductory lecture-based physics classes into a more interactive and active learning environment. One of the limitations of the traditional clickers is they rely heavily on a multiple choice format. The emergence of new response systems allowing more flexibility in the type of questions that can be delivered. as well as offering additional collaboration capabilities in the classroom and beyond provides new opportunities for engaging the students in science and engineering courses. The "device-less" web-based systems that allow the students to respond via a variety of their own electronic devices (laptops or hand-held) are gaining popularity. We will share our experience in piloting TOPHAT https://tophat.com/ and Learning Catalytics https://learningcatalytics.com/ systems in our undergraduate physics courses.

  • • Free Mobile Device Apps for Data Collection and Analysis

    • CD04
    • Sun 01/04, 5:10PM - 5:20PM
    • by Rebecca Vieyra
    • Type: Contributed
    • Mobile devices are loaded with a host of sensors that can be accessed to collect data using free apps, and data can be easily imported into analysis software. Students often have their own devices, and can use them in the classroom, at home, or on field trips. Physics Toolbox apps (http://goo.gl/MRdRvd) were created for the science classroom by the presenter’s husband for use with her own students, and their use will be demonstrated. Physics Toolbox apps are available for acceleration, magnetic field strength, light intensity, rotational motion, sound intensity, proximity, ambient pressure, relative humidity, and temperature. Lesson ideas and engineering projects associated with NGSS will be presented. See "Analyzing Forces on Amusement Park Rides with Mobile Devices" (March 2014) in The Physics Teacher for the use of apps with amusement park rides. Participants will have the opportunity to request new apps and modifications to existing apps.

  • • Going Paperless in a Physics Classroom

    • CD05
    • Sun 01/04, 5:20PM - 5:30PM
    • by Shahida Dar
    • Type: Contributed
    • iPads are increasingly becoming a part of teaching and learning at higher education institutions. Still there aren't many resources available for how to effectively use iPads in a classroom. This session will describe how a physics classroom went paperless when the college issued students iPads.

  • • Using Computational Modeling in HS Physics to Enhance Data Analysis

    • CD06
    • Sun 01/04, 5:30PM - 5:40PM
    • by Katie Page
    • Type: Contributed
    • This session will highlight how high school physics students collected, analyzed, and communicated data using computational modeling and simple coding. Reach for the Stars is an NSF-funded program with support from CIERA and Northwestern University that places STEM graduate student fellows in K-12 science classrooms for the academic year with the goal of enriching their education and strengthening their development as researchers by advancing their communication and teaching skills. The grad fellow worked to bring more inquiry-based teaching methods into the classroom and exposed physics students to his research on Exoplanets and NASA's Kepler Mission. We will demonstrate how concepts of computational thinking and actual computational modeling tools were adapted from the fellow's current research work to my classroom activities connected to the existing physics curriculum. NGSS/ACT alignment and free classroom resources will also be discussed.

  • • Year Long Physics Investigations with Student e-portfolios

    • CD07
    • Sun 01/04, 5:40PM - 5:50PM
    • by Levent Sakar
    • Type: Contributed
    • High school students complete one interdisciplinary year-long STEM projects in mathematics or science and include social studies and ELA components. Upon completion of these year-long projects, students present their entire work in their website (e-portfolio) that includes the investigation, video presentation and a brochure. I will present some sample students products from physics. This model is defined as STEM SOS (Student on the stage) Model. I will also mention how this model works, the components of this model in terms of 21th century skills and student tasks with written and video tutorials.

• The Higgs and My Classroom

  • • Using Particle Physics to Teach About the Nature of Science

    • BA01
    • Sun 01/04, 2:00PM - 2:30PM
    • by Michael Wadness
    • Type: Invited
    • For over 20 years national reform documents, including Next Generation Science Standards, have advocated for the explicit instruction of the nature of science (NOS) as a vehicle for achieving science literacy. Unfortunately many teachers struggle with how to best implement meaningful NOS instruction. One possible method is through the context of particle physics research. This talk will demonstrate how some QuarkNet activities that utilize current particle physics research may be used as a context for NOS instruction. Furthermore these activities may also provide a vehicle for connecting the traditional high school curriculum with active physics research.

  • • Teaching and Learning Particle Physics with QuarkNet

    • BA02
    • Sun 01/04, 2:30PM - 3:00PM
    • by Thomas Jordan
    • Type: Invited
    • Physics students at all levels should learn about the exciting research currently taking place at universities and laboratories. Students can comprehend much of what transpires in esoteric particle detectors at Fermilab and CERN through the context of fundamental physics tenets such as energy and momentum conservation. Want to learn the mass of the Higgs? Measure the energy and momentum of its decay products and apply what you already know. I will discuss ways to bring this exciting science to your classroom using a Data Portfolio and in masterclasses. The former is a framework of activities that guides students through simple to complex data analysis. The latter is a one-day event that invites high school students to a university campus for activities and interactions with researchers there. These activities are offered by QuarkNet, a collaboration of physicists and physics teachers that has worked since 1999 to help introduce particle physics to high school classes and is supported by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy.

• Thomas L. O'Kuma

  • • 2015 Melba Newell Phillips Medal

    • PL02
    • Mon 01/05, 9:30AM - 10:30AM
    • by
    • Type: Plenary
    • Growing with AAPT Like many AAPT members, I can link the growth of my professional career to being active in AAPT. Since becoming a student member of AAPT in 1969, I have seen AAPT change, slightly in some ways and dramatically in others. Through AAPT and its sections, I and many other members have grown with AAPT. From my perspective, growing with AAPT has transformed physics education and how I do physics education. Involvement with TYC21, NTFUP, SPIN-UP/TYC, PTRA, NFE, and many other AAPT projects have helped many others and me. In this address, I will share how being active in AAPT has not only been fulfilling, but also how it has affected my career and other AAPT members.

• Topical Discussion: The Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs

  • • Topical Discussion: The Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs

    • TOP05
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by
    • Type: Cracker Barrel
    • AAPT and APS have established the Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs (J-TUPP) charged with preparing a report that answers the question: What skills and knowledge should the next generation of undergraduate physics degree holders possess to be well prepared for a diverse set of careers? In this topical discussion session, representatives from J-TUPP will give a brief overview of what J-TUPP will do and then open the floor to discussions about questions and issues J-TUPP should address and the kinds of guidelines and recommendations that will be most useful to physics educators as they shape undergraduate physics programs for the decades to come.

• Tuesday Registration

  • • Tuesday Registration

    • REG06
    • Tue 01/06, 8:00AM - 3:00AM
    • 
      
    • Type: Registration

• Two-Year College Breakfast

  • • Two-Year College Breakfast

    • EVT10
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00AM - 8:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• USS Carrier Midway Museum Trip

  • • USS Carrier Midway Museum Trip

    • EVT02
    • Sat 01/03, 1:00PM - 5:00PM
    • by
    • Type: Event

• Undergraduate Research

  • • Comparative Cognitive Task Analysis of Experimental Science and Instructional Laboratory Courses

    • GD01
    • Tue 01/06, 8:30AM - 9:00AM
    • by Carl Wieman
    • Type: Invited
    • Undergraduate instructional labs in science generate intense opinions. Their advocates are passionate as to their importance for teaching science as an experimental activity and providing "hands-on" learning experiences, while their detractors (often but not entirely students) offer harsh criticisms that they are pointless, confusing, and "cookbook." Both to help explain the reason for such discrepant views and to aid in the design of instructional lab courses, I will compare the cognitive activities associated with a physicist doing experimental research with the cognitive activities of students in a typical instructional lab. Examining the detailed cognitive activities of experts ("cognitive task analysis") has proven to be useful in designing effective learning activities and in designing better measurements of student learning.

  • • Understanding and Measuring Project Ownership in Undergraduate Inquiry-Based Laboratory Courses

    • GD02
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 9:30AM
    • by David Hanauer
    • Type: Invited
    • A growing body of research documents the positive outcomes of research experiences for undergraduates, including increased persistence in science. Study of undergraduate lab learning experiences has demonstrated that the design of the experience influences the extent to which students report ownership of the project, and that project ownership is one of the psychosocial factors involved in student retention in the sciences. The current study discusses the initial qualitative study that generated data on project ownership and presents a new instrument for measuring project ownership -- the Project Ownership Survey (POS). Data on the reliability and validity of the instrument will be presented as a study on the ability of the tool to differentiate between traditional and inquiry-based laboratory experiences. The ramifications and potential uses of the tool will be discussed.

  • • Student-Directed Research at Guilford College

    • GD03
    • Tue 01/06, 9:30AM - 9:40AM
    • by Donald Smith
    • Type: Contributed
    • Student-driven research is threaded through the curriculum of the physics program at Guilford College. Each student is required to carry out a senior thesis with his or her own research question and experimental design. They must write a proposal for their project that defines a timeline and justifies their budget. Alumni-endowed funds support expenses and stipends. They report on their progress in a weekly one-credit seminar. They must write a thesis, defend it to a committee, and present their work at a conference. This student-driven approach to Undergraduate Research has the strengths of supporting their curiosity, initiative, and self-confidence, but it has the weakness that the students often pick subjects outside the specific expertise of our faculty, making it more challenging to advise them. I will close the presentation with examples of recent student research projects.

  • • Looking at Data From Different Perspectives Through Unbiased Approaches by an Undergraduate Researcher

    • GD04
    • Tue 01/06, 9:40AM - 9:50AM
    • by Ximena Cid
    • Type: Contributed
    • Mentoring undergraduates to do research is tricky business. There is a fine line between guiding students to come to their own conclusions and not guiding them enough in order to formulate coherent thoughts. On the other hand, one of the biggest advantages of having undergraduates do research in your lab is utilizing their unbiased approaches and ideas to explore the data. This talk will focus on an undergraduate's approach to reinterpreting collected data. We will highlight one approach that takes advantage of different representations which lead to unexpected results.

  • • Promoting Retention and Completion with Research and Design Cohorts

    • GD05
    • Tue 01/06, 9:50AM - 10:00AM
    • by Gregory Mulder
    • Type: Contributed
    • At Linn-Benton Community College we have created a series of Research and Design Cohorts (RDCs) that students are encouraged to join their first term on campus. RDC projects include designing and building underwater ROVs, payloads on rockets, and experiments for use in nearby drop tower. All RDCs start with a 1-credit micro-controller class that focuses on programming and data collection skills. Students then pursue an RDC for their one to three years at the community college. RDCs allow students to use the content knowledge gained in their traditional classes to solve interesting and open-ended research questions while building ties with faculty and other students.

  • • Seeking Exoplanets with Inexpensive Cameras

    • GD06
    • Tue 01/06, 10:00AM - 10:10AM
    • by Martin Connors
    • Type: Contributed
    • Every year sees better Digital Single Lens Reflex (DLSR) cameras come to market, with higher resolution, better lenses, and increased sensitivity. Most modern cameras can be attached to a computer for control and data download. These allow many levels of interaction with the night sky, from taking beautiful photos to quantitative analysis, all of which have appeal to students at various levels. On an inexpensive mount that gives pointing and tracking ability, a DSLR can survey an impressive amount of "real estate" in the Galaxy. The images can be analyzed on a computer to look for changes in stellar brightness that range from dramatic in the case of eclipsing binary or pulsating stars, to very subtle in the case of transits of exoplanets in front of their star. We explore the rapidly developing technologies that allow undergraduates to do cutting-edge astronomical research, highlighting Project Panoptes (http://projectpanoptes.org).

• Understanding the Redesigned AP Physics 1 and 2 Courses and Exams

  • • Understanding the Redesigned AP Physics 1 Course and Exam

    • AD01
    • Sun 01/04, 10:30AM - 11:00AM
    • by Connie Wells
    • Type: Invited
    • This talk will present the Curriculum Framework for the redesigned AP Physics 1 course. The newly created labs, teacher support materials, and sample AP Physics 1 exam questions will also be shared and discussed. Instructional strategies for integrating the new learning objectives and fostering deep conceptual understanding will be presented. The characteristics of science inquiry and reasoning skills as they apply to essential physics concepts will also be addressed. The speaker will also discuss and share various instructional methods to assist in making the revised AP Physics 1 course concepts and principles engaging and enduring. The session will conclude with a joint AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 question and answer period.

  • • Understanding the Redesigned AP Physics 2 Course and Exam

    • AD02
    • Sun 01/04, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by Martha Lietz
    • Type: Invited
    • This talk will present the Curriculum Framework for the redesigned AP Physics 2 course. Newly created labs, teacher support materials, and sample AP Physics 2 exam questions will also be shared and discussed. Instructional strategies for integrating the new learning objectives and fostering deep conceptual understanding will be presented. The characteristics of science inquiry and reasoning skills as they apply to essential physics concepts will also be addressed. The speaker will also discuss and share various instructional methods to assist in making the revised AP Physics 2 course concepts and principles engaging and enduring. The session will conclude with a joint AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 question and answer period.

• Updates and Resources for Introductory Physics for Life Science II

  • • Modifications to the Introductory Lab for Life Science Majors

    • GH01
    • Tue 01/06, 8:30AM - 8:40AM
    • by Erick Agrimson
    • Type: Contributed
    • At St. Catherine University, we have revitalized labs for both the physicsfor the health science and the calculus physics courses. The impetus for the project has been that students have shown great excitement for biophysical connections in the course and lab. Our students have consistently commented on how much they enjoy the laboratory component of our courses. We have started the process of developing a laboratory manual for both semesters of our courses that will give voice to many of the biophysical and medical connections that occur in the second semester of physics courses. We present work showing examples of new labs that make biophysical connections as well as revitalized existing labs.

  • • Integrating Biological and Biomedical Topics into Undergraduate Physics Labs

    • GH02
    • Tue 01/06, 8:40AM - 5:50AM
    • by Irene Guerinot
    • Type: Contributed
    • Pre-health, biology, and exercise science students are required to take physics courses at Maryville College. The vast majority of these students pass these courses without making the connection between physics and many common biological problems, operations, and techniques. I will present work that we developed to attempt to bridge that gap. The laboratory activities, experiments, and demonstrations discussed will merge key concepts from at least two of the traditional disciplines (physics and biology, physics and chemistry, or physics, biology, and chemistry). Challenges and successes will be discussed.

  • • Osmosis, Colligative Properties, Entropy, Free Energy and the Chemical Potential

    • GH03
    • Tue 01/06, 8:50AM - 9:00AM
    • by Peter Nelson
    • Type: Contributed
    • A diffusive model of osmosis is presented that explains currently available experimental data. It makes predictions that distinguish it from the traditional convective flow model of osmosis, some of which have already been confirmed experimentally and others have yet to be tested. It also provides a simple kinetic explanation of Raoult's law and the colligative properties of dilute aqueous solutions. The diffusive model explains that when a water molecule jumps from low to high osmolarity at equilibrium, the free energy change is zero because the work done pressurizing the water molecule is balanced by the entropy of mixing. It also explains that equal chemical potentials are required for particle exchange equilibrium in analogy with the familiar requirement of equal temperatures at thermal equilibrium. These are topics that should be considered for inclusion in the redesign of introductory physics courses for the life sciences (IPLS). NSF DUE-0836833 http://circle4.com/biophysics

  • • Measuring Cell Phone Signal: Experiment for Pre-Life Sciences Students

    • GH04
    • Tue 01/06, 9:00AM - 9:10AM
    • by Wathiq Abdul-Razzaq
    • Type: Contributed
    • The inconclusive evidence surrounding the issue of the danger of cell phone signal should motivate students especially the pre-life sciences students in binding physics with their field of study. A lab experiment was developed to measure the intensity of the microwaves emitted by cell phones and compare it to the intensity limit set up by the FDA for acceptable human exposure to microwaves. The intensity of microwaves leaked from microwave oven are also measured and compared to the cell phone radiation.

• Updates and Resources for Introductory Physics for Life Sciences

  • • The National Conversation About Introductory Physics for Life Science Students

    • DI01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by Dawn Meredith
    • Type: Invited
    • Over the past several years, there has been much activity to reform the Introductory Physics Course for Life Science (IPLS) students, spurred on by the realization that this course did not meet the needs of the intended audience. In 2014 there were two national conferences devoted to IPLS issues, and we report here on themes, questions and recommendations related to learning goals, topic coverage, strategies, and resources that grew out of conference discussions and talks.

  • • A Kinesthetic Circulatory System Model for Teaching Fluid Dynamics

    • DI04
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 12:30PM
    • by James Vesenka
    • Type: Poster
    • Previous research has shown that life science students at the University of New England have difficulty applying what they have learned in the physics classroom to concepts of anatomy and physiology, primarily fluid dynamics as they pertain to the circulatory system. To help integrate multiple disciplines into our introductory physics course, we are developing a kinesthetic circulatory system model. Using this model consisting of common hardware tubing and connectors, we hope to improve the students understanding of the equation of continuity, Bernoulli's and Hagen-Poiseuille's principles, and hydrostatic pressure as they apply to the cardiovascular system. The impact of this model on improved student understanding of these concepts has been assessed through a combination of pre- and post-test conceptual assessments and open-ended questions. Preliminary studies indicate students had a better perspective for conservation of mass, hydrostatic pressure, and pressure differences due to local (Bernoulli) and global (Hagen-Poiseuille) conditions.

  • • Biomechanics Lab Activities and Worksheets

    • DI05
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 12:30PM
    • by Nancy Beverly
    • Type: Poster
    • For the many institutions that have a sizeable pre-physical therapy or exercise science population in their ILPS course, teaching mechanics in the context of biomechanics can easily make the course more relevant and meaningful. Pre-meds and pre-vets also benefit from this approach. A large set of biomechanics lab activity ideas with associated student worksheets, developed at Mercy College, is now available on a website to be easily adapted for use at other institutions. The laboratory activities at Mercy College are integrated with the other classroom activities, so these are not the typical stand-alone labs. However, these activities could be bundled and modified for a more traditional lab format. The materials are in a state of continual progress, but are usable/adaptable in their present condition, with updates coming in the future.

  • • Using Openstaxcollege Online Textbooks

    • DI06
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 12:30PM
    • by Donald Franklin
    • Type: Poster
    • Openstaxcollege has a collection of online science textbooks. Using them you can design a syllabus that combines biology and physics. This brings reality to the students that physics is a pre-med science, not a memorization course.

  • • Considerations for Multiple Science Majors: Attitudes and Cognition

    • DI07
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 12:30PM
    • by Andrew Mason
    • Type: Poster
    • Data taken in the spring 2014 semester of an introductory algebra-based physics course suggests that different science majors exhibit different goal orientations towards a metacognitive problem-solving framework activity, which in turn seems to affect the likelihood of attitudinal gains and to some extent conceptual gains. A preliminary classification of framework orientation vs. performance orientation appears to extend to a population of non-physics science majors, and may suggest an empirical link between learner identity, attitudinal gains on the CLASS, and conceptual understanding gains on the FCI for a course population at a regional PUI physics course. Relative interest with respect to major, academic performance within the course, and additional variables are discussed considered with respect to utilizing metacognition more optimally for respective majors.

  • • Finding and Developing Pedagogical Materials for the IPLS Course

    • DI02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by Juan Burciaga
    • Type: Invited
    • Though new standard course materials such as textbooks and problem sets are gradually being implemented for the Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences (IPLS) course, many faculty are still struggling to find a good mix of content and pedagogy that will support the needs of reformed IPLS courses. But there has been a groundswell of curricular development and much of this material is being developed and archived in online sites, such as ComPADRE (http://www.compadre.org) and the Pre-Health iCollaborative (https://www.mededportal.org/icollaborative/) of the AAMC. The talk will focus on the content of these online archives, the process of incorporating the curricular materials into a course, and how to use these archives for curricular development. The talk will conclude by summarizing some of the proposed modifications to these archives that should make them more accessible, interactive, and productive for the physics community.

  • • Multimedia Modules for Teaching Physics to Pre-Health and Life Science Students

    • DI03
    • Mon 01/05, 12:00PM - 12:30PM
    • by Ralf Widenhorn
    • Type: Invited
    • We will present multimedia materials including videos by biomedical researchers and physicians that can be used in introductory physics or an intermediate level physics course for students pursuing a career in the life sciences or the medical field. The videos are used to give students a background on how the physics covered in the course is used by biomedical researcher or in a clinical setting. They are supported by written pre-lecture introductions to the relevant physics and are ideal for a flipped classroom environment. Physics instructors can use the answers to online pre-lecture questions to shape in-classroom instruction. The online homework developed for these modules explore essential physics concepts in a biomedically relevant manner. The initial concepts focus on biomedical applications of waves and optics, for example through ultrasound imaging, endoscopy or laser eye surgery, but will eventually span all fields of physics. This work is supported by NSF grants DUE 1141078 and DUE 1431447

• Upper Division Undergraduate

  • • Developing an Upper Division Lab for Materials Discovery and Characterization

    • EJ01
    • Mon 01/05, 4:30PM - 4:40PM
    • by R Averitt
    • Type: Contributed
    • We describe our efforts to develop a modern physics-based materials discovery and characterization laboratory. A primary course goal is to strike an appropriate balance between (i) student-initiated materials synthesis (ii) materials theory and (iii) learning the operation and methodology of modern research tools. Students form teams that develop and implement a research proposal that includes sample growth with subsequent structural analysis using x-ray diffraction and materials characterization using a Quantum Design VersaLab physical property measurement system. The VersaLab enables measurements of transport, magnetization, and specific heat from 50 to 400K using a closed system cryostat. This immersive experience fosters student creativity while providing instrumentation to follow through on independent ideas. The team effort culminates in a research paper and presentation with examples ranging from exotic materials such as heavy fermion compounds to high temperature superconductors. Learning modules based on course content are being created and will be made publicly available.

  • • Non-Linear Dynamics of a Magnetically Coupled Rotor

    • EJ02
    • Mon 01/05, 4:40PM - 4:50PM
    • by Satinder Sidhu
    • Type: Contributed
    • The rotary motion of a bar magnet mounted near, and parallel to, an identical second magnet exhibits interesting oscillatory behavior. The restoring torque acting on the rotating magnet is a complicated function of the angle it is rotated away from the stable equilibrium position. This function depends sensitively on the inter-magnet separation, showing two maxima separated by a trough. The rotor behaves chaotically when driven externally, with a much richer behavior than that of the extensively-studied chaotic pendulum. Experimental measurements of the static restoring torque, and of the free and driven oscillatory motions will be described, along with results of computational explorations of the dynamics.

  • • Synthesis and OpticalMagnetic Properties of Lanthanides Doped Gd2O3

    • EJ03
    • Mon 01/05, 4:50PM - 5:00PM
    • by Jiawei Yan
    • Type: Contributed
    • Gd2O3 samples with different morphologies are obtained via thermal treatment from the precursors Gd(OH)3, which are hydrothermally prepared using different additives: Citrate acid (CA), Oleic Acid (OA) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). XRD patterns show that the structure of the as-prepared samples are typical cubic phase with Ia-3 space group and slight differences in lattice constants: 10.8225Å (CA)?10.8114Å (OA)?10.8320Å (EDTA). SEM images show that the size of particles with different additives are 63nm (CA), 300nm (OA), 2?m (EDTA), respectively. The upconversion (UC) and magnetic properties of Gd0.78Yb0.20Ln0.02O3 (Ln = Er, Ho) were also studied. The results show that morphologies have a great impact on lanthanides doped UC luminescence intensity and paramagnetic susceptibility of Gd2O3 samples. Among them, both UC luminescence intensity and paramagnetic susceptibility of rare-earth doped Gd2O3 powders derived from EDTA additive reach the optimum values.

• Using Social Networking to Enhance Your Physics Class

  • • Eliminating the Physics Fear Factor with Piazza

    • DA01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by Tony Luckett
    • Type: Invited
    • Science courses can be particularly arduous, intimidating, and isolating for students, leading many to drop out or reconsider their majors. In this session, Tony Luckett will discuss how to reduce the various stressors in physics classes to keep students motivated and engaged. Tony will demonstrate how to use Piazza, the leading social learning platform for physics classes in the country, to foster collaboration, dialogue, and community. Attendees learn from case studies how Piazza can help students get the most out of their academic experience by connecting them with classmates, teaching assistants and professors who can solve even the toughest problems by working together. Instructors will leave with a clear sense of how to use the latest social learning technology to connect with their students in a completely new way.

  • • Why Social Networking (Learning) is Icing on the Cake of 21st Century Pedagogy?

    • DA02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by Ali Jafari
    • Type: Invited
    • Professor Jafari has created four Learning Environments; open source such as Oncourse (now Sakai), ANGEL Learning, and now CourseNetworking system. He will discuss his new vision and system (theCN.com) as well as elaborating on the advantages of integrating social network in both F2F and online courses, as a new enabler to make learning more engaged, global, rewarding, and sticky.

  • • Course Networking from an Instructor's Perspective

    • DA03
    • Mon 01/05, 12:00PM - 12:10PM
    • by Andrew Gavrin
    • Type: Contributed
    • Course Networking (http://www.thecn.com) is a new social media tool designed specifically for the educational environment. It incorporates the ability for an instructor to create "tasks" based on course content, time periods, or other structures. It also allows instructors and students to create posts, polls, reflections on prior posts, and to "like" other's work. This talk will report on a first use of Course Networking in an introductory calculus-based mechanics course at IUPUI. Enrollment in this course is over 150 students. Further, IUPUI is a predominantly computer campus, so many of the students have little opportunity for social interactions in their classes. Particular attention will be paid to student attitudes about this new tool and their perceptions of its impact on learning and social engagement with their peers.

  • • Student Interactions Within an Online Homework Forum in Introductory Physics

    • DA04
    • Mon 01/05, 12:10PM - 12:20PM
    • by James Kisiel
    • Type: Contributed
    • Student conversations in an online homework forum (Social Homework) for introductory physics were examined to see how students interact in this new type of setting. With the ability to "like" posts and make comments to a discussion (as with Facebook), Social Homework was designed so students in a large lecture hall could participate in small learning groups. Initial analysis of the most liked discussions revealed that most of the posts are related to physics however, most of these posts were procedural (e.g. Here is the formula we should use) as opposed to conceptual (the net force includes friction). Further research found that most of the contribution within these online discussions came from 1-2 students. Social Homework provides an opportunity for students and instructors to contribute to physics discourse but some modifications may be needed to support a more meaningful learning experience.

• Venture/Bauder Committees

  • • Venture/Bauder Committees

    • COM11
    • Sun 01/04, 9:00AM - 10:00AM
    • by
    • Type: Committee Meeting

• Video Update - Advanced Video Techniques

  • • Beyond Your Camcorder and Other Consumer Video Hardware

    • FC01
    • Mon 01/05, 7:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by Samuel Sampere
    • Type: Invited
    • Video technology is advancing rapidly. What was possible only in research labs just a few years ago is becoming almost typical classroom technology today. As instructors are venturing into new teaching strategies such as flipped classrooms, MOOCS, etc., utilizing these new tools can be a great asset. I will discuss relevant video techniques, the physics behind them, and various ways to incorporate them in your classroom, website, or You Tube presentation.

  • • InfraRed Experiments Made Awesome -- for HS and College

    • FC02
    • Mon 01/05, 7:30PM - 8:00PM
    • by James Lincoln
    • Type: Invited
    • It's time that Infrared Light stopped being invisible! In this talk I outline video and experimental techniques that will make Infrared Light as real as visible light. I will address Near, Far, and Intermediate IR Light and vividly demonstrate several video and photographic techniques that you can replicate. Many of these demos are original, to be seen nowhere else! Special attention is paid to interactive engagement, direct measurements, and practical demos for both the beginner and the advanced physics instructor.

  • • Creating Screencasts

    • FC03
    • Mon 01/05, 8:00PM - 8:10PM
    • by Paul Hewitt
    • Type: Contributed
    • I'll discuss my learning curve in creating Hewitt-drew-it screencasts using a Wacom tablet with the ScreenFlow program, my wife Lil's assistance in polishing them. I'll show a sample cast.

  • • Screencasts and Video Tutorials for Online and Face-to-Face Classes

    • FC04
    • Mon 01/05, 8:10PM - 8:20PM
    • by Kate Dellenbusch
    • Type: Contributed
    • With the increasing emphasis many colleges and universities are placing ondistance learning, how can we make our online physics courses more engaging and effective for our students? A first step is to enhance simple narrated PowerPoint lecture recordings. Through the use of technologies such as screencasting software and graphics tablets, more diverse and engaging lectures and video tutorials can be created. These same technologies can also be used in more traditional face-to-face courses to supplement and expand upon what is already being done in the classroom. Strategies for making screencast videos will be discussed.

  • • The Effect of Online Lecture on Persistence in a Physics Class

    • FC05
    • Mon 01/05, 8:20PM - 8:30PM
    • by John Stewart
    • Type: Contributed
    • This talk will examine the difference in the rate students successfully complete a physics class between students attending lecture in person and students choosing to watch the lecture on video as part of an online class. The option to watch the lecture on video was implemented mid-semester in fall 2012 so that the performance of the same set of students could be compared. A fully online lecture section was introduced in spring 2013, but students were allowed to select the lecture viewing option. The online lecture section was continued in the fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters; however, students were no longer allowed the choice of lecture viewing option. Higher than expect withdrawal rates have been experienced in the online sections of the class. These will be examined in the context of the historical performance of the class and the differences in engagement in the class measured by the rate at which students submit required assignments.

• Writing in Physics

  • • Discourse Communities as a Framework for Writing in Physics

    • DG01
    • Mon 01/05, 11:00AM - 11:30AM
    • by Heather Whitney
    • Type: Invited
    • Writing assignments in upper-level physics courses can be a refreshing wayfor students to more fully engage with the material, but these assignments must have careful construction for the greatest efficacy. Connecting with your institution's writing program can be a fruitful partnership that gives students the opportunity to transfer learning between fields. We present our experience with framing student writing in an upper-level analytical mechanics course around the framework of discourse communities, and compare student achievement of learning outcomes both with and without this framework.

  • • Writing as a Means to Provide a Meaningful Classroom Experience

    • DG02
    • Mon 01/05, 11:30AM - 12:00PM
    • by Calvin Kalman
    • Type: Invited
    • Writing can be used before students enter the classroom to enable them to try and understand the textbook as much as possible. If students also try problems in addition to writing, the classroom can become a place of interaction between students and the instructor. Writing can also be used after the class has taken place. Students can explore concepts to get a deep understanding. Our research (http://reflectivewriting.concordia.ca/) has shown that using writing, students can change their way of learning physics and can do better on traditional problem-solving examinations.

  • • The Conference Paper as an Alternative Assessment Tool in Physics

    • DG03
    • Mon 01/05, 12:00PM - 12:30PM
    • by Teresa Larkin
    • Type: Invited
    • The pedagogical value of a writing-based approach to learning has been widely documented. This presentation will describe a writing-intensive alternative model for assessment of student learning in introductory physics. A second-level course at American University provides the setting for this work. Students are exposed to all aspects of preparing a professional conference paper that they present at the end of the term. Following a description of the course, the specific structure for the conference paper activity will be outlined. The assessment strategies employed throughout the writing experience provide for multiple "snapshots" that often more robustly reveal what students are actually learning. Whether used as a stand-alone tool or coupled with more traditional measures, a writing-based approach to learning can provide an enhanced and more authentic way to capture what students are actually learning throughout all phases of the learning process.

• Writing in Physics II

  • • Writing Throughout the Physics Curriculum

    • HF01
    • Tue 01/06, 12:30PM - 12:40PM
    • by Joseph Kozminski
    • Type: Contributed
    • We have recently implemented a new physics curriculum at Lewis University in which we have paid careful consideration to the development of scientific writing skills throughout the curriculum from the introductory labs through the advanced labs and capstone project. While much writing is done in the laboratory courses, we have also developed two seminar courses which address scientific writing. This talk will give an overview of the development of scientific writing skills in our new curriculum and discuss the types of writing and revising the students do, including our experiences with JAUPLI.

  • • How to Change the World, One Physics Class at a Time

    • HF02
    • Tue 01/06, 12:40PM - 12:50PM
    • by Gerald Feldman
    • Type: Contributed
    • We have developed a writing-intensive course for non-science majors based on the framework of Physics for Future Presidents. We focus on scientific literacy, emphasizing not only science principles but also aspects of communication and writing in a public forum. For the latter, we introduce concepts of rhetoric and apply them in a course journal (with peer review) and in an end-of-semester grant proposal project. We also have created a Facebook group for posting/sharing online resources and discussion threads. The course has been co-taught for two semesters by a physics instructor and a writing instructor, and we have made significant changes in the current semester based on student feedback and our own experience in the first semester. In this talk, we address the challenges of an interdisciplinary pedagogical project linking physics and writing, and we explain how we have merged the science and rhetoric elements to enhance the scientific literacy of the students and to help them develop their own analytical skills.

  • • Peer Graded Written Assignments in a Conceptual Physics Class*

    • HF03
    • Tue 01/06, 12:50PM - 1:00PM
    • by Edward Price
    • Type: Contributed
    • Including science practices can be difficult in large classes. We have used the web-based Calibrated Peer Review* (CPR) system to engage students in the science practices of constructing explanations, engaging in argument from evidence, and evaluating information. With CPR, students submit written work and evaluate each other. Students write a response to a prompt, read and evaluate responses prepared by the curriculum developers, and receive feedback on their evaluations, allowing students to "calibrate" their evaluation skills. Students then evaluate their peers' work and their own work. We have used CPR for in conceptual physics courses for future teachers and general education students with over 350 students at three universities. By independently assessing students' responses, we evaluated the CPR calibration process and compared students' peer reviews with expert evaluations. Peer scores are equivalent to our independent evaluations. I will describe how these assignments support science practices in NGSS, and our findings on the validity of peer-scoring.

  • • What Is Your Evidence? Undergraduate Students -- Writing About Changing Models

    • HF07
    • Tue 01/06, 12:50PM - 1:00PM
    • by Mariah Law
    • Type: Contributed
    • Supporting students writing and learning to write about science in large- enrollment physics courses is challenging. Calibrated peer review (CPR) is a web-based tool used to teach students through a unique amalgamation of writing, critical thinking, and peer review. CPRs are adaptable to any class size and discipline. In our study, 79 undergraduates in a Large Enrollment Physics (LEPS) course for perspective elementary teachers completed a CPR assignment on how their model of a circuit changed. We analyzed data from students?' written responses in which they are asked to describe two ways that their final model of an electric circuit was more sophisticated than the initial model, and to use specific observational evidence to support each of their claims. We investigate how students discussed evidence that led to modifying their model, and how well they identified when evidence had been used by their peers.

  • • Effective Reading Strategies to Enhance Student Learning

    • HF04
    • Tue 01/06, 1:00PM - 1:10PM
    • by Chuck Stone
    • Type: Contributed
    • For over 50 years, innovative physics educators have enhanced faculty teaching practices and student learning styles. Activity-based instruction, computer simulations, flipped classrooms, interactive lecture demonstrations, online courses, peer instruction, and social networking have significantly enhanced student learning in numerous disciplines. STEM faculty face the daunting challenge of helping students understand a technical specialty while communicating complex ideas in simpler terms. Today's classrooms, characterized by fast-paced instruction, abbreviated text messaging, and the ability to instantaneously access information off the Internet, have their advantages, but often at the expense of softening students' reading and writing skills. Regardless of the instructional practices employed, reading and writing remain fundamental elements to learning. In this presentation, I share strategies faculty can use to help students become better readers. Careful reading complements effective writing, and both are valuable skills in preparing students for introductory courses, upper division labs, graduate school, and careers in science and engineering.

  • • Students Will Read Their Textbook If ...

    • HF05
    • Tue 01/06, 1:10PM - 1:20PM
    • by John Hubisz
    • Type: Contributed
    • For over 50 years teaching physics, I have required that students read anduse their textbook throughout their course. I spend time describing how to read effectively and require assignments that check that they have done so. I have written textbook publishers and authors encouraging them to stay away from chapter summaries and introduce more essay problems, some of which might require that a summary of an idea from a chapter be made.

  • • We Can Write Right, Right?

    • HF06
    • Tue 01/06, 1:20PM - 1:30PM
    • by Paul Schmelzenbach
    • Type: Contributed
    • Inspired by the observation that our undergraduate senior physics majors generally struggle with writing as much as they did when they were freshmen, our department has begun instituting various techniques to build writing skills at key points throughout our curriculum. I will share some lessons learned and some quick ideas that could be implemented in your classroom.

  • • Writing Assessments Became an Essential Tool in Co-Taught Physics

    • HF09
    • Tue 01/06, 1:30PM - 1:40PM
    • by Stephanie Marry
    • Type: Contributed
    • At Barrington High School a co-taught physics course was introduced. In this session, I will explore some of the benefits of a co-taught physics course and how writing assessments enhance student understanding. The summative writing assessments helped identify and clarify misconceptions, allowed student to reflect and revise their understanding, and ultimately became a valued learning tool in this new course.

  • • Guided Writing and Assessment in the Introductory Physics Laboratory

    • HF08
    • Tue 01/06, 1:40PM - 1:50PM
    • by Eric Mandell
    • Type: Contributed
    • Desiring to further develop students' writing skills in the introductory physics course, instructors would likely first turn to the lab report. However, students often fail to treat the lab report in the same way they would treat other writing assignments, and neglect to connect fully the learning outcomes of a lab activity to the other course activities, such as homework, quizzes, or exams. In an effort to enhance the lab report product and guide teaching assistants in its assessment, we developed a Connect-Experiment-Analyze-Reflect (CEAR) model that places a greater emphasis on student writing and guides reflection. Here, we share the results of our study comparing the observed behaviors and learning outcomes as we transitioned from spreadsheet-driven laboratory activities to our CEAR model.

• iOS and Android App Show

  • • iOS and Android App Show

    • TOP02
    • Sun 01/04, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
    • by Lee Trampleasure
    • Type: Topical