United States

Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) is an instructional strategy involving feedback from students on pre-lecture activities in order to design in-class activities to build on the continuing feedback from students. We investigated the effectiveness of a JiTT approach, which included in-class concept tests using clickers in an upper-division quantum mechanics course. We analyzed student performance on pre-lecture reading quizzes, in-class clicker questions answered individually, and clicker questions answered after group discussion, and compared those performances with open-ended retention quizzes administered after all instructional activities on the same concepts. In general, compared to the reading quizzes, student performance improved when individual clicker questions were posed after lectures that focused on student difficulties found via electronic feedback. The performance on the clicker questions after group discussion following individual clicker question responses also showed improvement. We discuss some possible reasons for improved performance at various stages. We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

AAPT WM 21

Just-in-Time Teaching and Peer Instruction Using Clickers in Quantum Mechanics

technology-enhanced learning

just-in-time-teaching

tutorial

quilt

quantum

interactive learning

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AAPT SM 21

poster

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We describe the development, validation and in-class evaluation of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) on quantum key distribution, a context which involves an exciting application of quantum mechanics. The protocol used in the QuILT uses single photons with non-orthogonal polarization states to generate a random shared key over a public channel for encrypting and decrypting information. The QuILT strives to help upper-level undergraduate students learn quantum mechanics using a simple two state system. It actively engages students in the learning process and helps them build links between the formalism and the conceptual aspects of quantum physics without compromising the technical content. The in-class evaluation suggests that the validated QuILT is helpful in improving students’ understanding of relevant concepts. We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

A Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial on Quantum Key Distribution

We developed and validated a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) on Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with single photons to expose upper-level students in quantum mechanics courses to contemporary applications. The QuILT strives to help students develop the ability to apply fundamental quantum principles to physical situations and explore differences between classical and quantum ideas. The QuILT adapts visualization tools to help students build physical intuition about quantum phenomena and focuses on helping them integrate qualitative and quantitative understandings. Findings will be presented from in-class implementation of the research-validated QuILT. We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial on Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with Single Photons

All measurements used in education should be fair, reliable and valid. Psychometrics is the field of study that concerns itself with the development of these measurements. Specifically psychometricians develop theories of measurement of both the development of instrument assessing individuals’ skills, abilities, attitudes and educational knowledge, as well as the general test theory behind said development. Psychometrics should guide the development of all measurements undertaken as part of education including classroom tests, quizzes and any other quantitative data collected as part of normal courses as well as the research-based assessments, such as conceptual learning assessment instruments (RbCLAIs). Unfortunately, the theory and methods of psychometrics are not well known or understood.&nbsp; In this poster, I will present the basics of psychometrics as well as common misunderstandings of the psychometrics involved in the development of RBCLAIs.&nbsp;

What Physics Education Researchers Needs to Know About Psychometrics

&nbsp;Most students find difficulty in visualizing 3D concepts in physics courses. Some of these include torque, circular motion, and moment of inertia. A solution to this issue is to present these concepts in augmented reality to allow for better visualization of them. The augmented reality activities presented in this project were created by a team of undergraduate physics and computer science students using the software Unity and the Merge Cube. We present a systematic process of creating and improving specialized apps that can be utilized in a classroom environment.

Developing Augmented Reality Modules to Teach Torque

This poster will showcase one of our Interactive video-enhanced tutorials (IVETs). IVETs involve web-based activities that lead students through a solution using expert-like problem-solving approaches. Under NSF funding we have developed and evaluated multiple IVETs for use with college students in introductory physics. This presentation will showcase one of our IVETs, namely Torque and Rotation, and provide details about its design features, which involve multimedia principles of learning and research on human learning and memory. The&nbsp;IVET’s impact on student problem-solving abilities will also be shared.

Impact of Torque and Rotation Tutorial on Student Problem-Solving Abilities

I describe the sequential development of an animated Desmos visualization of the wave-interference from two point-sources. Starting with static wavefronts with tunable parameters, I compute the superposition to obtain an interference pattern in the plane. I then introduce a screen where I compute the instantaneous waveform and power, then the time-averaged power. Along the way, I’ll share some Desmos tricks I learned in the process. &nbsp;

Using Desmos for Interactive Visualizations of Physics: Wave-Interference

In our algebra-based introductory physics sequence, we have exams that consist of multiple choice and traditional math problems. Students were able to solve the math problems as well as expected, but found multiple choice questions to be more challenging. Students often asked for an optimal way to study for these questions, but we weren’t sure how to answer. So we set out to investigate how students were studying for these exams and how those study habits changed as they progressed through the course. After three years of data collection, we have insight into the ways students prepare for introductory physics exams, how they perceive these study methods to have affected their exam scores, and the study methods actual exam helpfulness. Our hope is to help our current students succeed in the course by introducing them to study methods that have shown to be effective in the past.

Determining the Affect That Study Methods Have on Exam Scores

We employed a student-centered approach to examining the impact of physics outreach on female undergraduate and graduate student volunteers. We conducted a series of interviews with current and former female students who facilitated physics outreach programs at Texas A&amp;M University. We focused on how the individual experience of these students related to their formation of physics identity, recognition, and self-efficacy. We also report on the development of soft skills gained through outreach opportunities and their link to increases in motivation, confidence, and self-perceptions of becoming more expert in the field.

Empowering Women in Physics: Forming Identity Through Outreach and Engagement

We conducted a series of multiple linear regressions to examine the predictive ability of race on introductory mechanics final exam scores when controlling for ACT math scores and physics placement test scores. When we followed a common method of categorizing students as URMs and non-URMS for our analysis, we found that students who earned comparable scores on the ACT math test and the physics placement test performed similarly on the final exam. However, when we established separate groups for Non-Hispanic White American, Asian American, African American, Hispanic, International, Multi-Race, AIAN, and NHPI students, we found that African American and Asian American students, and to a lesser extent, Hispanic students, under-performed in their physics course relative to their prior test scores. We conclude that there is still work to be done at the university level to provide a learning environment supportive of students of all backgrounds.

URM Grouping Hides Struggles of Black and Asian American Students

As part of a larger project to develop a written instrument to evaluate pedagogical content knowledge(PCK), we are observing classroom interactions between students and student assistants. When observing student assistants, two coding schemes emerged. The first coding scheme was developed to describe the student assistant’s ability to guide students through a requested task. The second coding scheme was developed to describe the ability of the student assistant to help students work through their own thought development process. In my poster I will present the two coding schemes, go over the similarities/differences and discuss the future plans for the schemes. The two coding schemes will be used to help design the written PCK instrument.

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