United States

Scaffolded Training Environment for Physics Programming (STEPP) project team has developed a synergistic learning environment for high school physics students to acquire physics concepts and computational thinking (CT) through formative experiences modeling and simulating kinematics using modeling tools based on state diagrams called Finite State Machines (FSMs). Scaffolding and dynamic modeling with FSMs allow students to focus on the aspects of CT that support physics learning, e.g., problem decomposition, abstraction, and algorithms, instead of the aspects that are mainly about programming. Three STEPP learning modules have been developed on 1D/2D kinematics and the Newton’s Laws of Motion using Unity game engine that is free for academic use and widely used in K-16 education and educational research. Each level of each module is designed for students to model a kinematic problem as an FSM and see the simulation result as an animation, graphs, numbers and equations which are all synchronically displayed.

AAPT SM 21

Introducing Finite State Machine based modeling into high school physics

unity

multiple-representations

state-based modeling

finite state machines

computational thinking

modeling

computing

high school physics

simulation

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technical paper

One of the most promising sources of gravitational waves for the forthcoming LISA observatory are ``extreme mass ratio inspirals'' (EMRIs) : compact objects like a stellar mass black hole falling into a massive black hole, typically with mass ratios of 1 to 1 million. These sources will be important probes of the astrophysical dynamics in the nuclear star clusters of galaxies, as well as provide detailed spacetime maps of the black hole (analogous to satellite geodesy around the earth). EMRIs are expected to have high eccentricities, and when the periapsis dips very near the black hole exhibit an orbit phenomenon known as ``zoom-whirl'' behavior, where rapid near-circular "whirls" are followed by a "zoom" out to apoapsis. These cause a complicated waveform that are useful for mapping out the gravitational structure of the system. Zoom-whirl behavior can be intuitively understood in the context of effective potentials, which should be familiar to students from classical orbital theory in mechanics. Here we demonstrate and explain zoom-whirl orbits using effective potential theory around Schwarzschild black holes, and demonstrate a public tool for visualizing EMRIs from this viewpoint, suitable for use in a variety of classroom settings.

Understanding exotic gravitational wave orbits with effective potentials

Prior research indicates that secondary students perceive quantum physics as a complex version of Newtonian physic. This raises implications for instruction as quantum physics rests on a set of principles that differ drastically from Newtonian physics. The topic need not be complex, but it does require a conceptual framework for interpretation that is incompatible with Newtonian physics. Research shows that this topic can be introduced in a purely conceptually manner but requires careful guidance from the instructor and necessitates a conceptual shift in students from a Newtonian physics framework. As topics like wave-particle duality and quantum technology find more room in physics curriculum developing appropriate instructional approaches for this realm will become increasingly important. This paper focuses on the implications associated with introducing Quantum physics principles in the secondary classroom and the epistemological challenges that arise during instruction on this exciting, yet challenging subject.

Instructional Implications of Introducing Quantum Physics in the Secondary Classroom

One challenge (of many) I faced in moving my ~100-student in-person introductory physics course online was how to effectively integrate a group project into the curriculum. I needed a project that would serve as a collaborative stepping-stone to a broader view of physics, as well as a project that would be manageable to execute and grade in an online setting. Enter the team anthology, a team-based learning technique described by Elizabeth F. Barkley, Claire H. Major, and K. Patricia Cross in their book on collaborative learning techniques. I will share the constraints I faced with my particular class, as well as the adjustments to the idea I made in implementing it in the virtual Spring 2021 semester.

Group project in an online world? Yes, it works!

Any instructor working one-on-one with a large number of students has realized that most students have poor calculator skills. That deficit, along with the wide variety of calculators, makes it difficult to provide useful skills training without being able to exam exactly what calculations the student is performing. We’ve employed a methodology with two different groups of students using Microsoft Excel that enable concrete and specific feedback to students. The classes involved include a general education Physical World course and a more complex Physics for Aviation class. Both classes were offered online. In the general education course, students completed our standard pre/post assessment. In both classes, we also asked that the students complete a self-assessment of their learning gains. Those results along with details of our feedback methodology will be reported here.

Is it time to abandon the calculator?

How do student perceptions about introductory physics correlate, if at all, with student performance, in both remote and in-person learning environments? Previous studies offer an interesting link between students’ perception of the value of the course and their performance: students with lower perceived value at the start of the semester perform better in in-person learning environments, as compared to those offered remotely. Furthermore, no discernible difference in performance between remote and in-person learning environments was detected for students having higher perceived value of a course. These observations suggest that individual student perceptions are more indicative of performance than modality of instruction. We address the interplay between student perceptions and performance outcomes, in introductory physics at West Point.

Remote vs. In-Person Learning: Perceptions vs. Outcomes in Introductory Physics

In the past few years, we have been developing Interactive video-enhanced tutorials (IVETs) which include web-based activities that lead students through a solution using effective problem-solving strategies. The IVETs, which are designed by incorporating multimedia learning principles, are adaptive and provide different levels of feedback and guidance for different students. They also adapt to students’ affect by providing additional guidance to students who indicate they are confused, frustrated, or bored while completing the IVETs. This presentation will showcase our IVET on Thermal Equilibrium and present results from implementing it in a calculus-based course taught online in the past year.

Improving student understanding of Thermal Equilibrium with an interactive tutorial

This session explains how the Institute of Physics moved all its physics teacher CPD online after over a decade of working directly in schools in the UK and Ireland. Our team of over 50 teacher coaches and IOP colleagues worked in much closer collaboration to support teachers remotely and respond to the new pressures that they were facing. We moved from live support sessions to a blended approach with pre-recorded videos accessed on IOPSpark. There were many deep conversations and a lot of new thinking about what physics pedagogy is vital and lends itself to a short video structure. This session will showcase the greatest hits of the 11-19 videos, including the underpinning education research and technology used. We’ll discuss how these ideas have now been taken back into the physics classroom and what works better on camera than in real life.

Lights, camera, action! From IOP physics coach to Youtuber

Jupyter Notebooks gaining popularity in Universities for scientific computation and programming. Jupyter Notebooks utilize Python programming and are primarily used to handle large data sets. They are also used in scientific computational projects, such as machine learning. Advantages for the educational setting include: it is free to use (with a google account), its enabled to be highly collaborative (like google docs), and has the ability to allow advanced code markup including writing equations, inserting hyperlinks, youtube videos and other media. I developed six Jupyter Notebook lessons introducing high school physics students to computational physics, aimed at teaching them to graph data and solve problems. The large data sets used included the open data repository from the CMS experiment at CERN, where students can access real data to discover a particle.

Integrating Computational Jupyter Notebook Lessons into High School Physics

Large amplitude pendulums are often ignored by introductory physics classes even though students notice deviations from the small angle approximation during physics labs. Using Blockly coding built into PASCO software, students can create models of the motion of a large amplitude pendulum from basic physics principles. The new PASCO scientific Meter Stick Torque Set coupled with rotary sensors and photogates allows for accurate measurement of angular position, angular velocity, and period. This enables students to compare their models to direct measurements to test and refine them. Methods to predict and measure the period of a meter stick oscillating about its end will be demonstrated. Code to predict the motion of the pendulum as a function of time will be shown and the results compared to measurements. A procedure for the experimental derivation of the parallel axis theorem using this equipment also will be shared.


Modeling and Measuring Characteristics of a Large Amplitude Physical Pendulum

STEPP (Scaffolded Training Environment for Physics Programming) is a no-cost interactive instructional tool designed to support the teaching of kinematics and Newton’s Laws of Motion in high school physics. Developed through NSF’s STEM+C program, STEPP focuses on the overlap between physics and computational thinking. STEPP allows users to model and visualize the motion described in physics problems already in their curriculum without any formal programming experience expected or required. Carefully designed with scaffolded levels and dynamic display of motion and graphing, STEPP will be available for use in classrooms this fall at stepp.utdallas.edu. Join us to learn about STEPP and how to access resources including a video workshop introduction.

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