United States

Computational Thinking (CT) is used to describe how our approaches to formulating and solving STEM problems is affected by the availability of modern computers. Many educators use CT broadly to include traditional problem-solving skills, persistence, the ability to work in groups, and so on, along with the development of computational algorithms and coding. Given the wide-spread calls for including CT in both K-12 schools and higher education, educators and policy makers have realized there are not enough teachers to provide stand-alone CT courses for all students. Here I argue that there are strong benefits, both practical and educational, of integrating CT with standard STEM courses. Based on the recommendations of the May 2019 NSF-supported conference on Advancing the Integration of Interdisciplinary Computational Thinking in the Physical and Life Sciences, I discuss how that integration might work in physics courses.

AAPT SM 20

Integrating Computational Thinking with Physics. What Does That Mean?

computational thinking

physics education

computation

The 2020 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting brought together physics educators from around the globe to learn about the latest in physics theory, research methodology and education from leaders in their field. The program featured plenary speakers, sessions, workshops and many special activities.

For more information please visit the 2020 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting page at: https://www.aapt.org/Conferences/SM2020/index.cfm.


The 2020 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting brought together physics educators from around the globe to learn about the latest in physics theory, research methodology and education from leaders in their field. 

technical paper

The University of Connecticut has initiated the transition of its calculus-based intro-physics courses from traditional lecture into interactive studio. Numerous materials have been newly developed or adapted to leverage studio classroom facility to benefit student learning. A mock-up IPLS studio course is taught in the 2020 summer semester with limited enrollment. We would like to share with the PER community the lessons we have learned through the transition so far.

The lessons learned from developing a studio physics course for life sciences

Introductory physics for life science (IPLS) courses can vary wildly in sizes, pre-requisites, major distributions, and pedagogical frameworks. These variations mean some level of adaptation of found materials is almost always required. This talk will focus on the process of adapting materials from the IPLS Portal (and elsewhere) to a two-semester, algebra-based, studio-style IPLS sequence of large enrollment at University of Massachusetts Amherst. In this context, large enrollment means a single instructor, with some TA support, is responsible for two sections of 100 students each in the first semester, and for two sections of 250 students in the second. Therefore, scalability, while maintaining an active learning environment, is a key consideration. Other adaptations motivated by our large number of kinesiology majors, as well as differences arising from algebra- versus calculus-based courses will also be considered.

Adapting IPLS Materials for Large Enrollment, Algebra-Based, Studio Courses

Are there galaxies that we can't see? The ALFALFA survey uses Arecibo Observatory, the largest fully functional radio telescope in the world, to search for (nearly) starless galaxies that emit radio waves. This talk will summarize the field of galaxy formation and evolution, present results from ALFALFA, and explore what these results tell us about how galaxies form. A special emphasis will be given to the contributions of student researchers to this work.

The Hunt for (Almost) Dark Galaxies

Abstract: Reactions of religious organizations to the concept of vacuum (i.e. the void) changed drastically from the University of Paris condemnations in 1277 AD, to Descartes conception in The World (1664 AD), to Newton’s description in Principia (1687 AD). This talk surveys the reactions to, and eventually reception of, the concept of vacuum on religious grounds.

Paris, Descartes, Newton, and the Void

In spring 2019, the Physics & Astronomy Department at Western Washington University began hosting weekly discussions about (in)equity. The main goals are to provide opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to develop a common vocabulary and shared knowledge about issues of (in)equity, and to explore how these issues manifest in our field. During these discussions, we learned about allegories for race and racism, models of oppression, characteristics of white supremacy culture, technical/social dualism, white fragility, white saviorism, invisible disabilities, microaggressions, physics metaphors for gender and sexuality, and the scope and limits of physics ways of knowing. The co-facilitators are a white male physics professor and a white nonbinary student, and the Physics & Astronomy Department is predominantly white and male. This talk will provide an overview of the background, purpose, guiding principles, content, and the experience of participants as conveyed through feedback surveys to be administered in the spring.

Inclusive Physics & Astronomy Discussions at Western Washington University

Aligning with the National Quantum Initiative and NSF’s “Quantum Leap,” we are working toward an interdisciplinary approach to quantum information science and technology (QIST) education. We present results from a single institution based on interviews with faculty and administrators in engineering, computing, and the sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology, which suggest that it is feasible and desirable to provide STEM majors with accessible degree pathways that embed quantum-related electives. Combined with results from studies on the skills of quantum industry employees, our results indicate a minor or concentration in QIST provides STEM majors with sufficient preparation for quantum careers, and a new major in QIST is unnecessary. Physics departments could play an essential role in such programs by offering an introductory QIST course open to all STEM majors that prepares students for advanced QIST coursework. We also provide insight into structural barriers that might hinder implementation of this arrangement.

Creating interdisciplinary pathways into quantum careers: opportunities for physics departments

The description and operation of a horn radio telescope that can be used in introductory physics and astronomy classrooms will be presented. The telescope used in the investigations, which is designed to detect the 21 cm wavelength emitted by atomic hydrogen, can be constructed easily and at an affordable cost. Projects that will be discussed include making a map of hydrogen in the Milky Way Galaxy, measuring its profile, and determining a rotation curve.

Hands-on Radio Astronomy in the Classroom Using a Horn Telescope

This talk summarizes the use of interactive simulations and activities integrated with an adaptive online platform to teach introductory calculus-based physics at Portland State University. We discuss the designing of activities using Geogebra and Phet simulations to teach and illustrate physics concepts. Simple activities highlighting concepts in topics such as the movement of a disturbance, interference, beats, standing waves, harmonics in waves and sound, refraction and image formation in geometrical optics, diffraction, and interference of light, thermodynamics, vectors, forces, and friction in mechanics. The design of the simulations is such that they seamlessly integrate into a course that aims to promote active and engaged learning.

Using Interactive Simulations in Adaptive Calculus-based General Physics Courses

An instructional intervention consisting of students interacting with eight short videos on scientific topics was introduced to a general education physics class. The effects of these videos had on student attitudes about science and their scientific reasoning skills were assessed by comparison of pre- and post-test data from the CLASS and Lawson's Test of Scientific Reasoning for two control and three treatment semesters. Initial findings showed improved student attitudes toward science and improved scientific reasoning skills. With continued use of the videos in additional semesters, similar pre-post gains in scientific reasoning skills were observed, however, less improvement in student attitudes toward science was measured. This decrease in improvement of student attitudes as the new course activity became standard has implications for the number of semesters a new curriculum aimed at improving student attitudes should be studied. Most new curricula only report a semester or two of results before wide implementation occurs.

Changes in Student Attitudes and Curricular Benefits as a New Course Activity Becomes Standard

Student assistants (SA), which includes graduate and undergraduate teaching/learning assistants, are pivotal to non-traditional physics instruction in large classrooms. Despite its effectiveness, little is known about how SA-student interactions promote students’ learning. How should SAs respond to students’ questions? What support should SAs provide or refrain? What makes a SA effective or ineffective? We are particularly interested in SAs’ questioning skills. We propose a coding scheme to scrutinize SA-student interactions. For analysis, we segment a SA video into vignettes based on different situations SAs encounter and define activities like guiding questions, probing questions, and imparting information. From the pattern of activities, we code a vignette as one of the 6 levels on the hierarchy of students’ accountability. The frequency of certain levels in multiple vignettes could suggest a SA’s practical knowledge of questioning, which will be compared with SAs’ narrated knowledge measured by a written test of their questioning skills.

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The lessons learned from developing a studio physics course for life sciences

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Next from AAPT SM 20

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Computational Thinking in Introductory Physics: High School and Early College

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