arXiv subjects

Zosia Krusberg

Publications and source records attributed to Zosia Krusberg.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Where's the Line? A Classroom Activity on Ethical and Constructive Use of Generative AI in Physics

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are rapidly reshaping how students and instructors engage with course material -- and how they think about academic integrity. This paper presents a classroom activity designed to help physics students critically examine the ethical and educational implications of using AI in coursework. Through a structured sequence of scenario analysis, boundary-setting, and reflective discussion, with optional individual policy writing, students develop the metacognitive, ethical, and collaborative capacities needed to navigate emerging technologies thoughtfully and responsibly. Grounded in research on social constructivist learning, metacognition, and ethics education, the activity positions students as co-creators of an engaged and reflective learning environment.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

What we talk about when we talk about physics problem solving

I am a second-year cognitive science major, and as a student who has completed my physical science distribution requirements, I will likely never again encounter Gauss's law. So why do I feel that the time and effort I devoted to solving Gauss's law problems was worth it? Partly, I simply enjoy learning and the new perspective on the physical world that comes from understanding electromagnetism. But I was also fascinated by how physics problems train the mind in effective problem-solving strategies -- of course I was, being a cognitive science major! Two themes emerged as I reflected on this realization. First, physics problems serve as toy models for more complex problems outside of physics, cultivating broadly transferable problem-solving skills. Second, the process of solving physics problems invites reflection on our own cognitive and affective processes. These themes are deeply interconnected. A richer metacognitive understanding of our minds enables us to tackle more complex problems, while engaging with increasingly challenging problems, in turn, deepens our self-understanding. In what follows, Professor Zosia Krusberg and I consider nine general lessons offered by the physics problem-solving process.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Reflections of Cultural Wealth: Exploring Identity in Physics through Photo Elicitation

This paper presents a photo elicitation project that invites students to explore their identities in STEM and surface the cultural wealth they bring into the physics classroom. Grounded in critical race theory, educational theory, and affective neuroscience, the project asks students to take original photographs representing aspects of their lived experience-such as motivation, belonging, and support systems-and to write short reflections connecting these images to their journey in science. The activity affirms students' backgrounds and values as meaningful resources for learning physics, while also fostering connection, inclusion, and reflective engagement. Practical guidance for implementation is provided. This adaptable, low-barrier practice offers an accessible entry point for instructors seeking to humanize physics education in powerful and inclusive ways.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2022

Contemplating electromagnetic phenomena in lived experience through somatic meditation

One of the objectives of the undergraduate physics curriculum is for students to become aware of the connections between formal physical principles and personal experience. However, research has shown that awareness of connections between the abstract and the experiential tends to deteriorate, sometimes significantly, following instruction in undergraduate physics courses. Although this phenomenon has been discussed extensively in the literature, few pedagogical interventions have been designed or implemented to address this particular weakness in undergraduate physics instruction. In this work, we show that a contemplative practice consisting of a somatic meditation and a contemplation deepens students' awareness of the connections between formal physical principles and personal experience by deliberately drawing their attention to electromagnetic phenomena in their surroundings. In this process, students also note interdisciplinary connections between electrodynamic principles and chemical and biological systems. We also find that the contemplative practice awakens an intrinsic motivation to understand electromagnetic theory, as well as an appreciation for the somatic, affective, and cognitive benefits of a contemplative practice.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2018

Classical physics and human embodiment: The role of contemplative practice in integrating formal theory and personal experience in the undergraduate physics curriculum

One of the objectives of the undergraduate physics curriculum is for students to become aware of the connections between the fundamental principles of classical physics and their personal experience. Nonetheless, numerous studies have shown that students' awareness of such connections tends to deteriorate, sometimes substantially, following instruction. In this work, which constitutes the first analysis of the effects of contemplative practices on the learning experience in undergraduate physics courses, we present two practices aimed at integrating formal theory with students' personal, embodied experience: a sensory meditation and a contemplative videography. In written reflections on their experiences with the practices, the students expressed suddenly becoming aware of countless manifestations of formal physics principles in their surroundings, in an important step toward establishing firm connections between the abstract and the experiential. Furthermore, the students reported experiencing a sense of physical embodiment, heightened sensory awareness, somatic relaxation, and mental stillness, in significant contrast to their typical experience. Students also described experiencing insight about the essential role of observation in the scientific endeavor, a reawakened sense of curiosity, an intrinsic motivation to understand the observed physical phenomena, and a deepened awareness of their cognitive and emotional processes.

physics.ed-ph↗