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arXiv2013

A proper understanding of the Davisson and Germer experiments for undergraduate modern physics course

The physical interpretation for the Davisson-Germer experiments on nickel (Ni) single crystals [(111), (100), and (110) surfaces] is presented in terms of two-dimensional (2D) Bragg scattering. The Ni surface acts as a reflective diffraction grating when the incident electron beams hits the surface. The 2D Bragg reflection occurs when the Ewald sphere intersects the Bragg rods arising from the two-dimension character of the system. Such a concept is essential to proper understanding of the Davisson-Germer experiment for undergraduate modern physics course.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Student Variability in Learning Advanced Physics

Learning of advanced physics, requires a combination of empirical, conceptual and theoretical understanding. Students use a combination of these approaches to learn new material. Each student has different prior knowledge and will master new material at a different pace. However, conventional classroom teaching usually does not accommodate the different learning paces of students. To both, study and address this issue, we developed an iterative Online Learning Machine (iOLM), which provides new learning content to each student based on their individual learning pace and tracks their progress individually. The iOLM learning module was implemented using server side web software (php) to supplement the undergraduate course in electromagnetic waves for majors in physics in their second year. This approach follows the hybrid online learning model. Students had to complete a section of the course using iOLM, which was only presented online. The data obtained for this class showed a wide spread of learning paces, ranging from 0.1 to 0.5, where 1 is the maximum pace allowed by iOLM and 0 the lowest. The mean was mu=0.25, with a standard deviation of sigma=0.12. While the pretest showed a positive correlation between the student's pace and performance, the postest had zero correlation, indicating that giving more time and content to weaker students allows them to catch up.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2014

Microwave Bragg-scattering zone-axis-pattern analysis

Louis deBroglie's connection between momentum and spatial-frequency vectors is perhaps most viscerally-experienced via the real-time access that electron-diffraction provides to transverse slices of a nano-crystal's reciprocal-lattice. The classic introductory (and/or advanced) physics lab-experiment on microwave Bragg-scattering can with a bit of re-arrangement also give students access to "zone-axis-pattern" slices through the 3D spatial-frequency (i.e. reciprocal) lattice of a ball-bearing crystal, which may likewise contain only a few unit-cells. In this paper we show how data from the standard experimental set-up can be used to generate zone-axis-patterns oriented down the crystal rotation-axis. This may be used to give students direct experience with interpretation of lattice-fringe image power-spectra, and with nano-crystal electron-diffraction patterns, as well as with crystal shape-transforms that we use here to explain previously mis-identified peaks in the microwave data.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Standing Sound Waves in a tube: Approach analysis \& sugestions

In this paper we attempt to present some questions with respect to the approach used in some brazilian mid-level textbooks on the topic of stationary sound waves in tubes. In addition to ranking the textbooks within a set of criteria, we also present some suggestions for further discussions of this topic. We suggest the use of gifs and animations and the use of two experiments that allow you to view the profiles of variation of pressure and air displacement for the harmonic modes of vibration.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Developing Cloud Chambers with High School Students

The result and outcome of the \textit{cloud chamber project}, which aims to develop a cloud chamber useful for science education is reported in detail. A project includes both three high school students and a teacher as a part of Super Science High School (SSH) program in our school. We develop a dry-ice-free cloud chamber using salt and ice (or snow). Technical details of the chamber are described. We also argue how the project have affected student's cognition, motivation, academic skills and behavior. The research project has taken steps of professional researchers, i.e., in planning research, applying fund, writing a paper and giving a talk in conferences. From interviews with students, we have learnt that such style of scientific activity is very effective in promoting student's motivation for learning science.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Enhancing Curiosity Using Interactive Simulations Combined with Real-Time Formative Assessment Facilitated by Open-Format Questions on Tablet Computers

Students' curiosity often seems nearly nonexistent in a lecture setting; we discuss a variety of possible reasons for this, but it is the instructor who typically poses questions while only a few students, usually the better ones, respond. As we have developed and implemented the use of InkSurvey to collect real-time formative assessment, we have discovered that it can serve in an unanticipated role: to promote curiosity in engineering physics undergraduates. Curiosity often motivates creative, innovative people. To encourage such curiosity, we solicit questions submitted real-time via InkSurvey and pen-enabled mobile devices (Tablet PCs) in response to interactive simulations (applets) run either before or in class. This provides students with practice in asking questions, increases metacognition, and serves as a rich springboard from which to introduce content and/or address misconceptions. We describe the procedure for measuring curiosity and results from applying this method in a junior level electromagnetics engineering physics course. We conclude that students are indeed more curious than they appear in class, and students participate even without extrinsic motivation. This method of enhancing curiosity using interactive simulations coupled with real-time formative assessment in response to open-format questions could be implemented in a wide variety of science and engineering courses as well as elsewhere.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Evolution of quasi-history in a Physics Textbook

The primary aim, in teaching physics, is that the student should gain an understanding of the principles of physics and how to apply them to different problems. A secondary aim is to allow the students to appreciate the scientific approach and significance of it in the evolution of science and society. One approach for the second aim has been to include 'historical material' in physics textbooks. The quantity of the historical material included is quite diverse, from textbooks with a very strong historical approach to others without any historical material. The quality of the material included is also diverse. In this article we focus on the development of the historical material, i.e. a certain historical development, in a specific textbook (Sears & Zemansky's University Physics) over a number of editions. The aim is to see when and how the historical material is included and how well it describes the actual history. Will the physics adapt to history or vice-verse. The event of interest is the introduction of the Blackbody radiation formula or Planck's radiation formula. This is well known out of an historical perspective, but also a case where a quasi-historical is quite common in textbooks.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Evaluating Astronomy Literacy of the General Public

A scientifically literate society is important for many different reasons, some of which include democratic and scientific topics. This study was performed in order to identify topics in astronomy and science in general that may not be well understood by the general public. Approximately 1,000 adults at a popular science museum in Philadelphia, PA completed True-False survey questions about basic astronomy concepts. The participants were also asked to provide their age, gender, and highest degree obtained. Although 93 +/- 0.8% of the participants correctly answered that scientists can calculate the age of the Earth, only 58 +/- 2% provided the correct response that scientists can calculate the age of the Universe. Some participants (30 +/- 1%) responded that scientists have found life on Mars. Females scored an average total score of 78 +/- 2%, whereas males scored an average 85 +/- 1%. Participants with an age of 56 and over had an average score of 78 +/- 4% compared to participants under the age of 56 that were found to have an average score of 82 +/- 2%. Lastly, participants' highest degree obtained scaled with number of correct responses, with graduate level degree earners providing the largest amount of correct responses and an average score of 86 +/- 2%.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2013

Technology-Enabled Nurturing of Creativity and Innovation: A Specific Illustration from an Undergraduate Engineering Physics Course

There is general agreement that creativity and innovation are desirable traits in the toolbox of 21\textsuperscript{st} century engineers, as well as in the future workforce in general. However, there is a dearth of exemplars, pedagogical models, or best practices to be implemented in undergraduate engineering education to develop and nurture those talents. In this paper, we use a specific example of a classroom activity from a course designed to help bridge the transition from learning the fundamental principles of engineering physics in introductory courses to being able to creatively and innovatively apply them in more advanced settings, such as senior capstone projects and on-the-job challenges in the future workplace. Application of techniques for generating and evaluating ideas are described. To enhance the benefits of group creativity and facilitate real-time electronic brainstorming in the classroom, we use InkSurvey with pen-enabled mobile computing devices (iPads, tablet PCs, Android devices, etc.). Using this free, web-based software in this setting effectively mitigates many of the social issues that typically plague brainstorming in a group setting. The focus, instead, is on paying attention to the ideas of others while encouraging fluency, originality, and honing positive critical thinking skills. This emphasis is reflected as the group creates a metric to evaluate their potential solutions. A specific case from undergraduate and graduate level engineering physics courses is described to illustrate how the extensive work done in this arena in psychology, marketing, and business environments can be applied to STEM education. The classroom process is outlined and actual student results are presented to illustrate the method for other instructors who might be interested in employing similar activities in a non-threatening, low-stakes learning environment.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Open Source Physics

Open Source Physics (Brown, 2012; Christian, 2010; Esquembre, 2012; Hwang, 2010) empowers teachers and students to create and use these free tools with the associated intellectual property rights given to customise (Wee & Mak, 2009) the computer models/tools to suit their teaching and learning needs. Open Source Physics (OSP) focuses on design of computer models, such as Easy Java Simulations (EJS) and the use of video modeling and analysis (Tracker). They allow students to investigate, explore and analyse data which is either real or simulated. The OSP approach helps users overcome barriers in creating, using and scaling up meaningful ICT use in education. In Singapore, teachers and students have created or customised existing computer models to design and re-purpose EJS models to suit their context and learning needs. Tracker tools allow students to analyse different aspects of a physics phenomena to deepen their understanding of abstract physics concepts. Using Tracker, students record the motion of objects and create their own models to test their ideas in the study of kinematics. Essentially, the two main pedagogical approaches (Figure 1) used in OSP are: Guided Inquiry investigating modeled phenomena(EJS) video analysis (Tracker) Constructionism learning by making new models(EJS) video modeling(Tracker)

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2014

An Educational Kit Based on a Modular Silicon Photomultiplier System

Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPM) are state of the art light detectors with unprecedented single photon sensitivity and photon number resolving capability, representing a breakthrough in several fundamental and applied Science domains. An educational experiment based on a SiPM set-up is proposed in this article, guiding the student towards a comprehensive knowledge of this sensor technology while experiencing the quantum nature of light and exploring the statistical properties of the light pulses emitted by a LED.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2013

Using Inksurvey with Pen-enabled Mobile Devices for Real-time Formative Assessment I: Applications in Diverse Educational Enviroments

InkSurvey is free, web-based software designed to facilitate the collection of real-time formative assessment. Using this tool, the instructor can embed formative assessment in the instruction process by posing an open-format question. Students equipped with pen-enabled mobile devices (tablet PCs, iPads, Android devices including some smartphones) are then actively engaged in their learning as they use digital ink to draw, sketch, or graph their responses. When the instructor receives these responses instantaneously, it provides insights into student thinking and what the students do and do not know. Subsequent instruction can then repair and refine student understanding in a very timely manner. Although this pedagogical tool is appealing because of its broad theoretical foundations, the cost of pen-enabled mobile technology was until recently a significant barrier to widely implementing this teaching model. However, less expensive tablets, iPads, and Android devices are now filling the market (and student backpacks) and greatly lowering that barrier. To illustrate the wide applicability of this use of technology, we report a series of seven vignettes featuring instructors of diverse subjects (mathematics, food chemistry, physics, biology, and chemical engineering), with students using diverse pen-enabled mobile devices (tablet PCs, iPads, and Android 4.0 tablets), in diverse educational environments (K-12, community college, publicly-funded engineering university, private university, graduate school), in two countries (United States and Mexico). In a companion paper, each instructor also shares some data, insights, and/or conclusions from their experiences regarding the effectiveness of this tool.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Using Inksurvey with Pen-enabled Movile Devices for Real-time Formative Assessment II: Indications of Effectiveness in Diverse Educational Environments

InkSurvey is free, web-based software designed to facilitate the collection of real-time formative assessment. Using this tool, the instructor can embed formative assessment in the instruction process by posing an open-format question. Students equipped with pen-enabled mobile devices are then actively engaged in their learning as they use digital ink to draw, sketch, or graph their responses. When the instructor receives these responses instantaneously, it provides insights into student thinking and what the students do and do not know. Subsequent instruction can then repair and refine student understanding in a very timely manner. In a companion paper, we illustrate the wide applicability of this use of technology by reporting a series of seven vignettes featuring instructors of diverse subjects (physics, mathematics, chemical engineering, food science, and biology), with students using diverse pen-enabled mobile devices (tablet PCs, iPads, and Android 4.0 tablets/smartphones), in diverse educational environments (K-12, community college, publicly-funded engineering university, private university, and graduate school), in two countries (United States and Mexico). In this paper, each instructor shares some data, insights, and/or conclusions from their experiences that indicate the effectiveness of this pedagogical model in diverse educational environments.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Constructing a Multiple-Choice Assessment For Upper-Division Quantum Physics From An Open-Ended Tool

As part of an ongoing investigation of student learning in upper-division quantum mechanics, we needed a high-quality conceptual assessment instrument for comparing outcomes of different curricular approaches. The 14 item open-ended Quantum Mechanics Assessment Tool (QMAT) was previously developed for this purpose. However, open-ended tests require complex scoring rubrics, are difficult to score consistently, and demand substantial investment of faculty time to grade. Here, we present the process of converting open-ended questions to multiple-choice (MC) format. We highlight the construction of effective distractors and the use of student interviews to revise and validate questions and distractors. We examine other elements of the process, including results of a preliminary implementation of the MC assessment given at Cal Poly Pomona and CU Boulder.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Time Development of Early Social Networks: Link analysis and group dynamics

Empirical data on early network history are rare. Students beginning their studies at a university with no or few prior connections to each other offer a unique opportunity to investigate the formation and early development of social networks. During a nine week introductory physics course, first year physics students were asked to identify those with whom they communicated about problem solving in physics during the preceding week. We use these students' self reports to produce time dependent student interaction networks. These networks have also been investigated to elucidate possible effects of gender and students' final course grade. Changes in the weekly number of links are investigated to show that while roughly half of all links change from week to week, students also reestablish a growing number of links as they progress through their first weeks of study. To investigate how students group, Infomap is used to establish groups. Further, student group flow is examined using alluvial diagrams, showing that many students jump between group each week., Finally, a segregation measure is developed which shows that students structure themselves according to gender and laboratory exercise groups and not according to end-of-course grade. The results show the behavior of an early social-educational network, and may have implications for theoretical network models as well as for physics education.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2013

Employing real experiments and modern viewpoints in the teaching of modern physics

This is a report of a course on modern physics designed and taught to undergraduate science and engineering students in the Spring of 2013. The course, meant for freshmen, attempts to integrate statistical mechanics into non-classical physics and introduces some novel teaching ideas such as the field approach in contrast to typical wave and particle viewpoints traditionally covered in usual textbooks. The various modern applications of quantum theory in realizing practical devices are recounted in a way that is amenable to beginners. Especially, we describe the inclusion of visually appealing and carefully designed robust experiments inside the formal classroom environment. This collection of applications and demonstrations serves as a useful collection of teaching aids and can be easily transformed into active learning exercises. The impact of this teaching strategy on student learning and its role in exciting an interest in physics is assessed.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Frictionless Racquetball?

When a ball hits a surface, does the angle of reflection always equal the angle of incidence? Not at all! Depending on the interplay of the ball's spin and speed and the force of friction, the ball's behavior after the bounce may differ dramatically. Surely some experienced racquetball, ping-pong, pool, tennis and players alike take advantage of this fact. A physics teacher, in turn, can take advantage of the fact that by observing the bounce of a ball her students can determine the coefficient of friction between the ball and the floor. All it takes is a typical video (smartphone) camera and some standard software However, this seemingly straightforward method may lead to surprises. If one wants to double check the value of the coefficient of friction by observing the second, third etc. bounces, one may find the the force of friction "does not turn on". We investigate why this happens, state a hypothesis and run some testing experiments. Teachers who would like to include an illustration of the scientific cycle at work in their classes may find this paper useful.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Intentional Design for Empowerment

I argue for empowering education, adapting Marx's idea of ownership of the means of production, and discuss interactive simulations as one example of a tool in which intentional design can support student ownership of learning. I propose a model that leverages affordances of educational tools to do positive work toward empowering education.

physics.ed-ph↗