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(PS.F-WE-02) Effective Practices in Educational Technology III
8/4/2021 | 12:30 PM to 1:45 PM
Moderator: / Co-Organizer:
Session Code: PS.F-WE-02 | Submitting Committee: / Co-Sponsoring Committee:
PS.F-WE-2.01 | Contributed | Interactive Google doc worksheets for introductory physics
Presenting Author: Andrew Duffy, Boston University
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With the switch to teaching remotely in the pandemic era, we pivoted from a printed workbook to interactive Google doc worksheets that students work on in groups during class time. We plan to continue using these worksheets even when we return to in-person classes. Google docs offer several advantages over printed worksheets, including the ability to make edits on a just-in-time basis. They also give students various options for using them, such as the ability for an entire group to share the same document, or the ability to download them in PDF form so that students can annotate them on a tablet. It is also easy to embed editable diagrams and animated gifs. We will share examples of the worksheets during the talk, and provide a link to our entire worksheet collection, covering most of the standard algebra-based introductory physics sequence.
PS.F-WE-2.02 | Contributed | Group project in an online world? Yes, it works!
Presenting Author: Kathryn McGill, University of Florida
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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.
PS.F-WE-2.03 | Contributed | 16-Spinor non-linear field realization in Faddeev-Skyrme model
Presenting Author: Ahmed AL-Baidhani, Institute of Physical Research and Technologies
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We investigate the structure of charged topological solitons in the nonlinear 16-spinor model's lepton field, using the closed-string approximation at small distances. The magnetic moment, spin, and mass of the unit leptonic number soliton configuration are calculated. The model is based on the well-known 8-spinor identity proposed by Brioschi, an Italian geometer. The Dirac current tends to be a time-like 4-vector due to its identity, allowing one to add a special form of the Higgs potential based on the current squared. The Higgs mechanism to realize the normal classification of baryons and leptons in this model. The effect of spontaneous symmetry breaking arising due to the unique structure of the Higgs potential in the model, this remarkable identity allows one to realize lepton states. Small excitation of the vacuum at large distances from the particle – soliton satisfies Klein – Gordon equation with some mass, allowing correspondence with quantum mechanics.
PS.F-WE-2.04 | Contributed | Is it time to abandon the calculator?
Presenting Author: James Gerald, Delta State University
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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.
PS.F-WE-2.05 | Contributed | Engaging Students with Escape Room Activities
Presenting Author: Ting-Hui Lee, Western Kentucky University
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Escape room activities have become popular recently for engaging students in a classroom. The students are given clues to solve a series of puzzles that are related to the course concepts. In the process of solving the puzzles, students also use their critical thinking and teamwork skills. While using real locks and boxes could give a more authentic experience, the cost of those make it not always feasible in a large class. I used Google Forms to provide digital locks to make these activities more accessible. When the classes were moved online due to the pandemic, I modified the entire activity so that it can be run inside the Blackboard online Learning Management System. I will discuss my experience using these platforms and the students’ experiences with these escape room activities.
PS.F-WE-2.06 | Contributed | Remote vs. In-Person Learning: Perceptions vs. Outcomes in Introductory Physics
Presenting Author: Michael Ecklund, United States Military Academy at West Point
Additional Author | Annie M Arauz, United States Military Academy at West Point
Additional Author | Andrew W. Boyle, United States Military Academy at West Point
Additional Author | Carolann Koleci, United States Military Academy at West Point
Additional Author | Peter H. Chapman, United States Military Academy at West Point
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.
The following people are also part of the research team and co-investigators: J. Herrera, E. Bell, S. Hoak, V. Coghlan, D. Phillips
PS.F-WE-2.07 | Contributed | Improving student understanding of Thermal Equilibrium with an interactive tutorial
Presenting Author: Alexandru Maries, University of Cincinnati
Additional Author | Kathleen Koenig, University of Cincinnati
Additional Author | Robert Teese, Rochester Institute of Technology
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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.
Work supported by the NSF IUSE Program (DUE #1821396)
PS.F-WE-2.08 | Contributed | Lights, camera, action! From IOP physics coach to Youtuber
Presenting Author: Rachel Hartley, Institute of Physics
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In March 2020, the Institute of Physics moved its teacher CPD online, after over a decade of visiting schools in the UK and Ireland. We had to move quickly to offer remote support and respond to the new pressures that teachers were facing. The IOP coaching team worked in much closer collaboration and learned a lot from each other, we are very lucky to have a team of over 60 active teachers. 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. Our live support sessions have been adapted to a blended approach with pre-recorded videos. Which ideas have made it back into the physics classroom and what works better on camera than in real life? The session includes the greatest hits of the 11-19 Domains CPD videos which you can find on IOPSpark.
(PS.F-WE-02) Effective Practices in Educational Technology III
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