In the fall of 2013, we taught the calculus-based introductory physics course at the University of Colorado at Boulder and, at the same time we taught a MOOC version of the same course, through Coursera. Students in both courses received identical lectures, homework assignments, and timed exams. We present data on participation rates and exam performance for the two groups. We find that the MOOC is like a drug targeted at a very specific population. When it works, it works well, but it works for very few. This MOOC worked well for older, well-educated students, who already have a good understanding of Newtonian mechanics.

M. Dubson, E. Johnsen, D. Lieberman, J. R. Olsen, and N. D. Finkelstein, Apples vs. Oranges: Comparison of Student Performance in a MOOC vs. a Brick-and-Mortar Course, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.plenary.001.

Research in postsecondary education has focused on the pedagogical effectiveness of technology in the classroom. Most relevant literature focuses on students’ cognitive development, professional development of faculty members, and the translation of courses and curricula into digital platforms. The AAU Initiative for the Reform of Undergraduate Education shows that many of the factors affecting the successful use of technology in STEM education lie beyond individual faculty members and students. Reward structures that influence faculty time allocation are set at the institutional level. Administrators select educational software to control costs rather than to maximize learning. This presentation draws on recent experience with the AAU Initiative to describe the variety of factors potentially affecting faculty and student use of technology in teaching and learning.

J. S. Fairweather, Technology And Instructional Reform In STEM Education: Beyond the Classroom, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.plenary.002.

In the Fall of 2013, Georgia Tech offered a "flipped" calculus-based introductory mechanics class as an alternative to the traditional large-enrollment lecture class. This class flipped instruction by introducing new material outside of the classroom through pre-recorded, lecture videos. Video lectures constituted students' initial introduction to course material. We analyze how students engaged with online lecture videos via "clickstream" data, consisting of time-stamped interactions (plays, pauses, seeks, etc.) with the online video player. Analysis of these events has shown that students may be focusing on elements of the video that facilitate a “correct” solution.

J. M. Aiken, S. Lin, S. S. Douglas, E. F. Greco, B. D. Thoms, M. D. Caballero, and M. F. Schatz, Student Use of a Single Lecture Video in a Flipped Introductory Mechanics Course, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.001.

Introductory university physics frequently requires students to construct integrals. To explore students' abilities with this skill, we administered a simple physics problem requiring the construction of an integral to students enrolled in calculus-based introductory physics. Half of these students received written questions intended to scaffold construction of the integral, and the other half were not provided with scaffolding. Results indicate a strong interaction between scaffolding and student course grade. Specifically, students whose final class grade was above the median benefited significantly from the scaffolding, but students with grades below the median were not helped by the scaffolding. We also searched for other knowledge and skill factors that may inform instruction to improve integral construction skills, including spatial reasoning and conceptual understanding of the integral. Moderate, independent correlations with integral score were found for each, suggesting that instruction in these areas may positively influence performance.

N. R. Amos and A. F. Heckler, Spatial Reasoning Ability and the Construction of Integrals in Physics, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.002.

We report on the design and pilot evaluation of a simple natural language computer tutor that targets student difficulties with the concepts of force and motion. The tutor prompts students to respond in free-response natural language to questions that address the relationships between the directions of net force, velocity, and acceleration. To examine the effectiveness of the natural language format, we compared student performance on a previously validated force and motion assessment after tutoring via natural language and multiple choice formats. Natural language training with feedback, multiple choice training with feedback, and natural language training without feedback formats resulted in effect sizes of d = 0.60 (p = 0.07), d = 0.46 (p = 0.13), and d = 0.09 (p = 0.97) respectively versus a no-training control. In addition, a median split on course grades showed no significant aptitude-treatment interaction across training conditions. However, accounting for time spent on training, the multiple choice training was significantly more efficient. For the natural language format, an analysis of performance (62% identification of an initial student response), false positives, and typical student answer patterns suggest room for improvement and subsequent study.

R. Badeau and A. F. Heckler, Design and Evaluation of a Natural Language Tutor for Force and Motion, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.003.

Expanding our knowledge of student difficulties in advanced undergraduate electromagnetism is essential if we are to develop effective instructional interventions. Drawing on an analysis of course materials, in-class observations and responses to conceptual questions, we document specific resources employed by students when reasoning about the divergence of a vector field. One common student error, which persisted in our course despite explicit instruction, is to misinterpret any "spreading out" of field lines in a diagram as representing a place of non-zero divergence. Some of these student difficulties can likely be attributed to having first learned about the divergence in a mathematical context, where there was little emphasis on graphical representations of vector fields and connections to physical situations.

C. Baily and C. Astolfi, Student Reasoning about the Divergence of a Vector Field, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.004.

The issue of women’s representation and success in physics has been an important area of investigation in the physics education research community. Much of the research attempting to explore this area has focused on educational gender differences in the classroom, references to chilly climates, and work-life balance. Almost no research has specifically talked about issues of gender discrimination. This article begins such an area of research by focusing on the gender discrimination experienced by women in graduate physics and astronomy programs through the lens of microaggressions; which are subtle daily acts of discrimination. Findings indicate that women are often unconsciously ignored by male colleagues, suffer from conscious discriminatory comments, and find themselves ignored when seeking resolution to these issues. Their experiences can be understood and organized in the three main microaggression constructs: microinsults, microaggressions, and microinvalidations. This organization helps to develop a language to discuss these issues in physics and facilitate future research in the field.

R. S. Barthelemy, M. McCormick, and C. R. Henderson, Understanding Women's Gendered Experiences in Physics and Astronomy Through Microaggressions, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.005.

We investigated student reactions to two computational physics courses incorporating several videogame-like aspects. These included use of gaming terminology such as "levels," "weapons," and "bosses"; a game-style point system linked to course grades; a self-paced schedule with no deadlines; a mastery design in which only entirely correct attempts earn credit, but students can retry until they succeed; immediate feedback via self-test code; an assignment progression from "minions" (small, focused tasks) to "level bosses" (integrative tasks); and believable, authentic assignment scenarios. Through semi-structured interviews and course evaluations, we found that a majority of students considered the courses effective and the game-like aspects beneficial. In particular, many claimed that the point system increased their motivation; the self-paced nature caused them to reflect on their self-discipline; the possibility and necessity of repeating assignments until perfect aided learning; and the authentic tasks helped them envision using course skills in their professional futures.

I. D. Beatty and L. A. Harris, Pwning Level Bosses in MATLAB: Student Reactions to a Game-Inspired Computational Physics Course, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.006.

Small Group Instructional Diagnoses (SGIDs) are informal, mid-semester evaluations of courses, which the instructors request voluntarily. The facilitator of the SGID comes into a class, the instructor leaves, and the facilitator spends about 30 minutes with the students. The first part of the SGID is done in small groups of students. The facilitator asks students to consider two questions, "What are the strengths of this course?" and "What suggestions do you have to improve the course?" After students work in groups for 10 minutes to compose lists of strengths and suggestions, the facilitator calls the class back together as a whole, records the most important strengths and suggestions, and has the class vote on them. These results are then shared privately with the instructor of the course. We collected and analyzed student comments from 45 courses taught by 27 STEM instructors. We found that students value clear lecture and hands-on learning, fair and frequent feedback, flexible and caring instructors, organized classes and resources, and clear alignment between instruction and evaluation. Looking in more detail, we found that students perceived small classes to be more organized than large ones. Students in introductory classes provided the least amount of feedback. Students in introductory classes placed the most value on instructor characteristics such as support and caring about their success, while graduate students placed the least value on instructor characteristics. Finally, female STEM instructors received a disproportionately high number of comments.

J. Blue, G. W. Wentzell, and M. J. Evins, What Do Students Want? Small Group Instructional Diagnoses of STEM Faculty, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.007.

We conducted research on student difficulties and developed and evaluated a quantum interactive learning tutorial (QuILT) on Larmor precession of spin to help students learn about time-dependence of expectation values in quantum mechanics. The QuILT builds on students’ prior knowledge and strives to help them develop a good knowledge structure of relevant concepts. It adapts visualization tools to help students develop intuition about these topics and focuses on helping them integrate qualitative and quantitative understanding. Here, we summarize the development and preliminary evaluation.

B. R. Brown and C. Singh, Development and Evaluation of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial on Larmor Precession Of Spin, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.008.

We analyze data from over 5500 students, spanning multiple semesters and instructors within a single institution, to explore how Gains and Losses in Force Concept Inventory scores vary between instructional approaches, including traditional lecture/laboratory courses, lecture-supported “mini-studio” and studio courses. We observe that the trend for Gain to increase and Loss to decrease with increasing pre-test score, initially observed across institutions, extends to individual student effects within an institution. The correlations between pre-test score and Gain/Loss were least pronounced for more minimally guided instructional strategies, such as studio. Additionally, we find similar or improved Gains and Losses for studio-type courses compared to traditional courses. These trends argue against the claim that novices require strongly guided instruction.

J. J. Chini and J. W. T. Pond, Comparing Traditional and Studio Courses through FCI Gains and Losses, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.009.

The physics department at Texas State University has completed five semesters with a Learning Assistant (LA) program and reform-based instructional changes in our introductory course sequences. We are interested in how participation in the LA program influences LAs’ identity both as physics students and as physics teachers; we have previously reported trends in increased community involvement and a shift in experienced LAs’ concepts of what it means to be competent. Our interview data now include first-semester LAs, and we see a significant difference in physics identity development between these LAs and those with more experience. LAs near the end of their first semester seem to be experiencing a state of unease with respect to teaching and learning. We explain this discomfort in terms of Piagetian disequilibrium: their conceptions of competence in teaching and learning have been challenged, and they have not yet constructed a new model.

J. Conn, E. W. Close, and H. G. Close, Learning Assistant Identity Development: Is One Semester Enough?, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.010.

We describe the development of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) on quantum key distribution, a context which involves a practical application of quantum mechanics. The QuILT helps upper-level undergraduate students learn quantum mechanics using a simple two state system and was developed based upon the findings of cognitive research and physics education research. One protocol used in the QuILT involves generating a random shared key over a public channel for encrypting and decrypting information using single photons with non-orthogonal polarization states, and another protocol makes use of two entangled spin-½ particles. The QuILT uses a guided approach and focuses on helping students build links between the formalism and conceptual aspects of quantum physics without compromising the technical content. We also discuss findings from a preliminary in-class evaluation.

S. DeVore and C. Singh, Development of an Interactive Tutorial on Quantum Key Distribution, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.011.

Prior physics education studies have established a positive relationship between students’ learning gains and their epistemological views measured at single time points (i.e., either before or after instruction). These studies, albeit informative, miss the dynamic nature of students’ views about physics. In this study, we seek to investigate students’ epistemological shifts in relation to their learning gains. Students’ epistemological shifts were measured by the difference in their performances on the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) before and after a traditionally taught introductory mechanics course (δ_CLASS). Student learning gains were measured by their normalized gains on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Results revealed a large variation in students’ epistemological change after instruction despite a near-zero shift on average. Also, while no significant overall relation was detected between δ_CLASS and FCI normalized gains, the FCI results seemed to be sensitive to epistemological changes among the lower-end students who remained below average on both the pre and post CLASS. In this case, those who experienced a positive epistemological shift achieved higher conceptual gains than those otherwise.

L. Ding, Sensitivity of Learning Gains on the Force Concept Inventory to Students’ Individual Epistemological Changes, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.012.

Collaborative learning environments in undergraduate introductory physics courses, such as those promoted by University Modeling Instruction (UMI), influence both student performance and behavioral constructs. Of these constructs, self-efficacy has the power to predict student performance and persistence in the major. Our study examines a plausible mechanism by which self-efficacy may be influenced in these collaborative courses, particularly as it relates to two sources of self-efficacy: vicarious learning and verbal persuasion. We found that social network analysis-based centrality measures are positively correlated with self-efficacy scores on the Sources of Self-Efficacy in Science Courses—Physics (SOSESC-P) for students in either traditional lecture or UMI introductory physics courses. Moreover, centrality scores—calculated as either degree centrality or undirected PageRank centrality—correlate positively with scores on the vicarious learning and verbal persuasion subsection of the SOSESC-P. This suggests that collaborative, inquiry-based learning environments may promote higher student self-efficacy.

R. Dou and E. Brewe, Network centrality and student self-efficacy in an interactive introductory physics environment, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.013.

End-of-course assessments play important roles in the ongoing attempt to improve instruction in physics courses. Comparison of students’ performance on assessments before and after instruction gives a measure of student learning. In addition, analysis of students’ answers to assessment items provides insight into students’ difficulties with specific concepts and practices. While open-ended assessments scored with detailed rubrics provide useful information about student reasoning to researchers, end users need to score students’ responses so that they may obtain meaningful feedback on their instruction. One solution that satisfies end users and researchers is a grading rubric that separates scoring student work and uncovering student difficulties. We have constructed a separable rubric for the Colorado Classical Mechanics/Math Methods Instrument that has been used by untrained graders to score the assessment reliably, and by researchers to unpack common student difficulties. Here we present rubric development, measures of inter-rater reliability, and some uncovered student difficulties.

L. Doughty and M. D. Caballero, Rubric Design For Separating The Roles Of Open-Ended Assessments, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.014.

The Georgia Tech blended introductory calculus-based mechanics course emphasizes scientific communication as one of its learning goals, and to that end, we gave our students a series of four peer-evaluation assignments intended to develop their abilities to present and evaluate scientific arguments. Within these assignments, we also assessed students’ evaluation abilities by comparing their evaluations to a set of expert evaluations. We summarize our development efforts and describe the changes we observed in student evaluation behavior.

S. S. Douglas, S. Lin, J. M. Aiken, B. D. Thoms, E. F. Greco, M. D. Caballero, and M. F. Schatz, Peer Evaluation of Video Lab Reports in a Blended Introductory Physics Course, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.015.

Previous research has shown that problem/project-based learning (PBL) environments can effect positive changes in student attitudes and beliefs about learning. Although there has been interest in problem/project-based learning in the PER community as an active engagement strategy, most work done to date has focused on introductory courses with little attention paid to the transformation of student attitudes and epistemologies. Guided by this past work on PBL, this paper describes preliminary research in an upper-division quantum mechanics, a junior/senior level course at Creighton University, which was taught using PBL pedagogy with no in-class lectures. Growth and changes in student epistemologies as a result of the non-traditional pedagogy are presented. In particular, students emerged from a project-based course more confident in their abilities to dig into the textbook and seek out and find literature. Students reported that PBL pedagogy better prepared them to be in charge of their own learning. Finally, students felt more confident to confront realistic, research-like problems and to succeed in future graduate work.

G. Duda and K. Ward, Student Epistemologies in Project-based Learning Courses, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.016.

Much time, money and effort has been spent developing innovative teaching methods that have been shown to improve student learning in college classes. Although these have had some influence on mainstream teaching, many have failed to bring about widespread transformation. This exploratory case study examines the intra-institutional diffusion of the SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-Down Pedagogies) reform [1]. We interviewed key contact people at two, large, public institutions where SCALE-UP has spread in multiple departments. Our preliminary findings indicate that broad adoption is facilitated by faculty-administrative partnership, interdisciplinary reform efforts and redesigned classrooms that raise visibility.

K. T. Foote, X. Neumeyer, C. R. Henderson, M. H. Dancy, and R. J. Beichner, SCALE-UP Implementation and Intra-Institutional Dissemination: A Case Study of Two Institutions, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.017.

The nature of teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has often been described as a personal construct that develops over years of practice. However, research has shown that some aspects of PCK can be developed during the preparation of pre-service teachers. A common thread among these aspects of PCK is the importance of kids’ prior knowledge. At Kansas State University, a physics class was reformed to infuse PCK into the learning experience of future elementary teachers. As part of the class, students were required to develop a lesson plan that incorporated their understanding of kids’ ideas about physics and how to address those ideas. To assess students’ PCK, we searched for instances where kids’ prior knowledge were present and how students incorporated these ideas into their lesson plan. We present the results of our study and implications for instruction.

C. Fracchiolla and N. S. Rebello, Assessing Future Elementary Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in a Physics Class, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.018.

This research investigates relationships between students’ understanding of force and motion as measured by the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and their out-of-school engagement as measured by the Transformative Experience (TE) Survey. Surveys were administered in an introductory algebra-based physics course (N = 68 completely matched). Positive correlations are observed between students’ overall TE scores and FCI pre and post scores (r = 0.4, p < 0.005). Correlations between TE scores and FCI gains and normalized gains, however, are not statistically discernable from zero. These preliminary results suggest that students with a better understanding of force and motion concepts may more readily engage with content outside of the class, but such out-of-school engagement may not be contributing to further learning gains. We conclude with a discussion of how responses to individual statements on the TE survey vary between students in the top and bottom quartiles based on FCI performance.

B. W. Frank and P. Mittura, Transformative Experiences and Conceptual Understanding of Force and Motion, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.019.

This study investigates the pedagogical factors that impact students’ satisfaction with studio-style physics courses. Students enrolled in various sections of a SCALE-UP style course at EKU (N=184) responded to a reformed version of the Pedagogical Expectancy Violation Assessment (PEVA) and a course satisfaction questionnaire. Within the PEVA, students identified their satisfaction with particular activities based on how often they expected them to occur or how often they had experienced them. Based on experiences, the items in the PEVA clustered into five factors, one of which concerned the instructor support that the students received. We found that expected course grade and instructor were both correlated with course satisfaction, but even when those predictors were controlled, students’ satisfaction with instructor support was a significant predictor for course satisfaction but not for their expected course grade. Further, the more support students reported receiving, the higher their satisfaction. We discuss implications of these findings, especially in terms of how to respond to students desire for instructors to spend more time demonstrating how to solve problems on the board.

J. D. H. Gaffney and A. L. H. Gaffney, Student Satisfaction and Perceptions of Instructor Support in Studio Physics, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.020.

Many studies have shown the benefits of student-centered, interactive curricula when compared to traditional lecture approaches. However, wholesale adoption of research-based pedagogies may not accommodate differences in instructional resources across institutions. We aim to understand how interactions between several research-validated may affect learning. We have implemented a first-semester, calculus-based physics course that combines elements from several such curricula. Students' conceptual understandings were measured using the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and showed significant gains for the modified course as compared to the traditional lecture course. We see that adopting elements of several different curricula may retain a positive impact on student learning.

K. C. Goering and E. Gire, Efficacy of “A-La-Carte” Research-Based Curricular Elements, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.021.

This study explores the proposed affordances and limitations of the substance metaphor for energy in the context of a computer simulation that illustrates processes of energy transfer and transformation. We examine data from eight interviews conducted with introductory physics students as they used the simulation. We empirically explore the hypotheses that (i) student and (ii) instructional use of the substance metaphor promote specific affordances, such as energy conservation, transfer, and localization, and specific limitations, such as locating potential energy in a single object and appropriating material qualities to energy. We find that the frequency of both affordances and limitations increases when the simulation embeds an explicit substance metaphor and that the affordances and limitations more often co-occur with students’ substance metaphor use. However, in all cases, the number of instances of affordances is greater than that of limitations, which suggests that the substance metaphor is beneficial to instruction and student discourse.

L. M. Goodhew and A. D. Robertson, Investigating the Proposed Affordances and Limitations of the Substance Metaphor for Energy, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.022.

Researchers on the topic of Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) use in education stress that while important, teachers’ mastering of the technological and interactive aspects of the IWB is not enough for its productive use. In order to get the most out of the relatively expensive investment in IWBs, much of the attention has to be given to the student active engagement during the lessons. In a qualitative study, we investigated how students interacted with an IWB during a lesson that was designed based on the principles of guided-inquiry and kinesthetic engagement of learners. Our study used activity theory as a descriptive framework for analysis. The topic of the lessons was Kepler's laws. We have found that students are well adapted to a shift from classical board-like use of the IWB that is predominant in a high school setting to touchscreen-like use, where kinesthetic engagement and creative graphical input play a central role. Students engaged in collaborative sense-making, discovering patterns, setting and testing hypotheses with little intervention by the researcher who was present in class during small group activities. However, we found that appropriate scaffolding by the researcher was very important as it allowed the students to avoid pitfalls of technology use. Such scaffolding requires that the person guiding student work with the IWBs possesses technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge.

B. Gregorcic, E. Etkina, and G. Planinšic, Designing and Investigating New Ways of Interactive Whiteboard Use in Physics Instruction, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.023.

Teaching assistants (TAs) are often responsible for grading student solutions. Since grading communicates instructors’ expectations, TAs’ grading decisions play a crucial role in forming students’ approaches to problem solving (PS) in physics. We investigated the change in grading practices and considerations of 18 first-year graduate students participating in a TA professional development (PD) course. The TAs were asked to state their beliefs about the purpose of grading, to grade a set of specially designed student solutions, and to explain their grading decisions. We found that after one semester of teaching experience and participation in PD, TAs did not significantly change their goals for grading (i.e., a learning opportunity for both the student and the instructor) or their grading practice. In addition, TAs’ grading practice frequently did not align with their goals. However, some TAs’ perceptions of the level of explication required in a student solution did change. Our findings suggest that in order for PD to help TAs better coordinate their goals with appropriate grading practices, PD should focus on TAs’ perception of sufficient reasoning in student solutions.

C. R. Henderson, E. Marshman, A. Maries, E. Yerushalmi, and C. Singh, Instructional Goals and Grading Practices of Graduate Students after One Semester of Teaching Experience, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.024.

Communicating to non-expert audiences about advanced physics topics and current research is an essential practice for physicists. Typical language used by physicists speaking to other physicists, however, draws on a wealth of prior knowledge and community norms; using such scientific language with public audiences can be a barrier to effective communication. Drawing from observations and literature, we present a framework for the assessment of scientific language of physics students communicating scientific meaning to non-expert audiences. We apply this framework to the analysis of videos of university physics students instructed to describe their research to children. We classify the types of scientific language used by students and identify strategies they employ to mitigate the impact of jargon on the audience.

K. A. Hinko, J. Seneca, and N. D. Finkelstein, Use of Scientific Language by University Physics Students Communicating to the Public, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.025.

Many course interventions in physics explicitly aim to improve student learning and implicitly aim to improve student attitudes toward physics. In this paper we describe an introductory physics lab course aimed to give students more authentic experiences conducting physics experiments. To evaluate student attitudes toward experimental physics, we analyzed and compared student responses to the Colorado Learning and Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS) in the intervention course and in a more traditional one-semester physics lab course. While there were significant negative shifts in attitudes in the traditional course, we found no negative shift in the transformed course. We attribute this difference to deliberately supporting learning goals that focus on understanding the process of science through reflection, iteration, and improvement. We discuss possible reasons for the lack of evidence of significant increases.

N. G. Holmes, J. Ives, and D. A. Bonn, The Impact of Targeting Scientific Reasoning on Student Attitudes about Experimental Physics, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.026.

A two-stage collaborative exam is one in which students first complete the exam individually, and then complete the same or similar exam in collaborative groups immediately afterward. To quantify the learning effect from the group component of these two-stage exams in an introductory Physics course, a randomized crossover design was used where each student participated in both the treatment and control groups. For each of the two two-stage collaborative group midterm exams, questions were designed to form matched near-transfer pairs with questions on an end-of-term diagnostic which was used as a learning test. For diagnostic test questions paired with questions from the first midterm, which took place six to seven weeks before the diagnostic test, an analysis using a mixed-effects logistic regression found no significant differences in diagnostic-test performance between the control and treatment group. For diagnostic test questions paired with questions from the second midterm, which took place one to two weeks prior to the diagnostic test, the treatment group performed significantly higher on the diagnostic-test than control.

J. Ives, Measuring the Learning from Two-Stage Collaborative Group Exams, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.027.

This preliminary study explored the relationship among several school-level accountability measures and student physics and chemistry performance in New York City public schools. The NYC Department of Education prepared a three-year Quality Review and annual Progress Report for each high school in the district, assigning grades to assess overall school quality. Both scores were based upon a number of factors about the school including student progress in all subject areas, college and career readiness, attendance, and graduation rates. These scores presented consequential validity in the form of reputation and school desirability for students and their families. Concurrently, the New York State Education Department published annual student performance data on high-stakes Regents examinations in several content areas, including the physical sciences (physics, chemistry). Statistical relationships among these variables were explored to determine whether Quality Review and Progress Report scores and sub-scores were correlated to student performance in the physical sciences. Data showed that physics performance was not related to overall school quality but positively correlated to college and career readiness; chemistry was related to all of these measures. From a policy perspective, such school assessment measures have implications for the value placed upon physics education in urban secondary schools.

A. M. Kelly, T. Charles, M. Ha, and K. Sheppard, A Case Study of a School District Assessment System and its Correlation with Student Performance in Physical Sciences, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.028.

Millions of dollars and uncounted hours have gone into the development of research-based instructional strategies for the improvement of undergraduate physics. However, many of these instructional strategies have extremely limited impact beyond the developer(s). Peer Instruction is the best-propagated research-based instructional strategy in undergraduate physics. We use case study methodology to construct the story behind how Peer Instruction became widely known and widely used. This case study uses interviews with the original developers and document evidence such as publications and presentations to build a rich description of the early events and propagation strategies used (knowingly or not) that have led to the spread of Peer Instruction. Peer Instruction’s primary dissemination vehicle was story, through talks and the user’s guide (which closely aligns with the talks). Further, many of the talks (perhaps as many as 600 in total) were given as departmental colloquia, thus leading to buy-in from departments as a whole unit. Finally, the Peer Instruction User’s Manual gave potential adopters the tools they needed to implement it quickly and easily, and the team continually supports potential adopters on an individual, involved basis. These findings have implications for physics education researchers who want to increase the impact of their work.

R. Khatri, C. R. Henderson, R. Cole, and J. Froyd, Learning About Educational Change Strategies: A Study of the Successful Propagation of Peer Instruction, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.029.

Studio and SCALE-UP (developed at RPI and NCSU respectively) have a long history in PER and at the Colorado School of Mines. CSM has been using Studio methods continuously since 1997, when the physics department implemented pilot sections of introductory calculus-based mechanics. Since then, Studio at CSM has expanded slowly at first, with a recent burst of activity. As of 2014, all of Physics I & II and Biology I are taught via Studio, along with pilot sections of Probability & Statistics. There are discussions in place to spread Studio to several other courses in the near term, including upper-division physics. In this paper, we focus primarily on the actual spread of Studio at CSM, highlighting challenges and solutions, and reporting on the personal experiences of many of the instructors involved. We will also highlight a developing synergy between the flipped classroom pedagogy and the Studio environment, with some initial data. This synergy holds the potential to accelerate the institutionalization of Studio at CSM.

P. B. Kohl, E. S. Toberer, J. N. Schoonmaker, and H. V. Kuo, Studio at CSM: Physics, Biology, and Beyond, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.030.

Visualizations in interactive computer simulations are a powerful tool to help students develop productive mental models, particularly in the case of quantum phenomena that have no classical analogue. The QuVis Quantum Mechanics Visualization Project develops research-based interactive simulations for the learning and teaching of quantum mechanics. We describe efforts to refine the visual representation of a single-photon superposition state in the QuVis simulations. We developed various depictions of a photon incident on a beam splitter, and investigated their influence on student thinking through individual interviews. Outcomes from this study led to the incorporation of a revised visualization in all QuVis single-photon simulations. In-class trials in 2013 and 2014 using the Interferometer Experiments simulation in an introductory quantum physics course were used for a comparative study of the initial and revised visualizations. The class that used the revised visualization showed a lower frequency of incorrect ideas about quantum superposition, such as the photon splitting into two half-energy components.

A. Kohnle, C. Baily, and S. Ruby, Investigating the Influence of Visualization on Student Understanding of Quantum Superposition, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.031.

The performance of introductory students on similar tasks used to assess their understanding of a particular physics topic can vary widely; conceptual and reasoning competence demonstrated on one task is often not exhibited on another, closely related task. Indeed, performance is often poor on tasks that strongly elicit students' intuitive ideas. Previously, we developed a paired-question methodology to disentangle reasoning approaches from conceptual understanding and used the dual process heuristic-analytic theory of reasoning to account for observed inconsistencies in student reasoning. It has been argued that metacognition may foster the productive engagement of the analytic process during reasoning. In this study, we examined the impact on student reasoning patterns of three metacognitive interventions that varied significantly in both focus and scaffolding. Our findings suggest that, even for students with a robust conceptual understanding, incorrect intuitive reasoning persists and these interventions do not appear to engage the analytic process more productively.

M. Kryjevskaia, M. R. Stetzer, and T. K. Lê, Failure to Engage: Examining the Impact of Metacognitive Interventions on Persistent Intuitive Reasoning Approaches, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.032.

Research has shown that it is challenging to change departmental culture to support the adoption of transformed teaching practices. Michigan State University is working to transform its introductory physics courses by engaging faculty in discussions about the scientific practices and core ideas of the discipline, and to use those discussions to drive change to both assessments and classroom instruction. Here we discuss our model of change, its implementation in the Physics and Astronomy department, the challenges encountered along the way and how we’ve mitigated those challenges, and tools to measure the impact of this change.

J. T. Laverty, S. Tessmer, M. M. Cooper, and M. D. Caballero, Engaging Physics Faculty in Course Transformation, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.033.

Research has shown [1] that understanding the relationship between electrostatics and electrodynamics requires meaningful knowledge about electric concepts. The aim of this investigation is to identify the scope of students’ understanding about electric concepts related to the Drude model and the Surface Charge model. In this paper we will describe preliminary results from research at University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and at University of Washington (UW). Some specific examples of the applied questions will be discussed. It will be shown that introductory physics students do not give consistent explanations about the charge movement mechanism on simple DC circuits. The results will be used to develop instructional materials further.

A. Leniz, K. Zuza, and J. Guisasola, Difficulties Understanding the Explicative Model of Simple DC Circuits in Introductory Physics Courses, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.034.

Laboratory courses for upper-division undergraduates often involve sophisticated equipment, relatively small class sizes, and extended hands-on projects. These courses present distinct challenges and opportunities for the physics education research community as these features are not often present in other undergraduate courses. Here, we focus on an upper-division lab-based electronics course. As a first step in establishing learning goals for upper-division electronics, we interviewed graduate students and faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder about the use of electronics in their own research labs. The content-specific nature of electronics courses parallels the hands-on experience of graduate student researchers, so focusing on the experiences of graduate students is ideal for informing lab course reform. From their interview responses, we developed a framework for classifying applications of electronics. We identify five types of use and four forms of interaction with electronics content that are consistently identified by faculty and graduate students. However, we see variations between faculty and graduate students regarding how electronics is learned.

H. J. Lewandowski, N. D. Finkelstein, and B. Pollard, Studying Expert Practices to Create Learning Goals for Electronics Labs, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.035.

While enrollment and retention figures often grab headlines for Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs), the more telling measures of MOOCs’ effectiveness may be found in the educational outcomes. The performance of students enrolled in the University of Colorado Physics I MOOC was evaluated with the use of numerous instruments. These instruments include exams, homework assignments, the FMCE and the CLASS. The performance of students in the MOOC was tracked across the semester and compared with that of students in similar “Brick and Mortar” classes at the University of Colorado. For some measures (FMCE) their performance was compared with the results from large scale studies. On all measures the MOOC students performed at least as well as and had learning gains at least as great as those in more traditional settings including interactive engagement. This may be due, in part, to a massive self-selection process skewing the MOOC population over time.

D. Lieberman, M. Dubson, E. Johnsen, J. R. Olsen, and N. D. Finkelstein, Physics I MOOC - Educational Outcomes, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.036.

Assessing student performance becomes challenging when course enrollment becomes very large (~104 students). As part of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in introductory physics offered by Georgia Tech in 2013, students submitted video reports on mechanics labs. Peer evaluation of these reports provided the primary method for evaluating student laboratory work. This paper describes the methods developed and used to guide students in evaluating each other's video lab reports. We also discuss how students’ peer evaluation behavior changed with different interventions provided in the course.

S. Lin, S. S. Douglas, J. M. Aiken, C. Liu, E. F. Greco, B. D. Thoms, M. D. Caballero, and M. F. Schatz, Peer Evaluation of Video Lab Reports in an Introductory Physics MOOC, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.037.

The Gender Force Concept Inventory (GFCI) was used in lieu of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) to assess the Learner-centered Environment for Algebra-based Physics (LEAP) curriculum which utilizes interactive engagement pedagogies. Students enrolled in the 2014 spring semester PHYS2010 introductory algebra-based physics course designed for non-majors composed the sample for this phase of curriculum evaluation. The purpose of this preliminary analysis of GFCI performance was to determine if the conceptual gains of LEAP students were significantly more than traditionally taught students. Pedagogy accounted for 42% of the difference in both the posttest and the normalized gain. Gender accounted for nothing. By looking at the lack of differences between males and females when measuring with the GFCI, assessment choice becomes an interesting option for thinking about what our data has to say.

T. W. Majors and P. V. Engelhardt, Gender & LEAP Pedagogy: What Does The Gender Force Concept Inventory Have To Say?, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.038.

The Test of Understanding Graphs in Kinematics (TUG-K) is a multiple choice test developed by Beichner to assess students’ understanding of kinematics graphs. Many of the items on the TUG-K have strong distractor choices which correspond to introductory students’ common difficulties with kinematics graphs. Instruction is unlikely to be effective if instructors do not know these common difficulties and take them into account in their instructional design. We evaluate the performance of first year physics graduate students at identifying introductory students’ common difficulties related to kinematics graphs. In particular, for each item on the TUG-K, the graduate students were asked to identify which incorrect answer choice they thought would be most commonly selected by introductory physics students if they did not know the correct answer after instruction in relevant concepts. We used the introductory student data from Beichner’s original paper to assess graduate students’ knowledge of introductory students’ difficulties. Furthermore, we selected the four questions on the TUG-K on which the graduate student performance was the poorest for a more detailed analysis which included think-aloud interviews. We present results which can partly account for the poor graduate student performance on these questions and also inform instruction in professional development courses.

A. Maries and C. Singh, Performance of graduate students at identifying introductory students' difficulties related to kinematics graphs, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.039.

We are developing a quantum interactive learning tutorial (QuILT) on a quantum eraser for students in upper-level quantum mechanics. The QuILT exposes students to contemporary topics in quantum mechanics and uses a guided approach to learning. It adapts existing visualization tools to help students build physical intuition about quantum phenomena and strives to help them develop the ability to apply quantum principles in physical situations. The quantum eraser apparatus in the gedanken (thought) experiments and simulations that students learn from in the QuILT uses a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with single photons. We also discuss findings from a preliminary in-class evaluation.

E. Marshman and C. Singh, Developing an Interactive Tutorial on a Quantum Eraser, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.040.

A scaffolded metacognition activity was incorporated into the laboratory component of the introductory physics course at Western Washington University (WWU) and Whatcom Community College (WCC). Each week, students wrote reflectively to contrast their initial and current understanding of a specific physics topic, and described the “trigger” events that led them to change their thinking. Goals were to enhance conceptual understanding as well as the depth and quality of student reflection. A coding scheme was developed to evaluate student reflections. We present the scaffolded activity and coding scheme, as well as preliminary findings about changes in student reflection over time and correlations between amount of reflection and conceptual learning.

A. McInerny, A. Boudreaux, M. Kryjevskaia, and S. Julin, Promoting and assessing student metacognition in physics, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.041.

This study considers the impact of instructor on the gender gap in students’ scores on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) in Modeling Instruction (MI) courses at Florida International University (FIU). Earlier work has shown that MI had increased FCI scores overall when compared to traditional lecture courses; however, the gap between male and female students’ scores in the MI courses increased over the course of the semester. Student data were collected from 559 students at FIU, over 18 semesters, with 10 different instructors. General linear regression was used to determine the significance of the student gender and instructor factors in predicting a student’s FCI score post-instruction and the fraction of variance explained by these factors. Effect sizes were then calculated from the difference in female students’ gains from male students’ gains and compared between instructors. Analysis showed an instructor-independent, medium effect favoring male students’ scores on the FCI.

D. R. McPadden and E. Brewe, The Impacts of Instructor and Student Gender on Student Performance in Introductory Modeling Instruction Courses, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.042.

Learning quantum mechanics entails adopting a new reference frame for the physical interpretation of the world. The quantum perspective is intrinsically connected with math, which becomes a sort of referent for physical meaning, requiring the employment of new formal structures and a new interpretation of familiar ones. Research evidences that students have difficulty both with concepts and with the use of formalism in qualitative tasks. We administered a 15-item questionnaire focused on incompatibility of observables and related formal structures to 40 physics students of three Italian universities. Semi-structured interviews were scheduled on a subset of students. Results concerning translation processes between math and physical meaning show that most students only look at the square modulus in order to reason on physical information encoded in quantum state, thus neglecting phase relations and their connection with incompatibility.

M. Michelini and G. Zuccarini, University students' reasoning on physical information encoded in quantum state at a point in time, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.043.

As part of a study into students’ problem solving behaviors, we asked upper-division physics students to solve estimation problems in clinical interviews. We use the Resources Framework and epistemic games to describe students’ problem solving moves. We present a new epistemic game, the “estimation epistemic game”. In the estimation epistemic game, students break the larger problem into a series of smaller, tractable problems. Within each sub-problem, they try to remember a method for solving the problem, and use estimation and reasoning abilities to justify their answers. We demonstrate how a single case study student plays the game to estimate the total energy in a hurricane. Finally, we discuss the implications of epistemic game analysis for other estimation problems.

B. Modir, P. W. Irving, S. F. Wolf, and E. C. Sayre, Learning about the Energy of a Hurricane System through an Estimation Epistemic Game, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.044.

The context of our study is a calculus-based, studio-format introductory college physics course implementing the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE). We have gathered data that allows us to quantify students’ participation in three broad areas of the physics class: In-class learning activities, class review session that happened at the beginning of every class, and the informal learning community that formed outside of class time. Using video data, classroom observations, and students’ self-reports, we quantified students’ participation in these three aspects of the class throughout a single semester. We investigated the relationship between students’ participation and their success in the course as measured by their FCI gain, exam scores, and scores on out-of-class assignments. Our results reveal that different aspects of the class play distinct roles in learning. Students who participated more in class review sessions ended up with better conceptual understanding. Self-reported hours of study outside of class was significantly correlated with success on out-of-class assignments.

B. Nainabasti, D. T. Brookes, and Y. Yang, Students’ Participation And Its Relationship To Success In An Interactive Learning Environment, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.045.

The Physics Education Group at the University of Washington has been developing and testing Tutorials in Physics for use in upper-division courses on quantum mechanics. Like Tutorials in Introductory Physics, these materials are intended to supplement instruction in lecture-based courses, with a focus on improving student conceptual understanding. We describe the overall impact of the tutorials on student learning in a junior-level quantum mechanics sequence at the University of Washington. Our findings indicate that students at all levels (by academic performance in the course) benefit from the use of tutorials. Moreover, on course evaluations, students have overwhelmingly ranked the tutorials as being helpful to their learning, with the highest ratings coming from the highest performing students.

G. Passante, P. J. Emigh, and P. S. Shaffer, Testing Tutorials in Upper-Division: An Example from Quantum Mechanics, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.046.

Interactions are the heart of the mechanics course and forces are the fundamental representation of interactions. This suggests that beginning the introductory mechanics course with the topic of forces is a logical option. The majority of commercial textbooks, however, begin the mechanics course by teaching the concept of acceleration from a kinematical perspective before introducing Newton’s 2nd Law. This paper presents evidence that college students in calculus-based introductory mechanics perform equally well when the course begins with forces as they do when it begins with kinematics.

A. Pawl, Is it Disadvantageous to Teach Forces First in Mechanics?, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.047.

A growing number of K12 and college educators are using the collection of interactive simulations developed by the PhET Interactive Simulations project at University of Colorado Boulder. The design of each simulation seeks to support educators in achieving a range of pedagogical goals through implicit scaffolding. To decrease barriers to adoption, the simulations are designed for flexible use, available free of charge, and usable across platforms. The resulting simulations are compatible with diverse learning goals, implementation contexts, pedagogical approaches, grade levels, and learners. While website statistics establish that over 45 million simulations are run per year, these statistics provide little information about who uses the simulations and how they are being used. Here we report on analysis of responses to a large-scale, self-report survey from 1,233 high school and 276 college educators who are using PhET in their physics instruction, to provide insight into who uses PhET simulations, with which populations of students, towards what pedagogical goals, and with what instructional approaches. We found that new and experienced teachers use simulations, with diverse student populations, and to support a wide range of pedagogical goals. The responding high school and college educators were found to be similar in the goals they intended use of PhET simulations to support (for example, to develop conceptual goals, and to conduct science inquiry), but differed in their instructional approaches.

K. Perkins, E. B. Moore, and S. V. Chasteen, Examining the Use of PhET Interactive Simulations in US College and High School Classrooms, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.048.

In earlier work, we found that women who reported experiencing the “discussion of underrepresentation” in their high school physics classes were more likely to report a career interest in the physical sciences in college. To explore this effect in more detail, we conducted two double-blind, random-assignment experiments on students enrolled in introductory, algebra-based college physics. In the first, students were randomly assigned to read one of two short essays (one focused on the underrepresentation of women in physics, the other reporting on AMO physics research led by a woman) followed by a uniform set of reflection questions. In the second, another cohort of students was primed on their beliefs about gender differences in physics before undergoing the same treatment (one of two essays and reflection questions). In this paper, we compare the impacts on students’ general science identity, physics identity, and performance gains on selected FMCE problems.

G. Potvin, Z. Hazari, and R. M. Lock, Exposure to Underrepresentation Discussion: The Impacts on Women’s Attitudes and Identities, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.049.

An educational path on relativistic dynamics has been designed and experimented in an upper-secondary school class to introduce essential concepts for making meaning of mass-energy equivalence. The pathway aims at building conceptual understanding of relativistic linear momentum, kinetic energy and their interrelation. It draws on relativistic invariant quantities and exploits thought experiments as well as educationally relevant ones; it illustrates both scientific modeling by induction both hypothetical-deductive methods for assuring logical consistency. Rough new technologies were used: an on-line simulation of light-clock and timed animations of two-particle relativistic collision. Learning and understanding were assessed by both comparing the administered pre- and post-test both analyzing the latter. General interpretive questions were asked during the teaching/learning process in order to find out pupils’ intermediate explanatory models and problem solving skills in similar contexts. An analysis of the interplay among prior, posterior and intermediate answers is presented here. The results indicate conceptual change for kinetic energy and vacuum light-speed. Only understanding of time interval dilation effect was detected instead.

E. Pugliese and L. Santi, An effective Teaching/Learning Intervention on Time Dilation and Relativistic Dynamics, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.050.

Active-learning approaches to teaching introductory physics have been found to improve student performance and learning gains. We report on longitudinal investigations of student performance in upper level physics courses after having previously taken Modeling Instruction introductory physics courses at Florida International University. Student performance data were analyzed for academic years 2005-2014 in upper level courses including Modern Physics, Mechanics, Electromagnetism, and Quantum Mechanics. We compare how male and female students who took traditional or reformed Modeling Instruction introductory courses perform in these subsequent courses. We look for differential effects between men and women who had these two types of introductory experiences. The implications of this work for our understanding of the impacts of active-learning experiences will be discussed.

I. Rodriguez, G. Potvin, E. Brewe, and L. H. Kramer, The Impacts of Modeling Physics in Upper-Level Courses: The Persistence of Males and Females, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.051.

I present results from a two-year study classifying student difficulties reasoning with graphed data. I show large differences in student ability to use certain graphed data. Namely, students struggle more with graphs in which the variables have no relation or an unknown relationship than with typical graphs where the data shows a relationship. I expand on this finding and present evidence for three deep issues with graphical/data-driven reasoning. First, many students incorrectly assume there must be dependence between the axes of any graph whether or not the data suggests a relation and whether or not it was a controlled experiment. Second, students have issues using a legend to infer information about a third variable. Third, by comparing pictorial reasoning responses to graphical ones, it is evident that students have deeper logical reasoning issues such as, "if x doesn’t change and y does, than x doesn’t affect y."

R. Rosenblatt, Comparing Student Ability to Reason with Multiple Variables for Graphed and Non-Graphed Information., 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.052.

We developed the Partial Derivative Machine (PDM) in response to difficulties we encountered in teaching students about mathematical concepts involving partial derivatives and total differentials that are needed in thermodynamics. The Partial Derivative Machine is a system that has four observable and controllable properties: two forces and two positions. However, of these four properties only two may be controlled independently. This context-dependence of independent and dependent variables enables the same sort of mathematical flexibility (and confusion) that is present in thermodynamics. Because the PDM is easy to use and understand, we hypothesized that it would allow us to explore the nature of experts’ thinking about derivatives, even those unfamiliar with ideas in thermodynamics. In this paper, we present results from interviews with experts from several disciplines, as we explore how they understand partial derivatives when given an ambiguous prompt. The research question guiding this work is "How do experts think about partial derivatives?"

D. J. Roundy, E. Weber, G. Sherer, and C. A. Manogue, Experts' Understanding of Partial Derivatives Using the Partial Derivative Machine, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.053.

As part of an ongoing project to investigate student learning in upper-division electrodynamics (E&M II), the PER research group at the University of Colorado Boulder has developed a tool to assess student conceptual understanding: the CURrENT (Colorado UppeR-division ElectrodyNamics Test). The result is an open-ended post-test diagnostic with 6 multi-part questions, an optional 3-question pretest, and an accompanying grading rubric. This instrument is motivated in part by our faculty-consensus learning goals, and is intended to help measure the effectiveness of transformed pedagogy. In addition, it provides insights into student thinking and student difficulties in the covered topical areas. In this paper, we present preliminary measures of the validity and reliability of the instrument and scoring rubric. These include expert validation and student interviews, inter-rater reliability measures, and classical test statistics.

Q. X. Ryan, C. Astolfi, C. Baily, and S. J. Pollock, Validation of a Conceptual Assessment Tool in E&M II, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.054.

Though there has been much progress in research on interdisciplinarity over the last decades, two significant limitations still exist. First, there are inconsistent definitions of what interdisciplinarity is. Second, definitions are limited to performance elements. In a break from this prior work, and building on promising preliminary research, we seek to define interdisciplinary affinity, a measure of students’ self-reported interests and beliefs about interdisciplinarity. On the basis of hypothesized dimensions of interdisciplinarity, we draw on a large-scale national survey to build a useful measure of interdisciplinary affinity. Also, we investigate relationships between interdisciplinary affinity and physics identity, and particularly, the interest and recognition dimensions of physics identity.

T. D. Scott, Z. Hazari, G. Potvin, P. M. Sadler, and G. Sonnert, Interdisciplinary Affinity: Definitions and Connections to Physics Identity, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.055.

We are developing a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) on a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with single photons to expose upper-level students in quantum mechanics courses to contemporary applications. The QuILT strives to help students develop the ability to apply fundamental quantum principles to physical situations and explore differences between classical and quantum ideas. The QuILT adapts visualization tools to help students build physical intuition about quantum phenomena and focuses on helping them integrate qualitative and quantitative understanding. We also discuss findings from a preliminary in-class evaluation.

C. Singh and E. Marshman, Developing an interactive tutorial on a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with single photons, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.056.

The acquisition metaphor of learning is often used by teachers of physics: Students are thought to acquire a particular concept and then transfer this concept to new contexts. For example, one might argue that students acquire the mathematical concept of “vector addition” and then apply it in different physical contexts. In this study, 200 freshmen taking an introductory physics course were asked to calculate total force, total displacement and total momentum in simple contexts involving vector addition at right angles. Another similar group of students were asked to calculate net force, net displacement, and net momentum. When asked to calculate the “net” quantity, students did significantly better than when asked to calculate the “total” quantity. Students did significantly worse when adding momenta as opposed to adding forces or displacements. These results are inconsistent with a basic “acquisition–transfer” perspective of learning. An analysis of subsequent interviews and questionnaires was also conducted.

P. Southey and S. Allie, Vector Addition in Different Contexts, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.057.

Previous analysis of common exam questions in introductory physics at Florida International University has revealed differences in the number and type of epistemic games played by students in their solutions. Separated by course format (lecture/lab, lecture/lab/recitation, or inquiry-based), student work also shows varying use of multiple representational tools. Here we examine representation use in more detail to establish a descriptive picture of representation use across multiple instructors and course formats. We then compare these profiles with the epistemic games played by students, asking whether the same epistemic game shows the same pattern of representational tools across course types. We find that patterns of representation use vary by course format, but there are generally not clear representational “signatures” to uniquely identify epistemic games.

A. L. Traxler, J. V. Mahadeo, D. R. McPadden, and E. Brewe, Multiple Representations and Epistemic Games in Introductory Physics Exam Solutions, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.058.

As part of a new effort to investigate the learning and teaching of concepts in thermodynamics and electronics that are integral to both undergraduate physics and engineering programs, we have been examining student learning in electrical engineering and physics courses on circuits and electronics. Due to the considerable overlap in the content coverage, we have been able to administer the same (or similar) questions to students in both disciplines. A major goal of this work is to investigate the impact of disciplinary context on the nature of student understanding, including the prevalence of specific difficulties. This paper focuses on foundational concepts of circuit loading that are critical to the design and analysis of circuits covered in both courses investigated. In this preliminary investigation, we find that between one-quarter and one-third of students in both disciplines still struggle with basic concepts of voltage division and loading after electronics instruction.

K. L. Van De Bogart and M. R. Stetzer, Student learning of critical circuits concepts in physics and engineering*, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.059.

This study utilizes a sociocultural interpretation of Self-Determination Theory to better understand the role that learning contexts play in generating student motivation, engagement, and identity. By drawing on previous motivation research we develop a model that describes how a student’s sense of belonging in a social setting can transform their goals and experiences. We use the extremes of fear and integrity to model a student’s motivation to engage in activities. A student’s sense of connection and belonging (or not) in a social setting drives whether she feels integrated with or alienated from her environment. Our model is based on three studies and suggests that a sense of belonging emerges through the alignment of goals and practices of the individual and an activity. This model is applied to two examples to illustrate how social connection or isolation can be exhibited in a physics classroom setting. We conclude by discussing the role of the teacher in designing classroom environments that support students engaging.

B. Van Dusen and V. K. Otero, From Fear to Self-Expression: The Contextual Nature of Physics Students’ Motivations, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.060.

An individual’s motivational orientation can influence their views on their academic potential and the actions they take to achieve it. In particular, a mastery orientation towards learning has been shown to positively influence the scientific productivity of career scientists and is associated to desirable learning outcomes. This study examines which high school physics experiences (including teacher practices and other classroom experiences) are associated to changes in students’ mastery orientation using exploratory factor analysis and regression on nationally-representative survey data taken from students enrolled in introductory English courses in the U.S. during the Fall of 2011. The implications of these findings for the improvement of the teaching of physics will be discussed.

K. Velez, G. Potvin, and Z. Hazari, High School Science Experiences Associated to Mastery Orientation Towards Learning, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.061.

This paper will present the results of a study of student reflections from several project-based learning (PBL) courses at Creighton, including an upper-division quantum mechanics course and a freshman-level integrated calculus and physics course. Student reflections give interesting insights into areas of the course, such as student motivation, changes in students’ epistemologies, teaming issues, and the effectiveness of the project-based pedagogy.We will present several lessons learned from having students write frequent reflective essays, demonstrate the power of using student reflection as a tool for PER research on attitudes and epistemologies, and discuss strategies for increasing the usefulness of embedded reflection within the course.

K. Ward and G. Duda, The Role of Student Reflection in Project-based Learning Physics Courses, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.062.

Synthesis problems, which are problems requiring the application of multiple concepts such as energy conservation and kinematics, are common in physics curricula, and improving students’ skills in solving such problems is typically a key instructional goal. Despite the prevalence and importance of synthesis problems, many students struggle with them more than with their single-concept counterparts. In order to identify possible bottlenecks on this task, we asked students to solve a problem synthesizing two different topics (including energy, momentum, circular motion, and kinematics) as well as a pair of single-concept problems involving the individual components, varying their sequential order (synthesis + single-concept versus single-concept + synthesis).We found that students’ primary difficulties arose not only from the deficiency in applying the individual concepts but also from the inability to recognize the relevance of both concepts, which in some cases may be caused by one dominant concept overshadowing the other.

D. R. White, R. Badeau, A. F. Heckler, and L. Ding, Bottlenecks in Solving Synthesis Problems, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.063.

The Dirac delta function is a standard mathematical tool used in multiple topical areas in the undergraduate physics curriculum. While Dirac delta functions are usually introduced in order to simplify a problem mathematically, students often struggle to manipulate and interpret them. To better understand student difficulties with the delta function at the upper-division level, we examined responses to traditional exam questions and conducted think-aloud interviews. Our analysis was guided by an analytical framework that focuses on how students activate, construct, execute, and reflect on the Dirac delta function in physics. Here, we focus on student difficulties using the delta function to express charge distributions in the context of junior-level electrostatics. Challenges included: invoking the delta function spontaneously, constructing two- and three-dimensional delta functions, integrating novel delta function expressions, and recognizing that the delta function can have units.

B. R. Wilcox and S. J. Pollock, Student Difficulties with the Dirac Delta Function, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.064.

A goal of PER is to understand how students use math in physics contexts. To investigate how students use math, we need to identify transitions between conceptual sense-making about physical systems and using mathematics to describe and to make predictions about those systems. We reviewed video of students solving a variety of physics problems in small groups through the lens of epistemic frames (e-frames). In this paper, we present a new e-frame, which we are calling “Just Math”, that is similar to the Worksheet e-frame, but is characterized by brief, low-level, math-focused utterances between students, in some cases along with expansive off-topic discussions. Future work will focus on analyzing the transitions into and out of this e-frame so that we may develop a more coherent understanding of students’ use of math in physics.

S. F. Wolf, L. Doughty, P. W. Irving, E. C. Sayre, and M. D. Caballero, Just Math: A New Epistemic Frame, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.065.

Conceptual knowledge is only one part of what students need to learn to solve problems. Knowing how to reason through a problem is also an important skill. In this paper, we study the effects of a computer-based training on students’ reasoning on introductory physics problems. Participants solved three sets of conceptual problems, each of them containing three training problems with solutions followed by one near transfer problem and one far transfer problem. We analyzed students’ verbal answers to elucidate the reasoning resources that they activated to construct the different explanations to the problems. We found that the students changed their reasoning when presented with solutions to training problems and later posed a transfer problem. Our results provide insights into students’ activation of their resources and the procedure they used to construct their reasoning in response to the training problems.

X. Wu, T. Zu, E. Agra, and N. S. Rebello, Effect of Problem Solutions on Students' Reasoning Patterns on Conceptual Physics Problems, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.066.

We asked students in two second-semester introductory college physics courses to report on a weekly basis who they worked with on physics outside of class time. One course was a lecture-based course while the second was a studio-based student-centered course implementing the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE). We used social network analysis to visualize and quantify each student’s position and engagement in the informal learning community that formed outside of class. Our study analyzed the relationship between students’ network positions as they worked together in groups outside the classroom with their performance in the course. We interpreted our results through a participationist viewpoint on learning. Comparisons between the two courses revealed interesting similarities and differences. While the learning communities in these two distinct settings may look very different, our results showed the overarching importance of informal learning communities irrespective of course type.

Y. Yang, B. Nainabasti, D. T. Brookes, and E. Brewe, A Study of Informal Learning Communities: a Tale of Two Physics Courses, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.067.

Research shows that expert-like approaches to problem-solving can be promoted by encouraging students to explicate their thought processes and follow a prescribed problem-solving strategy. Since grading communicates instructors’ expectations, teaching assistants’ grading decisions play a crucial role in forming students’ approaches to problem-solving in physics. We investigated the grading practices and considerations of 43 graduate teaching assistants (TAs). The TAs were asked to grade a set of specially designed student solutions and explain their grading decisions. We found that in a quiz context, a majority of TAs noticed but did not grade on solution features which promote expert-like approaches to problem-solving. In addition, TAs graded differently in quiz and homework contexts, partly because of how they considered time limitations in a quiz. Our findings can inform professional development programs for TAs.

E. Yerushalmi, E. Marshman, A. Maries, C. R. Henderson, and C. Singh, Grading Practices and Considerations of Graduate Students at the Beginning of their Teaching Assignment, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.068.

Constructing and using models are core scientific practices that have gained significant attention within K-12 and higher education. Although modeling is a broadly applicable process, within physics education, it has been preferentially applied to the iterative development of broadly-applicable principles (e.g., Newton’s laws of motion in introductory mechanics). We show how similar modeling processes can be invoked as a means to understand the real-world complexities of experimental apparatus, including the measurement tools, in upper-division laboratory courses. In the context of a think-aloud experimental activity involving optics and electronics, we document examples where students apply all of the key facets of modeling to their apparatus and measurement tools: construction, prediction, interpretation of data, identification of model limitations, and revision. A modeling perspective reframes many of the seemingly arbitrary technical details of measurement tools and apparatus as an opportunity for authentic and engaging scientific sense-making.

B. M. Zwickl, D. Hu, N. D. Finkelstein, and H. J. Lewandowski, Making Models of Measurement Tools: Examples from Think-Aloud Student Interviews, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.069.

The Colorado Upper-Division Electrostatics (CUE) Diagnostic is an exam developed as part of the curriculum reform at the University of Colorado, Boulder (CU). It was designed to assess conceptual learning within upper-division electricity and magnetism (E&M). Using the CUE, we have been documenting students’ understanding of E&M at Oregon State University (OSU) over a period of 5 years. Our analysis indicates that the CUE identifies concepts that are generally difficult for students, regardless of the curriculum. The overall pattern of OSU students’ scores reproduces the pattern reported by Chasteen et al. at CU. There are, however, some important differences that we will address. In particular, our students struggle with the CUE problems involving separation of variables and boundary conditions. We will discuss the possible causes for this, as well as steps that may rectify the situation.

J. P. Zwolak and C. A. Manogue, Revealing Differences Between Curricula Using the Colorado Upper-Division Electrostatics Diagnostic, 2014 PERC Proceedings [Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014], edited by P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, and D. L. Jones, doi:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.070.