2020 PERC Proceedings
Conference Information
Dates: July 22-23, 2020
Location: Virtual Conference
Theme: Insights, Reflections, & Future Directions: Emergent Themes in the Evolving PER Community
Proceedings Information
Editors: Steven Wolf, Michael B. Bennett, and Brian W. Frank
Published: October 22, 2020
Info: Single book; 636 pages; 8.5 X 11 inches, double column
ISBN: 978-1-931024-37-2
ISSN (Print): 1539-9028
ISSN (Online): 2377-2379
The theme of the 2020 PER conference was "Insights, Reflections, & Future Directions: Emergent Themes in the Evolving PER Community." This conference was an invitation for the PER community to explore emergent themes in PER as a scholarly endeavor and as a research community. In addition to the papers addressing this year’s theme, the remainder of the papers represent the diversity of current research within PER and help this volume fulfill its purpose of providing an annual snapshot of the field.
Readership: Physics education researchers (faculty, post-doctoral students, and graduate/undergraduate students); researchers in fields close to Physics Education, such as cognitive science, chemistry education, biology education; physics faculty at undergraduate and graduate levels; high school physics teachers.
Table of Contents
Front Matter
Preface
Plenary Papers (1)
Peer-reviewed Papers (99)
Back Matter
PLENARY MANUSCRIPTS (1)
First Author Index
Cochran
Plenary Papers
A framework for improving diversity work in physics
Geraldine L. Cochran and Mildred Boveda
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 9-15, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.plenary.pr.Cochran
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In this paper we draw on Black Feminist Theory to motivate examining diversity work in physics with an emphasis on physics education research. In our framework, we consider three major approaches to doing diversity work acknowledging and naming diversity, affirming diversity, and removing barriers to increase diversity. We examine these approaches with goals of attending to the affordances of existing diversity work and identifying the constraints for those currently seeking to diversify the field. We use intersectionality to critique diversity efforts in physics and conclude with suggestions on elevating and complicating diversity work in physics and physics education research.
G. L. Cochran and M. Boveda, A framework for improving diversity work in physics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.plenary.pr.Cochran.
PEER REVIEWED MANUSCRIPTS (99)
First Author Index
Amezcua ·
Amos ·
Barthelemy ·
Bauman ·
Bertschinger ·
Boudreaux ·
Breakall ·
Broadfoot ·
Buggé ·
Burde ·
Canright ·
Christman ·
Conlin ·
Corsiglia ·
Crossette ·
Cwik ·
Dopatka ·
Doty ·
Doucette ·
Dounas-Frazer ·
Eblen-Zayas ·
Felker ·
Fields ·
Fox ·
Franklin ·
Gavrin ·
Gifford ·
Goodhew ·
Guthrie ·
Gutmann ·
Head ·
Henderson ·
Her ·
Hoehn ·
Huffman ·
Ives ·
Jambuge ·
Jeon ·
Johnson ·
Justice ·
Kalender ·
Keebaugh ·
Kepple ·
Levy ·
Li ·
Logan ·
López-Tavares ·
Marsh ·
Marshman ·
May ·
McColgan ·
McInerny ·
McQuade ·
Mitchell-Polka ·
Mondesir ·
Monsalve ·
Muller ·
Myers ·
Nadeau ·
Olsho ·
Owens ·
Patterson ·
Pearson III ·
Pollard ·
Quaal ·
Quichocho ·
Rainey ·
Ramey II ·
Rodriguez ·
Rosenblatt ·
Ryan ·
Sagear ·
Sánchez ·
Sayer ·
Scanlon ·
Scherr ·
Sirnoorkar ·
Smith ·
Stang ·
Stanley ·
Starita ·
Hewagallage ·
Strubbe ·
Stump ·
Sulaiman ·
Sundstrom ·
Trucks ·
Vignal ·
Walsh ·
Weidner ·
Werth ·
White ·
Wilcox ·
Wilson ·
Young ·
Zich ·
Zimmerman ·
Zwartz
Peer-reviewed Papers
Students’ exploring and refining their equity ethic within the Access Network
Fidel Amezcua, Gina M. Quan, and Chandra Turpen
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 17-22, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Amezcua
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The Access Network is an organization that supports vibrant interactions among students and faculty who advocate for equity work in the physical sciences. This paper uses McGee and Bentley’s framework of “equity ethic” (EE) to understand how Access student leaders adopt and refine a commitment to equity and social justice work within the physical sciences. In McGee and Bentley’s study of STEM students of color, they define EE as students’ sense of altruism and collectivism within and outside of their communities. Through interviews with student leaders, we model components of students’ EEs and how their EEs are influenced by their participation in Access. Student accounts illustrate that they are invested in improving equity within their disciplinary communities and see progress toward these goals as an important measure of success. Our findings highlight how students are already infusing an EE into their professional physics activities. This research suggests that student leaders benefit from having opportunities to articulate and refine critiques of disciplinary culture, and connect their EE to their professional practices. These accounts suggest that this work occurs in conversation with other equity leaders around issues of social justice.
F. Amezcua, G. M. Quan, and C. Turpen, Students’ exploring and refining their equity ethic within the Access Network, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Amezcua.
Excerpts from an exploratory survey of units/dimensional analysis in introductory physics
Nathaniel R. Amos, David Harris, and Jeffrey Hutchinson
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 23-27, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Amos
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Proficiency in units/dimensional analysis is a useful skill in the sciences and engineering, and STEM instructors often presume competence from their students in this area. However, unit analysis techniques and unit systems are not always formally taught, and even with explicit emphasis during instruction, many students lack the repeated exposure necessary to master them. To assess student understanding of units and unit systems, we administered a brief, itemized survey to N = 53 calculus-based introductory university physics students. The survey was intended to uncover possible misconceptions and identify previously unknown obstacles to student success within this topic. Our results suggest that as many as half of surveyed participants may not recognize the adaptability of symbolic physical equations to different unit systems. Furthermore, a similar proportion failed to eliminate non-viable answer choices involving analytic functions with units inside their arguments. Consequently, we believe units/dimensional analysis is a topic ripe for further investigation.
N. R. Amos, D. Harris, and J. Hutchinson, Excerpts from an exploratory survey of units/dimensional analysis in introductory physics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Amos.
Graduate programs in physics education research: A USA based survey
Ramón S. Barthelemy, Mirna Mohamed, Alexis V. Knaub, and Charles R. Henderson
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 28-32, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Barthelemy
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This article outlines survey results seeking to understand USA Physics Education Research (PER) Ph.D. programs. The survey explored research group composition, the number of graduates, courses taken and more. The survey was sent to a list of PER research group leaders created by crowdsourcing from the PER community. Of the 46 PER Ph.D. programs identified and invited to the survey, 25 usable responses were received. The majority of programs were in departments of physics with fewer in schools of education or institutes of science education. Most programs required graduate physics course work, with fewer requiring research methodology courses. Only five required a course in PER. The majority of graduates into academic careers. However, a robust minority pursued careers in the private sector. The survey results allow us to estimate the size of the PER community in research groups at PhD granting institutions to be n=487 people with n=156 P.h.D. students.
R. S. Barthelemy, M. Mohamed, A. V. Knaub, and C. R. Henderson, Graduate programs in physics education research: A USA based survey, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Barthelemy.
Identifying student conceptual resources for understanding electric current
Lauren C. Bauman, Jonathan Corcoran, Lisa M. Goodhew, and Amy D. Robertson
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 33-38, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Bauman
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Most research focusing on student ideas about electric current frames these ideas as misconceptions, difficulties, and misunderstandings. This paper reports student resources for understanding electric current: ideas that we consider to be the “beginnings” of a scientific understanding. Here, we present three conceptual resources for understanding electric current based on our analysis of 550 written responses to conceptual circuits questions from introductory-level university physics students. Our aim is to offer knowledge that can support physics instructors in identifying and building on these resources during instruction.
L. C. Bauman, J. Corcoran, L. M. Goodhew, and A. D. Robertson, Identifying student conceptual resources for understanding electric current, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Bauman.
Systemic Change: TEAM-UP and Beyond
Edmund Bertschinger
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 39-44, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Bertschinger
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The AIP TEAM-UP report identifies the structural and systemic causes explaining why African Americans have not experienced the growth in bachelor’s degrees in physics the way they have in other fields or as other minority groups have experienced in physics over the past two decades. Solving these problems requires changing not only the way physicists train students, but how they think about training students. Research on change in higher education suggests the need for physicists and astronomers to recognize and question the norms, values, and culture of their fields. The TEAM-UP report, SEA Change, and the new APS-IDEA all seek to stimulate and sustain a cultural transformation in the profession.
E. Bertschinger, Systemic Change: TEAM-UP and Beyond, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Bertschinger.
Toward a framework for the natures of proportional reasoning in introductory physics
Andrew Boudreaux, Stephen E. Kanim, Alexis Olsho, Suzanne White Brahmia, Charlotte Zimmerman, and Trevor I. Smith
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 45-50, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Boudreaux
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We present a set of modes of reasoning about ratio and proportion as a means of operationalizing expert practice in physics. These modes, or natures of proportional reasoning, stem from consideration of how physicists reason in context and are informed by prior work in physics and mathematics education. We frame the natures as the core of an emerging framework for proportional reasoning in introductory physics, that will categorize the uses of proportional reasoning in introductory physics contexts, and provide guidance for the development of reliable assessments. We share results from preliminary assessment items indicating that university physics students have difficulty interpreting and applying ratios in context.
A. Boudreaux, S. E. Kanim, A. Olsho, S. W. Brahmia, C. Zimmerman, and T. I. Smith, Toward a framework for the natures of proportional reasoning in introductory physics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Boudreaux.
Maybe we aren’t that different after all: Faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching as a career
Jared B. Breakall, Savannah L. Logan, Richard L. Pearson III, Brian A. Pyper, and Wendy K. Adams
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 51-56, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Breakall
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Nearly half of STEM majors in the United States express interest in becoming a grade 7-12 teacher, yet as a nation we face a shortage of qualified math and science teachers. Studies have found that misperceptions about grade 7-12 math and science teaching are impacting student career choices. As part of the Get the Facts Out project, this work addresses faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching because faculty play an important role in student career decisions. Additionally, understanding how faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching differ may inform targeted efforts to change perceptions in the future. In this study, nearly 500 college STEM faculty members’ perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching were measured using a newly developed survey. Faculty perceptions were then compared based on department affiliation, position type, and gender. No significantly practical differences were found based on these demographics. Implications for STEM teacher recruitment are discussed.
J. B. Breakall, S. L. Logan, R. L. Pearson III, B. A. Pyper, and W. K. Adams, Maybe we aren’t that different after all: Faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching as a career, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Breakall.
Identifying student resources for understanding kinematics
Cheyenne Broadfoot, Brynna Hansen, Amy D. Robertson, and Lisa M. Goodhew
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 57-62, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Broadfoot
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Physics education research (PER) studies of students’ understanding of kinematics have largely been focused on difficulties and misconceptions – ideas that act as barriers to student understanding of formal physics. Our research takes an alternative perspective on students’ ideas. We offer insight into student resources for understanding kinematics – ideas that we consider to be the "beginnings" of a more sophisticated scientific understanding of motion. Our analysis of 582 written student responses to several kinematics questions highlights four common resources students use when justifying their solutions to different problems. In this paper, we elaborate on these four resources and give examples from our preliminary research.
C. Broadfoot, B. Hansen, A. D. Robertson, and L. M. Goodhew, Identifying student resources for understanding kinematics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Broadfoot.
The long-term effects of learning in an ISLE approach classroom
Danielle Buggé and Eugenia Etkina
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 63-68, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Bugge
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This study reports on the long-term effects of learning through the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach on high school physics students. Students learning physics through the ISLE approach engage in collaborative activities that mirror the practice of physicists to construct concepts and apply them to solving practical problems. Previous studies of learning in ISLE-based classrooms showed that the students develop abilities to design experiments, collect and represent data, communicate and many others. However, there were no follow up studies that demonstrate what the students remember and how they use those abilities in their future education and professional careers. We administered a survey to alumni who learned physics in an ISLE-based classroom to find out what they remember many years after taking the course as well as if they find their physics learning useful for future education and careers. We report on the findings from this study.
D. Buggé and E. Etkina, The long-term effects of learning in an ISLE approach classroom, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Bugge.
Evaluating secondary school students’ interest and conceptual understanding of circuits
Jan-Philipp Burde, Thomas Wilhelm, Martin Hopf, Lana Ivanjek, Thomas Schubatzky, Claudia Haagen-Schützenhöfer, Liza Dopatka, and Verena Spatz
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 69-74, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Burde
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Electric circuits are an important element of physics classes in Austria, Germany, and most countries around the world. However, many students leave secondary school without having an appropriate conceptual understanding of simple circuits. Voltage in particular has proven to be a difficult concept as students think of it as a property or component of the electric current. Furthermore, research has shown that girls tend to have a lower interest in physics than boys and that context-based physics instruction is a promising approach to increase girls’ interest. However, it is unclear whether decades of research on students’ conceptual difficulties e.g. with voltage as well as research into ways to promote girls’ interest have had a significant impact on physics classrooms. For this reason, the conceptual understanding of electric circuits as well as the interest in physics of N = 1207 traditionally taught students in Germany and Austria was assessed using a valid and reliable multiple-choice test. The empirical evaluation of the data shows that female students are still not as interested in physics as their male peers, despite achieving the same total learning gain in the multiple-choice test. An analysis of two items of the test instrument focusing on potential differences furthermore suggests that traditional instruction still fails to provide students with an adequate conceptual understanding of voltage as an independent physical quantity that refers to a difference in electric potential between two points in a circuit. These results underline the need to develop research-based curricula on electric circuits that take into account the findings on students’ interests and alternative conceptions.
J. Burde, T. Wilhelm, M. Hopf, L. Ivanjek, T. Schubatzky, C. Haagen-Schützenhöfer, L. Dopatka, and V. Spatz, Evaluating secondary school students’ interest and conceptual understanding of circuits, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Burde.
Leveraging virtual reality for student development of force models in the introductory lab
Jared P. Canright, Jack R. Olsen, and Suzanne White Brahmia
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 75-80, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Canright
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Providing students with opportunities to develop models in the introductory physics lab is made difficult by the dearth of physical phenomena that are both accessible to students at the introductory level and aren’t easily found with a Google search. In response to this difficulty, we have developed a set of laboratory activities that leverage the unique affordances of virtual reality to provide a learning opportunity in which introductory physics students engage in the authentic practice of physics model development for a novel phenomenon. We present preliminary evidence of expert-like modeling behaviors, both in the context of hypothesis generation and in the context of modeling a measurement tool, as well as suggestions how virtual reality labs can be engineered to target other laboratory learning outcomes. Further, we discuss difficulties associated with this approach to curriculum design and ways they might be mitigated.
J. P. Canright, J. R. Olsen, and S. W. Brahmia, Leveraging virtual reality for student development of force models in the introductory lab, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Canright.
Exploring the CLASS with Item Response Theory
Elaine Christman, Paul M. Miller, and John Stewart
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 81-86, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Christman
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This work applied exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and graded Item Response Theory (IRT) to a large sample (N = 4522) of Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) post-test scores. EFA failed to reproduce the factor structure suggested by the authors of the CLASS and strongly supported the alternate 3-factor model suggested by Douglas et al. Graded IRT allowed an examination of the progression from nonexpert-like to expert-like beliefs. This progression was generally uniform with a linear relation between the difficulty of each step in the progression. Some items within the factors identified by Douglas et al. had difficulty and discrimination parameters substantially different from other items in the factor suggesting the subscale is not unidimensional. The expert-like latent ability trait estimated by IRT correlated more strongly with measures of physics performance than measures of general academic performance indicating that expert-like beliefs are not a general property of high performing students.
E. Christman, P. M. Miller, and J. Stewart, Exploring the CLASS with Item Response Theory, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Christman.
From ‘having a day’ to doing astronomy: Supporting families learning together
Luke D. Conlin and Megan R. Luce
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 87-91, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Conlin
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Families are an important context for learning astronomy, one that researchers on astronomy teaching and learning have largely overlooked. At public observatories, families have an opportunity to learn both the substance and practices of astronomy together. However, the typical structure of public observations (one visitor looking through a telescope while an expert explains what they see) creates tension with families engaging in the disciplinary practice of building disciplined perception through collaborative sensemaking. In this paper, we report on a preliminary study in which a family pilot tested new activities to encourage collaborative sensemaking. Key factors that supported the family’s collaborative learning include (1) Using activities that shift authority and control to each member of the family, (2) Having a variety of activities that can be deployed at strategic times rather than a fixed schedule, and (3) Being responsive to the family dynamics, including the emotional needs of each family member.
L. D. Conlin and M. R. Luce, From ‘having a day’ to doing astronomy: Supporting families learning together, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Conlin.
Characterizing and monitoring student discomfort in upper-division quantum mechanics
Giaco Corsiglia, Tyler Garcia, Benjamin P. Schermerhorn, Gina Passante, Homeyra R. Sadaghiani, and Steven J. Pollock
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 92-97, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Corsiglia
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We investigate student comfort with the material in an upper-division spins-first quantum mechanics course. Prelecture surveys probing students’ comfort were administered weekly, in which students assigned themselves a “discomfort level” on a scale of 0–10 and provided a written explanation for their choice. The weekly classwide average discomfort level was effectively constant over the semester, suggesting that the class found no single unit especially jarring nor especially easy. Student written responses were coded according to their reported source of discomfort—math, math-physics connection, physics, and notation. The relative prevalence of these categories varied significantly over the semester, indicating that students find that different units present different challenges, and also that some of these challenges fade in importance as the semester progresses. Semi-structured interviews with students in a similar quantum mechanics course at a different institution provided additional context and insight into these results.
G. Corsiglia, T. Garcia, B. P. Schermerhorn, G. Passante, H. R. Sadaghiani, and S. J. Pollock, Characterizing and monitoring student discomfort in upper-division quantum mechanics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Corsiglia.
Investigating how graduate students connect microstates and macrostates with entropy
Nathan Crossette, Michael Vignal, and Bethany R. Wilcox
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 98-103, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Crossette
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As a first step in a larger study of student reasoning in upper-division thermal physics, we conducted thinkaloud interviews with 8 physics graduate students to probe their understanding of entropy. In this paper, we’ll discuss results from a question which presented students with a novel system—a string in a bath of water—and asked students to rank the probabilities of particular arrangements of the string, define macrostates of the system, and discuss specifically what is meant by the entropy of the system. Exploring graduate students’ understanding of entropy and their ability to solve problems and reason with entropic arguments will provide insights into how physicists develop a mature understanding of entropy as a physical quantity. We find a tendency for graduate students to project properties of macrostates onto constituent microstates, and discuss other observations. We identify connections to previous research and lay out the next steps for this project.
N. Crossette, M. Vignal, and B. R. Wilcox, Investigating how graduate students connect microstates and macrostates with entropy, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Crossette.
How the learning environment predicts male and female students’ motivational beliefs in algebra-based introductory physics courses
Sonja Cwik, Kyle M. Whitcomb, and Chandralekha Singh
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 104-110, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Cwik
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Societal stereotypes and biases pertaining to who belongs in physics and who can excel in physics can impact motivational beliefs, e.g., of women and racial and ethnic minority students in physics courses. This study investigates how the learning environment predicts male and female students' motivational beliefs including physics self-efficacy, interest, and identity at the end of year long (spanning two-semester) algebra-based introductory physics courses. These were courses at a large university in the US taken primarily by biological science majors many of whom are interested in health professions. Although women are not underrepresented in these physics courses, societal stereotypes and biases internalized by female students over their lifetime can still impact their motivational beliefs about physics. Our findings show gender gap in motivational beliefs favoring men. These findings can be useful to provide support and create an equitable and inclusive learning environment to help all students excel in these courses.
S. Cwik, K. M. Whitcomb, and C. Singh, How the learning environment predicts male and female students’ motivational beliefs in algebra-based introductory physics courses, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Cwik.
Measuring students' interest in physics
Liza Dopatka, Verena Spatz, Jan-Philipp Burde, Thomas Wilhelm, Lana Ivanjek, Martin Hopf, Thomas Schubatzky, and Claudia Haagen-Schützenhöfer
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 111-116, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Dopatka
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Interest is not only regarded as a prerequisite for learning motivation but also an educational objective. There is however a major concern regarding the frequently observed decline during students’ school careers [1]. Therefore, in general education and particularly in physics education great importance is attached to fostering students’ interest and a lot of research has been conducted in this regard. To measure students’ interest, a number of well-established research scales are available for German-speaking countries, which are primarily based on two constructs of interest. One common construct by Hoffmann, Häußler and Lehrke differentiates between the interest that students show in physical contents and their interest in physics as a school subject [2, 3]. In addition, another construct by Krapp widely used in educational psychology distinguishes between the emotional- and value-related significance of an activity or its content [4]. So far, these two constructs have largely been used unrelated. For the study presented in this paper, they have been connected resulting in four different combinations of emotional and value-related significance attributed to physical contents and physics lessons. These constitute four possible scales which have been integrated in a questionnaire and evaluated in a sample of N = 1529 high school students. An exploratory as well as a confirmatory factor analysis has been performed to test the assumed theoretical structure of the underlying constructs. Our data suggests that a revision of the combined scales is necessary as two of the four coincide: all items including emotional valences load on one factor only, while items with value-related valences are distinguishable between interest in physical contents (factor two) and interest in physics lessons (factor three). In this paper we present our study supporting this newly developed measurement model and according research scales for high school students' interest in physics.
L. Dopatka, V. Spatz, J. Burde, T. Wilhelm, L. Ivanjek, M. Hopf, T. Schubatzky, and C. Haagen-Schützenhöfer, Measuring students' interest in physics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Dopatka.
Impact of changing physical learning space on GTA and student behaviors
Constance M. Doty, Tong Wan, Ashley A. Geraets, Christopher A. Nix, Erin K. H. Saitta, and Jacquelyn J. Chini
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 117-123, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Doty
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We investigated how changing the physical classroom impacted graduate teaching assistant (GTA) and student behaviors in tutorial sections of an introductory algebra-based physics sequence. Using a modified version of the Laboratory Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (LOPUS), we conducted 35 observations over two semesters for seven GTAs who taught in different styles of classrooms (i.e., active learning classrooms and traditional classrooms). We found that both GTAs and students changed behaviors in response to a change from an active learning classroom to a traditional classroom. GTAs were found to be less interactive with student groups and to lecture at the whiteboard more frequently. Correspondingly, student behaviors changed as students asked fewer questions during one-on-one interactions. These findings suggest that the instructional capacity framework, which typically focuses on interactions between instructors, students and instructional materials, should also include interactions with the learning space. We suggest administrators and departments consider the impact of changing to a traditional classroom when implementing student-centered instruction and emphasize how to use classroom space in GTA professional development.
C. M. Doty, T. Wan, A. A. Geraets, C. A. Nix, E. K. H. Saitta, and J. J. Chini, Impact of changing physical learning space on GTA and student behaviors, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Doty.
What Makes a Good Physics Lab Partner?
Danny Doucette, Russell Clark, and Chandralekha Singh
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 124-130, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Doucette
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Students who take lab courses engage in active, collaborative learning that has the potential to teach scientific thinking skills while also stimulating students’ interest in science and developing their self-efficacy. We describe different types of collaboration in terms of the mutuality of engagement they represent, and investigate how these different types of collaboration impacted student interest and self-efficacy in introductory physics labs. We surveyed college physics students about their beliefs and experiences regarding working with a lab partner. We find that when asked explicitly about what they valued in a lab partner, a majority of students noted that they wanted a “fair split” of the work. However, we find that students experienced improved physics interest and self-efficacy when they participated equally in all aspects of the lab, such as operating the apparatus and recording the data, which is a different form of mutuality of engagement. This form of participation disproportionately benefited women, a traditionally disadvantaged group in physics labs. Our findings suggest that students’ physics interest and self-efficacy might be positively impacted in lab courses that are designed to ensure that students participate equally in all aspects of the lab work, as opposed to lab courses in which students split up their work inequitably, as they might prefer to do.
D. Doucette, R. Clark, and C. Singh, What Makes a Good Physics Lab Partner?, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Doucette.
Student perceptions of laboratory classroom activities and experimental physics practice
Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer, Kimme S. Johnson, Soojin E. Park, Jacob T. Stanley, and H. J. Lewandowski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 131-136, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Dounas-Frazer
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We report results from a study designed to identify links between undergraduate students’ views about experimental physics and their engagement in multiweek projects in lab courses. Using surveys and interviews, we explored whether students perceived particular classroom activities to be features of experimental physics practice. We focused on 18 activities, including maintaining lab notebooks, fabricating parts, and asking others for help. Interviewees identified activities related to project execution as intrinsic to experimental physics practice based on high prevalence of those activities in interviewees’ own projects. Fabrication-oriented activities were identified as conditional features of experimentation based on differences between projects, which interviewees attributed to variations in project resources. Interpersonal activities were also viewed as conditional features of experimentation, dependent upon one’s status as novice or expert. Our findings suggest that students’ views about experimental physics are shaped by firsthand experiences of their own projects and secondhand experiences of those of others.
D. R. Dounas-Frazer, K. S. Johnson, S. E. Park, J. T. Stanley, and H. J. Lewandowski, Student perceptions of laboratory classroom activities and experimental physics practice, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Dounas-Frazer.
Supporting student quantitative skills across introductory STEM courses: faculty approaches and perceived needs
Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Ellen Altermatt, Laura J. Muller, Jonathan Leamon, and Sundi Richard
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 137-142, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Eblen-Zayas
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We present the results of a survey of 220 faculty members at selective liberal arts colleges who teach introductory STEM courses. The survey was designed to learn how these faculty support student quantitative skills development in their introductory courses and what high-school-level quantitative skills are the most challenging for their incoming introductory students. In particular, we wanted to identify the skills that students struggled with across different disciplines in order to explore collaborative development of shared online modules to support student quantitative skills review and practice in many different introductory STEM courses. Five priority topic areas emerged – graphs and tables, descriptive statistics, exponents/logarithms, intercepts/slopes of lines, and confidence intervals/standard error – although there were significant disciplinary differences.
M. Eblen-Zayas, E. Altermatt, L. J. Muller, J. Leamon, and S. Richard, Supporting student quantitative skills across introductory STEM courses: faculty approaches and perceived needs, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Eblen-Zayas.
The impact of extra credit incentives on students’ work habits when completing online homework assignments
Zachary Felker and Zhongzhou Chen
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 143-148, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Felker
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The current paper examines the effectiveness of offering a small amount of extra credit as an incentive to encourage proper work distribution and reduce procrastination and cramming among college students completing introductory physics homework assignments in the form of online learning modules. Students’ distribution of work over time is systematically measured by clustering clickstream log events into study sessions according to a cutoff determined empirically using mixture model analysis. Significantly more study sessions are initiated well before the assignment due date when extra credit is offered compared to data from a previous semester. Using two proxy variables designed to capture the distribution and duration of work, we found that in addition to starting the assignments earlier, students also spent a longer time on the assignments. Finally, the benefit of extra credit in encouraging work distribution is not limited to high-performing students, as shown by a reduction in score gap between early and late starters on a midterm exam administered prior to the release of the homework assignment.
Z. Felker and Z. Chen, The impact of extra credit incentives on students’ work habits when completing online homework assignments, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Felker.
The transition to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic at a regional, rural university: The experience of learning assistants
Melanie Fields, Bahar Modir, William G. Newton, Robynne M. Lock, and J. Clay Stanfield
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 149-154, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Fields
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During the Spring 2020 semester, classes at a medium-sized regional rural university transitioned from faceto-face (FTF) to fully online instruction following Spring Break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning assistants teaching in STEM disciplines experienced difficulties during this transition unique to our student population consisting of many nontraditional and first generation students living in rural areas. We conducted a phenomenological study about these LAs experiences using a Community of Practice (CoP) theory lens. Through interviews with 10 LAs, novel conversations about moving from FTF courses to a virtual setting emerged. In response to the interruptions of the CoP, LAs discussed their new learning opportunities. In this paper, we highlight the opportunities and challenges as encountered by the LAs. Considerations and concerns for instructors with similar student populations are presented.
M. Fields, B. Modir, W. G. Newton, R. M. Lock, and J. C. Stanfield, The transition to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic at a regional, rural university: The experience of learning assistants, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Fields.
Capturing modeling pathways using the Modeling Assessment for Physics Laboratory Experiments
Michael F. J. Fox, Benjamin Pollard, Laura Ríos, and H. J. Lewandowski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 155-160, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Fox
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A choose-your-own-adventure online assessment has been developed to measure the process of modeling undertaken by students when asked to measure the Earth’s gravitational constant, g, using a simple pendulum. This activity forms part of the Modeling Assessment for Physics Laboratory Experiments (MAPLE), which is being developed to assess upper-division students’ proficiency in modeling. The role of the pendulum activity is to serve as a pre-test assessment with apparatus that students are likely to be familiar. Using an initial sample of student data from a development phase of the assessment, we show that the pendulum activity is able to discriminate between a range of student processes that are relevant to understanding student engagement with modeling as a scientific tool.
M. F. J. Fox, B. Pollard, L. Ríos, and H. J. Lewandowski, Capturing modeling pathways using the Modeling Assessment for Physics Laboratory Experiments, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Fox.
Physics education research’s implicit views of physics faculty
Maxwell Franklin, Linda E. Strubbe, and Eleanor C. Sayre
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 161-166, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Franklin
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Physics education researchers sometimes conduct research on physics faculty change; we also write about faculty when we do research on implementing reforms in physics classrooms, or when we talk about how faculty affect students’ understanding. This study classifies mentions of physics faculty in PERC and PhysRev-PER journals in order to study implicit frameworks used by the PER community when viewing and writing about faculty. Furthermore, mentions are categorized to give a sense of what aspects of instructors are most often commented upon. While no overall tendency towards positive or negative mentions was found, in the category of faculty beliefs, mentions were significantly negative, while in the category of faculty goals, mentions were significantly positive. We report this as a starting point for PER researchers to analyze the way we view and talk about other faculty.
M. Franklin, L. E. Strubbe, and E. C. Sayre, Physics education research’s implicit views of physics faculty, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Franklin.
Physics students' reactions to an abrupt shift in instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic
Andrew Gavrin
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 167-172, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Gavrin
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We present a preliminary analysis of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on students in the context of a large enrollment introductory physics course. During the spring of 2020, ours was one of thousands of courses forced to change abruptly from face-to-face instruction to online delivery. We report the effects of this change on students through the lenses initially available to us, including our online homework system, an online forum, and the course evaluations. While preliminary, our results suggest that students were generally unhappy with the transition, but this disappointment did not translate into significantly reduced effort or success. Their primary concerns were not technological but stemmed from behavioral considerations either internal to themselves or external, from the instructor. Although the event probed here was the pandemic, our observations and conclusions may be applicable to other situations in which instruction changes suddenly due to natural or human-caused disasters.
A. Gavrin, Physics students' reactions to an abrupt shift in instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Gavrin.
A framework for curriculum design to support mathematical sense making
Julian D. Gifford and Noah D. Finkelstein
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 173-178, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Gifford
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An approach to the design of curriculum supporting student engagement in mathematical sense making (MSM) is discussed. This approach draws from a categorical framework for MSM that is situated in the PER and science education literature on mathematical modeling and sense making. Two pieces of curricula spanning both content (the photoelectric effect and geometric optics) and course context (STEM-major versus non-STEM-major) designed using this framework are analyzed for the reasoning structures they are designed to scaffold.
J. D. Gifford and N. D. Finkelstein, A framework for curriculum design to support mathematical sense making, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Gifford.
A case of resources-oriented instruction in calculus-based introductory physics
Lisa M. Goodhew, Amy D. Robertson, and Paula R. L. Heron
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 179-184, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Goodhew
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Many research-based instructional materials in physics have been informed by investigations of common student difficulties – thinking that is inconsistent with canonical understandings. Our research team is beginning to develop instructional materials that elicit and build on common conceptual resources – ideas that may be continuous with formal physics. These materials are open-ended and emphasize on building from students’ thinking, in contrast with other research-based materials that aim to address specific difficulties or scaffold toward well-specified conceptual understandings. We expect that resources-oriented materials like ours place different demands on instructors, and that the instructional practices that are effective in this context may differ from other research-based approaches. In this paper, we use classroom video from preliminary resource-oriented instructional materials on pulse propagation to analyze a case of resources-oriented instruction in introductory physics, to explore what knowledge, skills, and/or dispositions may support instructors in implementing this kind of instruction.
L. M. Goodhew, A. D. Robertson, and P. R. L. Heron, A case of resources-oriented instruction in calculus-based introductory physics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Goodhew.
A tale of two guessing strategies: interpreting the time students spend solving problems through online log data
Matthew W. Guthrie, Tom Zhang, and Zhongzhou Chen
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 185-190, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Guthrie
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Interpretation of student behavior in online learning platforms based on log data is complicated by not being able to directly observe the learner. In this paper, we attempt to identify data patterns that signal either guessing on assessment problems or disengaging from the task for students while working through homework modules in an introductory physics class by contrasting data from the general student population with those who completed homework modules in controlled, observed environments. We found that abnormally short problem solving attempts that were previously modeled as a single guessing or answer copying behavior actually consisted of two different types of “guessing” behavior: rapid and strategic guessing. Both types were associated with lower levels of self-confidence, but had different distribution among proctored and unproctored student populations. More importantly, the fraction of rapid guessing increased significantly after campus closure due to COVID-19, but the fraction of strategic guessing remained constant.
M. W. Guthrie, T. Zhang, and Z. Chen, A tale of two guessing strategies: interpreting the time students spend solving problems through online log data, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Guthrie.
“I’m not that important”: Barriers and bolsters to student agency during conversations about the intersections of physics and ethics
Brianne Gutmann, Egla Ochoa-Madrid, and Alice R. Olmstead
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 191-197, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Gutmann
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Physics has greatly impacted society, both in solving problems and perpetuating harm. Yet we rarely train physics students to grapple with their responsibilities to society by facilitating conversations about ethical issues. We developed and collected classroom video of a unit on the development of the atomic bomb. Here, we analyze a set of students’ small group interactions to reveal factors that enable and limit their engagement. Enabling factors include: (a) curricular materials that elicit students’ opinions, (b) opportunities for students to push each other to engage with the content, and (c) instructor facilitation that further pushes and validates student reasoning. Limiting factors include: (a) students’ discomfort around inexperience with ethical reasoning in physics, (b) students’ anticipation of their lack of agency in the physics community, and (c) students’ projections of their lack of agency in a historical context due to their race and gender. We consider the implications of these factors for instruction.
B. Gutmann, E. Ochoa-Madrid, and A. R. Olmstead, “I’m not that important”: Barriers and bolsters to student agency during conversations about the intersections of physics and ethics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Gutmann.
Believe that they can achieve: How Teacher Attitudes Toward Physics Impact Student Outcomes
T. Blake Head, Raina Khatri, Zahra Hazari, Geoff Potvin, and Robynne M. Lock
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 198-203, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Head
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To address the longstanding problem of underrepresentation of women in physics, we developed two classroom interventions that encourage womens’ future physics intentions. In testing these lessons in a larger study, we found variance in gains between student sub-populations across several teachers. This prompted the current mixed methods analysis to follow up on potential contextual factors leading to these differences, including social and economic setting of the school and student population characteristics, as well as teacher-level effects. We drew upon multiple sources of data collected from both teachers and students including teacher interviews, teacher and student open response surveys, and student artifacts from the lessons. In our preliminary analysis, we found that the broader social and economic environments did not appear to affect how students received the lessons; however, individual teacher implementation of the lessons did.
T. B. Head, R. Khatri, Z. Hazari, G. Potvin, and R. M. Lock, Believe that they can achieve: How Teacher Attitudes Toward Physics Impact Student Outcomes, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Head.
Implementing a mixed-methods approach to understand students’ self-efficacy: A pilot study
Rachel Henderson and Vashti Sawtelle
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 204-209, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Henderson
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Self-efficacy (SE) – the confidence in one’s own ability to complete a task – has been shown to be an important predictor of student success in the sciences. Traditionally, SE is measured using pre/post instruction surveys or retrospective interviews. In this study, we present a pilot of a mixed-methods approach to studying SE. This approach combines a fine-grained quantitative measure with close to the event qualitative reflections. The results presented from this initial study include five students who transferred credit from a two-year college into a bachelor’s program to study physics or astronomy at a large mid-western research university. We report on the incentive structure of the methodology and threats to the integrity of the data. In general, the findings indicate that our methodology yields interesting results and is ready to scale to a larger study.
R. Henderson and V. Sawtelle, Implementing a mixed-methods approach to understand students’ self-efficacy: A pilot study, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Henderson.
Examining student understanding of matrix algebra and eigentheory
Pachi Her and Michael E. Loverude
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 210-215, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Her
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Matrix algebra and eigentheory are important to students’ learning of physics in upper division physics courses. In this study, we investigated how students apply matrix algebra and eigentheory in various physics contexts, excluding quantum mechanics. The data collected consist of student written responses taken from a math methods course. We used the Physical-Mathematical Model (Uhden et al., 2011) to categorize each question by the three skills the model presents: mathematization, interpretation, and technical operation. The results from our data show that students have difficulty with mathematizing and interpreting the mathematical and physical system of a matrix equation, but are fluent in technical operations. We will present examples of student responses illustrating student reasoning, and discuss implications for classroom instruction.
P. Her and M. E. Loverude, Examining student understanding of matrix algebra and eigentheory, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Her.
Investigating students' views about the role of writing in physics lab classes
Jessica R. Hoehn and H. J. Lewandowski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 216-221, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Hoehn
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Writing is an important aspect of experimental physics. Physics laboratory classes typically engage students in scientific documentation and writing in the forms of lab notebooks, reports, or proposals. Instructors of these classes may have a variety of motivations for incorporating writing. We previously developed a framework for thinking about the role of writing in physics lab classes that lists and categorizes possible goals instructors may have for writing. Here, we use that framework as a research tool to investigate students’ views about, and experiences with, writing in lab classes, and experimental physics more generally. We present results of an analysis of student responses to weekly reflection questions throughout one semester of an advanced lab class. The results suggest that students think about writing in a variety of ways, and that the context and framing of the course may impact student thinking about the purpose of writing.
J. R. Hoehn and H. J. Lewandowski, Investigating students' views about the role of writing in physics lab classes, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Hoehn.
Investigating Upper-Division Students' Interpretations of the Divergence Theorem
James A. Huffman, Michael Vignal, and Bethany R. Wilcox
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 222-227, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Huffman
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The divergence theorem is an important mathematical tool used in many areas of physics, most notably, electricity and magnetism. Students have nominally encountered the divergence theorem in their math courses; however, its application in physics often differs meaningfully from its application in a pure math context. In this paper, we investigate physics students’ understanding and interpretation of the divergence theorem through written responses to a brief two-part prompt which was designed to elicit separate responses for students’ literal and qualitative interpretations of the divergence theorem. This differentiated between understanding the mathematical statement and being able to interpret its fundamental meaning. We found that students provided moderately successful literal interpretations but provided fewer meaningful qualitative interpretations. We also found that the ability to accurately translate the mathematical statement of the divergence theorem appeared to be a necessary, but not sufficient condition for being able to provide a meaningful
interpretation.
J. A. Huffman, M. Vignal, and B. R. Wilcox, Investigating Upper-Division Students' Interpretations of the Divergence Theorem, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Huffman.
Exploratory Factor Analysis of a survey on group-exam experiences and subsequent investigation of the role of group familiarity
Joss Ives, Jared B. Stang, José Arias-Bustamente, Patrick J. Dubois, and Analise Hofmann
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 228-233, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Ives
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We report on an exploratory study in which we investigate the factor structure of an in-development survey on student experiences during group exams and subsequently examine how these factors can be modelled using performance and self-reported performance measures, while focusing on the role of group familiarity because it is a measure that we could influence with interventions. We ran an Exploratory Factor Analysis on a suite of questions that sought to investigate aspects of their group-exam experience, such as participation equity, the prevalence of productive group-work behaviours, and their personal experiences within the group. After stepwise item removal that took us from an item pool of twenty-one down to fourteen, our Exploratory Factor Analysis saw a four-factor structure emerge as the preferred option, consistent with the dominant focus of our underlying question design. The four factors that emerged---"presence of under-contributors", "presence of dominators", "productive group-work behaviours" and "personal experience"---and the questions that were removed as part of the factor analysis process indicate directions for future question development. These results suggest that our survey could be sensitive to the impact of interventions designed to improve overall student experience in group exams by targeting improvements in sense of academic familiarity with their groupmates, participation equity or productive group-work behaviours.
J. Ives, J. B. Stang, J. Arias-Bustamente, P. J. Dubois, and A. Hofmann, Exploratory Factor Analysis of a survey on group-exam experiences and subsequent investigation of the role of group familiarity, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Ives.
Assessment feedback: A tool to promote scientific practices in upper-division
Amali Priyanka Jambuge, Katherine D. Rainey, Bethany R. Wilcox, and James T. Laverty
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 234-239, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Jambuge
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Students’ scores on assessments play a vital role in course modifications, though their effectiveness relies on the quality of the interpretation of these scores. We adapt the notion of assessments as a change agent so that a well-developed rubric accompanied by intentionally designed instructor feedback can act as a tool to inform course improvement. In conjunction with work developing a standardized upper-division thermal physics assessment, this pilot work articulates a methodology to determine feedback for instructors to inform how well their courses support students in meeting learning goals. In this paper, we present an example using a task targeting the scientific practice of “using mathematics” to explicate this methodology. This work highlights the importance of assessment feedback to inform explicit course modifications in physics.
A. P. Jambuge, K. D. Rainey, B. R. Wilcox, and J. T. Laverty, Assessment feedback: A tool to promote scientific practices in upper-division, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Jambuge.
How do gender and inchargeness interact to affect equity in lab group interactions?
Sophia M. Jeon, Z. Yasemin Kalender, Eleanor C. Sayre, and N. G. Holmes
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 240-245, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Jeon
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In physics lab groups, students experience a wide range of equitable and inequitable interactions. After observing videos of students collaborating in an introductory physics lab, we defined that an equitable group is one in which every student’s bids are heard by their peers. We developed a methodology to characterize different lab groups by tracking students’ bid exchanges and assessing their levels of inchargeness. The analysis of equitable and inequitable groups showed that lab groups where one student is in charge can be equitable, as long as each group member’s opinions are acknowledged. We also found that gender and inchargeness do not sufficiently predict the equity of student groups. Based on these results, we argue that students that are in charge use their inchargeness to make their groups either equitable or inequitable. Future work will explore whether additional variables interact with inchargeness to predict levels of equity in group work.
S. M. Jeon, Z. Y. Kalender, E. C. Sayre, and N. G. Holmes, How do gender and inchargeness interact to affect equity in lab group interactions?, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Jeon.
Examining consistency of student errors in vector operations using module analysis
Nekeisha Johnson and John B. Buncher
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 246-251, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Johnson
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It has been well documented that introductory physics students struggle with vector addition and subtraction. We use the results of a multiple-choice assessment on one-dimensional vector addition and subtraction, administered to students in a large-enrollment algebra-based physics sequence, to explore the consistency in the types of errors students make. The assessment was analyzed using Module Analysis for Multiple Choice Responses, a type of network analysis that highlights groups of responses commonly given together. We find evidence for five distinct modules that are consistent across multiple semesters. Of these groups, two support the method of “closing-the-loop”, two are consistent with students performing the wrong operation, and one suggests that students provide an answer independently of whether they were prompted to add or subtract two vectors, though only for vectors that are anti-aligned.
N. Johnson and J. B. Buncher, Examining consistency of student errors in vector operations using module analysis, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Johnson.
Instructional Pragmatism: Using a variety of evidence-based approaches flexibly to improve learning
Paul Justice, Emily Marshman, and Chandralekha Singh
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 252-258, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Justice
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Instructional pragmatism is essential for successfully adapting evidence-based active engagement (EBAE) approaches and involves instructors viewing improving teaching and learning as a process. Promoting and supporting instructional pragmatism is critical for ensuring that instructors are not disheartened if EBAE approaches do not produce desired outcome. Cultivating instructional pragmatism entails supporting instructors so that they recognize the value of being patient and optimistic while adapting EBAE approaches and keep a variety of approaches in their instructional toolbox. Here we illustrate an example of instructional pragmatism in which a quantum mechanics instructor did not give up when an EBAE method involving implementation of a sequence of clicker questions on addition of angular momentum did not yield expected learning outcomes. Encouraging instructors to embrace instructional pragmatism and creating a community of educators who support each other and discuss their implementation of EBAE approaches can go a long way in helping students learn physics.
P. Justice, E. Marshman, and C. Singh, Instructional Pragmatism: Using a variety of evidence-based approaches flexibly to improve learning, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Justice.
Sense of agency, gender, and students’ perception in open-ended physics labs
Z. Yasemin Kalender, Martin M. Stein, and N. G. Holmes
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 259-265, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Kalender
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Instructional physics labs are critical junctures for many STEM majors to develop an understanding of experimentation in the sciences. Students can acquire useful experimental skills and grow their identities as scientists. However, many traditionally-instructed labs do not necessarily involve authentic physics experimentation features in their curricula. Recent research calls for a reformation in undergraduate labs to incorporate more student agency and choice in the learning processes. In our institution, we have adopted open-ended lab teaching in the introductory physics courses. By using reformed curricula that provide higher student agency, we analyzed approximately 100 students in the introductory-level lab courses to examine their views towards the open-ended physics labs. Between the start and the end of the semester, we found a statistically significant shift in students’ perceptions about the agency afforded in lab activities. We also examined students’ responses to "Which lab unit was your favorite and why?". The analysis showed that majority of the students preferred Project Lab, which had the highest student agency and coding analysis showed that "freedom" was the most frequent response for students’ reason for picking Project Lab. Finally, we also examined student views across gender and found no significant gender effect on students’ sense of agency.
Z. Y. Kalender, M. M. Stein, and N. G. Holmes, Sense of agency, gender, and students’ perception in open-ended physics labs, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Kalender.
Investigating student understanding of the stationary state wavefunction for a system of identical particles
Christof Keebaugh, Emily Marshman, and Chandralekha Singh
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 266-271, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Keebaugh
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We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with concepts related to the many-particle stationary state wavefunction for a system of non-interacting fermions or bosons in cases in which the many-particle stationary state wavefunction can be written as the product of the spatial and spin parts. The investigation was carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. We find that students share many common difficulties related to these concepts. Many students struggled to write a many-particle stationary state wavefunction consistent with the symmetrization requirements for the system, i.e., a completely antisymmetric wavefunction for a system of fermions or a completely symmetric wavefunction for a system of bosons. We discuss the common difficulties pertaining to these concepts that can be used as a guide to develop research-validated learning tools.
C. Keebaugh, E. Marshman, and C. Singh, Investigating student understanding of the stationary state wavefunction for a system of identical particles, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Keebaugh.
Pedagogy training for the development of GTA mindsets and inclusive teaching practices
Caitlin Kepple, Marakee Tilahun, Natalia Matti, and Kim Coble
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 272-277, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Kepple
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The Physics and Astronomy Department at a large, diverse, master’s-granting university has recently implemented a pedagogy training course for graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Using survey and interview testimonies from GTAs and other lab instructors over the course of three semesters, we identify potential areas of growth that can result from taking the pedagogy course. These areas include: developing a growth mindset and asset-based thinking, identifying the need for inclusive teaching practices, and implementing such practices. To help inform future pedagogy training courses, we have identified four personas that represent key archetypes of instructors that are likely to teach physics and astronomy labs. By cross-examining both sets of data, we have observed multiple areas that each persona is likely to develop as a result of training. We aim to use these results as evidence to further demonstrate the necessity for professional development for early career instructors.
C. Kepple, M. Tilahun, N. Matti, and K. Coble, Pedagogy training for the development of GTA mindsets and inclusive teaching practices, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Kepple.
Re-defining lab norms via professional learning communities of physics teachers
Smadar Levy, Zehorit Kapach, Esther Magen, and Edit Yerushalmi
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 278-283, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Levy
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We present a study of a first step in a large-scale intervention designed to shift lab instruction away from tightly prescribed lab norms. The intervention was implemented in a national network of Professional Learning Communities of high school physics teachers (N=250) operating in a high-stakes exam setting with limited resources, and catering to diverse groups of students. A pre-intervention survey examined learning goals that the teachers value as well as practices taking place in their lab lessons. The findings revealed a gap between the importance that teachers attributed to scientific practices such as experimental design and the manifestation of these goals in the national lab exam. In addition, the survey revealed disparities between the scientific practices that teachers believe that their students engage in during the instructional lab and the practices they identify in physicists' work in research labs. The intervention consisted of a series of Restricted Inquiry Labs (RILs) designed to address the teachers' interest in change as well as the constraints imposed by the setting in which they work by modest restructuring of traditional labs such as encouraging students to reflect on the considerations underlying the experimental design. The intervention proved successful in that half of the teachers reported that they introduced the RILs. They described students' engagement when granted more autonomy in designing an experiment, as well as students' difficulties in coping with a more open-ended task. Implementation of the RILs also created challenges in class management. Despite these challenges, most teachers reported that they intended to keep using RILs. Teachers asked to re-design assessment policies to emphasize scientific inquiry. The RILs proved to be a feasible way to introduce change towards inquiry-oriented labs via professional development programs, while pointing out aspects that need to be addressed to respond to teachers' concerns.
S. Levy, Z. Kapach, E. Magen, and E. Yerushalmi, Re-defining lab norms via professional learning communities of physics teachers, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Levy.
How learning environment predicts male and female students’ physics motivational beliefs in introductory physics courses
Yangqiuting Li, Kyle M. Whitcomb, and Chandralekha Singh
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 284-290, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Li
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In this study, we adapt prior identity framework to investigate the effect of learning environment (including perceived recognition, peer interaction and sense of belonging) on students’ physics self-efficacy, interest and identity by controlling for their self-efficacy and interest at the beginning of a calculus-based introductory physics course. We surveyed 1203 students, 35% of whom were women. We found that female students’ physics self-efficacy and interest were lower than male students’ at the beginning of the course, and the gender gaps in these motivational constructs became even larger by the end of the course. Analysis revealed that the decrease in students’ physics self-efficacy and interest were mediated by the learning environment and ultimately affected students’ physics identity. Our model shows that perceived recognition played a major role in explaining students’ physics identity, and students’ sense of belonging in physics played an important role in explaining the change in students’ physics self-efficacy.
Y. Li, K. M. Whitcomb, and C. Singh, How learning environment predicts male and female students’ physics motivational beliefs in introductory physics courses, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Li.
College faculty support for grade 7-12 teaching careers: survey results and comparisons to student perceptions
Savannah L. Logan, Jared B. Breakall, Richard L. Pearson III, and Wendy K. Adams
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 291-296, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Logan
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The United States is facing a critical shortage of grade 7-12 teachers in the STEM disciplines, particularly in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Faculty members play a major role in their students’ career choices, and faculty members’ perceptions of the profession may determine whether students choose to pursue teaching. To this end, we developed two surveys to measure student and faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching. We found that both groups hold many incorrect beliefs about teaching careers. Furthermore, we found that faculty members believe they are quite supportive of future teachers, while students perceive that they are less supportive. Our findings highlight the need for both faculty members and students to be informed about the benefits of careers in grade 7-12 teaching. Additionally, our results suggest that faculty members should work to dispel their internal biases surrounding the teaching profession, which may inadvertently drive students away from grade 7-12 teaching.
S. L. Logan, J. B. Breakall, R. L. Pearson III, and W. K. Adams, College faculty support for grade 7-12 teaching careers: survey results and comparisons to student perceptions, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Logan.
Research Projects in Science Education for Preschool, Evolution, and Results in Curriculum Development, Evaluation Tools, and Teacher Workshops.
Diana Berenice López-Tavares, Mario Humberto Ramírez-Díaz, and Soraida Zúñiga-Martínez
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 297-302, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Lopez-Tavares
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The national preschool curriculum in Mexico considers 80 hours for learning science during the school year. Early child science education is essential for developing skills and positive attitudes toward science. However, for the instruction to be successful, teachers must have adequate knowledge of science and science didactic. In the case of Mexico, preschool science curriculum and teacher preparation are insufficient. There are few professional development courses for in-service and pre-service teachers, and the material and textbooks for this educational level is limited. The Department of Physics Education of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) in Mexico had different projects that involve the design of curriculum, experiment manuals, evaluation tools, postgrad thesis, and teacher professional development workshops. This work presents the results and analysis of the evolution of these projects and their influence in classrooms.
D. B. López-Tavares, M. H. Ramírez-Díaz, and S. Zúñiga-Martínez, Research Projects in Science Education for Preschool, Evolution, and Results in Curriculum Development, Evaluation Tools, and Teacher Workshops., 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Lopez-Tavares.
(Re)imagining success through photovoice: Highlighting a research and teaching strategy that could be useful in physics/STEM education
L. Trenton S. Marsh
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 303-308, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Marsh
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Students, especially those facing multiple marginalization, often have limited exposure to opportunities to formulate and express their opinions and interests. This article highlights the use of photovoice, a participatory qualitative research method that enables participants to capture and communicate their perceptions, reality, and social landscapes using the power of visual imagery. Working with minoritized students attending a public charter middle school, the photovoice project reveals how students (re)imagine success and how these conceptualizations mirror a preferred learning style. A style which is in juxtaposition to the analytic approach offered in their charter school. The photovoice method could be useful in the physics/STEM education research community, particularly to reshape how “bridge programs” that prepare minoritized students to enter STEM degree programs, might (re)imagine success by empowering participants in those programs to share what success looks like to them.
L. T. S. Marsh, (Re)imagining success through photovoice: Highlighting a research and teaching strategy that could be useful in physics/STEM education, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Marsh.
Improving student understanding of Dirac notation by using analogical reasoning in the context of a three-dimensional vector space
Emily Marshman and Chandralekha Singh
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 309-314, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Marshman
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Dirac notation is a compact and elegant notation taught to students in advanced quantum mechanics courses. However, students struggle to master Dirac notation and have difficulty translating between the Dirac notation and representations of the same quantum mechanical entity in different situations. We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with Dirac notation in the context of a three-dimensional vector space and the development, validation and evaluation of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) that uses analogical reasoning to improve student understanding of this notation. The QuILT uses analogical reasoning and builds on students’ prior knowledge of three-dimensional vectors in the familiar context of introductory mechanicsto help students build a coherent understanding of Dirac notation before transitioning to the quantum mechanical context. We summarize the development and validation of the QuILT and findings from the inclass evaluation.
E. Marshman and C. Singh, Improving student understanding of Dirac notation by using analogical reasoning in the context of a three-dimensional vector space, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Marshman.
Students’ dynamic engagement with experimental data in a physics laboratory setting
Jason M. May, Lauren A. Barth-Cohen, Jordan M. Gerton, and Claudia De Grandi
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 315-320, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.May
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Increased emphasis has been given to students’ engagement with experimental data as reform efforts have continued to transform the landscape of introductory physics laboratory courses by providing greater oppor- tunities for authentic scientific inquiry and student agency. As a result, students become the primary driving forces of their own experimentation, and the manner in which they engage with experimental data becomes more complex and nonlinear. This study presents ongoing efforts to illuminate the nuanced ways students enact various data-based actions when engaging in physics laboratory experiments. In this paper, we present a single case-study analysis of a student group engaging in an inquiry-based physics laboratory to highlight the complex and iterative ways the group shifts between multiple data-based actions when expected to be engaging in a single laboratory task. Research data comes from audio and video files of students’ computers while they engaged in lab experimentation, coded using a constructivist grounded theory approach to identify multiple data-based ac- tions performed by the students. Results of this case study show that students oftentimes shift between multiple data-based actions on short timescales and that these shifts can take place with implicit iterative patterns, even when the instructional setting is structured for a single experimental task.
J. M. May, L. A. Barth-Cohen, J. M. Gerton, and C. De Grandi, Students’ dynamic engagement with experimental data in a physics laboratory setting, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.May.
Team-based learning in physics courses
Michele W. McColgan, Rose A. Finn, George E. Hassel, and Zuleyha Yuksek
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 321-326, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.McColgan
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A study of the impact of team-based learning (TBL), an active learning teaching strategy developed by Larry Michaelsen of the University of Oklahoma, was conducted to determine the impact of TBL on students in introductory and upper-level physics courses. The study was designed to use institutional data to determine whether TBL increase retention of physics majors. A survey, the physics TBL survey (PTS), was developed and used to understand student experiences with TBL in the classroom. We found that TBL increased retention of physics majors overall and specifically in the critical freshmen and sophomore years. The results from the study show that students value TBL favorably for both introductory and upper-level physics courses over 8 different measures. Introductory students ranked the learning of physics, the effectiveness of the TBL format for physics courses, and the value of the team experience higher than the upper-level physics students. Finally, students indicate that TBL is a less intimidating classroom format, they appreciate instant feedback because it helps them to learn more quickly and keeps them engaged in class, they find peer explanations of new physics topics to be valuable, and they are find that the readiness assurance process keeps them motivated and accountable.
M. W. McColgan, R. A. Finn, G. E. Hassel, and Z. Yuksek, Team-based learning in physics courses, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.McColgan.
Investigating a collaborative group exam as an instructional tool to address student reasoning difficulties that remain even after instruction
Alistair McInerny and Mila Kryjevskaia
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 327-333, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.McInerny
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Many students tend to provide intuitively appealing (but incorrect) responses to some physics questions despite demonstrating (on isomorphic questions) the formal knowledge necessary to reason correctly. These inconsistencies in reasoning are persistent and remain even after evidence-based instruction. This project probed whether a collaborative group exam could serve not only as an innovative assessment tool but also as an instructional intervention that helps address persistent reasoning difficulties. Specifically, students were given opportunities to revisit their answers to questions known to elicit intuitively appealing responses in a collaborative group exam component immediately following a traditional individual exam. The efficacy of this approach was compared to that of a more traditional instructor-led exam review session. Both approaches yielded moderate improvements in performance on the final exam. However, additional multi-faceted data analysis provided further insights into student reasoning difficulties that suggested further implication for instruction and research.
A. McInerny and M. Kryjevskaia, Investigating a collaborative group exam as an instructional tool to address student reasoning difficulties that remain even after instruction, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.McInerny.
Characteristics of institutions with Learning Assistant programs: An equity investigation
Alexa McQuade, Jayson M. Nissen, and Manher Jariwala
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 334-339, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.McQuade
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Learning Assistant (LA) programs support instructors in transforming their courses to use evidence-based instructional strategies. We investigated the types of institutions that have LA programs to better understand how the distribution of those programs supports education across institutions. Using public websites and databases, we compared schools with and without LA programs, looking at a variety of institutional characteristics to determine whether the distribution of LA programs is equitable across different types of institutions. The results indicated that the majority of LA programs were at large-enrollment, public, research-intensive, four-year institutions. Minority serving institutions (MSIs) were equally well represented in the institutions with LA programs. MSIs with LA programs were, however, more likely than non-MSIs with LA programs to be teaching-intensive or two-year colleges. Further expanding the LA model into teaching-intensive and two-year colleges will more equitably share the benefits of the LA model with students from minoritized groups.
A. McQuade, J. M. Nissen, and M. Jariwala, Characteristics of institutions with Learning Assistant programs: An equity investigation, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.McQuade.
The physics classroom as a space for empowerment
Khadíjih Mitchell-Polka, William E. Lindsay, Julian Stenzel Martins, and Valerie K. Otero
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 340-345, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Mitchell-Polka
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This paper reports on initial work to develop a framework on empowerment through physics education. Theories from multiple disciplines and research in physics education research informed this framework, alongside leveraging student reflections from four university physics courses for non-science majors. The resulting framework contains five dimensions of empowerment through physics: academic, social, political, emotional, and epistemic. This paper outlines and give examples of students’ written work where markers of these dimensions manifested. Self-advocacy was identified as a thread that connects each dimension and opportunities for future research on empowerment in the physics classroom are discussed.
K. Mitchell-Polka, W. E. Lindsay, J. S. Martins, and V. K. Otero, The physics classroom as a space for empowerment, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Mitchell-Polka.
Toward characterizing the demographics of introductory physics courses
Raphael Mondesir and Amy D. Robertson
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 346-351, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Mondesir
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Recent work by Kanim and Cid suggests that the data used in PER is not representative of students enrolled in physics courses at the national level. Using university-level demographics, Kanim and Cid showed that PER studies oversample from white, wealthy, mathematically-prepared populations of students. What we do not yet know is whether these university-level demographics are representative of introductory physics courses, which are a primary site of research in PER. In this paper we present data from six US institutions, comparing the composition of introductory physics classes to aggregate university demographics in terms of gender and race and/or ethnicity. Our aim is to make progress in characterizing the demographics of introductory physics courses, which is imperative to deepening our understanding of how social disparity is manifested in physics classrooms and the institutions that host them. We discuss limitations of our approach, including problematizing the use of statistics to make sense of who is enrolling in introductory physics.
R. Mondesir and A. D. Robertson, Toward characterizing the demographics of introductory physics courses, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Mondesir.
An Investigation of Degree Pathways for Students of Color with Transfer Credits
Camila Monsalve, Rachel Henderson, and Vashti Sawtelle
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 352-357, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Monsalve
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Nationally, about 80% of two-year college (TYC) students intend to obtain a bachelor's degree; however, only 13% successfully do so. Recently, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Complete College America movement to increase the completion rates of TYC students in the state of Michigan. Here, we use institutional data from Michigan State University (MSU) to explore TYC transfer students pathways through an undergraduate STEM program. We define TYC transfer students as one who transferred at least one credit from any TYC to MSU; 30% of students sitting in a STEM class are TYC transfer students at MSU. In this paper, we describe the assorted degree pathways that TYC transfer students take to complete a bachelor’s degree in STEM programs. We will also investigate how these pathways change for different race/ethnicity markers
C. Monsalve, R. Henderson, and V. Sawtelle, An Investigation of Degree Pathways for Students of Color with Transfer Credits, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Monsalve.
Design Principles to Support Physics and Engineering Learning in Complementary Classrooms and Field Trip Activities
Alexandria Muller, Ron K. Skinner, Tarah Connolly, Devon M. Christman, and Danielle B. Harlow
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 358-363, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Muller
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We present design principles for leveraging the affordances of schools and an interactive physical science museum to design curriculum modules that result in students learning physics through the practices of science and engineering. The modules include a field trip program and pre and post activities implemented in elementary school classrooms. The design principles are the result of research conducted during the first two years of a three-year design-based implementation research (DBIR) project and conducted through a long term Research-Practice Partnership (RPP) and on iterative development and testing the field trips and activities with 18 classrooms ranging from grades 1 through 6 and representing a range of demographics.
A. Muller, R. K. Skinner, T. Connolly, D. M. Christman, and D. B. Harlow, Design Principles to Support Physics and Engineering Learning in Complementary Classrooms and Field Trip Activities, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Muller.
Student perspective about the impacts of feedback
Carissa Myers, Rachel Henderson, Daryl R. McPadden, and Paul W. Irving
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 364-369, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Myers
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Projects and Practices in Physics (P-Cubed) is a flipped, problem-based learning course for introductory, calculus-based mechanics. P-Cubed was designed using the communities of practice framework, with a principle learning goal to develop scientific practices. To promote students’ development of practices, students spend their in-class time working in groups of 4 to 5 members to solve complex physics problems. Scientific practice development is then facilitated through formative feedback and assessments aligned with the growth in these practice. Each student receives weekly, individualized feedback from their instructor (either a faculty member, teaching assistant or learning assistant) as a practice-based assessment. The feedback focuses on helping students improve their individual understanding and group collaboration through the development of key group-based practices such as decision making and planning. This paper reports on a series of semi-structured interviews that were conducted with students at various points in the semester to understand the impact feedback had on them.
C. Myers, R. Henderson, D. R. McPadden, and P. W. Irving, Student perspective about the impacts of feedback, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Myers.
Participation in an online community of high school physics teachers
Michael Nadeau, Bahar Modir, Robynne M. Lock, and William G. Newton
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 370-375, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Nadeau
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We use the theory of community of practice to describe high school physics teachers’ participation in the context of an online discussion board as part of a new online Master program in physics with teaching emphasis. In each class, the core component of the design, requires students to participate in weekly problem solving and bi-weekly reading discussion boards. We apply social network analysis measures to quantify the community interactions formed in the context of a nine-week summer course of classical mechanics for educators. Our findings revealed fluctuations in the problem solving discussion boards; a result of the structural features of the course. The participation in the reading discussion boards showed a less variation comparatively. To further analyze the results and reveal the course’s structural features, we characterized posts by looking for emergent themes.
M. Nadeau, B. Modir, R. M. Lock, and W. G. Newton, Participation in an online community of high school physics teachers, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Nadeau.
Online administration of a reasoning inventory in development
Alexis Olsho, Suzanne White Brahmia, Charlotte Zimmerman, Trevor I. Smith, Philip Eaton, and Andrew Boudreaux
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 376-381, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Olsho
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We are developing the Physics Inventory of Quantitative Literacy (PIQL), a new research based assessment (RBA) focused on quantitative reasoning—rather than conceptual understanding—in physics contexts. We rapidly moved administration of the PIQL online in Spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We present our experiences with online, unproctored administration of an RBA in development to students enrolled in a large-enrollment, calculus-based, introductory physics course. We describe our attempts to adhere to best practices on a limited time frame, and present a preliminary analysis of the results, comparing results from the online administration to earlier results from in-person, proctored administration. We include discussion of online administration of multiple-choice/multiple-response (MCMR) items, which we use on the instrument as a way to probe multiple facets of student reasoning. Our initial comparison indicates little difference between online and paper administrations of the PIQL, except for performance MCMR items.
A. Olsho, S. W. Brahmia, C. Zimmerman, T. I. Smith, P. Eaton, and A. Boudreaux, Online administration of a reasoning inventory in development, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Olsho.
Physics GRE Requirements Create Uneven Playing Field for Graduate Applicants
Lindsay M. Owens, Benjamin M. Zwickl, Scott V. Franklin, and Casey W. Miller
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 382-387, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Owens
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The use of the Physics GRE in graduate admissions has gained considerable attention in recent years. While studies have shown the problematic nature of the exam quantitatively, it is time that student experiences were also included in the discussion. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 69 current graduate physics and astronomy students about their process of deciding where to apply to graduate school. Physics GRE requirements played a substantial role in this decision, with 48 students mentioning the test as part of their process to narrow programs down to a personalized short-list. Participants discussed potential barriers (e.g., financial and travel) that affected some students, but not others, which created an unequal playing field for grad school applicants. Secondly, while the participants noticed a shift towards more departments having "optional'' GRE language, female student participants still felt the need to take and submit their Physics GRE scores, while male student participants truly saw "optional'' as optional. These results suggest that graduate programs requiring the Physics GRE are doing more than asking prospective graduate students to simply take a physics test, and that the use of 'optional' requirement language may be inadvertently disadvantaging the very students that they are trying to recruit.
L. M. Owens, B. M. Zwickl, S. V. Franklin, and C. W. Miller, Physics GRE Requirements Create Uneven Playing Field for Graduate Applicants, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Owens.
Students’ pre-instructional perspectives of quantum physics
Zac Patterson and Lin Ding
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 388-393, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Patterson
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Student exposure to modern physics topics (e.g., quantum mechanics, special relativity) is severely limited in k-12 education, but the inclusion of such topics in secondary physics curricula has gained momentum since the turn of the 21st century. Secondary physics curricula in the U.S. predominantly focus on physics content established prior to the 20th century, such as Newtonian mechanics, and rarely address modern topics like quantum physics. Even so, students are still frequently exposed to terms such as quantum physics through a variety of contexts prior to post-secondary education. An analysis of secondary student views of quantum physics may prove valuable to the research community and in the development and implementation of introductory quantum physics curricula. The aim of this study is to analyze secondary student perspectives of the term quantum physics. To do so, a group of secondary physics students were asked to complete a word-association test to establish a baseline of commonalities among student perspectives. The results of the tests revealed significant commonalities among student perspectives of quantum physics with the most common association being complexity. The results of the tests also revealed that students lack a relevant understanding of quantum physics principles prior to formal instruction and often view the topic as a complex version of classical physics.
Z. Patterson and L. Ding, Students’ pre-instructional perspectives of quantum physics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Patterson.
Faculty perception insights obtained from faculty interviews during the development of the Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession in Higher Education (PTaP.HE) instrument
Richard L. Pearson III, Savannah L. Logan, and Wendy K. Adams
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 394-399, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Pearson_III
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Results from the Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession (PTaP) instrument—which measures views students have of the grade 7-12 teaching career—prompted the development of a parallel instrument to measure the perceptions of the grade 7-12 teaching profession in the eyes of those advising and influencing student opinions of the profession: the faculty. Thirty faculty interviews were conducted across four different institutions of higher education as part of the development of the Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession in Higher Education (PTaP.HE) instrument, which investigates faculty opinions, accuracy of information, and thoughts regarding grade 7-12 teaching. The instrument measures the perceived supportive (or unsupportive) nature of a department towards the teaching profession, guide teacher preparation organizations on how to approach faculty, and correlate students’ perceptions with their influencers. Faculty interviews verified statement interpretation consistency, while also providing anecdotal insights into faculty views.
R. L. Pearson III, S. L. Logan, and W. K. Adams, Faculty perception insights obtained from faculty interviews during the development of the Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession in Higher Education (PTaP.HE) instrument, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Pearson_III.
Creating a coupled multiple response assessment for modeling in lab courses
Benjamin Pollard, Michael F. J. Fox, Laura Ríos, and H. J. Lewandowski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 400-405, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Pollard
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Research-based assessment instruments (RBAIs) are essential tools to measure aspects of student learning and improve pedagogical practice. RBAIs are designed to measure constructs related to a well-defined learning goal. However, relatively few RBAIs exist that are suitable for the specific learning goals of upper-division physics lab courses. One such learning goal is modeling, the process of constructing, testing, and refining models of physical and measurement systems. Here, we describe the creation of one component of an RBAI to measure proficiency with modeling. The RBAI is called the Modeling Assessment for Physics Laboratory Experiments (MAPLE). For use with large numbers of students, MAPLE must be scalable, which includes not requiring impractical amounts of labor to analyze its data as is often the case with large free-response assessments. We, therefore, use the coupled multiple response (CMR) format, from which data can be analyzed by a computer, to create items for measuring student reasoning in this component of MAPLE.We describe the process we used to create a set of CMR items for MAPLE, provide an example of this process for an item, and lay out an argument for construct validity of the resulting items based on our process.
B. Pollard, M. F. J. Fox, L. Ríos, and H. J. Lewandowski, Creating a coupled multiple response assessment for modeling in lab courses, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Pollard.
Exploratory factor analysis of the QMCA
Adam Quaal, Gina Passante, Steven J. Pollock, and Homeyra R. Sadaghiani
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 406-411, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Quaal
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This investigation is situated within an ongoing project which seeks to understand student thinking in upper-division introductory quantum mechanics courses. Recently, the Quantum Mechanics Concept Assessment (QMCA) was revised to include additional items in spin-basis contexts to reflect the rising prevalence of the “spins-first” instructional paradigm. In this work, we utilize exploratory factor analysis to group items on the QMCA based on common variance. Student responses were collected from several large institutions over the 2018-2019 academic year, with the three largest institutions following a “spins-first” curriculum. In interpreting our factor structure, we focus on the placement of isomorphic questions and the original concept framework of the QMCA, as well as a tentative interpretation of factor groupings. We conclude by discussing how these groupings may be further investigated, as well as implications for subsequent iterations of the QMCA and research on student thinking in these two contexts.
A. Quaal, G. Passante, S. J. Pollock, and H. R. Sadaghiani, Exploratory factor analysis of the QMCA, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Quaal.
Understanding physics identity development through the identity performances of Black, Indigenous, and women of color and LGBTQ+ women in physics
Xandria R. Quichocho, Erin M. Schipull, and Eleanor W. Close
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 412-417, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Quichocho
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Identity development is critical to student retention in physics degree programs. Historically, research on physics identity has been conducted at Predominately White Institutions and has largely ignoring the unique identity intersections experienced by Black, Indigenous, and women of color (BIWOC) and women who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+). In this study, we adopt the theory of identity as performance to better understand how multiply-marginalized students negotiate their multiple intersectional identities in their environments. We conducted semi-structured interviews with women who identify as racial minorities and/or as LGBTQ+ at two Hispanic-Serving Institutions located in Central Texas. Our analysis focuses on the way students fragment or integrate their identities in the physics setting and how this may affect their view of themselves as physicists.
X. R. Quichocho, E. M. Schipull, and E. W. Close, Understanding physics identity development through the identity performances of Black, Indigenous, and women of color and LGBTQ+ women in physics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Quichocho.
Developing coupled, multiple-response assessment items addressing scientific practices
Katherine D. Rainey, Amali Priyanka Jambuge, James T. Laverty, and Bethany R. Wilcox
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 418-423, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Rainey
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Science education literature has called for blending of scientific practices with conceptual knowledge in higher education. With this move, there must also come a shift in the ways we assess students. To date, most research-based assessments place their main focus on conceptual knowledge as opposed to scientific practices, which may in part be due to the difficult nature of assessing scientific practices. Additionally, most assessment items addressing scientific practices are in free-response formats, which require in-class administration and scoring by hand, which can be onerous. Coupled, multiple-response (CMR) items pose a unique opportunity for assessing scientific practices because they elicit student reasoning while also allowing for streamlined, automated scoring. Grounded in Evidence-Centered Design, in this paper, we present the first stages in developing a generalizable process for creating CMR items that address scientific practices. We illustrate this process through an example from upper-division thermal physics.
K. D. Rainey, A. P. Jambuge, J. T. Laverty, and B. R. Wilcox, Developing coupled, multiple-response assessment items addressing scientific practices, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Rainey.
Comparative analysis of letters and reports in an upper-division lab
Charles L. Ramey II, Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer, and Beth Ann Thacker
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 424-429, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Ramey_II
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In redesigning the Modern Physics Lab at Strive University, we focused its purpose on developing writing skills. In doing that, we implemented the pedagogical method Letters Home, which offers students the ability to practice communication in the form of letters to experts and non-experts. Students were additionally tasked with writing traditional lab reports. This case study investigates 6 students’ completion of 6 writing assignments (letters and reports) to a real audience. We used the AAPT guidelines to develop a qualitative coding scheme with 8 categories, and we used a linguistic analysis software program called LIWC to evaluate the assignments’ authenticity, clout, tone, and analytical thinking. Our results indicate 6 of the 8 coding categories appear in at least 50% of the data. Also, letters to experts and non-experts indicated similarities in analytical thinking. Authenticity scores were higher for letters to non-experts than experts. Overall, letters and reports are similar in terms of both the AAPT-inspired codes and linguistic dimensions probed by LIWC. The similarities between the letters and lab reports from our study may be due to our curriculum redesign.
C. L. Ramey II, D. R. Dounas-Frazer, and B. A. Thacker, Comparative analysis of letters and reports in an upper-division lab, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Ramey_II.
The associations between conceptual learning, physics identity and social interdependence
Miguel Rodriguez and Geoff Potvin
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 430-435, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Rodriguez
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This study was conducted in a Modeling Instruction Introductory Physics I course and investigates whether students’ social interdependence is associated to semester-long conceptual and physics identity gains. In Modeling Instruction, students spend the majority of class time working in small groups leading to varying levels of task and outcome interdependence with other group members. Detailed data were collected to measure pre- to post- conceptual learning and identity gains as well as reported task and outcome interdependence for each student. Students’ pre-semester individualism and cooperation beliefs were also collected as these measures have been shown to be correlated with social interdependence. Linear regressions were conducted to understand associations between interdependence measures and pre-to-post semester differences in students’ conceptual and physics identity measures; notably, students who reported greater levels of initiated task interdependence also had more positive improvements in their beliefs in being recognized as a physics person. A significant positive shift in student’s pre-to-post semester cooperation beliefs was also observed.
M. Rodriguez and G. Potvin, The associations between conceptual learning, physics identity and social interdependence, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Rodriguez.
Investigating partnerships and funding for the Physics Education Research community
Rebecca Rosenblatt
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 436-441, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Rosenblatt
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This study will inform the Physics Education Research (PER) community about patterns of partnerships and collaborations between authors and patterns of funding sources for the PER community over the last ten years. The study involves a text-based analysis of all Physics Education Research Conference (PERC) proceedings between 2010 to 2019 to identify funding sources and to determine patterns. PERC proceedings were selected given the central role of PERC to the PER community. PERC proceedings represent the community across scope of projects from small to large, across stage of projects from beginning to finished, and across investigator experience from new to established researchers. Findings are contrasted with those from the Learning Sciences community to provide context for understanding the significance of patterns. The goal of this work is to provide insight into the community’s history and ten-year trajectory and thus enable the community to move forward in new and better directions.
R. Rosenblatt, Investigating partnerships and funding for the Physics Education Research community, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Rosenblatt.
Question Characteristics and Students’ Epistemic Framing
Qing X. Ryan, Darwin Del Agunos, Scott V. Franklin, Manuel Gomez-Bera, and Eleanor C. Sayre
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 442-447, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Ryan
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Problem-solving is an important skill for undergraduate physics students. In addition to having the basic skills and background knowledge, students’ epistemic framing can play an important role in their ability to solve physics problems. As part of a bigger effort in understanding how to help instructors to better facilitate students’ work, we would like to find out when students proceed through problems in similar ways and the potential relationship between question characteristics and students’ framing to these questions. In this study, we use a two-dimensional theoretical framework (CAMP framework: Conceptual Physics, Algorithmic Physics, Conceptual Math, Algorithmic Math) to analyze and compare different students’ framing to the same set of questions of research-based tutorials in upper-division electricity and magnetism. We present a case study of comparing the self-reported framing of two students as they work through the same set of tutorial problems. Preliminary analysis suggests a correlation between question characteristics and student epistemic framing.
Q. X. Ryan, D. D. Agunos, S. V. Franklin, M. Gomez-Bera, and E. C. Sayre, Question Characteristics and Students’ Epistemic Framing, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Ryan.
Student learning outcomes with hybrid computer simulations and hands-on labs
Sheila Sagear, Emily Allen, Andrew Duffy, and Manher Jariwala
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 448-453, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sagear
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Computer simulations for physics labs may be combined with hands-on lab equipment to boost student understanding and make labs more accessible. Hybrid labs of HTML5-based computer simulations and hands-on lab equipment for topics in mechanics were investigated in a large, algebra-based, studio physics course for life science students at a private, research-intensive institution. Computer simulations were combined with hands-on equipment and compared to traditional hands-on labs using an A/B testing protocol. Learning outcomes were measured for the specific topic of momentum conservation by comparing student scores on post-lab exercises, related quiz and exam questions, and a subset of questions on the Energy and Momentum Conceptual Survey (EMCS) administered before and after instruction for both groups. We find that students who completed a hands-on lab vs. a hybrid lab showed no difference in performance on momentum assessments.
S. Sagear, E. Allen, A. Duffy, and M. Jariwala, Student learning outcomes with hybrid computer simulations and hands-on labs, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sagear.
Analysis of student perceptions of classroom structure, belongingness, and motivation in an introductory physics course
Alfredo X. Sánchez and Laura Ríos
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 454-459, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sanchez
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What motivates a student to learn and how they perceive their classroom structures have a significant effect on learning. In an introductory physics course, we find that in particular students tend to focus on superficial markers of success and not on mastering central concepts. For a foundational course, this is of particular concern. In this study, we present narratives from students highlighting their differing orientations towards achievement and learning, which we roughly categorize as mastery or performance. Our preliminary analysis is the first step towards a framework for student motivation and achievement strategies in introductory physics, and complements work in belonging.
A. X. Sánchez and L. Ríos, Analysis of student perceptions of classroom structure, belongingness, and motivation in an introductory physics course, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sanchez.
Advanced students’ and faculty members’ reasoning about the double slit experiment with single particles
Ryan Sayer, Alexandru Maries, and Chandralekha Singh
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 460-465, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sayer
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We describe an investigation focusing on advanced students’ and faculty members’ reasoning about two questions related to the double-slit experiment with single particles. One question posed was a standard double slit question while the other question was more speculative. First, students in advanced quantum mechanics courses were asked the questions in written form and individual interviews were conducted with six students in which they were asked follow up questions to make their thought processes explicit. We also interviewed five faculty members who had taught modern physics, quantum mechanics and/or solid state physics to understand their reasoning and thought processes. The faculty members’ responses shed light on what it means to think like a physicist. Student responses varied greatly in their correctness and sophistication of reasoning, suggesting that even advanced students need scaffolding support in order to learn to think like a physicist.
R. Sayer, A. Maries, and C. Singh, Advanced students’ and faculty members’ reasoning about the double slit experiment with single particles, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sayer.
Practicing physicists’ knowledge about disability: Development of the Disability and Physics Careers Survey (DPCS)
Erin M. Scanlon, Daniel Oleynik, and Jacquelyn J. Chini
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 466-471, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Scanlon
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Previous research indicated that physics instructors receive little training about supporting people with disabilities, physics curricular materials are not designed to support students with disabilities, and STEM professionals hold more negative views about people with disabilities than their peers in other academic disciplines. We argue that if physics mentors do not know about disability and physics careers, then they will be less likely to appropriately mentor students with disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss the development of, and present pilot study findings for the Disability and Physics Careers Survey (DPCS), which measures practicing physicists’ knowledge about disability and beliefs about the viability of physics career for people with a range of abilities. We collected pilot data at 9 meetings and through a physics listserv; overall 208 participants completed the DPCS. We found that practicing physicists have knowledge about hearing, visual, and emotional/mental health impairments (but not other impairments) and believe the viability of physics careers varies by impairment type.
E. M. Scanlon, D. Oleynik, and J. J. Chini, Practicing physicists’ knowledge about disability: Development of the Disability and Physics Careers Survey (DPCS), 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Scanlon.
Centering and marginalization in introductory university physics courses
Rachel E. Scherr, W. Tali Hairston, and Sarah B. McKagan
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 472-477, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Scherr
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Research-based instructional strategies in physics promote active participation in collaborative activities as a primary means for students to construct understanding. This emphasis is in line with situated learning theory, in which learning is indicated by a student’s increasing centrality in a community. In both perspectives, to learn more is to engage more centrally: to start discussions, conduct experiments, write on the board, decide when a question has been answered, and so on. In a study of small-group collaborative learning activities in introductory physics classrooms at three different universities, we observe that as students engage with one another and with instructors, they are not only negotiating physics concepts, but also negotiating social positioning. Some students are centered (and their contributions are valued), while others are marginalized (and their contributions are neglected). The aim of this research is to become conscious of how centering and marginalization shape the way physics is taught and learned.
R. E. Scherr, W. T. Hairston, and S. B. McKagan, Centering and marginalization in introductory university physics courses, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Scherr.
Qualitative Analysis of Students' Epistemic Framing Surrounding Instructor's Interaction
Amogh Sirnoorkar, Christopher A. F. Hass, Qing X. Ryan, and Eleanor C. Sayre
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 478-483, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sirnoorkar
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As part of a larger study of exploring students’ problem solving in small groups, we investigated how the instructor influences students’ epistemic framing in an upper-division electromagnetism class. We use the CAMP (Conceptual, Algorithmic, Mathematics, Physics) framework to investigate the dynamics of students’ frames surrounding their interaction with the instructor, tracking frame triplets before, during and after the instructor’s intervention during tutorial sessions. We present a case study of one such triplet (AP, CP, AP) by qualitatively analyzing student interaction with the instructor. Careful examination indicates that disagreements during the interaction necessitated the instructor to initiate conceptual discussion thereby causing a frame shift from an algorithmic to a conceptual frame.
A. Sirnoorkar, C. A. F. Hass, Q. X. Ryan, and E. C. Sayre, Qualitative Analysis of Students' Epistemic Framing Surrounding Instructor's Interaction, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sirnoorkar.
“Let’s just pretend”: Students’ shifts in frames during a content-reinforcement lab
Emily M. Smith and N. G. Holmes
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 484-489, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Smith_M
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With ongoing calls to engage students in science through physics lab instruction, understanding how students frame lab environments informs instructional approaches that promote students’ productive engagement. To deliberately identify students’ frames in a new lab environment, two students who were previously in experimentation physics labs were placed together during the first activity of a content-reinforcement lab. The students initially framed the activity as exploring the phenomena and developing investigations, similar to the previous semester. However, their frames rapidly shifted to filling out a worksheet as they watched their peers finishing the lab. These results demonstrate the speed at which students’ frames can dramatically shift as they enter a new lab environment. As goals for lab instruction transition, attending to students frames throughout their undergraduate lab experiences will be vital for promoting positive learning experiences.
E. M. Smith and N. G. Holmes, “Let’s just pretend”: Students’ shifts in frames during a content-reinforcement lab, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Smith_M.
Toward a valid instrument for measuring physics quantitative literacy
Trevor I. Smith, Philip Eaton, Suzanne White Brahmia, Alexis Olsho, Charlotte Zimmerman, and Andrew Boudreaux
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 490-496, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Smith_T
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We have developed the Physics Inventory of Quantitative Literacy (PIQL) as a tool to measure students’ quantitative literacy in the context of introductory physics topics. We present the results from various quantitative analyses used to establish the validity of both the individual items and the PIQL as a whole. We show how examining the results from classical test theory analyses, factor analysis, and item response curves informed decisions regarding the inclusion, removal, or modification of items. We also discuss how the choice to include multiple-choice/multiple-response items has informed both our choices for analyses and the interpretations of their results. We are confident that the most recent version of the PIQL is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring students’ physics quantitative literacy in calculus-based introductory physics courses at our primary research site. More data are needed to establish its validity for use at other institutions and in other courses.
T. I. Smith, P. Eaton, S. W. Brahmia, A. Olsho, C. Zimmerman, and A. Boudreaux, Toward a valid instrument for measuring physics quantitative literacy, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Smith_T.
Exploring the contributions of self-efficacy and test anxiety to gender differences in assessments
Jared B. Stang, Emily Altiere, Joss Ives, and Patrick J. Dubois
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 497-502, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Stang
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The observed performance difference between women and men on assessments in physics-the "gender gap"-is a significant and persistent inequity which has broad implications for the participation of women in physics. Research also shows that gender-based inequities extend to affective measures, such as self-efficacy. In this exploratory study, we report on gender disparities in self-efficacy and test anxiety and their relationship to assessment scores in our active-learning introductory physics course. Overall, gender-based differences in favour of men are observed in all our measures, with women having lower scores on measures associated with success (self-efficacy and assessment scores) and a higher score on a possibly detrimental affective factor (test anxiety). Using a multiple regression model-selection process to explore which measures may explain end-of-course Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and final exam scores, we find that the best fitting models include FCI pretest and self-efficacy as predictors, but do not include test anxiety.
J. B. Stang, E. Altiere, J. Ives, and P. J. Dubois, Exploring the contributions of self-efficacy and test anxiety to gender differences in assessments, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Stang.
Perspectives on informal programs: How site visits can help us learn more
Bryan Stanley, Dena Izadi, and Kathleen A. Hinko
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 503-508, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Stanley
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We are continuing a nationwide effort to develop a systemic understanding of the landscape of informal physics using an organizational theory perspective. We have collected surveys and interviews with informal physics program facilitators, but this information is only from the perspective of the faculty or physics student leaders and does not tell us about the social dynamics within each program. Thus, to complement these data, we need to observe informal physics events as they occur. In this paper, we will discuss our strategy for visits to program sites to observe social interactions between program participants as well as programmatic details in action. We report on an initial site visit to a physics open house event, where we took field-notes and conducted interviews with participating personnel members. Here, we compare the types of data we are able to collect from site visits and interviews/surveys with lead program facilitators.
B. Stanley, D. Izadi, and K. A. Hinko, Perspectives on informal programs: How site visits can help us learn more, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Stanley.
What makes a person a physicist? Learning Assistant and physics major views
Jason T. Starita, Gary D. White, and Tiffany-Rose Sikorski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 509-514, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Starita
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Using the theoretical framework of community of practice and physics identity, we investigate student perceptions of the physics community and competency among undergraduates at George Washington University, a mid-sized private research university. We analyze fifteen interviews of students belonging to three different populations: physics majors who are not Learning Assistants (LAs), physics majors who are LAs, and LAs who are not physics majors. By analyzing themes in participants’ interview responses, we hope to better understand student perceptions of community. In general, physics majors report that they do not perceive themselves as physicists because they do not yet have, in their view, the competencies of professional physicists, yet the rigidity with which they hold onto this perspective is somewhat setting dependent.
J. T. Starita, G. D. White, and T. Sikorski, What makes a person a physicist? Learning Assistant and physics major views, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Starita.
What does the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation pretest measure?
Dona Sachini Hewagallage and John Stewart
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 515-520, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Stewart
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The Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation is commonly used to measure the conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Several studies have reported a substantial difference in pretest scores between men and women. This study examines the contribution of several prior preparation factors to explain the variance in pretest score and whether these factors explain gender differences in the pretest score. The study examined a large sample (N = 1060) of students taking introductory calculus-based mechanics at the university level. Women outperformed men on most prior preparation and college achievement measures. No significant differences between men and women were found in high school physics taking patterns. Linear regression analysis showed only 23% of the variance in FMCE pretest score could be explained using a linear combination of prior preparation variables. Controlling for these variables failed to explain the gender difference in pretest scores; conversely, the gender difference increased controlling for prior preparation.
D. S. Hewagallage and J. Stewart, What does the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation pretest measure?, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Stewart.
PhysPort as professional development to foster creativity in teaching
Linda E. Strubbe, Adrian M. Madsen, Sarah B. McKagan, and Eleanor C. Sayre
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 521-526, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Strubbe
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nstructor professional development in physics often focuses on a linear path towards using research-based teaching methods. However, this does not reflect how instructors frame their teaching. Instead, we propose a professional development focus on supporting physics instructors’ creativity in teaching. Creativity is important as instructors teach in diverse contexts and hold diverse educational values. Creativity research indicates that having a well-structured space to explore many ideas can support creativity. We investigate this for the case of PhysPort, a website for physics professional development. We present results from interviews with PhysPort users, to show how they joyfully explore, feel trust in materials on the site because they are research-based, and use ideas from PhysPort creatively. We also discuss how better site organization could support users’ creativity more. Through this case study, we encourage designers of instructor professional development to consider supporting instructors’ teaching creativity as a key goal.
L. E. Strubbe, A. M. Madsen, S. B. McKagan, and E. C. Sayre, PhysPort as professional development to foster creativity in teaching, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Strubbe.
Student reasoning about sources of experimental measurement uncertainty in quantum versus classical mechanics
Emily M. Stump, Courtney White, Gina Passante, and N. G. Holmes
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 527-532, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Stump
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Measurement uncertainty and experimental error are important concepts taught in undergraduate physics laboratories. Although student ideas about error and uncertainty in introductory classical mechanics lab experiments have been studied extensively, there is relatively limited research on student thinking about experimental measurement uncertainty in quantum mechanics. In this work, we used semi-structured interviews to study advanced physics students’ interpretations of fictitious data distributions from two common undergraduate laboratory experiments in quantum mechanics and one in classical mechanics. To analyze these interpretations, we developed a coding scheme that classifies student responses based on what factors they believe create uncertainty and differentiates between different types of uncertainty (e.g. imprecision, inaccuracy). We found that participants in our study expressed a variety of ideas about measurement uncertainty that varied with the context (classical/quantum) and the type of uncertainty.
E. M. Stump, C. White, G. Passante, and N. G. Holmes, Student reasoning about sources of experimental measurement uncertainty in quantum versus classical mechanics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Stump.
Impact on students' views of experimental physics from a large introductory physics lab course
Nidhal Sulaiman, Benjamin Pollard, and H. J. Lewandowski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 533-538, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sulaiman
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Introductory physics lab courses aim to have students gain a wide variety of skills and knowledge, including developing views of the nature of experimental physics that are aligned with common expert views. The large introductory lab course (~ 700 students) at the University of Colorado Boulder has been recently transformed to explicitly address this goal among others. To measure the level of success in reaching this goal, we used an established assessment instrument, the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS), which probes students’ views and expectations of experimental physics. We collected students’ responses to E-CLASS during three semesters before, and four semesters after, the course transformation. We observe statistically significant differences between the before and after transformation post-test scores of the (i) overall E-CLASS survey and (ii) some individual E-CLASS items, especially those closely related to specific course learning outcomes.
N. Sulaiman, B. Pollard, and H. J. Lewandowski, Impact on students' views of experimental physics from a large introductory physics lab course, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sulaiman.
Problematizing in inquiry-based labs: how students respond to unexpected results
Meagan Sundstrom, Anna McLean Phillips, and N. G. Holmes
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 539-544, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sundstrom
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Problematizing is a physics practice involving the articulation of a gap in understanding into a clear question or problem. Inquiry-based labs may be conducive to problematizing behaviors, as students often collect data that do not agree with simplified models or their intuitive predictions. In this study, we analyzed video of students performing a lab in which they find the acceleration of an object in flight to be different from what the presented models predict. We aimed to identify the various activities that groups engaged in upon recognizing this inconsistency. Common problematizing activities included explicit discussions of physics concepts, proposing a new experiment or calculation, and checking experimental calculations. We found that each group’s sequence and duration of activities was quite unique, highlighting a diversity of approaches taken to address this inconsistency.
M. Sundstrom, A. M. Phillips, and N. G. Holmes, Problematizing in inquiry-based labs: how students respond to unexpected results, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Sundstrom.
Extending Learning Beyond the Planetarium with the Dome+ Model
Jesica L. Trucks, Kathleen A. Hinko, and Shannon Schmoll
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 545-550, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Trucks
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Planetarium visits limit the amount of time and agency people have to explore content relevant to their interest and identities as compared to other informal learning environments. We developed the Dome+ model to guide extending engagement beyond planetariums based on the design principles of identity, interest, and choice. We do this through web resources, social media, and hands-on activities centered on a planetarium show. We present research into the development and implementation of the Dome+ model as it applies to the Big Astronomy Project. This is a multi-institutional effort to share the stories of the people and places that make astronomy happen. The work presented focuses on the implementation of the model during production of the planetarium show. We interviewed team members key in the production of the show and find themes that differ based on project role. We also discuss practical challenges in implementing the Dome+ model.
J. L. Trucks, K. A. Hinko, and S. Schmoll, Extending Learning Beyond the Planetarium with the Dome+ Model, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Trucks.
Comparing Unprompted and Prompted Student-Generated Diagrams
Michael Vignal and Bethany R. Wilcox
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 551-556, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Vignal
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Diagrams are ubiquitous in physics, especially in physics education and problem solving. Students might generate diagrams to orient themselves to a scenario, to organize information to aid in solving a problem, or as a tool of communication to demonstrate their understanding of a physical scenario. By asking 19 undergraduate and graduate physics majors to solve a number of multiple-choice physics problems—with no prompting regarding diagrams—and then explicitly asking them to generate diagrams of similar physical scenarios, we are able to compare which elements of a scenario students externalize on their own as compared to when they are prompted. We found that different physical contexts impact how critical it is to draw an accurate diagrams, and we explore implications for teaching and research.
M. Vignal and B. R. Wilcox, Comparing Unprompted and Prompted Student-Generated Diagrams, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Vignal.
Connecting the dots: Student social networks in introductory physics labs
Cole Walsh, Daniyar Kushaliev, and N. G. Holmes
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 557-562, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Walsh
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Students’ positions within the social network of a physics classroom have been shown to correlate with students’ sense of belonging, performance, and persistence in physics. Current research in PER aims to understand how different types of active learning classrooms promote the development of students’ social networks. In this work, we begin to examine how these networks develop in introductory physics labs where there is typically ample space and freedom for students to interact with their peers and build a community of learners. The primary goal of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of using video to capture information about student networks in this setting. We use two distinct methods of video coding, which we denote as the “scan” and “skip” methods, to capture two distinct types of interactions between students in our labs: interactions between students from different lab groups and interactions between students from the same lab group. We find that both methods are robust and reliable when used by independent coders, supporting the continued use of these methods in future analyses, but that each method has associated advantages and limitations that should be considered along with the research question being addressed. We use these two methods to explore how students’ social networks develop over time.
C. Walsh, D. Kushaliev, and N. G. Holmes, Connecting the dots: Student social networks in introductory physics labs, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Walsh.
Investigating student use of a flexible tool for simulating and visualizing quantum mechanics
Carrie A. Weidner, Shaeema Z. Ahmed, Jesper H. M. Jensen, Jacob F. Sherson, and H. J. Lewandowski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 563-568, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Weidner
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As education researchers gain a broader understanding of how students learn quantum mechanics, new pedagogical and technical resources are being developed to facilitate student learning. To further research-based knowledge of student learning of quantum mechanics, we present a study on the use of Quantum Composer, a flexible, flow-based tool for the exploration and simulation of quantum mechanical systems in one dimension. To explore Composer's impact on students' knowledge of quantum mechanics, we carried out think-aloud interviews where students worked through an exercise exploring the statics and time-dynamics of quantum states in single and double harmonic well potentials. Student Outcomes are then cross-coded with their observed Interactions with Composer. We find that defined Outcomes of Recollection, Reinforcement and Discovery happen most often when students are using the Composer tools that allow them to visualize quantum states, simulate their time dynamics, and change parameters repeatedly in order to understand how systems are represented in both the static and dynamic cases.
C. A. Weidner, S. Z. Ahmed, J. H. M. Jensen, J. F. Sherson, and H. J. Lewandowski, Investigating student use of a flexible tool for simulating and visualizing quantum mechanics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Weidner.
Process of transforming of an introductory mechanics lab course at Fort Lewis College
Alexandra Werth and H. J. Lewandowski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 569-574, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Werth
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There are many recent calls to transform lab courses to better engage students in authentic scientific practices and develop their views on the nature of science. To address these calls and support local desire for an improved lab curriculum, we have begun to work with Fort Lewis College faculty, staff, and students to transform their introductory mechanics lab to improve student learning of experimental physics. Here, we describe our preliminary work in which we sought community engagement and input on goals and content for the labs. We did this through in-depth interviews with faculty, classroom observations, student reflections, and through the formation of a Student Advisory Council. From these sources, we developed a set of guidelines and consensus learning goals, which will inform the creation of the transformed lab course.
A. Werth and H. J. Lewandowski, Process of transforming of an introductory mechanics lab course at Fort Lewis College, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Werth.
Student evaluation of more or better experimental data in classical and quantum mechanics
Courtney White, Emily M. Stump, N. G. Holmes, and Gina Passante
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 575-580, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.White
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Prior research has shown that physics students often think about experimental procedures and data analysis very differently from experts. One key framework for analyzing student thinking has found that student thinking is more point-like, putting emphasis on the results of a single experimental trial, whereas set-like thinking relies on the results of many trials. Recent work, however, has found that students rarely fall into one of these two extremes, which may be a limitation of how student thinking is evaluated. Measurements of student thinking have focused on probing students’ procedural knowledge by asking them, for example, what steps they might take next in an experiment. Two common refrains are to collect more data, or to improve the experiment and collect better data. In both of these cases, the underlying reasons behind student responses could be based in point-like or set-like thinking. In this study we use individual student interviews to investigate how advanced physics students believe the collection of more and better data will affect the results of a classical and a quantum mechanical experiment. The results inform future frameworks and assessments for characterizing students thinking between the extremes of point and set reasoning in both classical and quantum regimes.
C. White, E. M. Stump, N. G. Holmes, and G. Passante, Student evaluation of more or better experimental data in classical and quantum mechanics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.White.
Understanding the student experience with emergency remote teaching
Bethany R. Wilcox and Michael Vignal
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 581-586, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Wilcox
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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities transitioned in-person instruction to a new modality we refer to as ‘emergency remote teaching’ (ERT). As many instructors may be facing this same format in future semesters, and in response to future emergency events, it is important to understand the student experience with ERT in order to inform recommendations and best practices that can be used to improve instruction. In this manuscript, we report on preliminary findings from a survey administered to physics students at a large research institution to gain both qualitative and quantitative feedback on what approaches to ERT are being used as well as which were perceived as most effective at supporting student learning. Here, we present four initial themes relating to: interactivity and student motivation; lecture format; exam format; and new challenges experienced by students as a result of ERT. These findings have significant implications for instructors with respect to optimizing ERT.
B. R. Wilcox and M. Vignal, Understanding the student experience with emergency remote teaching, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Wilcox.
Who Goes where: patterns in academic field switching of successful college graduates
Emily C. Wilson and Scott V. Franklin
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 587-592, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Wilson
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We examine patterns of students switching into and out of colleges, STEM/non-STEM fields, and majors within fields, examining the impact of both discipline and demographics. Our data include over fifteen years of student records, with over 22,000 students graduating with an identifiable degree. Restricting the analysis to graduates removes issues of readiness and retention, instead focusing on issues of environment and pathways. We find statistical significance in switching rates of students in colleges of engineering, computer science and applied science and "paths" between colleges that students are more likely to follow as they switch majors. Correlation between persistence within a program and student demographics — gender, ethnicity, and deaf/hard-of-hearing status — is strongest in STEM colleges of engineering, computing and applied science and non-STEM colleges of health science and liberal arts. Connections are seen between colleges of engineering and applied science and between biology (within the College of Science) and non-clinical health sciences, and large- scale trends in switching are seen to have changed over time.
E. C. Wilson and S. V. Franklin, Who Goes where: patterns in academic field switching of successful college graduates, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Wilson.
A case of successful learning about magnetism through the use of evidence
Tamara G. Young, Lauren A. Barth-Cohen, Sarah K. Braden, and Sara Gailey
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 593-598, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Young
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This paper explores the remarkable success of one 7th grade student as she discovers foundational concepts while engaging in an NGSS-aligned unit on modeling magnetism. Student success in modeling is of particular interest in the PER community. Through understanding how students are able to create mechanistic models, we can reveal core practices which in turn can be used to inform instructional design. Here we examine one student who was able to synthesize the key concepts of magnetism: that a magnet is comprised of microscopic magnetic dipoles and that the orientation of these dipoles determines the orientation of the macroscopic polarity. We present significant excerpts of the progression of the modeling process in order to illustrate the key factors that affect her learning: her iterative use of evidence to guide her reasoning, her use of prior knowledge, and the interactions with her teacher and peers.
T. G. Young, L. A. Barth-Cohen, S. K. Braden, and S. Gailey, A case of successful learning about magnetism through the use of evidence, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Young.
Changes to equipotential diagrams to improve student ranking of electric potential
Raymond Zich, Rebecca Rosenblatt, Amber Sammons, Andrew Princer, and Jeffrey Rosauer
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 599-604, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Zich
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Student issues with understanding electric potential and interpreting diagrams were explored in a prior study. The prior study showed equipotential diagram modifications of line thickness and color significantly increased student gaze times at the diagrams without increasing correctness. Students’ inattention to electric charge sign and its role in electric potential was a major issue. This study implemented further modifications, based on theories of visual attention and affordance, to electric potential diagrams to increase visual salience of charge sign. Students ranked electric potentials for points on traditional or modified diagrams. Pre- and posttest comparisons and interview results showed training with modified diagrams produced correctness gains of 21% compared with gains of 11% for training with traditional diagrams, and improvement of 36% in application of a conditional rule including charge sign compared with the prior study. In-person training combined with modified diagrams yielded highest pre to post gains of 27%.
R. Zich, R. Rosenblatt, A. Sammons, A. Princer, and J. Rosauer, Changes to equipotential diagrams to improve student ranking of electric potential, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Zich.
Exploring student facility with "goes like'' reasoning in introductory physics
Charlotte Zimmerman, Alexis Olsho, Suzanne White Brahmia, Andrew Boudreaux, Trevor I. Smith, and Philip Eaton
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 605-610, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Zimmerman
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Covariational reasoning—reasoning about how changes in one quantity relate to changes in another quantity—has been examined extensively in mathematics education research. Little research has been done, however, on covariational reasoning in introductory physics contexts. We explore one aspect of covariational reasoning: "goes like" reasoning. "Goes like" reasoning refers to ways physicists relate two quantities through a simplified function. For example, physicists often say that "the electric field goes like one over r squared." While this reasoning mode is used regularly by physicists and physics instructors, how students make sense of and use it remains unclear. We present evidence from reasoning inventory items which indicate that many students are sense making with tools from prior math instruction that could be developed into expert “goes like” thinking with direct instruction. Recommendations for further work in characterizing student sense making as a foundation for future development of instruction are made.
C. Zimmerman, A. Olsho, S. W. Brahmia, A. Boudreaux, T. I. Smith, and P. Eaton, Exploring student facility with "goes like'' reasoning in introductory physics, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Zimmerman.
Examining student growth in laboratory notebook practices in introductory physics courses
Michael Zwartz and Joseph F. Kozminski
2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 611-616, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Zwartz
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Laboratory notebooks serve as the primary records for research experiments, demonstrate how researchers went about their work, and tabulate the data collected in the experiment. Recent undergraduate laboratory recommendations emphasize the importance of helping students develop their scientific documentations skills throughout the curriculum. Learning proper lab notebook practices is important for students in preparation for graduate school and the STEM workforce. Laboratory notebooks can also be a valuable tool for instructors to assess a student's understanding of lab activities and the underlying physics principles. This study analyzes students' development of standard notebook practices during introductory physics lab courses. This research was conducted through a series of pre- and post-surveys given in introductory physics lab classes. The surveys cover topics of how students use lab notebooks, how they learned notebook practices, and their attitudes toward beliefs about using lab notebooks. This paper uses a mixed methods approach to examine student growth in specific laboratory notebook practices and reviews the instructional methods and feedback that were most effective for first semester physics students.
M. Zwartz and J. F. Kozminski, Examining student growth in laboratory notebook practices in introductory physics courses, 2020 PERC Proceedings [Virtual Conference, July 22-23, 2020], edited by S. Wolf, M. B. Bennett, and B. W. Frank, doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Zwartz.
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