Friday, October 13, 2006

9:00 - 5:00

10:00 - 12:00

Workshop W1.  "Robots in the College and High School Physics Classrooms", James Rabchuk, Western Illinois University, Room 313.

12:00 - 1:00

Session A - Chair: David Renneke, Augustana College
 Library (1st floor - center of building)

Session B - Chair: Roger Malcolm, Kewanee H.S.
Little Theater

Real world events can be recorded using the video feature available on many digital cameras. Using Vernier's Software Logger Pro v3.0 or newer you and your student can capture and analyze video in a very short period of time. Since many students have digital cameras and for only $159, Logger Pro includes a generous site license that allows a school or a college department to install Logger Pro on every school computer, all instructor computers, and the students' home computers why not add this activity to your curriculum. A demonstration of how to analyze one and two-dimensional motion will be performed within the time frame of this presentation.

The traditional practice of handing out hard copies of the syllabus, course schedule, assignment list, and other materials leads many students to experience a sense of disconnect. In order to address this issue, I have recently added web-enhancements to my courses in order to better serve my students. These enhancements provide a more dynamic format for the exchange of information that discourages passiveness on the part of the student as well as the instructor. I will show the work that I have done to date with my classes, and discuss the negative and positive aspects of such a format.

Using new technology on old machines is the theme. High school students learned to use iMovie and Vernier's video capture capabilities to analyze different aspects of their newly created catapults.

Martin Scorsese's 1995 film "Casino", about the rise and fall of a 1970's Las Vegas casino manager played by Robert De Niro, can be used to illustrate some basic ideas about statistical physics. The topics addressed include the stochastic nature of the universe, the risks of using statistics on small samples and the practical meaning of very high or low probability. The film is especially useful for illustrating how the underlying mechanisms of the universe can be probabilistic while seeming to be deterministic.

The Vernier LabPro and Logger Pro software can be used to measure frequencies of waves through curve fitting and fast Fourier transforms. I will describe electronic circuits and alternative software to extend the capabilities of the LabPro. Circuits have been constructed using inexpensive components to generate signals and measure frequencies. Programs for computers and calculators have been created to utilize the built-in frequency measurement abilities of the LabPro. A variety of experiments with sound and resonance will be discussed.

Various ideas for encouraging active participation and learning in a fundamental astronomy course will be presented. At our institution we make use of in-class surveys, activities and demonstrations to engage astronomy students. Successes and challenges faced of the active learning model will be discussed.

The scientific knowledge (or lack there-of) of incoming non-science majors is often surprising and/or disturbing. In this presentation attendees will be asked to predict the results of a recent survey given to 55 Physical Science students at Lincoln Land Community College. The predictions will then be compared to actual results to help ascertain the level of understanding that teachers have of a typical student's basic scientific literacy.

Most undergraduate students remain mystified by claims of a fourth spatial dimension as is claimed by recent fundamental physical theories. The typical undergraduate student wants to know what would it even mean to have a fourth spatial dimension; and, if there indeed were a fourth spatial dimension, how would it announce itself in any experimental measurement? In order to help articulate the manner in which dimensionality might affect measured properties, we have developed an experimental model system in which this connection between dimensionality and data is direct, large, conceptually transparent and therefore pedagogically useful, at least to a small degree. We shall present measurements on four dimensional hypercubic networks of lumped linear circuit elements (resistors and capacitors), and compare them with our measurements on two and three dimensional hypercubes to demonstrate the rather elegant and direct connection between measured impedances on different length scales and the dimensionality of the hypercube.

Following a cracker barrel discussion at the spring ISAAPT meeting in East Peoria, the Ad Hoc Committee on High School Physics Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention produced an 8-page booklet titled "Recruiting the Next Generation of Middle and High School Science Teachers." This booklet, along with its companion brochure, "Become a High School Physics Teacher: Think about it!", will be distributed and reviewed. Recommendations for inspiring, identifying, and recruiting prospective teacher candidates will be summarized. The continuing work of the Ad Hoc Committee will then be addressed, including a request for input in relation to future endeavors.

3:00 - 4:00

"The SCALE-UP Project"

Dr. Robert Beichner
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University
Library

The primary goal of the Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) Project is to establish a highly collaborative, hands-on, computer-rich, interactive learning environment for large-enrollment courses.

We promote active learning in a redesigned classroom for 100 students or more. Class time is spent primarily on “tangibles” and “ponderables”.  Here is a summary of our assessment of this project.

Session C - Chair:  David Cornell
 Library

Session D - Chair: Lee Carkner, Augustana College
Little Theater

All physics books contain a section at the end of each chapter with problems for the students to solve. Many times these practice exercises can seem tedious or have no connection to students real lives. I will propose methods that can increase the effectiveness of these problems.

Some examples of rigorous graphical analysis techniques used in our introductory laboratory activities will be discussed. The approach involves comprehensive critical analysis of data which is useful to all students. For physics majors this approach lends itself quite naturally as a starting point in the development of more advanced experimental and computational skills.

Amateur Radio, or Ham radio, has many facets: it can illustrate principles of electricity and magnetism and electronics in a classroom context; it can provide an avenue for physics students to engage with the larger community; and it can provide essential communications in the event of a major regional emergency. Licensed Principia Hams traveled to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for Hurricane Katrina relief one year ago. For four years physics majors have been introduced to Ham radio concepts in Electricity and Magnetism II, in Electronics, and in Advanced Laboratory. Students receive extra credit for obtaining a basic Technician Ham license, a Morse Code Certification, a General Class, or an Extra Class license. Principia will compete in November in an intercollegiate Ham radio championship with our new base station and antennas. The Principia Amateur Wireless Society currently has 75 members, including parents, alumni, and friends of the college.

In every high school physics class students study motion by analyzing motion graphs. Most students have little difficulty with the mechanics of reading data off a graph, calculating slopes, and finding areas. However, many students are often confused with when they need to do what, in order to get the result they want. I will present what we do at Joliet West High School to help our students master an understanding of motion and motion graphs. This includes several lab activities, an organizational chart to memorize, and a fun review activity.

In introductory labs it can be a challenge to help students make the transition from following a set of directions to thinking through what is needed in a genuine research project. One fruitful intermediate approach is to have students find an experiment or demonstration in The Physics Teacher and perform it. While students have some guidance, they do need to make implementation decisions. Student 'ownership' of something they have selected is high; they are willing to expend the effort to make things work.

Frequently we find that students have difficulty in applying graphical ideas to ideas of motion, particularly vectors. I will share a group activity that I have developed in which students create their own coordinate systems without explicit reference to graphing. This and the discussion that follows can be built upon in subsequent lessons about motion and force.

7:00 - 8:00

8:00 - 10:00

Registration.  Front Lobby.  Please make out your checks to "ISAAPT".

Session E - Chair: Dave Sykes, Lincoln Land C.C.
 Library

Session F - Chair:  Dale Sille, University of Iowa
Little Theater

This opening activity engages every student and set the stage for a smooth transition back to school. Constructing and launching water bottle rockets infused students with the excitement of science, required meaningful student-teacher communication, and broke down the awkward "first-day back" introductions. Follow up activities are planned and will be discussed.

Interactive Physics (IP) is a two-dimensional mechanical simulation application. Within IP one can construct a mechanical system within a graphical development environment, then launch the system into motion. Information about the dynamical behavior of the system comes to the user in real time as the simulator computes, both visually in the form of animation and numerically in the form of digital meters and graphs. The use of IP toward turning a course in analytical mechanics into a workshop experience for the students will be presented.

I assign students min-projects after finishing some topics in the class. Students seem to have more active learning attitude by applying their knowledge to what they have learned in class. In addition, teachers can have more genuine assessment on students' learning.

Electricity rates are on the rise. Should we invest in compact florescent or LED light bulbs for our homes? My own research has led to some very interesting facts about incandescent, florescent and LED bulbs and has motivated me to create a lab for my students in the classroom. I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each and some details about the lab.

What gets a young adult's attention better than food? I will discuss some demonstrations involving food that I use in class and some that our physics club uses in our outreach program. Mm, mm, good physics.

9:30 - 10:30

"What's Missing from _ d _ c _ t _ _ n?"

Dr. Karen Jo Matsler
Education Specialist/Program Evaluator
Education, Assessment, and Training Inc., Arlington, Texas
Library

Answer: The vowels. Don't miss this opportunity to learn techniques for making science engaging and insightful to your students. We will review the basics needed for spelling (A-E-I-O-U) and learn how building around the basics can make you and your students more successful.

Session G - Chair: Dean Sieglaff, Augustana College
 Library

Session H - Chair: Cecilia Vogel, Augustana College
Little Theater

This presentation will discuss what the hospital radiographer needs to know about physics to be a competent practitioner and discuss the physics principles taught these students. While radiographers work in a narrow area of physics, these principles are essential to the safety and diagnostic efficacy of every examination where radiation is involved in the hospital setting.

To help students understand the nature of science, good science teachers will infuse considerations for the nature of science throughout their instruction. While such teaching about the nature of science might be limited in scope and duration on any one day, it is generally ongoing, explicit, and in context. Poor science teaching assumes that students will learn about the nature of science implicitly through lecture, problem solving, and cookbook lab experiences. While this assumption is true to a limited extent, using an inquiry approach and teaching directly about the nature of science on a regular basis and in context will be considerably more effective. In order to successfully teach about the nature of science, teachers must be provided with essential understandings, suitable pedagogical practices, and appropriate motivation so they can maximize what their students learn about this important topic area. The speaker will provide a number of useful ideas.

Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) is a two-year college with "Tech Prep" programs in automotive technology, child development, drafting, office technology, and health occupations. LCCC invited me to teach astronomy as a temporary faculty member during fall semester 2006. As professor emeritus in physics with 40 years' teaching experience, I happily accepted the invitation. This talk describes classroom activities, emphasizing in particular role-playing by students, which was used to encourage students to experience the methods of science.

What was the click that made you interested in science? Was it a parent, teacher, a certain science fantasy show dealing with laser beam swords or galactic space travel? The Augustana Physics Club presents the Augustana Physics Outreach Program, where young minds will be treated with a wide variety of physics demonstrations. This program helps provided a fun way to get young students fascinated in the sciences with hands on experience in doing demonstrations. This demonstration will show how our program works with a sneak peak at one of our favorite demos.

A wide variety of online methods exist to aid teaching. I am exploring both online preflight questions and online homework this semester. Preflight questions can help the professor fine tune the class preparation, but whether a student completes them seems to have no effect on test grades. Completion of online homework, specifically Addison-Wesley's Mastering Physics, corresponds well with performance on tests.

After many years of using various editions of Cutnell and Johnson's textbook for the algebra/trig-based introductory sequence I teach, I am now using Touger's textbook. Touger's book is a book the author wrote with the goal of reflecting the findings of physics education research. I'm six weeks into the transition and I'll talk generally about the challenges and benefits of changing textbooks and a bit more specifically about what I and my students have liked and disliked about this new book.

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