Presentations

Active Learning

Using Sequenced Questions in Peer Instruction. Tom Carter, Neville Reay, Lin Ding, Lei Bao, and Albert Lee, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137. I will introduce the use of sequenced questions in Peer Instruction. I will provide CD's of question sequences which were created and validated by the Ohio State Physics Education Research Group team. I will briefly discuss the validation process.

Structuring the Origins of Forces. Tom Foster, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62026. For the past several years, I have been trying to teach my elementary education students the origin of forces as a precursor to Newton's Third Law. I have even used it in my calc-based course with the same goal. Results are definitely mixed and I might be ready to throw the whole approach out. Let me share it with you, get your reactions, and figure out my next step.

Teaching semi-naked in the physics classroom. Andrew Morrison, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614. Inspired by José Bowen, dean of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Texas, I have begun experimenting with a variation of what is called "teaching naked." Dean Bowen advocates taking technology out of the classroom, and instead using class time for active engagement between the students and the material. In this talk, I will share how I have used these ideas to stop lecturing in class, what technologies I have taken out of the classroom and what technologies I have introduced outside of the classroom. I will discussed the successes and the challenges of using this approach so far.

Using Real World Application Projects to Demonstrate Student Learning. Barbara Gottemoller, Mount Zion High School, Mount Zion, IL 62549. Several different types of student project ideas will be presented that encourage students to relate what they are learning in the classroom to science in the real world. Students demonstrate their understanding of science by creatively utilizing their knowledge.

Estimation Practice Revisited. Dave Sykes, Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield, IL 92794-9256. Recently 37 Physical Science students at Lincoln Land Community College participated in an exercise to determine their ability to make reasonable estimates of 10 physical quantities. The results of the exercise will be presented along with some possible teaching techniques that enhance a student's ability to make estimates.

Teaching Methods

Interactive Learning Spreads to Other Majors. Ken Mellendorf, Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL 61635. Interactive methods such as clickers and discussion questions are used by many physics teachers. I find such methods spreading throughout my college. Concepts such as Peer Evaluation and TIPERs are becoming popular in other sciences and outside of science. What my colleagues once considered the toys of physics instructors are becoming topics of discussion across the board.
 

Procedures? We Don't Need No Stinking Procedures!! Diane Riendeau and Lisa Backus, Deerfield High School, Deerfield, IL 60015. We aren't going to tell you what we are going to do. We think you have enough information to figure it out for yourself !

Blood Test Results: A Chemistry Teaching Tool. Stanley Abel, Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL 61635-0001. For a one-semester general, organic and biological chemistry course targeted to allied health professionals, I am using my own blood test results to provide relevant illustrations of chemistry principles. I currently use portions of the laboratory report to illustrate topics in measurements and units, ions, buffers, carbohydrates, and lipids. Those topics will be shown briefly. I will also present other possible areas for use of examples from blood tests.

Dealing More Effectively with Alternative Conceptions in Science. Carl J. Wenning, Illinois State University Physics Department, Normal, IL 61790-4560. Many science teachers are aware of the existence of alternative conceptions - notions held by students that are contrary to those generally accepted by mainstream scientists. Authentic alternative conceptions are tenaciously held, and doggedly resistant to change. Only carefully managed efforts by teachers will effectively address them. The author proposes two emphases within the context of the "standard model" for more effectively overcoming alternative conceptions.

The Miracle Air Conditioner. Dave Sykes, Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield, IL 62794-9256. It is not uncommon that advertisements exaggerate information. However, teaching opportunities often arise when advertisements misrepresent information in the name of science. In this presentation an advertisement for the "Cool Surge" air cooler will be investigated and a method for using it to teach some concepts in thermodynamics will be suggested.

Demonstrations

Research

Amit Joshi, ajoshi@eiu.edu
Research, Saturday morning
Equipment needs: power point file

Geometric Phase for Two Coupled Quantum Dot System. Amit Joshi, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920. The exponential faster speed of quantum computers over their classical counterparts has motivated several research areas in quantum computation and quantum information processing in recent years. Semiconductor quantum dot (QD) system is one of the practical physical systems for quantum information processing in which, the exciton constitutes an alternative for the usual two-level system. When a system having more than one quantum dot is considered then the coupling and the interaction between quantum dots become important. A prominent interaction called Forster interaction is responsible for transfer of exciton from one QD to another QD. Here, we rigorously investigate adiabatic geometric phases of two coupled quantum dots considered as two spin-1/2 system including Forster interaction between them. For this system the adiabatic Berry's phase can be used to implement conditional phase shifts and thus realization of quantum logic gate operations.

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