“The process of a physics course redesign: Integrating numerical modeling into an introductory physics laboratory”

Diana Sachmpazidi, University of Maryland

Abstract: Computation is integral to modern scientific practice, along with theory and experimentation. However, traditional physics curricula typically introduce computation at later stages of the program and often on its own without meaningfully tying it to physical concepts. Moreover, while there is a broad consensus among the scientific community on integrating computation into physics instruction, there is limited guidance on how to do that effectively. In this talk, I will document the process of a collective effort to redesign a calculus-based introductory physics laboratory course to incorporate numerical modeling. I describe the instructional design and document students’ and instructors’ attitudes toward the newly redesigned course. Despite some challenges, students identified numerical modeling as the most important and beneficial feature of the course. The computational tools allowed students to engage in more complex and realistic experiments than in conventional laboratories, which triggered their interest and kept them engaged in the task. Results from instructor interview data corroborate the positive perceived aspects of student attitudes towards the course.

Biography:

Diana Sachmpazidi is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland, College Park. Diana received her Ph.D. in Science Education/Physics at Western Michigan University in 2021. Her primary research focuses on departmental change, graduate education, and undergraduate student learning. Specifically, through two NSF-funded projects, she aims to understand team-based collaboration for instructional change and cultural change of program assessment within departments. Through her research, she also aims to understand the long-standing challenges in physics graduate education by focusing on the departmental context that students experience. Moreover, she studies undergraduate student learning in introductory physics labs that emphasize computational thinking. Diana is trained in and has experience in qualitative, quantitative, and instrument development methods.

“To teach or not to teach, that is the question.”

Qing Ryan, California Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Abstract: In order to investigate whether there are any differences between students who choose to become high school teachers versus those who do not, we conducted a survey in the Department of Physics at East China Normal University. East China Normal University offer teaching trajectory for undergraduates in physics department. Students on the teaching trajectory are pre-service teachers who are going to be middle school physics teachers after graduation. 266 undergraduate students responded to the questionnaire, and there are about equal number of men and women as well as who are on the teaching and non-teaching trajectory. Students’ self-efficacy and physics identity were compared between the teaching and non-teaching trajectory. Possible gender gaps were also evaluated in these measures. Male and female students’ self-reported motivation in choosing the physics major and the teaching career were also compared for students on the teaching and non-teaching trajectory. In this talk, I will discuss the findings and talk about possible implications of the study.

Biography:

Dr. Qing Ryan is an Associate Professor at the department of Physics and Astronomy at California Polytechnic University Pomona.  She earned her PhD in Physics from the University of Minnesota Twin cities in 2013, focusing on Physics Education Research (PER). Then she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the PER Group at University of Colorado Boulder. Her research interest includes problem solving, assessment development and validation at both the introductory and upper-division level, student difficulties in upper-division E&M, understanding performance gaps in introductory physics, self-efficacy and physics identity for pre-service physics teachers.