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Introductory physics labs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign make use of Undergraduate Learning Assistants (LAs) to assist with the implementation of reformed lab activities. As the reformed lab program has been scaled up to include a greater selection of introductory courses, the high initial demand for LAs in calculus-based lab sections has led to expert LAs (ELAs) from the algebra-based introductory physics courses being recruited to teach in lab sections beyond their course experience. In this presentation, the attitudes and traits of the ELAs that choose to make the jump to the calculus-based introductory physics labs will be discussed, along with the provisions made within the lab course to aid with the transition.

AAPT SM 20

They&#39;re smarter than us: Algebra-based learning assistants in calculus-based labs

assistant

identity

inquiry

interview

learning

The 2020 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting brought together physics educators from around the globe to learn about the latest in physics theory, research methodology and education from leaders in their field. The program featured plenary speakers, sessions, workshops and many special activities.

For more information please visit the 2020 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting page at: https://www.aapt.org/Conferences/SM2020/index.cfm.


They're smarter than us: Algebra-based learning assistants in calculus-based labs

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Institutions record multi-faceted data about student identity, engagement and performance, from family income and zip code to “check-ins” at the campus gym to course enrollment and performance. This data could help us identify systemic barriers to students’ engagement and degree completion and describe the enrollment strategies of successful students. However, because the data is often de-identified, it does not tell the complete story of a student’s journey through their degree program. In this talk, I will describe the questions and methods our team has explored, as well as the challenges that have arisen in interpreting the data and results.

“Big Data” Analysis of Postsecondary Student Engagement and Performance: Insights and Perils

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Toward a Neurobiological Basis for Understanding Learning in Physics Courses

Racial and ethnic minority students rarely see themselves and their cultural backgrounds reflected in undergraduate STEM courses. In response, education research scholars have presented a broad vision for inclusive teaching in the form of culturally relevant pedagogy. However, implementing culturally relevant pedagogy in the classroom requires significant, intentional work from curriculum designers and instructors, and there is no single blueprint for designing for cultural relevance. In this talk, I will describe the collaborative development process for a new upper-division Observational Astrophysics course in the Physics Department at Texas State and the work we have done to make the course more culturally relevant to our student body. I will highlight what we have learned from students during the development and first implementation of the course.

Designing for Cultural Relevance in Observational Astrophysics at Texas State

To examine the potential changes in attitudes and approaches to problem solving over a semester, we administered a previously validated Attitudes and Approaches to Problem Solving (AAPS) survey both at the beginning (pre) and at the end of instruction (post) in eight large enrollment calculus-based introductory physics classes at a large research university in the United States. We found that all classes exhibited a decline in score on the AAPS but that classes which involved significant use of evidence-based active engagement methods exhibited statistically significantly better scores on the AAPS survey at the end of the course. Equally importantly, unlike broader epistemological surveys, female students were found to exhibit less of a decline in AAPS scores than did their male counterparts in all classes and the AAPS scores were always higher for female students at the end of the course.

Attitudes and Approaches to Problem Solving: Gender and Instructional Method

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Creating a Biomechanics Course for Future Occupational Therapists - Twice!

Some physics questions prove difficult for students even after research-based instruction and demonstration of relevant conceptual knowledge. Recent studies have indicated that reflexive, bottom-up reasoning processes seemingly unrelated to conceptual understanding may be responsible for these difficulties. These studies also suggest that attending to these bottom-up processes during instruction may improve performance to a greater degree than attending solely to top-down, analytical reasoning. It is important to leverage these findings to produce meaningful improvements to instruction. Towards that end, we have investigated the impact of a training targeted at reflexive, bottom-up reasoning processes on questions related to balanced forces and compared results to a more standard, top-down approach to the same topic. This talk will relate the findings and suggest implications for future work.

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Eleven Years of Faculty Professional Development in STEM: Lessons Learned

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Facilitating Ethics Discussions in Physics Classrooms at Texas State University

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Response Patterns by Introductory Physics Students on Mathematics Diagnostic Tests

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They're smarter than us: Algebra-based learning assistants in calculus-based labs

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