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Computer simulations have been used to support student learning in physics, not only to boost conceptual understanding but to make labs more widely accessible to different populations. However, their impact on student learning has shown mixed results. To better understand this impact, HTML5-based computer simulations for topics in mechanics were investigated in a large, algebra-based, studio physics course for life science students at a private, research-intensive institution. Over a period of three years, we compared learning outcomes of students using traditional hands-on equipment only, a simulation only, or a hybrid combination of both for activities on energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, and rotational dynamics. We will present our findings of this study through an equity lens, both from the experience of online learning due to the global pandemic and from consideration of the limited access to lab equipment for many students.

AAPT SM 21

Use of physics simulations in supporting equity and student learning

equity

physics

simulations

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technical paper

As part of an effort to examine student understanding of mathematical representations in quantum mechanics, online survey tasks were designed and administered to students at the end of their upper-division QM courses at several institutions. Virtual task-based clinical interviews were also conducted in the following semester with students at the University of Maine. Tasks were designed to find expressions and concepts that were related or viewed as similar in students’ minds, and to determine what concepts were ascribed to various expressions. Geometric concepts, including vectors and dot products, were used to describe various expressions, as were physical concepts such as quantum states and probabilities of physical measurements. Multiple physical and mathematical concepts were often invoked for a single expression, and vice versa. Sherin’s symbolic forms framework was used to guide analysis, and potential symbolic forms used by students for expressions in both Dirac notation and wave function notation were identified.

Student Conceptual Connections Within and Between Quantum Notations

From our experience teaching the spins-first Paradigms quantum mechanics course, students run into difficulties transitioning from discrete to continuous quantum systems. In computation, continuous structures like wavefunctions are necessarily discretized in order to be used in operations like numerical integration. Because of this feature, we believe that computation may naturally support the transition. Junior-level students at Oregon State University take a computational lab course where they numerically solve quantum mechanics problems by pair-programming in Python. This computational lab course is coordinated with the spins-first Paradigms course. We remotely interviewed six participants at the end of the courses. Participants completed a card-sorting task where they organized twenty cards with a variety of quantum mechanics content and representations. In this talk, we will discuss the ways participants organized this information, the overarching patterns, and the ways that students understand and coordinate discrete and continuous quantum systems.


Computation to Support Understanding of Discrete and Continuous Quantum Systems

In this study I surveyed student’s perceptions regarding the helpfulness of a color-coding scheme for introductory mechanics instructional materials. The use of color and color-coding (presenting corresponding items in different representations in the same color) has been shown to aid student learning through research in psychology and related disciplines, but little has been done to systematically study its effect within physics education. Color-coding was employed in three areas: matching words in physics principles with variables in their corresponding equations, matching equation variables with their corresponding representation in physics diagrams and pictures, and separating components in two-dimensional physics problems. Approximately 40 students over two semesters were anonymously surveyed regarding the perceived benefits and distractions of these three color-coding schemes. Students’ responses were majority positive, and identified the color-coding as helpful in engaging their attention and in identifying, matching, sorting, and tracking new information.

Color-coding and student perceptions of learning in introductory mechanics

Assessments provide opportunities for students to make sense of curriculum by connecting their existing ideas to generate new knowledge. As educators, we would like to be able to engage students in this process of sensemaking to help their learning. Through a case study, we present an approach to identifying assessment task features that facilitate sensemaking. The context involves an introductory student's attempt to a physics problem. We analyze the student's transcript through the lens of sensemaking epistemic game and note the student's actions (`moves') while solving the problem. By analyzing these moves, we argue that the assessment features that played a role in the student's sensemaking can be identified. We find that the presence of a real-world context, engaging with multiple representations, and requiring a physical interpretation of a numerical answer to be instrumental in student's sensemaking. Identifying task features in this way can be instrumental in designing future assessment tasks that increase the chances students engage in sensemaking while working on them.

How modeling informs students’ engagement in sensemaking

Previous literature about students’ understanding of heat and temperature emphasizes students’ misunderstandings of canonical physics concepts. In our study, we used a resources-oriented approach to analyze data from 653 students’ responses to questions about thermal phenomena, highlighting ways in which their responses could serve valuable resources for continued learning. We categorized our findings into three common conceptual resources. These resources can be used to strengthen teaching methods by using students’ understanding of heat and temperature, to foster their learning processes and help them to develop more advanced physics ideas.



Exploring Student Conceptual Resources About Heat and Temperature

Much existing physics education research (PER) on student ideas about momentum focuses on the difficulties that students face when learning this topic. These difficulties are framed as obstacles for students to overcome in order to develop correct understandings of physics. Our research takes a resources-oriented approach to analyzing student responses to momentum questions, viewing student ideas as valuable and potentially productive for learning, over and above their correctness. Here, we highlight four conceptual resources that provide insight into students’ ideas about momentum, which are the conservation resource, direction resource, collisions resource and properties resource These resources are context-dependent and can be elicited and built on by instructors to support students in developing more complex and sophisticated understandings of physics.

Student Resources for Understanding Momentum

This study applies Multidimensional Item Response Theory (MIRT) analysis using confirmatory methods to the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA) to explore the assessment's structure and to determine an optimal model of student knowledge measured by the assessment. These methods were used to investigate a large dataset (N=9666) from a research university in the western United States. Confirmatory MIRT analysis fit a theoretical model developed from expert solutions to the instrument and identified two optimal models: an optimal principle model and an optimal topical model. The optimal principle model consisted of 28 principles, fundamental reasoning steps needed to solve items in the BEMA. A second model, the optimal topical model, consisted of five general subtopics of electromagnetism. Both the optimal principle and optimal topical model had excellent fit statistics.


Multidimensional Item Response Theory and the BEMA: Modeling Student Thinking

Building on my presentations in the past, I argue that students can become more grounded in physics by the realization of that multitude of physics equations which can be regarded in terms of the Law of Conservation of Energy or Conservation of Mass. Examples of this are in Kirchhoff's two Laws of Electricity in terms of, respectively, voltage loops which is scaled per charge and current splitting scaled per time. Another set of complementary examples is in fluid dynamics regarding, respectively, Bernoulli's Equation which is scaled per volume and the Continuity Equation scaled per time (see also Poster Session for details). Revisiting these Conservation Laws also underscores their broad importance and aids in student recall and additional application into the future. Examples of potential confusions and pitfalls for teachers to be aware of are given.

Spiraling Conservation of Energy/Mass in Introductory Physics: Kirchhoff to Bernoulli

Parallel Pedagogy Introductory Mechanics, at Cal Poly since 2014 [P.Schwartz, TPT, 55, 280 (2017)]:
• We simultaneously introduce momentum, energy, dynamics, kinematics on the first day;
• build complexity while repeating the process in the following order: rotation, systems, components, trigonometry, the two quadratic kinematics equations;
• require full conceptual support, rather than correct answer, for credit;
• engage students at home with interactive videos and textbook, reserving class time for group work, demonstrations, discussion;
• while learning assistants model learning process, stimulate conversation.
After 16 classes, >900 students.
• Most students prefer this method.
• CLASS (Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey, http://www.colorado.edu/ sei/class/) results indicate improvement – especially applied conceptual understanding.
• Students demonstrate superior concept application (Pedagogy Changes Can Improve Concept Application, O.Staveland, P.Schwartz, TPT, submitted)
• Using publicly-available text and interactive videos, a first-time mechanics instructor seamlessly and successfully adopted parallel pedagogy.
Support: http://sharedcurriculum.peteschwartz.net/parallel-pedagogy/ 
As soon as it publishes, please see:
"Pedagogy Changes Can Improve Concept Application" O. Staveland, P. Schwartz, The Physics Teacher, in press


Parallel Pedagogy: Seven Years, and 1000 Students Later

I will speak briefly about why I like the approach of parallel pedagogy, then provide a link to a Perusall(R) course that I have set up just for the meeting, populated with some or all of the OER textbook I’m using for my introductory physics classes. I’ll highlight the format of the book and explain the motivation behind the formatting. Then I will share examples of student work that follow the pattern of analysis used in the book. I will also show how I use Perusall(R) for asynchronous interactions and myOpenMath for immediate feedback to students.

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Use of physics simulations in supporting equity and student learning

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