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The Classical Mechanics course taught at BC in Fall 2020 used a hybrid of model of class instruction, combining students learning remotely and students attending in person into a single synchronous class. Past offerings of this course used hands-on lab experiments to engage students in mathematical modeling of oscillators and other mechanics topics. To give all the learners a uniform experience, lab experiments in 2020 were replaced with group video analysis projects, integrating lecture, experiment, and computation. The videos were used to scaffold increasingly nuanced computational models. For example, for oscillations, student videos of everyday objects oscillating were solicited and exploited as a “hook” to introduce modeling of undamped springs, and the discrepancies between theory and experiment were used to motivate damped models. This structure was inspired by Brian Lane’s “Capture, Code, Compare” activities.

AAPT SM 21

Labs in Intermediate Mechanics: Combining Student-Made Videos with Computational Modeling

modeling

computation

video analysis

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technical paper

An analysis of 1,955 physics graduate students from 19 PhD programs shows that undergraduate grade point average predicts graduate grades and PhD completion more effectively than GRE scores. Students’ undergraduate GPA (UGPA) and GRE Physics (GRE-P) scores are small but statistically significant predictors of graduate course grades, while GRE quantitative and GRE verbal scores are not. We also find that males and females score equally well in their graduate coursework despite a statistically significant 18 percentile point gap in median GRE-P scores between genders. A coun- terfactual mediation analysis demonstrates that among admission metrics tested only UGPA is a significant predictor of overall PhD completion, and that UGPA predicts PhD completion indirectly through graduate grades. Thus UGPA measures traits linked to graduate course grades, which in turn predict graduate completion. Although GRE-P scores are not significantly associated with PhD completion, our results suggest that any predictive effect they may have are also linked indi- rectly through graduate GPA. Overall our results indicate that among commonly used quantitative admissions metrics, UGPA offers the most insight into two important measures of graduate school success, while posing fewer concerns for equitable admissions practices.

Do admissions metrics predict PhD completion indirectly through graduate GPA?

Race continues to play a major role in American society which is made evident by racial gaps in wealth, healthcare, and law enforcement. Systemic racial oppression continues to thrive in both secondary and post secondary education, resulting in more obstacles for students and scholars of color. As a result, there is a lack of representation of people of color in the field of Physics among other STEM disciplines. We will highlight some of the current issues of racism within Education using the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT has deep roots in legal studies and was created for understanding and transforming the relationship between race, racism, and power. Using CRT, we will critically examine why these systemic forms of oppression exist, how they propagate, as well as what we can do to combat them and support racial minorities in our community. 


An Introduction to Critical Race Theory for Physicists

Spiritual/religious individuals are underrepresented in physics. Considering that spirituality/religiosity play a salient role in the life of students of color, especially the Black students, we investigate the intersection of spiritual/religious identities of Black physics students with their physics identity. In this study we interviewed Black physics students to understand how their spiritual/religious identities informed the choice of physics and interact with other kinds of identity like gender to affect how they see themselves as physicists.

Intersection of spirituality/religiosity and physics identities for Black physics students

In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the need for inclusive physics curricula to help address the lack of diversity and representation in the field. Integrating social issues into the physics curriculum has the potential to “change the culture of science to be more welcoming and inclusive” by broadening the cultural contexts in which scientific knowledge is created and science is practiced.

In this presentation, I will discuss a multi-week course assignment for which students were required to read the book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, and to respond to the scientific and social issues in the story. Kamkwamba’s autobiographical narrative of his innovative construction of a windmill is suffused with introductory physics concepts embedded in an intense social context of poverty, famine, deforestation and climate change in his native Malawi. The talk will discuss details of the project as well as student attitudes and responses to the assignment.

Integrating Science and Social Issues in the Introductory Physics Curriculum

I will report on my experiences in promoting student storytelling of the lives of physicists as part of course requirements in lower and upper division college physics courses. The primary objective was to motivate and expand the understanding of physics beyond the concepts and equations by contextualizing discoveries and understanding what motivated the study of physics in the lives of real people. Students are required to dig into the lives of physicists and unusual historical or contextual situations encountered in their lives and discoveries and relate stories they find interesting. A special effort was made to promote story-telling of the background and contributions of women and minorities in physics. Students also learned vital skills in producing short youtube videos up to 5 minutes long. I will report on student responses and reactions to this effort, based on general observations and results of blind surveys.


Student Storytelling of Physicist Profiles to Promote Physics and Diversity

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been the subject of a growing body of psychological and recently, neurological research. The majority of this research has been behavioral and deficit-oriented, focused on “coping” and ways of controlling ADHD behavior to function within institutional norms. This focus persists despite compelling evidence that physiological variations are responsible for ADHD behavior, over which “control” is limited and institutional “functionality” becomes discriminatory. This is evidenced by the lack of scientific works examining ADHD from a positive perspective. In this study, we analyze interviews of STEM students and faculty at Texas State University (a large Hispanic-Serving Institution) who have been diagnosed with ADHD. These interviews will explore learner variability based on interviewees’ experiences in STEM fields, and their perceptions of personal strengths that may be unique to their variant neurobiology and/or their life experience as members of a marginalized academic group.


Strength-based analysis of experiences of physics students with ADHD

This talk focuses on the various methods one can use to produce physics demo videos, with many hints and much advice. Also, storage and dissmemination of such videos is discussed.

Virtual Physics Demonstration Videos-A Primer

Science outreach is an international phenomenon. I have had the privilege of being a part of Science Festivals in various countries in the EU, and through those festivals, witnessed and interacted with other incredible science presenters from around the world. At a science festival in Slovenia, the organizers have a special session called Show It to Others, where the invited presenters have 5 minutes to share something they have created to demonstrate science with the other presenters. Given that this talk is being done remotely, I have asked my international colleagues to become part of this remote presentation and submit to me, a short description of their program that also features an example of their work. I am excited to share a glimpse of these creative presenters to the AAPT membership.



Show it to U.S.

How can you successfully deliver community STEM outreach when face-to-face opportunities are limited? And how can you best support the most vulnerable and underrepresented members of your community through virtual STEM education?

During this talk, you will hear of our experiences in adapting our existing outreach programmes and crafting new virtual programmes to suit the evolving educational needs of young people in Leicester, as well as our recommendations for effectively utilising virtual STEM engagement for years to come.

STEM Through the Screen: Experiences of adapting community outreach

Instead of written homework, I collect videos of students doing and explaining their work. I'll talk about why I do this, the value of seeing the process in addition to the product, and the logistical problems and solutions I've come across. I do this for small and big classes, lectures and labs, theory and coding. The biggest upsides are a much better understanding of the students' understanding along with a dramatic reduction in cheating. Typical videos are 3-5 minutes in length and I watch them at double speed. This allows me to grade up to 1000 videos per class per semester.

Labs in Intermediate Mechanics: Combining Student-Made Videos with Computational Modeling

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Do admissions metrics predict PhD completion indirectly through graduate GPA?

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