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‘Doing physics&#39; entails extensive use of mathematical expressions to contain and convey contextual information. Consequently, students&#39; sensemaking on mathematical formalisms has attracted considerable attention in physics education research (PER). In the current work, we explore how introductory students construct meaning using algebraic inequalities while sensemaking on a physics problem. We qualitatively analyze a case study of a student (pseudonym: Matthew) through the frameworks of Sensemaking Epistemic Game and Symbolic Forms. The case study highlights Matthew’s verbal and written references to inequalities ‘driving’ explanation generation during sensemaking. A preliminary analysis of Matthew and other students&#39; references to inequalities reveals a cluster of `comparing&#39; symbolic forms conveying the idea of a quantitative comparison between physical quantities. Observations made in this study shed insights on how students construct and extract meaning through algebraic inequalities.

AAPT SM 22

Analyzing students&#39; sensemaking with algebraic inequalities

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‘Doing physics' entails extensive use of mathematical expressions to contain and convey contextual information. Consequently, students' sensemaking on mathematical formalisms has attracted considerable attention in physics education research (PER). In the current work, we explore how introductory students construct meaning using algebraic inequalities while sensemaking on a physics problem. We qualitatively analyze a case study of a student (pseudonym: Matthew) through the frameworks of Sensemaking Epistemic Game and Symbolic Forms. The case study highlights Matthew’s verbal and written references to inequalities ‘driving’ explanation generation during sensemaking. A preliminary analysis of Matthew and other students' references to inequalities reveals a cluster of `comparing' symbolic forms conveying the idea of a quantitative comparison between physical quantities. Observations made in this study shed insights on how students construct and extract meaning through algebraic inequalities.

Analyzing students' sensemaking with algebraic inequalities

technical paper

As part of a project to develop a written instrument for assessing learning assistants’ (LAs’) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the context of questioning (PCK-Q), we are experimenting with questions in a Likert-style format. Previously, we have developed and validated questions in free-response format. We are now using those questions as the basis for Likert-style questions. Likert-style questions are different because they require the LAs’ to evaluate possible LA responses to students in classroom scenarios. They are also beneficial because scoring can be automated. The instrument will examine a LA’s ability to identify appropriate responses that provide evidence of the application of PCK-Q in the classroom. We will discuss problem development, present sample problems, and outline ongoing plans regarding validation, reliability testing, and dissemination efforts.

Development of a Likert-style instrument to assess LA’s PCK-Q

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Affordances of Articulating Assessment Objectives

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Dark Energy Explorers: Using Citizen Science to Enhance the Hobby-Eberly-Telescope-Dark-Energy-Experiment

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Discovering Solar Flares with High School Students

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Simple Home-built Laboratory Experiments for Remote Learning

As our society continues to venture into a newfound age of technology, educators must continuously adapt to the ever-changing lens through which students learn. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the need for such a paradigm shift has been made abundantly clear. The Smart Physics project aims to provide educators and students new ways of investigating the physical world through common sensors built into almost every smart device. These investigations can be performed in both traditional classroom settings and in asynchronous online courses. We analyze the way in which our team has gone from “board to screen” and follow the process of developing an investigation that can be conducted by students in introductory physics courses. Specifically, we look at the development of an investigation measuring the time intervals between the bounces of an object using an acoustic stopwatch in order to measure the energy lost through a series of inelastic collisions.

Smart Physics: Bouncing from the Board to the Screen

Collaboratively, we studied a project-based research methods course called STEM-199 at Mott Community College, taking observational fieldnotes, soliciting weekly student journal reflections, and interviewing students. In collaboration with the instructors, we identified themes across those data sources. The main theme we found was the prevalence and impact of instructor support for their students, emotionally, logistically, and technically. This support helped students develop a sense of resilience in the face of research difficulties in a class that was highly student-driven with students having high project ownership. We share lessons learned from the course to provide guidelines for other teachers, particularly at two-year colleges (TYCs). We focus on characterizing the key components of STEM-199 that helped the course run successfully at the TYC and could help a similar course work at other institutions; including: high teacher-student ratio; and student-driven projects with restrictions to limit the scope of instructor work.

Lessons Learned from Embedded Research Course at a Community College

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Analyzing students' sensemaking with algebraic inequalities

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