With the transition to remote learning, many lab-based curricula had to be quickly amended. Here, I present a build-it-yourself experiment that can be used by students with a wide range of mathematical backgrounds to explore principles of mechanics and experimental design. This coupled harmonic oscillator experiment, initially developed for a sophomore level waves and optics lab at UT Austin, is built with readily available materials and doesn't suffer from parametric oscillations: a common difficulty in such experiments. In an introductory physics class, this experiment can be used as a platform to discuss transfer of energy and momentum in a system that challenges students' intuition. Freedom in the setup's construction leads to student-led investigations of experimental error mitigation. Students familiar with trigonometry can explore the small angle approximation. Finally, students familiar with linear algebra can study decomposition of waves into sinusoidal (eigenfunction) components, and an introduction to Fourier transforms.

Take-home Experiment: Student-led Exploration of Coupled Harmonic Oscillators

We have designed an introductory algebra-based physics course using a two-staged instructional model emphasizing the application of physics learning. As a part of the assessment plan, we ask students to complete metacognitive activity of writing reflective descriptions of their learning processes, learning approaches, and strategies for course-related tasks. When we taught the course in a remote instruction modality, we adjusted without altering the instructional philosophy and key assessment components of the course. Our analysis has identified a trend relating to the quality of the student reflection as one of the predictors of their course performance. In this presentation, I will focus on the relationship between the qualities of students’ metacognitive reflection with the student's attitude toward physics learning measured using the CLASS survey. Additionally, I will present a comparative study revealing the impact of remote instructional modality on students’ self-regulation, self-awareness, and attitude towards physics learning.

Exploration of Students’ Attitudes and Self-regulation in Two Instructional Modalities

Societal stereotypes and biases pertaining to who belongs in physics and who can excel in physics can impact motivational beliefs, e.g., of women and racial and ethnic minority students in physics courses. This study investigates how the learning environment predicts male and female students motivational beliefs including physics self-efficacy, interest, and identity at the end of year long (spanning two-semester) algebra-based introductory physics courses. These were courses at a large university in the US taken primarily by biological science majors many of whom are interested in health professions. Although women are not underrepresented in these physics courses, societal stereotypes and biases internalized by female students over their lifetime can still impact their motivational beliefs about physics. Our findings show gender gap in motivational beliefs favoring men. These findings can be useful to provide support and create an equitable and inclusive learning environment to help all students excel in these courses.

How the learning environment predicts male and female students motivational beliefs in algebra-based introductory physics

Examining Student Application of Matrix Algebra and Eigentheory

The AAPS Survey for Life Science Majors in Introductory Algebra-based Physics

IPLS students and students in algebra-based physics often see math as a as a calculational tool rather than a way of reasoning about the physical world. But, in physics, math-in-science plays a critical role both in our physical ontology ("What is an E-field, really?") and epistemology ("I derived this result from a true equation so it must be true.") as well as for reasoning and organizing our conceptual knowledge. The critical conceptual blending* of physical concepts with mathematical symbology is rarely taught in math and is often taken for granted in physics. I identify a series of tools (epistemic games**) that can help students learn to connect math to the physical world. These tools include readings and activities that can be used throughout a class and that can be downloaded from the Living Physics Portal*** and integrated into existing classes.

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Take-home Experiment: Student-led Exploration of Coupled Harmonic Oscillators

Exploration of Students’ Attitudes and Self-regulation in Two Instructional Modalities

How the learning environment predicts male and female students motivational beliefs in algebra-based introductory physics

Examining Student Application of Matrix Algebra and Eigentheory

The AAPS Survey for Life Science Majors in Introductory Algebra-based Physics

Teaching IPLS students to use math in science

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