AIP Physics Education Group Discipline Day 2018
This year our discipline day will focus on discussions covering: laboratory teaching in physics, the Einstein-First project, and delivering a third-year course in Computational Physics
Our first session begins with an overview of an informal approach to project based learning in a first- year physics lab. Over three years James Cook University Physics has taken an informal approach to merging Project Based Learning (PBL) with a skills-based laboratory subject. The students in this class are set a task of choosing an experiment out-of-the-box then using PBL to achieve its expected function. They need to learn the operation of every piece, collect or design missing pieces, calibrate as necessary, and complete the experiment. A log book and short presentation completes the activity.
In our second session David Blair from UWA presents the Einstein-First project: Introducing Einsteinian concepts of space, time, light and gravity throughout the school curriculum. This approach uses activity based learning with extensive use of models and analogies. Results show students from years 3 to 12 are highly receptive to the concepts. We have obtained quantitative results from interventions that vary from a single day to 20 lessons. We measure improvement factors for conceptual learning to find the improvement factor for girls exceeds that of boys, significant long term retention, and test scores typically improving by a factor ~4. Participants will be introduced to Einstein-First using videos and activities to demonstrate our approach, including the use of phones for data collection. We will discuss how Newtonian concepts are incompatible with modern discoveries, such as gravitational waves, and how this format opens minds to exciting future discoveries.
The evolution of delivering a third-year course in Computational Physics makes the third session, addressing the high-level goals of the course and the tactics used to achieve them. The students' experience with the course and examples of their achievements will be presented.
A fourth session looks at a novel method using LEGO race cars in a physics lab to increase student understanding of uncertainty, and as a motivation for physics practicals.
Each presentation will be followed by an open discussion with participants.
For any question contact maria.parappilly@flinders.edu.au
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