ADDRESSING THE NATIONAL NEED FOR NEW LABORATORY EXPERIENCES IN
PHYSICS Ben Zwickl Heather Lewandowski Noah Finkelstein University
of Colorado, Boulder
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PER@C Graduate students Stephanie Barr Ben Van Dusen Kara Gray
May Lee Mike Ross Benjamin Spike Bethany Wilcox Really Recent PhDs
Lauren Kost- Smith Faculty Melissa Dancy Mike Dubson Noah
Finkelstein Heather Lewandowski Valerie Otero Kathy Perkins Steven
Pollock Carl Wieman (on leave) Post-docs Charles Baily Danny
Caballero Stephanie Chasteen Laurel Mayhew Ariel Paul Rachel Pepper
Noah Podolefsky Benjamin Zwickl
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The genesis of the project Junior Faculty AMO Physics/JILA HS
PhD, Yale Instructor Post-doc BS
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THE NATIONAL CALL ONE MILLION more STEM graduates in a
decade!
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The Gist 1. Keep USA economically competitive 2. Need a million
additional STEM degrees over decade 3. Improve retention during
first 2 years.
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5 Recommendations 1.Adopt validated effective teaching
practices. 2.Do research and design oriented lab courses 3.Fix the
math gap. 4.Link new STEM graduates with new STEM jobs. 5.Create a
Presidential Council on STEM Education Also includes: More
undergraduate research experiences
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Grassroots efforts 100s of professors and instructors
Innovating at the upper-division labs 4 year lab curriculum How can
we respond?
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Opportunities for involvement Students Physics Faculty
Education Researchers
Particular opportunities of a lab Ready for active
engagementSignificant investment Lots of space Expert
experimentalists Small class sizes How can we take advantage?
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Goal #1: Course transformation Excellent for students Develop
experimental expertise Modernize Motivating Excellent for faculty
Easier to teach Easier to manage and maintain Broader impacts A
target for our lab sequence A model for other schools No lab
manager NSF funded. Share it!
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Goal #2: A PER Research Project Expanding research in PER
Minimal PER in labs What should a lab for the 21 st century look
like? What are students really learning? Research-based resources
Example course materials Assessments A framework for redesigning
labs
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Spring 2011 classroom observations 1. Clear goals needed. 2.
Applications needed. 3. Data analysis help. 4. Lab reports heavily
emphasized. 5. Its the best lab course.
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Science Education Initiative Transformation Model What should
students learn? What are students learning? What approaches improve
student learning? Consensus learning goals Assessments
Research-based curriculum development Department Faculty PER
Postdocs
Four broad themes emerged 1. Modeling 2. Design 3.
Communication 4. Technical skills
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Development of Learning Goals LEARNING GOALS Modeling Design
Technical lab skills Communication Math-physics-data connection
Statistical error analysis Systematic error analysis Modeling the
measurement Experimental design Engineering design Troubleshooting
Basic test and measurement equipment Computer-aided data analysis
LabVIEW Argumentation Integration into the physics discourse
community
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Development of Learning Goals LEARNING GOALS Modeling Design
Technical lab skills Communication Math-physics-data connection
Statistical error analysis Systematic error analysis Modeling the
measurement Experimental design Engineering design Troubleshooting
Basic test and measurement equipment Computer-aided data analysis
LabVIEW Argumentation Integration into the physics discourse
community Systematic error analysis Students should be able to test
and develop models for sources of systematic error in their
measurement devices and systems under study. Why? 1.Understanding
systematic error is regarded by faculty as an expert skill, yet it
is largely absent from our lab courses. 2.Modeling provides a
natural framework for discussing systematic error. Systematic error
analysis
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Overhaul of the entire lab Before: Abandoned darkroom. Always
locked. After: Modern physics.
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Physically integrating lecture and lab Old: Unused space
Lecture across the street. Topics tangential to lab work. lecture
space in same room as lab New: Space for 16 students Activities in
Mathematica LabVIEW Data analysis Student oral presentations
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Modernization of the optics labs New: 10 versatile optics
workstations research grade equipment More open space. Standard
optics workstation
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4 Redesigned Optics Labs
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A New Suite of Lab Activities
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RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT DDeveloping a framework of modeling in
experiment SStudents expertise in modeling AAssessing students
attitudes about experiment EExperimental skills development
(computation, design, )
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Modeling (almost) a century ago In 1930, I wondered how Newtons
laws of motion could give such a good description of phenomena
studied in the undergraduate laboratory which was an integral part
of Physics 1A. After some fruitless speculations, I decided that
the most important object of physics was to study interesting
laboratory phenomena, and to try to make a mathematical model in
which the mathematical symbols imitated, in a way to be determined,
the motions of the physical system. I regarded this as a game, to
be taken seriously only if it worked well. -Willis Lamb 1955 Nobel
Prize for the Lamb Shift
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Modeling in the 1980s For the most part, the modeling theory
should appear obvious to physicists, since it is supposed to
provide an explicit formulation of things they know very well. That
does not mean that the theory is trivial or unnecessary. Much of
the knowledge it explicates is so basic and well known to
physicists that they take it for granted and fail to realize that
it should be taught to students. -David Hestenes Theoretical
physicists and innovator of the model-centered instructional
strategy in physics a.k.a. Modeling Instruction
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Modeling in high school and intro college High School Approx.
10% of HS physics courses Intro college (examples) Rutgers physics
lab for non-majors Intro calculus- based physics RealTime Physics
Labs (Wiley): Technology enhanced modeling But will it work in the
upper-division lab course? If so, what would a model-centered
curriculum look like?
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Modeling is implicit in traditional labs Key ingredients of the
traditional lab: 1)Interesting physical systems: complex, but
model-able. 2)Quantitative comparison between theory and
experiment. The main problem: Students only play part of the
modeling game. Wheres the building and refining of models?
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Toward a framework of modeling in experiment Hestenes, D.
Toward a modeling theory of physics instruction. American Journal
of Physics 55, 440 (1987). Description StageFormulation
StageRamification StageValidation Stage David Hestenes Modeling
framework
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Essentials of a traditional lab course REAL WORLD STUFF DATA
AND THEORY COLLIDE Measurement probes Real-world physical system
interrogated Comparison Is the current data good enough? How can I
get better agreement? Stop YesNo
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Theory = a model of the physical system Two contributions to
the model: (1)fundamental principles (2)Specific situation Two
limits on model validity Real-world physical system Comparison Is
the current data good enough? Specific situation Idealizations?
Unknown parameters? Physical system model Principles
Approximations? abstract predictions
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Define a measurement model, too. Principles Approximations?
Specific situation Idealizations? Unknown parameters? Measurement
probes Data Comparison Is the current data good enough? Measurement
model Results with uncertainties
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Full modeling framework Specific situation Idealizations?
Unknown parameters? Principles Approximations? Physical system
model abstract predictions Principles Approximations? Specific
situation Idealizations? Unknown parameters? Data Measurement model
Results with uncertainties Real-world physical system Measurement
probes Comparison Is the current data good enough? How can I get
better agreement? Stop YesNo Improve the measurement model Improve
the physical model Tradition: No model refinement -OR- One
parameter left unspecified
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Example: Pendulum for measuring g Specific situation Simple
pendulum g is unknown Newtons laws Physical system model abstract
predictions Oscillation period Simple pendulumTiming gate
Comparison Is the current data good enough? How can I get better
agreement? Stop YesNo Improve the physical model
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Fresnel Equations Lab Plane wave Monochromatic Linear polarized
light Infinite dielectric interface Detector close to interface
Maxwells equations and boundary conditions T(), R() Photodiode,
Op-amp Defining zero angle Calibrating the incident power Finite
detector width. T( i ), R( i ) Physical system model abstract Laser
beam, Rotation stage, Lucite slab (angle, voltage) pairs
Measurement model Photodetector, voltmeter Comparison Is the
current data good enough? How can I get better agreement? Stop
YesNo Improve the measurement model Improve the physical model
Gaussian beam? Polarization? Absorption? Scattering? Second
reflection?
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Implications of model-centered approach 1.Model both
measurement and physical systems. 2.Systematic error is integrated
into the experimental process. 3.Lecture courses provide the
modeling tools for lab.
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ASSESSMENT
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Just a cheap knock-off survey? VS. The Original CLASS
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How do our labs impact students? Traditional introductory
laboratory courses generally do not capture the creativity of STEM
disciplines. They often involve repeating classical experiments to
reproduce known results, rather than engaging students in
experiments with the possibility of true discovery. Students may
infer from such courses that STEM fields involve repeating what is
known to have worked in the past rather than exploring the unknown.
- PCAST Report,, Engage To Excel: Producing One Million Additional
College Graduates With Degrees In STEM (2012)
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Use learning goals for question topics + enjoyment, teamwork,
confidence
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E-CLASS Design Pairs of question Post only Pre & Post
Actionable evidence for instructor Gray, Kara, et al. Students know
what physicists believe, but they dont agree: A study using the
CLASS survey. PRST--PER 020106 (2008)
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Example: (modeling the measurement system) Pre- and
Post-semester Post-semester only
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Validation 19 interviews. Students take survey and then explain
how they answered it. Ambiguity: What do I think vs. what should I
think? Add: What would a physicist say? (about lab class or their
research lab?) Modify: What would a physicist say about their
research? (what about theoreticians?) Modify: What would do
experimental physicists say about their research? (final)
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Initial implementation Post-test results from Spring 2012 in
early May 1140 (Intro) Experimental Physics 1 2150 Experimental
Modern Physics 3330 Electronics for the Physical Sciences 3340/4430
Advanced Lab (Optics and Modern Physics) Questions we can answer in
December. Do we see any pre/post shifts in E-CLASS scores? Do
transformed intro labs at other institutions impact E-CLASS scores?
Questions we can answer in May Do students perceive course goals
same as the instructors? Is there a progression toward expert-like
attitudes, beliefs, and practices?
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Conclusions & Open Questions Lab transformation is
intellectually engaging, fun, and important. Students, faculty, and
PER researchers all have something to offer. There is a lot of work
left to be done!
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FOR MORE INFO Personal website:
http://spot.colorado.edu/~bezw0974/ Advanced Lab website:
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys3340/phys3340_sp12/index.html
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BONUS (DELETED) SLIDES
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Comparison between pre-transformed PHYS 3340 and other
institutions Typical 1) Mostly seniors. 2) 25-30 students per
semester 3) Optics and modern physics content Labs not connected to
lecture course content 4) Assessment based mostly on the lab
reports. 5) Fairly cookbook. 6) Emphasis on statistical error
analysis 7) Expected 10-15 hours per week 8) Students work in
pairs.. Not typical 1) The instructors rotate often (like the
lecture courses) 2) 10 weeks of guided labs, 5 week final project
3) 2 lecture hours per week. STM of gold diffraction grating
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Full modeling framework Real-world physical system Specific
situation Idealizations? Unknown parameters? Physical Model of
System Principles Approximations? abstract predictions Principles
Approximations? Specific situation Idealizations? Unknown
parameters? Measurement probes Data Measurement model Results with
uncertainties Comparison Is the current data good enough? How can I
get better agreement? Stop YesNo Improve the measurement model
Improve the physical model