Introductory College Physics Research Articles

Centering and marginalization in introductory university physics classrooms

IntroductionResearch-based instructional strategies in physics promote active participation in collaborative activities as a primary means for students to construct understanding. Discussions of physics content are also negotiations of social relations.MethodsVideo analysis of small-group collaborative learning activities in introductory physics classrooms at three different universities, using situated learning theory analyses that include a critical consciousness lens.ResultsStudents’ ability to actively participate in sensemaking may be limited by their peripheral or marginalized position. Some people seem to be centered (or marginalized) for reasons other than the strength of their physics reasoning, and some people’s contributions are elevated (or neglected) for reasons other than their scientific merit.DiscussionSome of the behavioral patterns that we observe typify racialized and gendered interactions that are common in broader U.S. society.

Introduction to concept inventories for medical physics education.

Concept inventories are multiple choice exams designed with the intention to test core concepts on specific subjects and evaluate common misconceptions. These tests serve as a useful tool in the classroom to assess value added by the instructor's educational methods and to better understand how students learn. They can provide educators with a method to evaluate their current teaching strategies and to make modifications that enhance student learning and ultimately elevate the quality of medical physics education. The use of concept inventories in introductory college physics courses revealed important gaps in conceptual understanding of physics by undergraduate students and motivated a shift of physics teaching towards more effective methods, such as active learning techniques. The goal of this review is to introduce medical physicists to concept inventories as educational evaluation tools and discuss potential applications to medical physics education by development through multi-institutional collaboration.

Enhancing students’ understanding of vectors through personalized adaptive learning

In introductory college physics courses, it is important that students have a thorough understanding of vectors since several topics depend on vectors. When the test of understanding of vectors (TUV) was administered to the students completing the algebra-based College Physics I course, it was found that students had considerable difficulties in certain vector concepts. To overcome these difficulties, the question-bank for personalized adaptive learning (PAL) was modified. These modifications were implemented in a later semester for the students of the same course. In the current work, we present students’ performance on 12 questions on TUV for two semesters with a focus on improvement in students’ performance on graphic representation and determination of direction and magnitude of a vector presented in unit vector notation, understanding of graphical methods for vector addition, subtraction and multiplication of a vector by a negative scalar. This study presents the development of questions in PAL assignments which may be beneficial for the teaching community.

Strategies for teaching waves in the next generation science standards

Waves and their applications are one of the disciplinary core ideas in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), but the performance expectations include concepts that have not historically been an important part of teaching waves in high school science classrooms, with a particular focus on technologies that utilize waves and on students making connections between different types of waves including sound, seismic waves, and electromagnetic waves. In this talk, I will share resources and strategies that I use to teach some of these concepts, including both hands-on activities and digital resources. Many of these resources are also appropriate to other physics courses, including AP Physics and introductory college physics courses.

The relationship between gender and academic performance in undergraduate physics students: the role of physics identity, perceived recognition, and self-efficacy

Abstract Studies focusing on physics undergraduate students have found that women tend not to identify as strongly with physics, compared to men. Recent research has examined potential factors that influence the experience of women in physics. Several of these factors, such as students’ beliefs in their ability to complete physics-based tasks (i.e., self-efficacy) and students’ belief that others perceive them as a physicist (i.e., perceived recognition), have been associated with physics identity in the context of introductory university physics courses in the United States (US). The current study extends this previous work, surveying students at all levels of the undergraduate degree at a research-intensive university in the UK. Students were asked about their physics identity, physics self-efficacy, and the extent to which they believed others perceived them as physicists. The survey responses were then matched with students’ grades. Using matched responses from the start and end of an academic year from 169 students (110 men, 59 women), two analyses were performed. The first analysis found that average scores for women for physics identity, and self-efficacy were lower than for men both at the start and end of the academic year. The second analysis found that after controlling for the start-of-year scores in physics identity, self-efficacy, and perceived recognition, students’ mid-year grades significantly predicted variance in their end-of-year scores for self-efficacy, perceived recognition, and (possibly also) physics identity. This study also found that the gap in perceived recognition between men and women increased over the academic year. The results contribute to understanding potential barriers for women in physics and have implications for instruction in terms of promoting students’ physics identity, self-efficacy, and perceived recognition.

Improvising an apparatus for teaching sound waves using smartphones

Laboratory experience is integral to science education. However, access to quality science laboratory equipment is a major challenge faced by many educational institutions in developing countries. This paper reports on an improvisation of an apparatus for teaching sound waves using smartphones and materials that are easy to obtain from the community. The Kundt’s Tube is a traditional apparatus for measuring the speed of sound in air. In science education, it is used as an instructional tool for teaching sound waves in high school physics and introductory college physics. Our improvised Kundt’s tube utilized a Polyvinyl chloride pipe for the main tube and two smartphones for producing and sensing sound. Using the improvised apparatus, we were able to create longitudinal standing waves and measure the speed of sound in air to within 3.76% of the theoretical value. Thus, the improvised Kundt’s tube is fit for use in high school physics and general physics laboratories. In addition, the materials used are easily accessible and readily available which makes the apparatus very economical.

An Angular Method to Calculate the Electric Field of a Long Cylindrical Shell

The electric field inside a uniformly charged long cylindrical shell is a standard example discussed in introductory university physics. The field is zero inside the cylinder; outside of the cylinder, the field behaves like a long wire at the center carrying the same amount of charge per unit length, analogous to that of a uniformly charged spherical shell, typically referred to as Newton’s shell theorem. It is usually proven with the use of Gauss’s law and cylindrical symmetry of the electric field. A more direct proof by integration is lacking at this level. In fact, students often have difficulties visualizing intuitively why the field at off-center points is cancelled out completely and behaves like a line charge at the center on the outside.

Investigation of pendulum damping using an angle sensor and video analysis: combination of viscous and dry friction

Viscous and Coulomb’s friction combined contribute to the damping of a pendulum; however, they are usually treated as a silo effect. In this study, we investigate the combination of viscous and Coulomb damping in compound pendulum oscillation, employing two modern instruments that are cheap and handy to quantify the experiments, which are video analysis and a microcontroller angle sensor. From the model fitting, variables and parameters of the motion such as angular frequency, period, moment of inertia, and viscous and frictional parameters are obtained with high accuracy and consistency between angle sensor and video analysis data. This study contributes to the use of technology in physics education, specifically in physics experiments. It is relevant for high school physics and university introductory physics as the basis to advance study in the damped oscillation of the pendulum.

In Service of Equity: 3D-Printed Models in University Introductory Physics

One of the central tenets of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the presentation of concepts using multiple modalities. As new technologies develop, the variety of available representations increases as well. In this paper, we explore how 3D-printed models can provide another avenue of approach to physics concepts. Students with low vision may particularly benefit from such models.

Absence of a COVID-induced academic drop in high-school physics learning

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of secondary instruction in the United States transitioned to an online environment. In many parts of the country, online schooling continued for upwards of two years. Many experts have hypothesized an “academic slide”—a reduction in student learning—following this period of online instruction. We investigated the change in student preparation for introductory college physics in incoming Stanford University students between the fall term of 2019 to the fall term of 2021. We did this by looking at the performance on a validated physics diagnostic exam that all Stanford students intending to take a physics course took before enrolling in an introductory physics course. We found no statistically or educationally significant change in scores. Despite many anecdotal faculty reports, at least for this population, the level of student preparation in physics and related math appears to be unchanged.Received 6 June 2022Accepted 13 July 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.023102Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasStudent preparationProfessional TopicsLower undergraduate studentsPhysics Education Research

Promoting Problem Solving Through Interactive Video-Enhanced Tutorials

Students in introductory college physics often have wide ranges of preparation, making it challenging to deliver effective instruction for all. While numerous educational products and strategies have been shown to be broadly effective, there is a need for research-based online materials that support personalized learning and focus specifically on improving problem-solving abilities. Building from our Interactive Video Vignettes (IVVs), we are developing freely available Interactive Video-Enhanced Tutorials (IVETs). These combine videos of real instructors who guide students through an expert-like problem-solving process using a series of required questions that motivate students to interact with the material. Research on the effectiveness of the IVETs is underway and preliminary results are encouraging.

Examining lecture and inquiry-based laboratory performance for language minority students in science gateway courses.

This study examined the effectiveness of lectures and inquiry-based instruction in supporting learning for language minority (LM) students in science gateway courses at a large public research university. Utilizing institutional data from 6,911 students across nine years, we fitted cross–lagged panel designs to model associations between lecture courses and inquiry-based laboratory courses for both LM and non-LM students in two-course sequences of introductory college Physics and Chemistry. We found that initial performance in lectures and laboratory sessions can be a predictor of subsequent course performance across disciplines and independent of LM status. Notably, while LM students performed worse in the initial lecture course, LM status resulted in neither worse performance in inquiry-based laboratory courses nor in worse performance in subsequent courses in the science gateway course sequence. Thus, this study suggests that interventions intended to support LM students in college science should target the initial courses in the corresponding science gateway course sequences.

Video Analysis of an Oscillating Cantilever for Introductory Laboratories

Awood cantilever of length ∼2.5 m is driven into resonance using the hand as a simple driver. Video recordings of these oscillations are analyzed to determine experimental second harmonic (n = 2) damped resonance frequencies. These frequencies are compared to theoretical ones, obtained from measurements of elastic moduli, damping properties, and physical dimensions of the cantilever. Experimental frequencies agree with theoretical ones to within their respective uncertainties. Experiments described here can be incorporated seamlessly into introductory college physics laboratories, following discussions of simple harmonic oscillators (including damping). These kinds of experiments are useful for developing students’ skills in designing and troubleshooting experiments, analyzing video recordings, and modeling data using computers. The ease of set up and simple apparatus also make these activities ideal for remote learning such as during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

A Skateboarding Experiential Learning Activity for Introductory Physics

Instructors of introductory college physics courses are in a unique position to explain the physics of skateboarding and its associated risks. A field trip to a skate park to explore the law of conservation of energy and measure the impact forces can enhance student analytical thinking skills and their appreciation of physics in everyday life. Through the measurement of the impact forces and student discussions of their own skateboarding experiences, students are better prepared to protect themselves from skateboarding-related physical injuries.

Sign and Sense of an Induced Electric Current by a Nearby Moving Magnet

In one of the Faraday’s experiments an electric current is induced in a conducting loop when a magnet in front of it moves towards or away from the loop. While the direction of circulation of the electric current in the loop has only two options, it depends on three experimental conditions that generate eight cases. Even though the Faraday law or the Lenz law by itself answers for the current sense in each case, we think that a graphic synthesis of all the cases and its corresponding result is a new and interesting exercise we want to discuss. The resulting diagram is a starting point for other exercises on the induced current that a teacher might propose to their students in introductory college physics.

Online versus face-to-face learning in introductory university physics following COVID-19

The use of technology in higher education science classrooms rose significantly in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many universities, academic programs including introductory physics classes were taken online. Some institutions adopted online learning but also maintained face-to-face (F2F) laboratories when COVID-19 restrictions began to ease. Here, the effectiveness of the online learning approach in comparison with F2F learning is explored. The percentage difference in performance for students who took the online introductory physics course, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, versus that of students simultaneously taking the same course F2F is reported. This is done both across different sections taught by different instructors, and for the same course taught online versus F2F by the same professor. Furthermore, a short survey was conducted to assess the student learning experience and opinion about online and F2F learning. The results show equal or better overall performance for online learning with 4.2% higher performance when comparing results across different sections taught by different instructors. A similar 6.1% performance improvement was seen when comparing results across different sections taught by the same instructor. In contrast with the performance outcomes, the survey results indicate that about 72% of students prefer F2F compared to online learning. The findings provide a useful reference as many institutions and programs transition back to more standard F2F or hybrid learning modes. The benefits and drawbacks of each mode are discussed in the specific context of student preferences and challenges faced in online learning during COVID-19.

Enhancing Student Learning of Global Warming Through Reflective Writing

The National Academy of Science has published studies showing strong scientific evidence that global warming is caused by human consumption of fossil fuels, yet recent surveys have shown young adults in the U.S. are disengaged or disagree with this fact. Accordingly, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published learning objectives to educate the world population on global warming and renewable energy by 2030. In this paper, we introduce a reflective writing activity physics educators can employ to foster a deeper understanding of global warming in introductory college physics and physical science courses, without overloading their teaching time.

Theoretical and experimental studies of the Wilberforce pendulum

This work focuses on exploring the phenomenon of Wilberforce pendulum, a research problem for the International Young Physicists’ Tournament in 2021. A Wilberforce pendulum is a system which has a mass hanging vertically from the bottom of a long helical string. The mass is allowed to undergo both rotational motion about and translational motion along its vertical axis with the spring. Under appropriate initial conditions, the pendulum can exhibit coupled oscillations, where the mass switches between vertical oscillations (where it bobs up and down) and azimuthal oscillations (periodic rotations about the vertical axis). This paper aims to explore this phenomenon in three stages: firstly, an analysis on the mechanics of helical springs for an intuitive explanation for the onset of coupled oscillations; secondly, a comprehensive Lagrangian formulation which models the ‘beating’ motion path of the pendulum and its lightly damped oscillations; thirdly, an experimental verification of our model and the conditions required for clear coupling between the two modes of oscillations. The findings presented in this paper reveal some interesting features of the Wilberforce pendulum and help us gain some understanding of its physical properties. This phenomenon can also be regarded as an extremely insightful problem for introductory college physics courses focussed on the subject of oscillations and resonance, as its construction is easy and inexpensive, and it is a clear demonstration of coupled oscillatory motion.

The looping pendulum: optimization with analytical and computational analysis

A looping pendulum is a setup that consists of two loads connected by a light string, which in turn is put over a fixed rod, with the lighter load being held by a person, and the heavier close to the rod. When the lighter load is released, experience shows there is an instant when the heavier load stops falling, and the lighter winds around the rod, bringing the system to rest. This setup is used in science demonstrations to prevent a fragile object, such as a ceramic mug, from falling to the ground, using washers as the lighter load. In this paper we propose a mathematical model for this demonstration, which we use to analyze the main parameters that influence the effectiveness of the setup. We find its equations of motion analytically, and use numerical methods to relate relevant parameters (such as falling distance and trajectory) to the initial configuration, determine the conditions that allow the phenomenon to happen, and display results as plots and parameter spaces. Lastly, through careful experimentation we found strong evidence for the validity of our theoretical predictions. We found the looping pendulum to be an extremely useful problem for introductory college physics courses interested in strengthening analytical and computational physics skills, as its construction is easy, inexpensive, and its analysis encompasses various mechanics concepts, solving differential equations numerically, and data collection through video software.

Mediational effect of prior preparation on performance differences of students underrepresented in physics

Instructional interventions are necessary in introductory college physics so that differences in preparation do not generate differences in outcomes for women, underrepresented ethnic or racial minorities, and first-generation college students.