Physics Education
ALICE (Adaptive Learning for Interdisciplinary Collaborative Environments) is an open-source web based adaptive learning system designed for interdisciplinary instruction. ALICE has the potential to transform education by empowering…
The use of computers in statistical physics is common because the sheer number of equations that describe the behavior of an entire system particle by particle often makes it impossible to solve them exactly. Monte Carlo methods form a…
We address previous hypotheses about possible factors influencing the gender gap in attainment in physics. Specifically, previous studies claim that male advantage may arise from multiple-choice style questions, and that scaffolding may…
We have collected and analyzed the relevant data from public schools in greater Houston area of Texas. Based and analyzed. Since the data is only limited to a few school, we are still working on getting more data so that we can compare and…
Physics faculty consider the photoelectric effect important, but many erroneously believe it is easy for students to understand. We have developed curriculum on this topic including an interactive computer simulation, interactive lectures…
We report on a large-scale study of student learning of quantum tunneling in 4 traditional and 4 transformed modern physics courses. In the transformed courses, which were designed to address student difficulties found in previous research,…
In this work, a new Physics laboratory experiment on Acoustics beats is presented. We have designed a simple experimental setup to study superposition of sound waves of slightly different frequencies (acoustic beat). The microphone of a…
Secure communication protocols are becoming increasingly important, e.g. for internet-based communication. Quantum key distribution allows two parties, commonly called Alice and Bob, to generate a secret sequence of 0s and 1s called a key…
This resource letter provides a guide to research-based assessment instruments (RBAIs) of physics and astronomy content. These are standardized assessments that were rigorously developed and revised using student ideas and interviews,…
We describe a project-based computational physics course developed using a backwards course design approach. From an initial competency-based model of problem solving in computational physics, we interviewed faculty who use these tools in…
Identifying and understanding student difficulties with physics content in a wide variety of topical areas is an active research area within the PER community. In many cases, physics topics appear multiple times in different contexts across…
This paper introduces a new spreadsheet tool for adoption by high school or college level physics teachers who use common assessments in a pre-instruction/post-instruction mode to diagnose student learning and teaching effectiveness. The…
We propose a laboratory experience aimed at undergraduate physics students to understand the main features of the photoelectric effect and to perform a measurement of the ratio h/e, where h is the Planck's constant and e is the electron…
We present a new teaching and outreach activity based around the construction of a three-dimensional chart of isotopes using LEGO$^{\circledR}$ bricks. The activity, \emph{Binding Blocks}, demonstrates nuclear and astrophysical processes…
We describe a project-based physics lab, which we proposed to third-year university students. Theses labs are based on new open-source low-cost equipment (Arduino microcontrollers and compatible sensors). Students are given complete…
Education is increasingly being framed by a competence mindset; the value of knowledge lies much more in competence performativity and innovation than in simply knowing. Reaching such competency in areas such as astronomy and physics has…
While Newtonian gravity is an adequate model for current geophysical exploration, Einsteinian gravity, based on the connection between free fall and warped time, has superseded Newtonian gravity as our best understanding of the universe.…
Simulation of the so-called monatomic and diatomic chains by the computer program CHAINPLOT is described. The simulation provides useful teaching material for undergraduate condensed matter physics lecture courses, and has revealed that for…
Scaling and sustaining educational innovations is a common problem in the learning sciences. Professional development resources around educational innovations that are personalized to appeal to the needs and motivations of different types…
Score reliability is necessary for establishing a validity argument for an instrument, and is therefore highly important to investigate. Depending on the proposed instrument use and score interpretations, differing degrees of precision in…