Physics Education
The ``High school class for students with special abilities in physics`` was founded in Nis, Serbia in 2003. The basic aim of this project has been introducing a broadened curriculum of physics, mathematics, computer science, as well as…
We present a study of student learning through the use of virtual reality. A software package is used to introduce concepts of special relativity to students in a game-like environment where users experience the effects of travelling at…
Many students meet quite early this dipole-dipole potential energy when they are taught electrostatics or magnetostatics, and it is also a very popular formula, featured in the encyclopedias. We show that by a simple rewriting of the…
Developing expertise in physics entails learning to use mathematics effectively and efficiently as applied to the context of physical situations. Doing so involves coordinating a variety of concepts and skills including mathematical…
The power distribution of nearly all major countries have accepted 3-phase distribution as a standard. With increasing power requirements of instrumentation today even a small physics laboratory requires 3-phase supply. While physics…
The performance of over 2000 students in introductory calculus-based electromagnetism (E&M) courses at four large research universities was measured using the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA). Two different curricula were…
At many universities, astronomy is a popular way for non-science majors to fulfill a general education requirement. Because general-education astronomy may be the only college-level science course taken by these students, it is the last…
In this paper, we describe two complementary non-linear spectroscopy methods which both allow to achieve Doppler-free spectra of atomic gases. First, saturated absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate the structure of the $5{\rm…
We describe students revising the mathematical form of physics equations to match the physical situation they are describing, even though their revision violates physical laws. In an unfamiliar air resistance problem, a majority of students…
We tested the effectiveness on learning of hands-on, night-time laboratories that challenged student misconceptions in a non-major introductory astronomy class at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. We present a new assessment examination…
The University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group (UMd-PERG) carried out a five-year research project to rethink, observe, and reform introductory algebra-based (college) physics. This class is one of the Maryland Physics…
Student content knowledge and general reasoning abilities are two important areas in education practice and research. However, there hasn't been much work in physics education that clearly documents the possible interactions between content…
The Legendre transform is an important tool in theoretical physics, playing a critical role in classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics. Yet, in typical undergraduate or graduate courses, the power of motivation and…
This article introduces a set of distance education astronomy laboratory exercises for use by college students and instructors and discuss first usage results. This General Astronomy Education Source (GEAS) exercise set contains eight…
We introduce an interactive online resource for use by students and college instructors in introductory astronomy courses. The General Education Astronomy Source (GEAS) online tutor guides students developing mastery of core astronomical…
We offer second year students the opportunity to explore Current Topics in Biophysics in a course co-taught by a physicist and a biologist. The interdisciplinary course allows university students to engage in analytical thinking that…
The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) was developed by Hestenes, Wells and Swackhamer, in order to assess student understanding of the concept of force. FCI has been used for over 20 years and in different countries. When applying the inventory…
We use self-reported data from 2011--2014 and determine the academic profile of accepted students at physics graduate programs in the United States. We analyze the accepted students' grade point averages and physics Graduate Record…
The article considers the methodical aspects of informatization of physical education at a higher education institution. Besides, the article discloses the conception of the information educational environment and information technologies…
The teaching style "Peer Instruction", developed by Eric Mazur (Harvard University), poses a twofold challenge to teachers as well as students. While it aims to promote conceptual development in students, it also demands significant shifts…