Physics Commons^™

Examining The Relationships Between Gender Role Congruity, Identity, And The Choice To Persist For Women In Undergraduate Physics Majors, Bronwen Bares Pelaez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Persistent gender disparity limits the available contributors to advancing some science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. While higher education can be an influential time-point for ensuring adequate participation, many physics programs across the U.S. have few women in classroom or lab settings. Prior research indicates that these women face considerable barriers. For university students, faculty, and administration to appropriately address these issues, it is important to understand the experiences of women as they navigate male-dominated STEM fields.

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study explored undergraduate female physics majors’ experiences with their male-dominated academic and research spaces in the U.S. …

Experiential Learning Opportunity (Elo) And Utilization Of Field-And-Data- Based Information Obtained Through The Infusion Of Technology: Highlights On Nasa Stem And Earth Science Curricula, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Matthew Khargie, Shuayb Siddiqu, Sol De Leon, Katina Singh, Newrence Wills, Krishna Mahibar

Publications and Research

There is a greater emphasis on hands-on involvement and critical thinking skills in the geosciences and other STEM fields to inspire and engage K- 16 students to value scientific content and enable them to discover the well-documented nature of the fundamental scientific principles needed to explain various earth science and other STEM-related core phenomena. NASA MAA curricula are ideal for engaging K1-16 students in this context, since grade-specific lesson plans open-up a plethora of pedagogically sound and relevant earth science activities. These include earth’s materials and properties, meteorites, robotics, hot air balloon, flight simulation, star gazing, material science, crystal growth, …

Fermi Questions, Question 1: Trumpet Spit; Question 2: Tall Buildings, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

A quiz concerning physics is presented on topics such as the amount of saliva consumed by trumpeter Louis Armstrong during his career and the effect of buildings in the rotational inertia of the planet Earth.

Impulse-Momentum Diagrams, David Rosengrant

David Rosengrant

Multiple representations are a valuable tool to help students learn and understand physics concepts. Furthermore, representations help students learn how to think and act like real scientists. These representations include: pictures, free‐body diagrams, energy bar charts, electrical circuits, and, more recently, computer simulations and animations. However, instructors have limited choices when they want to help their students understand impulse and momentum. One of the only available options is the impulse‐momentum bar chart. The bar charts can effectively show the magnitude of the momentum as well as help students understand conservation of momentum, but they do not easily show the actual …

Following Student Gaze Patterns In Physical Science Lectures, David Rosengrant, Doug Hearrington, Kerriann Alvarado, Danielle Keeble

David Rosengrant

This study investigates the gaze patterns of undergraduate college students attending a lecture-based physical science class to better understand the relationships between gaze and focus patterns and student attention during class. The investigators used a new eye-tracking product; Tobii Glasses. The glasses eliminate the need for subjects to focus on a computer screen or carry around a backpack-sized recording device, thus giving an investigator the ability to study a broader range of research questions. This investigation includes what students focus on in the classroom (i.e. demonstrations, instructor, notes, board work, and presentations) during a normal lecture, what diverts attention away …

Equity Of Success In Clasp Courses At Uc Davis, Cassandra Paul, David Webb, Mary Chessey, Wendell Potter

Faculty Publications

We have recently described the reformed introductory physics course, Collaborative Learning through Active Sense-Making in Physics (CLASP), for bioscience students at UC Davis and argued that the course was more successful than its predecessor (Physics 5) by several measures. Now we examine the effects of these courses for different student ethnic groups. We find that, compared to Physics 5, students of most ethnic backgrounds were more successful in CLASP. We also find that students from ethnic groups underrepresented in STEM who took the CLASP course were more likely to graduate as STEM majors. We discuss possible features of CLASP that …

Lab Without A Lab: Prospects For An Iolab Kit To Provide Hands-On Introductory Physics Laboratory Learning Experiences Outside The Traditional Setting, Seth T. Ashman

Engineering & Physics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigating Student Learning Of Analog Electronics, Kevin L. Van De Bogart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Instruction in analog electronics is an integral component of many physics and engineering programs, and is typically covered in courses beyond the first year. While extensive research has been conducted on student understanding of introductory electric circuits, to date there has been relatively little research on student learning of analog electronics in either physics or engineering courses. Given the significant overlap in content of courses offered in both disciplines, this study seeks to strengthen the research base on the learning and teaching of electric circuits and analog electronics via a single, coherent investigation spanning both physics and engineering courses.

This …

Fermi Questions, Question 1: Too Many Mosquitoes; Question 2: Tug Of War, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

A quiz concerning the number of mosquitoes required to drain a human of blood and the amount of rope-tension in a tug of war contest.

Fermi Questions, Question 1: Penny Floors; Question 2: Secondhand Smoke, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

A quiz concerning the cost to tile the floor of a room and negative effect of secondhand smoke is presented.

The Interactions Of Relationships, Interest, And Self-Efficacy In Undergraduate Physics, Remy Dou

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This collected papers dissertation explores students’ academic interactions in an active learning, introductory physics settings as they relate to the development of physics self-efficacy and interest. The motivation for this work extends from the national call to increase participation of students in the pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Self-efficacy and interest are factors that play prominent roles in popular, evidence-based, career theories, including the Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the identity framework. Understanding how these constructs develop in light of the most pervasive characteristic of the active learning introductory physics classroom (i.e., peer-to-peer interactions) has …

Investigating Patterns Using Analyzing Digital Images (Adi) Software, Jennifer Welborn, Wayne Kermenski

Patterns Around Us

The mean and variation of a population are easily seen by graphing the number of individuals that have a trait of a given value. In this experiment, we will investigate color variation found in a mealworm population using ADI.

In this investigation, we will use digital images and ADI to measure the increased surface area created by villi located in the small intestines.

Wrinkling Of A Floating Sheet, Narayanan Menon

Patterns Around Us

The objective of today’s work will be to generate wrinkle patterns on very thin polymer films using the forces generated by the surface tension of a water drop. You’ll do a few sizes of water drop and we’ll give you a couple of thicknesses of film. Digital images of the pattern will allow us to make observations of the number and size of the wrinkles generated. We will try to develop an understanding of the dependence of the pattern on the materials used and the forces applied

Branching In Nature, Jennifer Welborn, Wayne Kermenski

Patterns Around Us

No abstract provided.

Wrinkling In Nature, Jennifer Welborn, Wayne Kermenski

Patterns Around Us

This lab experience is separated into four investigative segments:

1. Human saliva and enzymes

2. Osmosis and Dialysis Tubing

3. Analyzing dry and imbibed weights of wrinkled and smooth pea seeds

4. Putting it All Together, What makes Wrinkled Peas?