NEXUS/Physics: An interdisciplinary repurposing of physics for biologists

In response to increasing calls for the reform of the undergraduate science curriculum for life science majors and pre-medical students (Bio2010, Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians, Vision & Change), an interdisciplinary team has created NEXUS/Physics: a repurposing of an introductory physics curriculum for the life sciences. The curriculum interacts strongly and supportively with introductory biology and chemistry courses taken by life sciences students, with the goal of helping students build general, multi-discipline scientific competencies. In order to do this, our two-semester NEXUS/Physics course sequence is positioned as a second year course so students will have had some exposure to basic concepts in biology and chemistry. NEXUS/Physics stresses interdisciplinary examples and the content differs markedly from traditional introductory physics to facilitate this. It extends the discussion of energy to include interatomic potentials and chemical reactions, the discussion of thermodynamics to include enthalpy and Gibbs free energy, and includes a serious discussion of random vs. coherent motion including diffusion. The development of instructional materials is coordinated with careful education research. Both the new content and the results of the research are described in a series of papers for which this paper serves as an overview and context.Comment: 12 page

Management of Learning Technique on Lesson Termodinamika on Department Mechanical Engineering Maritime Inonesia Academy Medan

This research is a development research to develop the design of the right learning technique in the process of learning on the subject of Thermodynamics at the Department of Mechanical Engineering Academy of Indonesia Maritime Medan. The population in this study is all students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, while the research sample used is the students who are active in taking thermodynamics courses that is as much as 4 classes (100 people) in the second half (even) Academic Year 2017/2018. The method used in this research is the method of Research and Development, while the techniques in data retrieval used is through observation, documentation, interviews, and questionnaires. All the techniques in data collection in this class are used to see the success in the learning process. From the results of research and discussion conducted, learning techniques show that student learning outcomes tend to be high. The average value of student learning outcomes is 87.71. As many as 100% of students can pass the threshold for thermodynamics course that is ≥ 60. There are 2% of students are categorized enough, 6% of students are categorized capable and 92% of students are categorized as very capable.  Keywords: Management Learning Technique, Thermodynamics and Learning Outcomes DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-2-0

Competency Based Learning In Aerospace Structures I In an Online Environment - Work in Progress

In Fall 2020, we converted the engineering upper division class “Aerospace Structural Analysis I” from a traditional format to a competency-based learning model. “Aerospace Structural Analysis I” is a combination of topics from statics and strength of materials applied to aerospace systems. A total of about 100 students were enrolled in the class. Due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, this class was conducted in an online environment for the first time in Fall 2020. Competency based learning assesses students on how many topics/skills they are proficient, and allows students to engage with more complex topics only after mastering prerequisite skills. To pass the class in the competency-based learning model, students must be proficient on seven fundamental skills related to aerospace structures. Students are required to be proficient on further skills to obtain a higher grade. Students demonstrate proficiency on a skill by completing a quiz without major errors. The class was offered in Fall 2020 as fully online, with synchronous, recorded lectures. Although the online format poses new challenges for students, we think that it was easier for students to progress at their own pace in an online environment. The effectiveness and limitations of the competency-based pedagogy are assessed in the paper comparing students\u27 progress and grade between Fall 2020 and the previous class offering (Fall 2019). In addition, students\u27 experience and perception about the new format are assessed with an end-of-semester survey. Students generally had a positive experience with competency-based learning format, but they identified the necessity to provide more timely feedback

Conceptual framework of authentic chemistry problem-solving competency among school students

This paper discusses the conceptual framework of authentic chemistry problem solving competency in learning electrolysis. Authentic learning practice has a potential to improve problem solving competency by creating a meaningful learning environment among school students. This conceptual framework incorporates two established models; model of problem solving instruction: Search, Solve, Create and Share (Pizzini, 1987) and model of authentic learning (Herrington, 2000) with Science Framework in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) by The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2012). Authentic practice in learning chemistry will enhance higher order thinking skills especially to solve the open-ended problems. Open-ended problem is an ill-defined and non-routine problem, which is presenting a real-life context that interesting and relevant to the students.Student’s prior scientific knowledge competency, experience, problem solving skill and authentic learning practice are identified to be the independent variables to develop problem solving competency in learning chemistry. Chemistry problem solving ability test and problem solving skills questionnaire are administered to 112 full reseidential school students. Result from the preliminary study found that low (20.5%) and average(53.6%) achiever in Chemistry problem solving ability test has verified the independent variables are essential for the research. Domains in the problem solving skills are also at the average and low level. This framework is being implemented in a research being undertaken at present. The research will be investigating the impact of module of the authentic learning practice on the chemistry problem-solving competency among full residential school students

The Purdue Mechanics Freeform Classroom: A New Approach to Engineering Mechanics Education

The [REMOVED] Mechanics Freeform Classroom: A New Approach to Engineering Mechanics EducationMotivated by the need to address the broad spectrum of learning styles embraced by today’sengineering students, a desire to encourage active, peer-to-peer, and self-learning, and a goal ofinteracting with every student despite ever-expanding enrollments, the mechanics faculty at[REMOVED] University have developed the [REMOVED] Mechanics Freeform Classroom(PMFC) -- a new approach to engineering mechanics education. This complete, yet evolving,course system seeks to combine the more successful elements of the traditional classroom, withnew hybrid textbooks, extensive multimedia content, and web2.0 interactive technologies tocreate linked physical and virtual learning environments that not only appeal to students, butmarkedly improve the students’ technical competency in foundational engineering technicalareas.Though some elements of the PMFC have been in development for more than five years, thecurrent amalgamation of educational tools has been implemented for only six semesters. Thisincarnation consists of four core elements: Hybrid Textbooks/Lecture Notes – A key component of the PMFC experience is the hybrid textbook/lecture notes sets, dubbed “lecturebooks”. These hybrid texts are designed to concisely present the students with pertinent background information, highlight fundamental engineering principles and optimal problem solving techniques, and provide an extensive array of practical and relevant examples. The hybrid nature of the document stems from the notion that most factual information is provided in full, while brief and extended examples are provided with ample white space, allowing the student to actively work the problem, with the instructor’s assistance, within a lecture environment. Course Blog – The connective tissue of the PMFC experience is a highly-interactive course blog, which serves as a repository for course information and multimedia and, more importantly, a venue for peer-to-peer and student-to-instructor virtual interaction. Multimedia Content – Though blog-enabled peer-to-peer and student-to-instructor interactions lead to significant out-of-classroom learning, these features are buttressed in the PMFC by a wide array of multimedia content, designed specifically for self-paced factual delivery, and ultimately self-learning. The cornerstone of this multimedia content is the more than 400 instructor-produced videos, which highlight, in a step-by-step fashion, the problem solving approaches required for all of the course’s homework problems and lecture examples, and numerous internally-produced technical videos that relate various course topics to real-world events and engineering systems. Lecture – The most traditional component of the PMFC experience is the classroom lecture. Though lecture format and style can vary dramatically from instructor to instructor, the PMFC model encourages a strong emphasis on engineering fundamentals, highly-interactive and open-ended technical discussions, classroom demonstrations, and the inclusion of extended examples or case studies that parallel world events and/or technical situations that arise in students’ lives.Given this framework, the present work specifically seeks to describe the development andevolution of the [REMOVED] Mechanics Freeform Classroom and its constituent components.Complementing this will be a discussion of preliminary assessment, both formal and anecdotal innature. The results of this assessment not only highlight the group-level efficacy of the approach(as captured through student failure and withdrawal metrics, amongst pertinent others), but alsohighlight improvements in student satisfaction and course perception. Finally, in light of theirimportance in the presence of sustainable curricular change, issues associated with faculty buy-inand material adoption will also be discussed

Undergraduate and Graduate Course Descriptions, 2016 Fall

Wright State University undergraduate and graduate course descriptions from Fall 2016

Preprosti poskusi v interaktivnem fizikalnem laboratoriju: dijakova notranja motivacija in razumevanje

Experiments in different forms can certainly be suitable tools for increasing student interest in physics. However, educators continuously discuss which forms of experimenting (if any) are the most beneficial for these purposes. At the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, two different forms of physics experiments are offered to upper secondary students: hands-on experimental work in the Interactive Physics Laboratory, and physics demonstration shows where the students watch experiments conducted by a lecturer. Our research focuses primarily on student feedback about their immediate attitudes towards these two projects. Data collection was undertaken using questionnaire research based on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. This research was subsequently supplemented with a qualitative study examining the influence of students’ experimental work in the Interactive Physics Laboratory on their understanding of selected physics concepts. The results of the main research show that the two projects do not exhibit significant differences in terms of student interest and perceived usefulness; nevertheless, students felt the need for significantly more effort and experienced pressure during their work in the Interactive Physics Laboratory. One interesting finding, which goes against our original hypothesis, is that grades in physics are quite a strong predictor of students’ assessment of the projects: better grades indicate more positive assessment of both projects as well as less pressure felt during hands-on activities in the laboratory. (DIPF/Orig.

Undergraduate and Graduate Course Descriptions, 2023 Spring

Wright State University undergraduate and graduate course descriptions from Spring 2023