UTILISING TECHNOLOGIES FOR POST-COVID MULTIMODAL COURSE ENGAGEMENT: AN INITIAL STUDY

In 2020, new undergraduate courses were developed, each with three 4-week modules. In particular, Modern Physics II was developed for a combined roster consisting of both Newcastle and James Cook University students and comprising Special Relativity, Nuclear and Particle Physics modules. To enable maximum engagement, a flipped classroom regime with no lecture notes, blended and remote laboratories and the inclusion of the SLACK project management hub was employed. Students were tasked with creating their own digital lecture notes from online videos resulting in 100% active engagement with the lecture content. All lecturettes contained embedded questions and a comparison of lightboard and PowerPoint was conducted. Weekly, online tutorial workshops using Zoom culminated with over 85% attendance rate consistently throughout the course. A weekly blackboard quiz was performed at a random time during these workshops and based on the embedded lecturette questions. New innovative STEM laboratory workshops were constructed in a variety of active engagement, from purely online worksheets, blended and remote experiments which were developed to work seamlessly under the changing COVID-19 restrictions. Students were exposed to planning, management and python control coding under the visage of “embracing technology and best practice to deliver the greatest possible student experience”

Photoelectrochemical cells based on inherently conducting polymers

This review of photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) based on inherently conducting polymers (ICPs) deals with the mechanisms of operation and the various factors that influence the overall efficiency of PECs. The factors addressed include ICP composition and oxidation state, the use of nanostructured surfaces and interfaces, and the PEC electrolyte and redox mediator

Driving Course Engagement Through Multimodal Strategic Technologies

This paper describes the development of a new second-year level undergraduate Physics course at the University of Newcastle, comprising three four-week modules (encompassing Special Relativity, Nuclear and Particle Physics) for a combined roster of both Newcastle and James Cook students. A series of multimodal digital learning technology platforms were employed to see if they could maximise student engagement. Specifically, a flipped classroom system was trialled whereby students were tasked with creating their own lecture notes from online videos (created using Lightboard and PowerPoint). This approach resulted in 90% of the class actively engaging with the lecture content. Weekly online tutorial workshops consistently achieved an attendance rate of approximately 85% and included an online quiz based on embedded questions within the lecture videos. In addition, innovative STEM laboratory workshops exploited active engagement strategies including purely online worksheets to blended and remote experiments. The inclusion of a Slack-based project management hub enabled students to work seamlessly under constantly changing COVID-19 restrictions while exposing them to planning, management and Python control coding, under the visage of “embracing technology and best practice to deliver the greatest possible student experience”. A review of students’ view of the Lightboard and PowerPoint lecture content was conducted with Lightboard being the student’s outright preference

Image formation in the scanning helium microscope

The scanning helium microscope (SHeM) is a new addition to the array of available microscopies, particularly for delicate materials that may suffer damage under techniques utilising light or charged particles. As with all other microscopies, the specifics of image formation within the instrument are required to gain a full understanding of the produced micrographs. We present work detailing the basics of the subject for the SHeM, including the specific nature of the projection distortions that arise due to the scattering geometry. Extension of these concepts allowed for an iterative ray tracing Monte Carlo model replicating diffuse scattering from a sample surface to be constructed. Comparisons between experimental data and simulations yielded a minimum resolvable step height of (67 ± 5) µm and a minimum resolvable planar angle of (4.3 ± 0.3)° for the instrument in question.acceptedVersio

Field emission from single-, double-, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes chemically attached to silicon

The chemical attachment and field emission (FE) properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) chemically attached to a silicon substrate have been investigated. A high density of CNTs was revealed by atomic force microscopy imaging with orientation varying with CNT type. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the CNT type and diameter on the surfaces. The field emission properties of the surfaces were studied and both current-voltage and Fowler-Nordheim plots were obtained. The SWCNTs exhibited superior FE characteristics with a turn-on voltage (Eto) of 1.28 V μm−1 and electric field enhancement factor (β) of 5587. The DWCNT surface showed an Eto of 1.91 V μm−1 and a β of 4748, whereas the MWCNT surface exhibited an Eto of 2.79 V μm−1 and a β of 3069. The emission stability of each CNT type was investigated and it was found that SWCNTs produced the most stable emission. The differences between the FE characteristics and stability are explained in terms of the CNT diameter, vertical alignment, and crystallinity. The findings suggest that strength of substrate adhesion and CNT crystallinity play a major role in FE stability. Comparisons to other FE studies are made and the potential for device application is discussed

Do students need face to face teaching?

At the University of Newcastle, we have two first year physics courses that comprise the first of many core courses for science and engineering students. These first year physics courses contain a variety of topics that have been staggered to outlay a story enveloping all aspects of basic physics. Over the years we have implemented a variety of teaching methods and technology, including active demonstrations, clickers, in-house mobile app technology, and computer aided learning as well as online quizzes and e-book usage. With all these changes there is no statistical difference in the final grades over the last 8 years. This presentation however is aimed at discovering if there is any statistical difference between attendance in lectures and exam results. There is however a clear statistical difference in the mid semester tests and final exam marks for those students attending lectures (or engaged with the course) over those who are either relying on videos of the lectures simply the notes supplied. Our first year classes typically have around 170 students with approximately 55% attending lectures and only 40% attending tutorials. These numbers are an average across the semester as they progressively drop over time. The individual topics in the courses also showed a variety of outcomes. In general, those students who engaged averaged a pass mark while those that did not engage failed. Topics such as thermal physics for example show almost two grades of separation (16% difference, p-value = 0.007) in the average marks for those attending lectures compared to those who did not

First year physics at Newcastle: A longitudinal study

At the University of Newcastle, we offer a pair of Advanced Physics courses for physics majors, science teachers and electrical engineers spanning two semesters of instruction and in which student numbers (after completion) have increased from 138 in 2010 to 180 in 2015. We commenced a longitudinal study in 2012 to measure the effect of altered teaching strategies on our first year outcomes and we report on the latest development in this stud

Bias-dependent effects in planar perovskite solar cells based on CH3NH3PbI3−xClx films

A unique bias-dependent phenomenon in CH3NH3PbI3-xClx based planar perovskite solar cells has been demonstrated, in which the photovoltaic parameters derived from the current-voltage (I-V) curves are highly dependent on the initial positive bias of the I-V measurement. In FTO/CH3NH3PbI3-xClx/Au devices, the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current increased by ca. 337.5% and 281.9% respectively, by simply increasing the initial bias from 0.5 V to 2.5 V. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Multi-model study of mercury dispersion in the atmosphere: vertical and interhemispheric distribution of mercury species

Atmospheric chemistry and transport of mercury play a key role in the global mercury cycle. However, there are still considerable knowledge gaps concerning the fate of mercury in the atmosphere. This is the second part of a model intercomparison study investigating the impact of atmospheric chemistry and emissions on mercury in the atmosphere. While the first study focused on ground-based observations of mercury concentration and deposition, here we investigate the vertical and interhemispheric distribution and speciation of mercury from the planetary boundary layer to the lower stratosphere. So far, there have been few model studies investigating the vertical distribution of mercury, mostly focusing on single aircraft campaigns. Here, we present a first comprehensive analysis based on various aircraft observations in Europe, North America, and on intercontinental flights. The investigated models proved to be able to reproduce the distribution of total and elemental mercury concentrations in the troposphere including interhemispheric trends. One key aspect of the study is the investigation of mercury oxidation in the troposphere. We found that different chemistry schemes were better at reproducing observed oxidized mercury patterns depending on altitude. High concentrations of oxidized mercury in the upper troposphere could be reproduced with oxidation by bromine while elevated concentrations in the lower troposphere were better reproduced by OH and ozone chemistry. However, the results were not always conclusive as the physical and chemical parameterizations in the chemistry transport models also proved to have a substantial impact on model results