Probing university students’ understanding of electromotive force in electricity

The goal of this study is to identify students’ difficulties with learning the concepts of electromotive force (emf) and potential difference in the context of transitory currents and resistive direct-current circuits. To investigate these difficulties, we developed a questionnaire based on an analysis of the theoretical and epistemological framework of physics, which was then administered to first-year engineering and physics students at universities in Spain, Colombia, and Belgium. The results of the study show that student difficulties seem to be strongly linked to the absence of an analysis of the energy balance within the circuit and that most university students do not clearly understand the usefulness of and the difference between the concepts of potential difference and emf

Diseño de estrategias centradas en el aprendizaje para las visitas escolares a los museos de ciencias

Las visitas a los Museos de Ciencias pueden constituir un complemento al aprendizaje de las ciencias realizado en la Escuela. Sin embargo, los Museos de Ciencias son entornos de aprendizaje no formal donde los profesores solemos tener poco control sobre las ideas implicadas o las experiencias que los estudiantes realizan. En el caso de visitas escolares, para que el Museo constituya un auténtico instrumento de aprendizaje son necesarios enfoques y estrategias centrados en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes más que en tareas de manipulación de módulos. Será necesario, diseñar materiales para la visita al Museo que integren el aprendizaje en la Escuela y en el Museo, que estimulen el interés y curiosidad de los estudiantes promoviendo un aprendizaje autónomo mediante trabajo en grupo orientado por el profesor. En este trabajo se explica cómo hemos elaborado estos materiales y sus principales características

Diseño de estrategias centradas en el aprendizaje para las visitas escolares a los museos de ciencias

Las visitas a los Museos de Ciencias pueden constituir un complemento al aprendizaje de las ciencias realizado en la Escuela. Sin embargo, los Museos de Ciencias son entornos de aprendizaje no formal donde los profesores solemos tener poco control sobre las ideas implicadas o las experiencias que los estudiantes realizan. En el caso de visitas escolares, para que el Museo constituya un auténtico instrumento de aprendizaje son necesarios enfoques y estrategias centrados en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes más que en tareas de manipulación de módulos. Será necesario, diseñar materiales para la visita al Museo que integren el aprendizaje en la Escuela y en el Museo, que estimulen el interés y curiosidad de los estudiantes promoviendo un aprendizaje autónomo mediante trabajo en grupo orientado por el profesor. En este trabajo se explica cómo hemos elaborado estos materiales y sus principales características.Palabras clave: aprendizaje no formal, estrategias centradas en el aprendizaje, manipulación de módulos, museos de Ciencia, visitas escolares.Design of strategies focused on learning for school visits to science museumsVisits to the Science Museums can be a complement to Science learning at the School. However, Science Museums are non-formal learning environments where teachers tend to have little control over the ideas involved or the experiences that the students make. In the case of school visits, in order for the Museum to constitute a true learning instrument, it is necessary to focus on strategies and strategies focused on student learning rather than on module manipulation tasks. It will be necessary to design materials for the visit to the Museum that integrate the learning in the School and in the Museum, that stimulate the interest and curiosity of the students promoting an autonomous learning through work in group guided by the teacher. This paper explains how we have developed these materials and their main characteristics.Key words: non-formal learning, strategies focused on learning, manipulation of modules, science museums, school visits

Teaching energy conservation as a unifying principle in physics

In this work we present the design and assessment of a teaching sequence aimed at introducing the principle of energy conservation at post-compulsory secondary school level (16-18 year olds). The proposal is based on the result of research into teaching-learning difficulties and on the analysis of the physics framework. Evidence is shown that this teaching sequence, together with the methodology used in the classroom, may result in students having a better grasp of the principle of energy conservation. Keywords Physics education · Energy conceptions · Teaching activitie

The influence of gravimetric moisture content on studded shoe–surface interactions in soccer

It is desirable for the studs of a soccer shoe to penetrate the sport surface and provide the player with sufficient traction when accelerating. Mechanical tests are often used to measure the traction of shoe–surface combinations. Mechanical testing offers a repeatable measure of shoe–surface traction, eliminating the inherent uncertainties that exist when human participant testing is employed, and are hence used to directly compare the performance of shoe–surface combinations. However, the influence specific surface characteristics has on traction is often overlooked. Examining the influence of surface characteristics on mechanical test results improves the understanding of the traction mechanisms at the shoe–surface interface. This allows footwear developers to make informed decisions on the design of studded outsoles. The aim of this paper is to understand the effect gravimetric moisture content has on the tribological mechanisms at play during stud–surface interaction. This study investigates the relationships between: the gravimetric moisture content of a natural sand-based soccer surface; surface stiffness measured via a bespoke impact test device; and surface traction measured via a bespoke mechanical test device. Regression analysis revealed that surface stiffness decreases linearly with increased gravimetric moisture content (p = 0.04). Traction was found to initially increase and then decrease with gravimetric moisture content. It was observed that: a surface of low moisture content provides low stud penetration and therefore reduced traction; a surface of high moisture content provides high stud penetration but also reduced traction due to a lubricating effect; and surfaces with moisture content in between the two extremes provide increased traction. In this study a standard commercially available stud was used and other studs may provide slightly different results. The results provide insight into the traction mechanisms at the stud–surface interface which are described in the paper. The variation between traction measurements shows the influence gravimetric moisture content will have on player performance. This highlights the requirement to understand surface conditions prior to making comparative shoe–surface traction studies and the importance of using a studded outsole that is appropriate to the surface condition during play

Comparative effectiveness of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue as add-on therapies to sulphonylurea among diabetes patients in the Asia-Pacific region: a systematic review

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is rising globally, and it induces a substantial public health burden to the healthcare systems. Its optimal control is one of the most significant challenges faced by physicians and policy-makers. Whereas some of the established oral hypoglycaemic drug classes like biguanide, sulphonylureas, thiazolidinediones have been extensively used, the newer agents like dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and the human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues have recently emerged as suitable options due to their similar efficacy and favorable side effect profiles. These agents are widely recognized alternatives to the traditional oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin, especially in conditions where they are contraindicated or unacceptable to patients. Many studies which evaluated their clinical effects, either alone or as add-on agents, were conducted in Western countries. There exist few reviews on their effectiveness in the Asia-Pacific region. The purpose of this systematic review is to address the comparative effectiveness of these new classes of medications as add-on therapies to sulphonylurea drugs among diabetic patients in the Asia-Pacific countries. We conducted a thorough literature search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE from the inception of these databases to August 2013, supplemented by an additional manual search using reference lists from research studies, meta-analyses and review articles as retrieved by the electronic databases. A total of nine randomized controlled trials were identified and described in this article. It was found that DPP-4 inhibitors and GLP-1 analogues were in general effective as add-on therapies to existing sulphonylurea therapies, achieving HbA1c reductions by a magnitude of 0.59–0.90% and 0.77–1.62%, respectively. Few adverse events including hypoglycaemic attacks were reported. Therefore, these two new drug classes represent novel therapies with great potential to be major therapeutic options. Future larger-scale research should be conducted among other Asia-Pacific region to evaluate their efficacy in other ethnic groups

Different approaches to research and innovation in physics education at college and university

In this article we report a Symposium organized by GTG-Physics Education Research at University (PERU) with different proposals that includes innovative educational approaches and research on problems of teaching-learning physics at university. In the second section, two research projects are described on teaching specific curriculum topics that present special difficulties for students. In the next section the third project on a work experience in the laboratory that takes into account the characteristics of scientific work, is presented. Finally, the fourth project presents a way to investigate the types of student reasoning. In the discussion, the importance of research projects that include not only conceptual understanding but also those areas such as laboratory work or "on-line physics courses" that involve practicing skills of scientific work, is highlighted.Publisher PD