2,484 research outputs found
Using think-aloud interviews to characterize model-based reasoning in electronics for a laboratory course assessment
Models of physical systems are used to explain and predict experimental
results and observations. The Modeling Framework for Experimental Physics
describes the process by which physicists revise their models to account for
the newly acquired observations, or change their apparatus to better represent
their models when they encounter discrepancies between actual and expected
behavior of a system. While modeling is a nationally recognized learning
outcome for undergraduate physics lab courses, no assessments of students'
model-based reasoning exist for upper-division labs. As part of a larger effort
to create two assessments of students' modeling abilities, we used the Modeling
Framework to develop and code think-aloud problem-solving activities centered
on investigating an inverting amplifier circuit. This study is the second phase
of a multiphase assessment instrument development process. Here, we focus on
characterizing the range of modeling pathways students employ while
interpreting the output signal of a circuit functioning far outside its
recommended operation range. We end by discussing four outcomes of this work:
(1) Students engaged in all modeling subtasks, and they spent the most time
making measurements, making comparisons, and enacting revisions; (2) Each
subtask occurred in close temporal proximity to all over subtasks; (3)
Sometimes, students propose causes that do not follow logically from observed
discrepancies; (4) Similarly, students often rely on their experiential
knowledge and enact revisions that do not follow logically from articulated
proposed causes.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure
Transforming a large introductory lab course: impacts on views about experimental physics
Laboratory courses are key components of most undergraduate physics programs.
Lab courses often aim to achieve the following learning outcomes: developing
students' experimental skills, engaging students in authentic scientific
practices, reinforcing concepts, and inspiring students' interest and
engagement in physics. Some of these outcomes can be measured by the Colorado
Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS), a
research-based assessment that measures students' views about experimental
physics. We used E-CLASS at the University of Colorado Boulder to measure
learning outcomes during a course transformation process in which views about
experimental physics were reflected in the learning goals. We collected over
600 student responses per semester from the large introductory laboratory
course, both before and after implementing the course transformation. While we
observed no statistically significant difference in overall post-instruction
E-CLASS scores before and after the transformation, in the transformed course,
student responses to three E-CLASS items that related to the goals of the
transformation were more favorable than in the original course
Situation assessment: an end-to-end process for the detection of objects of interest
International audienceIn this article, semi-automatic approaches are developed for wide area situation assessment in near-real-time. The two-step method consists of two granularity levels. The first entity assessment uses a new multi-target tracking algorithm (hybridization of GM-CPHD filter and MHT with road constraints) on GMTI data. The situation is then assessed by detecting objects of interest such as convoys with other data types (SAR, video). These detections are based on Bayesian networks and their credibilistic counterpart
Characterizing lab instructors' self-reported learning goals to inform development of an experimental modeling skills assessment
The ability to develop, use, and refine models of experimental systems is a
nationally recognized learning outcome for undergraduate physics lab courses.
However, no assessments of students' model-based reasoning exist for
upper-division labs. This study is the first step toward development of
modeling assessments for optics and electronics labs. In order to identify test
objectives that are likely relevant across many institutional contexts, we
interviewed 35 lab instructors about the ways they incorporate modeling in
their course learning goals and activities. The study design was informed by
the Modeling Framework for Experimental Physics. This framework conceptualizes
modeling as consisting of multiple subtasks: making measurements, constructing
system models, comparing data to predictions, proposing causes for
discrepancies, and enacting revisions to models or apparatus. We found that
each modeling subtask was identified by multiple instructors as an important
learning outcome for their course. Based on these results, we argue that test
objectives should include probing students' competence with most modeling
subtasks, and test items should be designed to elicit students' justifications
for choosing particular modeling pathways. In addition to discussing these and
other implications for assessment, we also identify future areas of research
related to the role of modeling in optics and electronics labs.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures, 5 tables; submitted to Phys. Rev. PE
More than technical support: the professional contexts of physics instructional labs
Most, if not all, physics undergraduate degree programs include instructional
lab experiences. Physics lab instructors, both faculty and staff, are
instrumental to student learning in instructional physics labs. However, the
faculty-staff dichotomy belies the complex, varied, and multifaceted landscape
of positions that lab instructors hold in the fabrics of physics departments.
Here we present the results of a mixed methods study of the people who teach
instructional labs and their professional contexts. Recruiting physics lab
instructors across the US, we collected 84 survey responses and conducted 12
in-depth interviews about their job characteristics, professional identities,
resources, and experiences. Our investigation reveals that lab instructors vary
in terms of their official titles, job descriptions, formal duties, personal
agency, and access to resources. We also identified common themes around the
value of instructional labs, mismatched job descriptions, and a broad set of
necessary skills and expertise. Our results suggest that instructors often
occupy overlapping roles that fall in between more canonical jobs in physics
departments. By understanding the professional contexts of physics lab
instructors, the rest of the physics community can better promote and engage
with their critical work, improving laboratory learning both for students and
for the lab instructors who teach and support them
- …