The project physics course: reader.

unit 1. Concepts of motion.--unit 2. Motion in the heavens.--unit 3. The triumph of mechanics.--unit 4. Light and electromagnetism.--unit 5. Models of the atom.--unit 6. The nucleus.

Over two decades of blended and online physics courses at Michigan State University

In Fall 1992, our first physics course offered online homework. Over two decades later, we have seven physics courses online, spanning the whole range of introductory course offerings, with a total of over 1600 students in 2014. We found that several of the the purely online courses had better learning success than traditional lecture courses, as measured by exam scores. Particularly successful were online materials with embedded assessment. This result can be interpreted in different ways, but may serve as an indicator that during in-class lectures, we are oftentimes not taking advantage of the fact that we have the students on-site.

The summary of a course of experimental lectures in natural philosophy by Dr. John Winthrop (manuscript copy), 1772-1774

Notebook with a handwritten copy of lecture summaries for a physics course given by Harvard Professor John Winthrop. The notes were made by Timothy Foster in 1772 and 1773. The volume contains twenty-five lectures with some diagrams.

A gender study investigating physics self-efficacy

The underrepresentation of women in physics has been well documented and a source of concern for both policy makers and educators. My dissertation focuses on understanding the role self-efficacy plays in retaining students, particularly women, in introductory physics. I use an explanatory mixed methods approach to first investigate quantitatively the influence of self-efficacy in predicting success and then to qualitatively explore the development of self-efficacy. In the initial quantitative studies, I explore the utility of self-efficacy in predicting the success of introductory physics students, both women and men. Results indicate that self-efficacy is a significant predictor of success for all students. I then disaggregate the data to examine how self-efficacy develops differently for women and men in the introductory physics course. Results show women rely on different sources of self-efficacy than do men, and that a particular instructional environment, Modeling Instruction, has a positive impact on these sources of self-efficacy. In the qualitative phase of the project, this dissertation focuses on the development of self-efficacy. Using the qualitative tool of microanalysis, I introduce a methodology for understanding how self-efficacy develops moment-by-moment using the lens of self-efficacy opportunities. I then use the characterizations of self-efficacy opportunities to focus on a particular course environment and to identify and describe a mechanism by which Modeling Instruction impacts student self-efficacy. Results indicate that the emphasizing the development and deployment of models affords opportunities to impact self-efficacy. The findings of this dissertation indicate that introducing key elements into the classroom, such as cooperative group work, model development and deployment, and interaction with the instructor, create a mechanism by which instructors can impact the self-efficacy of their students. Results from this study indicate that creating a model to impact the retention rates of women in physics should include attending to self-efficacy and designing activities in the classroom that create self-efficacy opportunities.

Measurement of the magnetic field of small magnets with a smartphone: a very economical laboratory practice for introductory physics courses

In this work, we propose an inexpensive laboratory practice for an introductory physics course laboratory for any grade of science and engineering study. This practice was very well received by our students, where a smartphone (iOS, Android, or Windows) is used together with mini magnets (similar to those used on refrigerator doors), a 20 cm long school rule, a paper, and a free application (app) that needs to be downloaded and installed that measures magnetic fields using the smartphone's magnetic field sensor or magnetometer. The apps we have used are: Magnetometer (iOS), Magnetometer Metal Detector, and Physics Toolbox Magnetometer (Android). Nothing else is needed. Cost of this practice: free. The main purpose of the practice is that students determine the dependence of the component x of the magnetic field produced by different magnets (including ring magnets and sphere magnets). We obtained that the dependency of the magnetic field with the distance is of the form x-3, in total agreement with the theoretical analysis. The secondary objective is to apply the technique of least squares fit to obtain this exponent and the magnetic moment of the magnets, with the corresponding absolute error.

Atividade óptica de um meio dielétrico diluído: Pasteur e as simetrias moleculares

Em 1848 Pasteur conjeturou que a rotação do plano de polarização da luz em um meio diluído é gerada pelas propriedades de simetria das moléculas do meio no qual a luz se propaga. O objetivo do nosso artigo é de mostrar que Pasteur estava correto usando conhecimentos de eletromagnetismo e mecânica quântica de um curso de graduação em física. Faremos um breve retrospecto das ideias básicas da teoria eletromagnética necessárias para o estudo da atividade óptica. A seguir, usando a teoria de perturbações em mecânica quântica e levando em conta as simetrias das moléculas calcularemos a atividade óptica do meio. Mostraremos que as previsões teóricas, que estão plenamente de acordo com os resultados experimentais, comprovam a hipótese de Pasteur.

Playing Newtonian Games with Modellus

This article is a short introduction on how to use Modellus (a computer package that is freely available on the Internet and used in the IOP Advancing Physics course) to build physics games using Newton’s laws, expressed as differential equations. Solving systems of differential equations is beyond most secondary-school or first-year college students. However, with Modellus, the solution is simply the output of the usual physical reasoning: define the force law, compute its magnitude and components, use it to obtain the acceleration components, then the velocity components and, finally, use the velocity components to find the coordinates.

L’impact d’une simulation sur des dispositifs mobiles et en situation de collaboration sur la compréhension de l’effet photoélectrique au niveau collégial

L’innovation pédagogique pour elle-même s’avère parfois discutable, mais elle se justifie quand les enseignants se heurtent aux difficultés d’apprentissage de leurs étudiants. En particulier, certaines notions de physique sont réputées difficiles à appréhender par les étudiants, comme c’est le cas pour l’effet photoélectrique qui n’est pas souvent compris par les étudiants au niveau collégial. Cette recherche tente de déterminer si, dans le cadre d’un cours de physique, la simulation de l’effet photoélectrique et l’utilisation des dispositifs mobiles et en situation de collaboration favorisent une évolution des conceptions des étudiants au sujet de la lumière. Nous avons ainsi procédé à l’élaboration d’un scénario d’apprentissage collaboratif intégrant une simulation de l’effet photoélectrique sur un ordinateur de poche. La conception du scénario a d’abord été influencée par notre vision socioconstructiviste de l’apprentissage. Nous avons effectué deux études préliminaires afin de compléter notre scénario d’apprentissage et valider la plateforme MobileSim et l’interface du simulateur, que nous avons utilisées dans notre expérimentation : la première avec des ordinateurs de bureau et la seconde avec des ordinateurs de poche. Nous avons fait suivre à deux groupes d’étudiants deux cours différents, l’un portant sur une approche traditionnelle d’enseignement, l’autre basé sur le scénario d’apprentissage collaboratif élaboré. Nous leur avons fait passer un test évaluant l’évolution conceptuelle sur la nature de la lumière et sur le phénomène de l’effet photoélectrique et concepts connexes, à deux reprises : la première avant que les étudiants ne s’investissent dans le cours et la seconde après la réalisation des expérimentations. Nos résultats aux prétest et post-test sont complétés par des entrevues individuelles semi-dirigées avec tous les étudiants, par des enregistrements vidéo et par des traces récupérées des fichiers logs ou sur papier. Les étudiants du groupe expérimental ont obtenu de très bons résultats au post-test par rapport à ceux du groupe contrôle. Nous avons enregistré un gain moyen d’apprentissage qualifié de niveau modéré selon Hake (1998). Les résultats des entrevues ont permis de repérer quelques difficultés conceptuelles d’apprentissage chez les étudiants. L’analyse des données recueillies des enregistrements des séquences vidéo, des questionnaires et des traces récupérées nous a permis de mieux comprendre le processus d’apprentissage collaboratif et nous a dévoilé que le nombre et la durée des interactions entre les étudiants sont fortement corrélés avec le gain d’apprentissage. Ce projet de recherche est d’abord une réussite sur le plan de la conception d’un scénario d’apprentissage relatif à un phénomène aussi complexe que l’effet photoélectrique, tout en respectant de nombreux critères (collaboration, simulation, dispositifs mobiles) qui nous paraissaient extrêmement utopiques de réunir dans une situation d’apprentissage en classe. Ce scénario pourra être adapté pour l’apprentissage d’autres notions de la physique et pourra être considéré pour la conception des environnements collaboratifs d’apprentissage mobile innovants, centrés sur les besoins des apprenants et intégrant les technologies au bon moment et pour la bonne activité.

Física no cotidiano: da cozinha para a sala de aula relato de uma experiência didática no município de Limoeiro do Norte (CE)

Brazilian high school teaching has passing through important changes. Based on current legislation and other official documents this research focus on the notion of contextualization, discussing the possibilities of a Physics teaching contextualized at a kitchen environment. Given the difficulties presented by students in establishing the relation between the contents discussed in classroom and their own daily lives, we propose the elaboration and application of a didactic unity. This started after the analyses of an initial questionnaire answered by the students. The didactic unity was elaborated based on an earlier proposal made by GREF (Physics Teaching Reelaboration Group) for a Thermal Physics course, and involved situations on students daily lives, in particular, those activities tried to relate formal contents discussed in classrooms to the kitchen environment. The didactic unity was applied to a public high school classroom at Limoeiro do Norte (CE). After evaluation of this experience it is possible to state that contextualization is a challenge that shall be faced, so that students may have a more critical look at physics, understanding that this subject is of relevance to all of us and is present in all world around us

Os objetivos do laboratório didático na visão dos alunos do curso de Licenciatura em Física da UNESP-Bauru

Há mais de cinqüenta anos, existe a preocupação em se definir os objetivos para o laboratório didático, revisando currículos e buscando ações mais localizadas e orientadas de acordo com o avanço crescente de conhecimentos das concepções alternativas de vários tópicos da Física por parte dos alunos, levando-se em conta as dificuldades específicas enfrentadas por eles no processo ensino-aprendizagem. Podem-se identificar duas linhas filosóficas que norteiam o processo ensino-aprendizagem com relação aos objetivos do laboratório didático. Uma linha defende que para sedimentar os conceitos expostos em aulas teóricas é necessária a prática em laboratório. A outra linha defende que o alvo da prática em laboratório deveria ser a obtenção e análise de dados, levando-se em conta a teoria aprendida. Atualmente, se percebe um crescimento por parte de profissionais que entendem haver uma necessidade de planejar, definir e hierarquizar objetivos detalhados, além de propiciar atividades que favoreçam de acordo com cada classe dentro da linha filosófica a que se identifica o profissional, não se esquecendo que ainda existem profissionais que não aceitam essa postura. Dentro desta perspectiva, foi aplicado um questionário a trinta alunos do curso de Licenciatura em Física da UNESP-Bauru, que já cursaram as cinco disciplinas práticas básicas do curso. Os alunos pontuaram de acordo com a sua visão dos objetivos reais frente aos objetivos ideais do laboratório didático. Os resultados mostraram que o laboratório didático vem cumprindo seu papel na opinião dos alunos do curso de Licenciatura em Física.

Uma abordagem dialógica para a utilização de atividades experimentais em sala de aula

The belief of using experimental activities in the teaching of Physics as a strategy to produce a more efficient teaching-learning process is great among teachers and the school community. However, there are many difficulties for their implementation and when it happens they do not contribute for an improvement in class efficiency due to the method used. In this work, we developed a proposal for using these activities in Physics classes in high school, from a critical-reflexive approach in which the constant dialogue between the participants in the teaching-learning process is fundamental. The work was developed in two ways. The first, where the author/writer created an educational material and applied it in classroom and a second one, where he presented the idea to other teachers and undergraduate students from the Physics course at UFRN and IFRN (former CEFET-RN) through an extended workshop entitled "The role of experimental activities in the Physics teaching". This workshop had the duration of 60 hours and was implemented in 4 steps: i) sensitization and formation, ii) material development, iii) material implementation and iv) evaluation by teachers and students from the classes where the material was applied. The goal of this workshop was to present the approach, evaluate how the participants received the idea and how they would apply it in real situations. The results of the application in classroom allowed us to reach some conclusions. This approach was well received by the students as well as by the workshop participants. Despite some difficulties in relation to the handling of the implementation results by the workshop participants, they indicated changes in these professionals teaching practice and the introduction of experimental activities has been an important subsidy to assist them in Physics class in high school

A temática ambiental e as diferentes compreensões dos professores de física em formação inicial

Procuramos identificar as concepções dos licenciandos de física em relação à temática ambiental, bem como analisamos as propostas por eles elaboradas e os obstáculos que se lhes apresentam quando decidem tratar alguns aspectos da problemática ambiental em suas atividades de ensino. Os dados foram coletados a partir do desenvolvimento de algumas atividades na disciplina de Prática de Ensino oferecida a alunos concluintes de um curso de Licenciatura em Física de uma universidade pública no estado de São Paulo. Os dados evidenciam que as concepções que os licenciandos elaboram sobre a temática ambiental podem tornar-se obstáculos para a incorporação desses aspectos em suas propostas de ensino. da mesma forma, não há, por parte dos licenciandos, uma compreensão mais ampla quanto ao significado da temática ambiental, quanto às implicações do movimento ambientalista para as práticas culturais e pedagógicas e possibilidades de exploração de temas ambientais associados a propostas de ensino de física.

A formação de professores de física na visão de formandos e recém formados: um estudo na Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Pós-graduação em Educação - FCT

Contribuições do PIBID para a formação inicial de professores: um olhar dos licenciandos em física da Faculdade de Engenharia de Guaratinguetá

The current work aims to analyze the contributions of PIBID for initial graduation of the teachers, in view of the undergraduates of Physics Course at UNESP Guaratinguetá . A brief literature survey about the national situation of teacher education was performed, at which the main difficulties and challenges, as well as the solutions stated in place by the government to solve them, have been highlighted. A description of the historical of PIBID at UNESP, from the institutional project to reach the subproject developed by Physics Course of Guaratinguetá, was presented. To characterize the development of the subproject, it was performed a survey on the activities performed by the PIBID’s scholars, since its implementation on campus in 2010 until the end of the year 2013, in order to map the experiences lived by program participants. These data were obtained from the analysis of reports by scholars themselves, video analyzes and record of the weekly meetings held by the group, reading electronic messages exchanged on a specific group of e-mails and written evaluations by members of the program. Completing data collection, eleven scholars undergraduates of the program were interviewed, and the results were classified by topics, defined from recurrence in the interviewees speech. The global analysis of the data was based on theoretical references commonly used in research on graduation of teachers, as Nóvoa (1992), Mizukami (2005, 2006) and Gatti (2008). The results indicate that the licensed ones see in PIBID a differentiated opportunity for initial teaching graduation, for adding practical learning experiences for students of EB within the school context, and especially for creating space for reflection on their experiences with the support of more experienced teachers, committed to the training of all involved ones

Medindo a temperatura de um gás no regime de micro-Kelvin

O desenvolvimento científico nos permite trabalhar hoje com gases em temperaturas muito inferiores aos 10-6 K. Estes gases, uma vez obtidos por técnicas de resfriamento óptico, precisam ser caracterizados com relaçãao às suas propriedades termodinâmicas. a a medida da temperatura. Dentre tais propriedades está a medida da temperatura. Neste trabalho mostramos de forma tutorial como são medidas tais baixas temperaturas, através de técnicas de tempo de voo. Tais técnicas combinam conhecimento básico de mecânica, termodinâmica dentre outros tópicos convencionalmente estudados nos cursos básicos de física.