A Compact Device for Inductive Instruction in General Physics

Taylor Sharpe; Geng Qin; Gerald W. Recktenwald

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Conference: 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Seattle, Washington
Publication Date: June 14, 2015
Start Date: June 14, 2015
End Date: June 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-50180-1
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 4
Tagged Division: Engineering Physics & Physics
Page Count: 15
Page Numbers: 26.21.1 - 26.21.15
DOI: 10.18260/p.23362
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/23362
Download Count: 487

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Paper Authors

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Taylor Sharpe Portland State University

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Taylor Sharpe is a mechanical engineering student at Portland State University. He is involved in initiatives involving science education, rural public health and monitoring, and renewable energy / energy efficiency technologies.

He is the co-founder and pedagogy/communications lead for Physics in Motion, a student team working to integrate physical teaching devices into the existing Physics with Calculus Workshop program run by the Portland State Physics Department.

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biography

Geng Qin Portland State University

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Geng Qin is a mechanical engineering student at Portland State University. He is committed to science education, innovative design, and stage performance.

He is the co-founder and design lead for Physics in Motion. Physics in Motion is working to integrate physical teaching devices into the existing Physics with Calculus Workshop program run by the Portland State Physics Department.

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Gerald W. Recktenwald Portland State University

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Gerald Recktenwald is an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department at Portland State University. His current research interests are in improving engineering education, and in the numerical simulation and measurement of heat transfer in electronic equipment, energy efficient buildings, and other industrial applications.

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Abstract

A Compact Device for Hands-‐on Instruction in General Physics Research from the past three decades has found that an interactive engagement approach to teaching the sciences which involves physical interaction with systems helps students build effective mental models. Our team of engineering students has developed a novel tabletop teaching device designed to help incoming students solidify and retain knowledge of first-‐term General Physics in an iterative manner. The design is informed by a pedagogical model based on giving students open-‐ended problems that require a network of conceptual knowledge. This hybrid hands-‐on and inductive model could increase student motivation to more deeply understand concepts that have often been difficult to learn. Almost every concept in first-‐term General Physics has been incorporated into the design of the device, allowing for high curriculum mobility in an inexpensive and compact apparatus. A prototype device has been partially integrated into X University’s existing Physics with Calculus Workshop curriculum, being used in three of nine weekly sessions. At the end of the term, anonymous questionnaires will be used to gauge student interest in the device as a learning and motivation tool in the workshop environment, informing future research and development of the device. The data from the student surveys will also be used to create a more formal assessment of student knowledge gains. A second prototype is under development, and will be more fully integrated into the workshop model if responses suggest that learning could be improved. A novel aspect of this work is that the hands-‐on device was conceived, developed, fabricated and tested entirely by undergraduate engineering students. Another distinctive feature is that an Arduino microcontroller provides the data collection and control of the apparatus, allowing for great curriculum mobility.

Citation
Format

Sharpe, T., & Qin, G., & Recktenwald, G. W. (2015, June), A Compact Device for Inductive Instruction in General Physics Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.23362

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - A  Compact  Device  for  Hands-‐on  Instruction  in  General  Physics  Research  from  the  past  three  decades  has  found  that  an  interactive  engagement  approach  to  teaching  the  sciences  which  involves  physical  interaction  with  systems  helps  students  build  effective  mental  models.    Our  team  of  engineering  students  has  developed  a  novel  tabletop  teaching  device  designed  to  help  incoming  students  solidify  and  retain  knowledge  of  first-‐term  General  Physics  in  an  iterative  manner.    The  design  is  informed  by  a  pedagogical  model  based  on  giving  students  open-‐ended  problems  that  require  a  network  of  conceptual  knowledge.    This  hybrid  hands-‐on  and  inductive  model  could  increase  student  motivation  to  more  deeply  understand  concepts  that  have  often  been  difficult  to  learn.    Almost  every  concept  in  first-‐term  General  Physics  has  been  incorporated  into  the  design  of  the  device,  allowing  for  high  curriculum  mobility  in  an  inexpensive  and  compact  apparatus.  A  prototype  device  has  been  partially  integrated  into  X  University’s  existing  Physics  with  Calculus  Workshop  curriculum,  being  used  in  three  of  nine  weekly  sessions.  At  the  end  of  the  term,  anonymous  questionnaires  will  be  used  to  gauge  student  interest  in  the  device  as  a  learning  and  motivation  tool  in  the  workshop  environment,  informing  future  research  and  development  of  the  device.  The  data  from  the  student  surveys  will  also  be  used  to  create  a  more  formal  assessment  of  student  knowledge  gains.           A  second  prototype  is  under  development,  and  will  be  more  fully  integrated  into  the  workshop  model  if  responses  suggest  that  learning  could  be  improved.    A  novel  aspect  of  this  work  is  that  the  hands-‐on  device  was  conceived,  developed,  fabricated  and  tested  entirely  by  undergraduate  engineering  students.  Another  distinctive  feature  is  that  an  Arduino  microcontroller  provides  the  data  collection  and  control  of  the  apparatus,  allowing  for  great  curriculum  mobility.  
AU  - Taylor Sharpe
AU  - Geng Qin
AU  - Gerald W. Recktenwald
CY  - Seattle, Washington
DA  - 2015/06/14
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - A Compact Device for Inductive Instruction in General Physics
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/23362
DO  - 10.18260/p.23362
ER  -