Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

reported in this paper. Comparison of differentsession’s opinion regarding the mastering physics will also be analyzed in the paper. Thisparticular study was done for Engineering Physics 2, which covers mainly electricity andmagnetism.IntroductionIncorporating online based techniques with traditional teaching is an interesting idea and is inpractice at several institutions1-2. How these activities impact learning varies 3-5. Like othercolleges, at our institution most of the engineering students take Engineering Physics 1 and 2. Aspart of Engineering Physics 2 course requirement6-7, weekly homework assignments were given.Grading homework assignments submitted by a large student body by Teaching Assistants is notpractical. To deal with this issue

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert A. Ross, University of Detroit Mercy; E. Prasad Venugopal, University of Detroit Mercy; Gary P. Hillebrand, University of Detroit Mercy; Meghann Norah Murray; Matthew Gonderinger, Wayne State University, University of Detroit Mercy

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

this approach allows students toanalyze and formulate rules for the non-linear behavior of RC circuits that involve lamps.7 Theredesigned experiments have been closely modeled after the text Physics by Inquiry.3The DIRECT Assessment InstrumentThe DIRECT assessment is a 29 question multiple choice text that is designed to measurestudent understanding of various topics in dc circuit analysis. A copy of DIRECT is available bycontacting the authors in reference 5. The DIRECT authors identify 11 learning objectives thatare to be assessed by a combination of questions on the test. We list those learning objectivesbelow: 1. Identify and explain a short circuit (more current follows the path of lesser resistance) 2. Understand the functional two

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yumin Zhang, Southeast Missouri State University; David K. Probst P.E., Southeast Missouri State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

a linecharge with limited length. Instead of using Coulomb’s law directly, one can calculate theelectric potential first and then find the gradient of this function. Although the closed formsolution can be derived by hand calculation, working out the integral is pretty challenging, letalone the gradient. However, this can be done easily by using SAGE, and the code is shownbelow (the linear charge density and the factor of 1/(4πε) are skipped). The charges areuniformly distributed along z-axis and its length is 2 centimeters, with the coordinates of the twoends at -0.01 and 0.01, respectively. sage: d = 0.01 sage: x,y,z,zp = var('x, y, z, zp') # zp is source variable for integral. sage: func = 1/sqrt(x^2 + y^2

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wenli Guo, Queensborough Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

this article, reflection through journal writing wasimplemented in a Conceptual Physics class in a community college setting, which is rarely seenin literatures. The description of the study, preliminary data and results are presented.II. Description of the studyThe typical PH101 Conceptual Physics course has three 50-minute lectures and one 1 hr 50minute long laboratory per week. The official textbook for the course is “Conceptual Physics” byPaul Hewitt. Students are generally required to write lab reports for each lab they do but they do Page 24.1152.4not do any other writing except homework for lectures. Regular student-centered lectures

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James G. O'Brien, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Gergely Sirokman, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Page 24.1173.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Teaching Vectors to Engineering Students through an Interactive Vector Based GameAbstractIn recent years, science and particularly physics education has been furthered by the use ofproject based interactive learning.1 There is a tremendous amount of evidence2 that use of thesetechniques in a college learning environment leads to a deeper appreciation and understanding offundamental concepts. Since vectors are the basis for any advancement in physics andengineering courses the cornerstone of any physics regimen is a concrete and comprehensiveintroduction to vectors. Here, we introduce a new turn based vector game

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Warren A. Turner, Westfield State University; Glenn W. Ellis, Smith College; Robert J. Beichner, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

physics education has matured and grown. A reasonablycomprehensive description of the state of the field can be found elsewhere 1. The process ofidentifying misconceptions, creating curricula to address those misconceptions and then evaluatingthe efficacy of instruction has been applied to many areas of physics 2, perhaps nowhere moresuccessfully than mechanics. In that arena, many well-validated and established instruments exist,including the Mechanics Baseline Test 3, Test of Understanding Graphics in Kinematics (TUG-K)4 Page 24.34.2and the Force Concept Inventory5 to name but a few. Physics educators have created a wide varietyof research

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teresa L. Larkin, American University; Victoria "Tori" Vogel, American University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

five academicschools within the university with over 60 undergraduate majors available. With such amix of diverse academic options, the setting encompasses a wide range of studentperspectives.In terms of its faculty, 95% of full-time teaching faculty at American University holds thehighest degree in their field. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 12:1. As requiredby its robust general education program, all students are required to complete two coursesfrom within the various STEM departments on campus as well as a basic math course.To analyze the perceptions of students of a career in STEM, it was important to collect awider framework for the empirical data. The majority of subjects originated from the300-level, Modern Physics course

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harold T. Evensen, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

. The course begins with a laborientation and an exercise that introduces students to temperature measurement using an analogtemperature sensor,1 a serial DAQ2 and programming with Visual Basic 6 (VB6): studentsconstruct a sensor, calibrate it, and write a VB6 program that uses the DAQ to read the sensor’soutput and displays the measured temperature. Page 24.125.2After the class completes this introductory procedure, the course is run as a round-robinlaboratory, where student teams spend three two-hour class periods at a sensor station and thenrotate to another experiment. At these stations, students explore different sensors (strain gages

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth M. Purcell, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

MP WP Text HRW HRW Knight HRW Avg Final 65% (52 65% (48 66% (47 64% (46Exam Grade students) students) students) students)Table  1:  Final  Exam  grades  for  PHYS  205  with  online  learning  system  and  textbook  used.    MP  =  MasteringPhysics.    WP  =  WileyPlus.  HRW  =  Halliday,  Resnick,  and  Walker.  HW  =  Conventional  HomeworkTable 1 shows the cumulative final exam grade for the calculus

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xaver Neumeyer, Western Michigan University; Kathleen Teressa Foote, North Carolina State University; Robert J. Beichner, North Carolina State University; Melissa H. Dancy, University of Colorado, Boulder; Charles Henderson, Western Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

attributes such as gender, teaching experience, SCALE-UP userstatus and disciplinary affiliation showed no effect on instructors‟ role or status in the network.Introduction and Literature review There has been significant criticism of college-level teaching, particularly in the science,technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (REFS). Much time, money andeffort has been put into documenting the effectiveness of innovative teaching methods andcurriculum and in disseminating these results. Available evidence indicates that while theseefforts have had some influence on mainstream teaching, the majority of teaching is stillinconsistent with what research has shown to be best practices 1–4. Without a betterunderstanding of how

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wenli Guo, Queensborough Community College; Vazgen Shekoyan, Queensborough Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

theirown mistakes and avoid making any similar mistakes again in the future. Unfortunately inreality, it is commonly known that most students do not make full use of the learning potential ofthese assessments. (Henderson & Harper 2009) They either look at these solutions superficiallyor simply are discouraged by their bad scores hoping to see a better grade next time or choose towithdraw from the class or simply change their majors to avoid taking physics. Quizzes/examsare thought by students as a report for their performance but not chances to improve theirlearning, professor’s time in some means are wasted.The typical PH411 Calculus Physics I course has four 50-minute lectures and one 1 hr 50 minutelong laboratory per week. The official

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey A. Jalkio, University of St. Thomas; Brianna R. McIntyre, University of St. Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

wasused to find equipotential surfaces forcomplex electrode shapes and it hasbeen well characterized over the years3.For the purpose of this exercise we Figure 1 – tank used for experimental portion of exercisefabricated a set of aluminum electrodes Page 24.841.3for each of the three geometries andused a plastic tank filled with tapwater. For ease of measurement, weprovided a plastic mesh at the bottomof our water tanks so that studentscould easily hold their electricalprobes in fixed locations as seen infigure 1. While alternating currents areused in water simulation tanks to avoidelectrolysis at

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Ryan Kirkpatrick, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Maarij M. Syed, Rose-Hulman Institute of Tech; Richard W. Liptak, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 5500 Wabash Ave, Terre Haute, Indiana, 47803 1. Abstract Engineering Physics (EP), at its core, is a multidisciplinary approach to solving problemsthat require insights from various traditional disciplines. The EP curriculum at Rose-HulmanInstitute of Technology strives to foster this multidisciplinary approach by incorporating studentprojects that require integrating concepts and principles from various fields into a meaningfulapproach toward a realistic solution. These projects, ideally involve a design / problemstatement, a fabrication step, and a testing or characterization stage. As an example of such anapproach, a new lab is proposed to provide students with an

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Timothy J. Garrison, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

concepts and/or were not engagedby the methods used in physics education.1-4 Since then much progress has been made in physics Page 24.1123.2education research. Efforts have led to new methods that reduce or remove lecture in favor ofactive learning methods,5,6 focus on learning conceptual knowledge7 and enhance theexperimental/laboratory component.8 Application of a standardized physics assessment test9 bynumerous physics educators has shown that these methods provide substantial gains over thetraditional lecture format. Details of these methods, their assessment, and the evolution ofphysics education research have been documented in several