Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Phy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Kohlmyer, Georgia Institute of Technology; Michael Schatz, Georgia Institute of Technology; Richard Catrambone, Georgia Institute of Technology; Marcus Marr, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

studentsenrolled in the course, much of infrastructure is necessary for maintaining the course. Ourapproach in implementing M&I was to make gradual changes in all these areas.M&I was first offered at Georgia Tech as a small, pilot section of about 40 students, taught by apost-doctoral fellow hired expressly for the purpose of assisting in implementing and teachingthe curriculum. As shown in Table 1, the number and size of lecture sections using the M&Icurriculum have expanded since then. By spring 2008, approximately 30 percent of students Page 13.707.3enrolled in the introductory physics sequence were in M&I-based sections. The number

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Glenn Ellis, Smith College; Mary Moriarty, Smith College; Gary Felder, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Baccalaureate Colleges from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.Mary Moriarty, Smith College Dr. Moriarty has over 15 years of research, evaluation, and project management experience. Her evaluation work has spanned the areas of science instruction, robotics, technology application, and disability in higher education. She has a doctorate in Educational Policy, Research, and Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and in 2004 was selected as 1 of 15 national participants in a National Science Foundation sponsored Evaluation Institute at Western Michigan University. Her background includes serving as Principal

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Probst, Southeast Missouri State University; Margaret Waterman, Southeast Missouri State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

in the pre-test and post-test means for the sets of questions on the FCI that tested theconcepts taught using the clickers, while no significant difference was found for the sets ofquestions that tested the concepts taught without using the clickers. This suggests that usingclickers in a course like this does indeed improve learning.I. IntroductionPersonal Response Systems (clickers) have been shown to improve learning in various classroomsettings when effectively used.1 After being prompted by a textbook sales representative to trythem, I incorporated use of clickers into my conceptual physics course because I already usedvarious methods to encourage student engagement in my classroom,2 and this seemed like a goodmethod as well. After

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Phy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teresa Larkin, American University; Dan Budny, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

be shared.Highlights of the writing curriculum developed in both the physics and the engineeringclassrooms will be offered. Strategies for effectively dealing with large class sizes will also bepresented. It is anticipated that the writing strategies to be described will provide educatorswithin the domain of STEM education with viable tools to assist them in developing and/orenhancing the use of writing within their own classrooms.I. INTRODUCTIONThe primary purpose of teaching is to facilitate student learning. Traditional teachingmethodologies have been shown to put students in a role of passive rather than active learning[1]. In addition, traditional instructional methods have also been shown to be very inadequate interms of the promotion

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Winston Jackson, California Institute of Technology; Jennifer Franck, California Institute of Technology; James Maloney, California Institute of Technology; Juan Pedro Ochoa-Ricoux, California Institute of Technology; Julian Rimoli, California Institute of Technology; Luz Rivas, California Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

croquet ball, a mallet striking a tennis ball, and a mallet with Velcro striking atennis ball with Velcro (as to coalesce). Each exercise required a typed group report uponcompletion.3.2 Design ProjectTowards the middle of the second week of study, the students were expected to use theirknowledge of physics fundamentals to compete in an engineering design competition. Thecompetition was adapted from a high school competition at the University of Missouri andrequired the students to form teams and compete against one another to design and build acatapult or trebuchet capable of launching a raw egg.1 The students were judged in four distinctareas: proximity in hitting a target 20 feet away, longest horizontal distance from the launch spot,design

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nataliia Perova, Tufts University; Patricia Hogan, Suffolk University; Walter H. Johnson, Suffolk University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Description Page 13.1369.3A group of science and engineering undergraduate students at Suffolk University is activelyinvolved in work on the project incorporating Portable Multi-Channel Gas analyzer, known asPID102+ and Wireless Data Transmission using Tmote sky devices. This project had two goals:1) Interfacing a microcomputer based radio transmitter/receiver and a GPS chip into an existingengineering device – the hand held gas sensor analyzer, known as the PID102+. (Figure1). 2)Development of a new system for dynamic monitoring and display of multiple gasconcentrations at multiple locations in a large environment.In this project the students

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Warren Turner, Westfield State College; Glenn Ellis, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

of uniformly accelerated motion see Table 1.Research has shown that experts differ from novices in how they solve physics problems. Forexample, experts tend to think more in terms of the big picture and they see equations in groups.Novices tend to focus more on the algebraic manipulation of equations6,7. No matter what theclassroom setting, this research has important implications for educators. In the study ofkinematics, it indicates the need to help students develop a more holistic understanding of motionequations that facilitates broad application. Part of a learning pathway to develop thisunderstanding is to help students formulate and explore key questions related to uniformlyaccelerated motion. For example: “How many quantities are

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anca Sala, Baker College; Raghu Echempati, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

placed on results from teaching and assessment in the Mechanics course. Analysis ofdata obtained over the course of two academic years yielded good insights into student learning,and recommendations to increase teaching effectiveness.1. IntroductionIn this paper we are looking at direct assessment of achievement of Student Learning Outcomesin the Introductory Physics sequence of courses taught to undergraduate Mechanical Engineeringstudents at first author’s institution. The structures of the academic year and of the Physicssequence are described in a previous paper1. The sequence consists of three courses: GeneralPhysics I covering Mechanics, General Physics II covering Electricity and Magnetism, andGeneral Physics III covering Oscillations

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Ross, University of Detroit, Mercy; Eswara Venugopal, University of Detroit, Mercy; Daniel Maggio, University of Detroit, Mercy; Meghann Mouyianis, University of Detroit, Mercy

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

curriculum and activities have been described previously. 6Survey ResultsStudents participating in the Summer 2008 UNITE program were asked to complete pre- andpost surveys regarding their attitudes toward the program. They were asked to respond to 21statements and their responses were rated on a five-point Likert scale (Strongly Agree = 5 toStrongly Disagree = 1). Table 1 shows a summary of the eight questions that were related to the Page 14.247.3physics course and their attitudes towards math, science and engineering as a result ofcompleting the program. Questions regarding the broader program are not reproduced below.There were a total of 44

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teresa Larkin, American University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

, particularly in science classes have clearly been shown to put studentsin a role of passive rather than active learning [1]. Traditional instructional methods have alsobeen shown to be very inadequate in terms of promoting deep learning and long-term retentionof important concepts. Students in traditional classrooms acquire most of their “knowledge”through classroom lectures and textbook reading. A troubling fact is, after instruction, studentsoften emerge from our classes with serious misconceptions [2 - 6]. Research on theconstructivist approach to learning (i.e. the learner must construct their knowledge) reveals thatwhen students are actively engaged with the material, learning is clearly enhanced [7]. Theactive process of writing within a science

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Franck, California Institute of Technology; Ted Yu, California Institute of Technology; Juan Pedro Ochoa-Ricoux, California Institute of Technology; James Maloney, California Institute of Technology; Angela Capece, California Institute of Technology; Luz Rivas, California Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

engineering. For high-achieving students who have already shown aptitude inmathematics and science a university outreach program can challenge them beyond thetraditional classroom environment, providing first-hand exposure to research scientists andengineers as well as an introduction to the university science and engineering culture. The YoungEngineering and Science Scholars (YESS) program 1 is for college-bound high school juniorsand seniors of underrepresented minority groups who have strong academic credentials and aninclination towards science and engineering disciplines. The goals of the program are to nurturetheir interests in science and engineering through challenging academic courses, faculty lectures,and tours of the Caltech campus and

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Reagan Curtis, West Virginia University; Braxton Lewis, West Virginia University; Wathiq Abdul-Razzaq, West Virginia University; Gary Winn, West Virginia University; Robin Hensel, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

ofintroducing students to the pedagogical approach behind the intervention course. Page 14.1103.3Figure 1: Development of Mental Model Approach Utilized to Recruit for Intervention Group Predictions Expected 1st Hand Development of a Mental Outcome Interpretation Model Reinforce Correct Expectation Incorrect

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Probst, Southeast Missouri State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

learning force concepts,especially concepts related to Newton’s 3rd Law. It also suggests that the first and third laws aremore easily understood conceptually than the second law.I. IntroductionPersonal Response Systems (clickers) have been shown to improve learning in various classroomsettings when effectively used.1 I implemented the use of clickers in my conceptual physicscourse because I already used various methods to encourage student engagement in myclassroom,2 and this seemed like a good method as well. After incorporating clickers into myinstruction and using them for two semesters, I began to wonder whether or not they were havinga positive effect on learning in my conceptual physics classroom. They were certainlyfacilitating students

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrian Ieta, State University of New York, Oswego; Rachid Manseur, State University of New York, Oswego; Thomas Doyle, McMaster University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

, whichallowed all students to identify and reflect on physics ideas and their applications. Thesuccessful aspects together with possible improvements of the teaching procedures arereported.1. IntroductionThe use of Blackboard system [1] is widespread now and is recommended over regularcourse websites [2], as it is significantly more versatile for course management andinteraction with students. The system is most effective for distance courses [3] as onlinecourses [4] can be delivered in a consistent meaningful manner even if recent works showthat there are some challenges associated with distance learning [5]. The system has greatbuilt in flexibility and allows instructors to use their imagination in designing the course[6], interacting with students

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Baha Jassemnejad, University of Central Oklahoma; Tim A Handy, University of Central Oklahoma; Scott L Murphy, University of Central Oklahoma; Evan C Lemley, University of Central Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

. Brewster, C.; Fager, J., “Student Mentoring,” Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory’sInformation Services pp 1-53, 1998.2. Matthew, S.; Jace A,; Donlad H.; Terri F., “Work in Progress -Implementing a Freshman Mentor thProgram,” Frontiers in Education Conference, 38 Annual pp. F2H-1/F2H-2, 2008.3. Matthew, S.; Donald, H.; Terri, F.; “Work in Progress – Improving Self-Efficacy with a Freshman thMentor Program,” Frontiers in Education Conference, 38 Annual pp. F3D-5/F3D-6, 2008.4. Sash, R.; Detloff, H.; Chen, B.; Grandgenett, N.; Duran,, D., “Work in Progress – Retention of

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Radian Belu, Drexel University; Alexandru Belu, Case Western Reserve University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Mathematica can be used, by instructors and by students, to helpstudents make these connections and to use them once they are made. Benefits that accrue to upper-classstudents able to make effective use of a computer algebra systems provide a further rationale forintroducing student use of these systems into our courses for those who plan to major in physics or othertechnical fields.1. IntroductionPhysics is guided by simple principles, but for many topics the physics tends to be obscured in theprofusion of mathematics. As interactive software for computer algebra, such as Maple, MathCAD,Mathematica or MATLAB can assist educators and students to overcome the obstacle of mathematicaldifficulties or to improve the lecture presentations via power

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Upper-Level Physics

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Greg Mowry, University of St. Thomas-St. Paul

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

continental United States that are identified on this web page along with several additionalE&M centers were queried in a mailing regarding their E&M teaching pedagogy. Several of thequestions in the introductory letter sent to these institutions are summarized in the followingtable.Table 1: Investigatory questions Ü Describe the E&M teaching pedagogy at your institution? Ü How is your E&M laboratory organized? Ü What is the optimal number of students in an E&M lab? Ü What type of equipment is used in your E&M labs? Ü What is the supporting cost structure for the E&M lab? Ü Describe the trials-and-tribulations of your E&M lab experiences. Ü Describe the activities and actions that worked in the E&M

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Introductory Physics

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gary Turner, Morningside College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

the physics-calculus sequence is shown in figure 1. Calculus I Calculus II Calculus III / Diff. Eq. CAP I CAP II General Physics I General Physics IIFigure 1The schematic layout of a student’s schedule passing though the 24-hour calculus-physicssequence. Solid arrows show the pre-requisite chain, and dotted arrows show co-requisites/pre-requisites. Page 11.167.3In addition to the pedagogical merit of separating of these difficult outcomes, the sequence isalso schedule-friendly. Students who have

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Upper-Level Physics

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Ross, University of Detroit Mercy; Eswara Venugopal

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

experiment utilizes simple, inexpensive equipment to facilitate student learning ofvarious direct current circuit concepts. The activity builds upon the results of previouslypublished physics education research.Students perform a transient measurement of the current-voltage characteristic of a lamp in serieswith a charging (or discharging) capacitor. From the data students calculate the resistance andpower dissipated in the lamp. Under normal operating conditions, i.e. the filament glowingbrightly, the resistance-temperature characteristic of the filament is seen to exhibit power-lawbehavior.I. IntroductionWe have redesigned our general physics laboratory to incorporate inquiry-based experimentationinto the laboratory experience of our students.1 We

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Upper-Level Physics

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerald Rothberg, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

example of expressing a verbal statement in algebraic form. The correctanswer is #1. Q2 is a test of partial derivatives, which students often find mysterious. #2 is correct.Students did well on Q1 and Q2 and similarly well on these aspects of math throughout thecourse. Q3 requires reading a verbal statement and carrying out a calculus integration. It does relateto course topics, but that is incidental at this point. #1 is correct. #2 would be the result if thequestion were misinterpreted as dN/dt = - aN0 or if the integration process were misunderstood.Very few students answered this question within the allotted time. In earlier sophomore coursesI found that students differentiate readily but have more difficulty with integration

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

result demonstrated that there was a strongcorrelation between the scores of the two sections on conceptual questions and problem solving.IntroductionEngineering Thermodynamics is a very challenging course to many students, since this courserequires a new approach in solving problems. Beginning from their first physics course, studentsare used to solving problems with equations. However, most of the working substances inengineering applications are not ideal gases, and they cannot be described by equations. Instead,students have to rely on the data tables to find the solutions [1]. Furthermore, this courseintroduces many new concepts, which cannot be well understood without reflecting on themwhen working on the exercise problems. Unfortunately

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Guenter Bischof, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences; Christian J. Steinmann, HM&S IT-Consulting

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

of the kinetic theory of gasesConsider an ideal gas consisting of a large number N of identical particles, each of mass m,inside a container of volume V. The number of particles per unit volume is then N/V. Theparticles collide elastically with each other and the walls of the container. Pressure isexplained by the kinetic theory of gas as arising from the force exerted by the particlesimpacting on the walls of the container. According to Newton’s laws the time rate of changeof the momentum of a colliding particle is equal to that force dp d (mv ) F= = . (1

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joona Kurikka, Aalto University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

community around Stanford University’s d.School (Carleton and Leifer, 2009) and DesignFactory Global Network initiated and coordinated by Aalto University (Oinonen, 2012)Before joining the course, the students were asked about their experience in similar projectcourses, project work, and international collaboration, and over half of them (n=26) had workedin an international team several times, and only a small fraction (n=8) had no internationalteamwork experience.Their average self-reported time of using a computer was 6,5 hours per day, and most of themidentified being active in social media (28 yes, 17 sometimes, 1 no). The students also had afairly positive approach towards computer-based learning tools, averaging to 8.4 out of 10 inLikert

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kanti Prasad, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

since 1994 VHDL Based Digital Design and taught up to 2001, till Dr. Terence Kelly (received his doctorate under supervision of Pro- fessor Prasad) took over. From spring 1998, Professor Prasad also developed and taught 16.517, MMIC Design and Fabrication course to meet the growing demand of regional semiconductor industries. He is the recipient of Zone I best paper award by American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) in 2008. He has been appointed as honorable member of IAAB of the MEGHE group of Institution and Shree Baba Ramdeo College of Engineering and Management (Nagpur) in India. He has also received the Best Teaching award for the New England Region, and the Best Campus award for the Zone 1 from ASEE dur

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ramanitharan Kandiah P.E., Central State University; Subramania Iyer Sritharan, Central State University; Gorgui S. Ndao, Central State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

objects,theories of flight and physics of energy. The instructions are followed with hands on activities orfield trips that can enhance the student experiences.Every year, while this institute helps to recruit 1-2 students from the pool of 25-30 participantsfor the engineering and science programs, it also helps to support the few undergraduate studentsas mentoring counselors in summer as a form of retention. The impact of instructing engineeringphysics at early stages on performance in the college is strong and could be systematized withexpanding such instruction to include additional engineering physics.IntroductionDevising techniques to recruit, retain, educate and graduate students in less established or lessknown disciplines that demand

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Inci Ruzybayev, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

the assignment was graded for theformat). They were not told which assignments were going to be graded so they assumed eachassignment was likely to be graded. Students were expected to improve on using the structured layout by getting feedbackfrom the instructor on homework and exams. Assessment of this method was done in threedifferent ways: 1. Handwritten homework 2. Exams 3. Feedback from students Feedback from students was collected three times: 3.1. Anonymous feedback collection on Moodle in the first weeks of the semester. 3.2. Small group instructional diagnosis (SGID) in the middle of the semester. 
 3.3. Final anonymous feedback collection

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

700 students (394 females and 306 males) enrolled in thealgebra-based sequence and 395 students (109 females and 286 males) enrolled in the calculus-based sequence. We have previously reported on results from analyzing the performance of ourstudents relative to a national sample provided by the authors of DIRECT.26,27 In this work, wefurther analyze the statistics of the test by investigating to what extent the students’ level ofpreparation (algebra-based versus calculus-based) and gender (make versus female) affected theperformance of students in the second-semester laboratory.In Figure 1 on the following page, we show how Detroit Mercy students compare with thosefrom the national sample provided by the authors of reference 25. The graph

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harold T. Evensen, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

of metrology are now incorporated into EP Lab: (1) uncertainty in measurements(and its propagation); (2) use of metrology’s documented standard vocabulary and acceptedpractices; (3) using design of experiments (DOE) to analyze a process; (4) calibration of ameasurement instrument or process.The related learning objectives for EP Lab students are as follows (from the course syllabus): Student Learning Objectives 1. Learn and correctly use the professional vocabulary of metrology and measurement science associated with uncertainty & measurements; 2. Follow international standards in representation of uncertainty; 3. Assign uncertainty to a measurement by use of an uncertainty budget. This will

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hyung S. Choi, Greenville College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

technological height, we are observing another wave oftechnological advances based on what some call the Second Quantum Revolution. [1] Thesequantum technologies are often referred to as a class of technologies that directly create,manipulate, and make use of the quantum properties of matter at the level of individual photons,atoms, electron spins, and exploit collective and entanglement quantum properties of matter.For the last 30 years or so, the research in these areas have moved from theoretical explorationsto experimental confirmations to realizations of prototype applications in diverse areas oftechnologies. These include, but are not limited to, quantum cryptography, quantum sensing andimaging, high-capacity communication, quantum computing

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carl K. Frederickson, University of Central Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

allowed more of a focus on the coding ofthe microprocessor. The majority of students have no coding experience prior to this course.Students do not seem to have an issue with coding the Arduinos. There were a few instanceswhere the Arduino proved to not be the best platform. Student example work and attitudes will bepresented. The effect on student assessment performance will be discussed.1 IntroductionThe ability to read, create, and interpret computer code is an important skill for an engineer or aphysics major to have. Many programs, including the program at the University of CentralArkansas (UCA), require students to complete one or more computer science courses for theirdegree. While these courses provide a solid introduction to