https://www.compadre.org/portal/ The latest material additions to the Compadre Portal. en-US Copyright 2026, ComPADRE.org webmaster@compadre.org webmaster@compadre.org Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:42:11 UTC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss https://www.compadre.org/portal/services/images/LogoSmallPortal.gif https://www.compadre.org/portal/ 125 35 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17169 Project STEMinAR is an augmented reality (AR) interactive simulation for use in the Physics classroom. The simulations topics include force and motion, Newton’s cannon, optics, lenses, thermodynamics, rotational motion, and electromagnetic induction. These simulations provide opportunities for the user to dynamically manipulate multiple variables to and see the impact in real time. We conducted focus group interviews of students who recently completed an introductory algebra-based Physics I course; the simulations were not part of their course. During the interviews, students were engaged in a lesson driven by one of the AR simulations. We then engaged them in a reflection of the experience. They discussed topics such as usability and perceived helpfulness had the simulations been part of the course instruction. Feedback overall was very positive, and students indicated that the additional representations provided in the simulations help them to “see” the concepts they were learning about in class. Education Practices/Instructional Material Design/Simulation https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17169 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:42:11 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17169 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17262 This report summarizes the findings of the second conference on graduate education in physics in 2013. The meeting, which foilowed up the 2008 graduate education conference, was organized by the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) with partial National Science Foundation (NSF) funding. Education Practices/Learning Environment https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17262 Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:22:59 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17262 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17261 This document contains the recommendations that emerged from major topics of discussion at the 2008 APS/AAPT Graduate Education Conference. The recommendations are followed by a section on promising practices that departments and professional societies might adopt to implement the recommendations. These practices emerged from discussion and specific examples presented at the conference, and would obviously be adapted to local conditions. While the conference specifically addressed issues in graduate education, many of the recommendations are also pertinent to undergraduate education. Education Practices/Learning Environment https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17261 Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:09:20 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17261 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17241 Quantitative literacy---the use of mathematics to describe and understand the world---is an essential skill. One facet of quantitative literacy in physics is covariational reasoning: how changes in one quantity affect changes in another, related quantity. Research has demonstrated that reasoning mathematically in physics contexts is distinct from reasoning mathematically in a context-free way. Early indications suggest that, similarly, covariational reasoning is likely different in physics contexts than in mathematics. Moreover, research has shown that quantitative literacy is unlikely to improve in physics classrooms without direct instruction. There is a need to characterize and understand physics covariational reasoning towards developing instructional activities that can be used in physics classrooms to help students develop quantitative literacy. We characterize and operationalize physics covariational reasoning through a series of studies that examine how physics experts reasoned while generating graphical models. Our results, together with prior research in the field, are organized into a framework of covariational reasoning: the Covariational Reasoning in Physics (CoRP) framework. We present this framework and describe how it can be used towards identifying learning outcomes for introductory physics courses and beyond, identifying proto-expert resources that students may already have when entering physics courses, and developing instructional interventions that attend to improving students' quantitative literacy. We present two assessment tools, the Physics Inventory of Quantitative Literacy (PIQL) and the Generalized Equation-based Reasoning inventory of Quantity and Negativity (GERQN), designed to measure physics quantitative literacy across a range of student populations. We conclude with how these pieces can be used to guide development of instructional materials to improve students' physics quantitative literacy. Education Practices/Instructional Material Design https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17241 Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:24:34 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17241 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 This website hosts resources supporting the textbook, Computational Physics 4th Ed.: Problem Solving with Python authored by Rubin H Landau, Manuel J Paez, and Cristian Bordeianu, with contributions by Guangliang He. ISBN: 978-3-527-41425-3 Materials available include python code for the text and example problems, lecture slides, quizzes, and video lectures by the primary author. Topics covered are the basics of scientific computation, data science, and applications to physics systems. General Physics/Computational Physics https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17240 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:29:55 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 This website hosts resources supporting the textbook, Computational Physics 4th Ed.: Problem Solving with Python authored by Rubin H Landau, Manuel J Paez, and Cristian Bordeianu, with contributions by Guangliang He. ISBN: 978-3-527-41425-3 Materials available include python code for the text and example problems, lecture slides, quizzes, and video lectures by the primary author. Topics covered are the basics of scientific computation, data science, and applications to physics systems. General Physics/Computational Physics https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17240 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:29:30 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 This website hosts resources supporting the textbook, Computational Physics 4th Ed.: Problem Solving with Python authored by Rubin H Landau, Manuel J Paez, and Cristian Bordeianu, with contributions by Guangliang He. ISBN: 978-3-527-41425-3 Materials available include python code for the text and example problems, lecture slides, quizzes, and video lectures by the primary author. Topics covered are the basics of scientific computation, data science, and applications to physics systems. General Physics/Computational Physics https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17240 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:28:48 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 This website hosts resources supporting the textbook, Computational Physics 4th Ed.: Problem Solving with Python authored by Rubin H Landau, Manuel J Paez, and Cristian Bordeianu, with contributions by Guangliang He. ISBN: 978-3-527-41425-3 Materials available include python code for the text and example problems, lecture slides, quizzes, and video lectures by the primary author. Topics covered are the basics of scientific computation, data science, and applications to physics systems. General Physics/Computational Physics https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17240 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 21:29:34 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 This website hosts resources supporting the textbook, Computational Physics 4th Ed.: Problem Solving with Python authored by Rubin H Landau, Manuel J Paez, and Cristian Bordeianu, with contributions by Guangliang He. ISBN: 978-3-527-41425-3 Materials available include python code for the text and example problems, lecture slides, quizzes, and video lectures by the primary author. Topics covered are the basics of scientific computation, data science, and applications to physics systems. General Physics/Computational Physics https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17240 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 21:29:11 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17240 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17228 Meta-Representational Competence (MRC) is a theoretical framework that is used to analyze how people create and interact with external representations. Within Quantum Mechanics, problems may be approached or perceived differently based on the notation used (either Dirac, Matrix, or Spinor notation) in the problem statement or by the person working on the problem. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to present physics students with change of basis content problems in the context of Quantum Mechanics. These content questions were paired with MRC-focused follow-up questions for the explicit purpose of asking students about MRC concepts directly. Student statements were coded to confirm previously identified MRC concepts and to identify MRC concepts that are novel to this data. Our analysis of three student interviews demonstrates an array of MRC concepts, the usefulness of asking direct questions about MRC concepts as part of an interview, and solidifies MRC as a useful lens for investigating student thinking. The attached codebook is authored by Idris Malik and Warren Christensen. It includes every "Meta-representational Competence statement" made by the students in the interview study. The authors coded each statement, either with a code informed by prior literature, or one defined based on the dataset analysis. Education Foundations/Research Design & Methodology/Evaluation https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17228 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:07:50 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17228 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17227 This lab uses Tracker to measure and analyze the motion of a rocket. Students measure the acceleration of the rocket while it is speeding up. Students use the data to calculate the force of impact by the rocket. There is a video file. The trz file contains a video. The videos can be used with other video analysis software; however, the handout has screen captures from Tracker and instructions specifically written for Tracker. Classical Mechanics/Motion in One Dimension/Position & Displacement https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17227 Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:36:53 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17227 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17213 This simulation shows the diffusion of N particles along a 1-dimensional finite lattice, towards the state of equilibrium. The particles are distributed in a sequence of cells arranged along the lattice. In a time-interval of length Dt, each particle can perform just one jump between neighboring cells with a certain transition probability determined in the frame of the Ehrenfest model. The initial state of the system and the number of the cells along the lattice, are selected by the user. In a sequence of time-moments, the program of the simulation calculates the number of particles in every cell. The number of the particles in a cell is depicted by a certain cell-color. The intermediate states of the system between the initial state and the final state of equilibrium are depicted by a varying histogram and a sequence of changing cell-colors. The theoretical distribution of the particles at the equilibrium state is depicted in the same system of axes. The first objective of the simulation is to compare the data obtained in real-time from the virtual environment, with the theoretical predictions of the model. Furthermore, as a second objective, the user is able to confirm the theoretical proposition that "irrespectively of the form of the initial distribution, the system converges to a certain equilibrium state which is determined by the transition probabilities". In a separate window, the graph of a Lyapunov functional H corresponding to the system, is created in real time. Each time-moment, the value of H is uniquely determined by the corresponding distribution of the particles in the cells of the lattice. In addition, by observing the graph of H over time, the user can estimate the relaxation time of the process towards the equilibrium state. Thermo & Stat Mech/Kinetic and Diffusive Processes/Approach to Equilibrium https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17213 Sun, 28 Dec 2025 15:29:54 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17213 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17099 This simulatation shows a stochastic model which describes a sequence of K random experiments (trials) on a system (ensemble) of identical and stochastic independent cells. In every random experiment, each cell of the ensemble can take one of two possible states H or L, with probabilities p and q=1-p respectively. The state obtained by each cell is independent of the previous states of this cell and of the states acquired by any other cell. This simulations shows that the states of the ensemble in the sequence of the random experiments are described by the binomial distribution which, under some specific conditions is approximated by a Poisson distribution. The user can implement random experiments on an ensemble of N cells which fulfill the specifications of the theoretical model. The program displays the results of the random-experiments sequence and the predictions of the corresponding stochastic model as well. The user is prompted to compare the experimental results with the theoretical predictions, by running the simulation for many different values of the disposed parameters, aiming at evaluating both, the model and the virtual environment as well. Mathematical Tools/Probability https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17099 Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:40:29 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17099 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=16945 Physics education research (PER) is a global endeavor, with a wealth of work performed at a variety of institutions worldwide. However, results from research into undergraduate physics laboratory courses are often difficult to compare due to the broad variations in courses. We report here how we developed and validated a survey to classify these courses, as well as compare and contrast them. This will be useful in two key endeavors: comparisons between PER studies and providing useful data for individual instructors hoping to improve their courses. While we are still in the process of collecting sufficient data to create a full taxonomy of laboratory courses, we present here details of the survey creation itself, including its face, construct, and content validation, as well as a first look at the data collected, which includes a broad landscape of lab courses in 41 countries. We used both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the data collected. Some of these results include similarities between courses, such as students often using preconstructed apparatuses and instructors hoping for students to learn technical skills. We also find differences in courses, such as in the number and types of goals of the course, as well as the activities students participate in. Thus, this survey and its results can provide information relevant to both researchers and instructors. Education Practices/Curriculum Development/Laboratory https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=16945 Mon, 03 Nov 2025 18:27:26 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=16945 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17200 Instructors often give prompts that encourage students to articulate their beliefs and conceptions, as well as encourage students to understand the thoughts of their peers. This reflective discourse is used in a calculus-based introductory physics class at Lane Community College, where the instructor explicitly has discourse goals integrated into his course structure. We investigate whether students utilize this discourse when solving problems outside of the classroom context. We interviewed groups of students after the end of spring term, 2012. The students were asked to solve open-ended problems, with analysis focused on whether students applied this reflective discourse. Students were asked a series of follow-up questions to reflect upon their experiences in the course. Education Foundations/Problem Solving/Metacognition https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17200 Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:41:04 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17200 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17199 A great deal of literature exists surrounding the misconceptions that students have regarding the moon, specifically how the moon phases and eclipses occur. These studies provide teachers with information regarding what misconceptions their students may come to the classroom with as well as some ideas as to how to approach and correct them. However, these methods are not always validated with classroom-based research, and much of the research that has been done is in the high school and college setting. As such, we have undertaken a study to investigate what a group of middle school students know about the moon pre-instruction, and how hands-on activities and computer simulations affect student learning and understanding of these topics. The results of this project show that neither supplementation was distinguishably more effective in improving student test scores, as measured by normalized gains; this may be an artifact of high pre-test scores, as described herein. Astronomy/Fundamentals/Lunar Phases https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17199 Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:31:45 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17199 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17198 Inspired by a paper at last year's PERC conference, in which Rebello [1] compared students' individual and cohort mean score estimations with their actual assessment scores, we present results of a study in which students in an introductory physics class were asked to predict their scores on two assessments, one delivered at the start of the course (pre-instruction) and one at the end of the course (post-instruction). Our results show that, pre-instruction, the academically strongest students tend to underestimate their score slightly, whereas the weakest overestimate their performance significantly, consistent with the findings of Rebello and demonstrating a well-known cognitive bias (the Dunning-Kruger effect). Post-instruction, we find that the ability of the original weakest quartile cohort to accurately predict their own assessment score has improved significantly, but a flux of students between quartiles from one assessment to the other reveals that the least able students continue to over-estimate their performance, but with a reduced mean discrepancy. We discuss the implications these results have for instruction and for development of enhanced metacognition amongst physics students. Education Foundations/Assessment/Self Assessment https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17198 Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:24:44 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17198 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17197 At the University of Colorado Boulder, as part of our broader efforts to transform middle- and upper-division physics courses, we research students’ difficulties with particular concepts, methods, and tools in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics. Unsurprisingly, a number of difficulties are related to students’ use of mathematical tools (e.g., approximation methods). Previous work has documented a number of challenges that students must overcome to use mathematical tools fluently in introductory physics (e.g., mapping meaning onto mathematical symbols). We have developed a theoretical framework to facilitate connecting students’ difficulties to challenges with specific mathematical and physical concepts. In this paper, we motivate the need for this framework and demonstrate its utility for both researchers and course instructors by applying it to frame results from interview data on students’ use of Taylor approximations. Education Foundations/Cognition https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17197 Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:08:47 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17197 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17196 We surveyed 88 students at four colleges: one men's college, two women's colleges, and one coeducational college. The questions, modified from Reid (2007), asked about in-class participation, how fulfilled they were by their achievement in their calc-based physics class, their attitude toward their class, and their self-efficacy (Bandura 1994) in the class. While a t-test showed no difference between men and women, an ANOVA showed a significant interaction between sex and type of school. Detailed results will be presented and discussed. Education Foundations/Student Characteristics/Affect https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17196 Sun, 02 Nov 2025 02:57:05 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17196 https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17111 The theme of the 2025 Physics Education Research (PER) Conference was "A PER lens on the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology." PERC 2025 focused on supporting members of the community as they gathered, discussed, shared, learned, and worked together to improve their research and the field of Physics Education Research as a whole. General Physics/Physics Education Research https://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=17111 Mon, 27 Oct 2025 23:55:22 UTC https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17111