http://www.compadre.org/portal/ The latest material additions to the Compadre Portal. en-US Copyright 2008, ComPADRE.org managingEditor@compadre.org webmaster@compadre.org Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:28:25 EST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.compadre.org/portal/services/images/LogoSmallPortal.gif http://www.compadre.org/portal/ 125 35 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=3857 This website is an image gallery of some of IBM's published scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images. A short description of STM is provided along with a series of images showing different atomic structures. These images are properly treated as art as well as science. Modern Physics/Condensed Matter http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=3857 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:28:25 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=3857 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7392 Careers in science and engineering entail interactions with professionals from many fields. Interdisciplinary work in graduate school - such as that found at UMBC's Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Consulting - offer a way for students to gain experience with handling the challenges involved in these interactions. Other Sciences/Computer Science http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7392 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:44:20 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7392 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7393 You know one if you see one, but can you define a computational physics course in general? Even more fundamentally, can you specify what role numerical computations should have in any standard physics course? The quest to address such questions was the motivation for a project that has culminated in the publication of this special issue. I believe and hope that our non-physicist readers will regard this special issue as an opportunity to gather information and learn lessons that extend beyond physics to other disciplines. General Physics/Computational Physics http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7393 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:40:49 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7393 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7394 Much of today's thinking about computational science education is shaped by the needs of the high-performance minority and the perspective of academic computer science. What most working scientists actually need is basic software development skills. Focusing attention on this will be the best way to make the long-promised computational revolution a reality. Other Sciences/Computer Science http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7394 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:33:34 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7394 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7395 Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of mechanical engineering, electronics, control systems, and computers. The key element in mechatronics is the integration through design of these areas from the very beginning of the design process—no afterthought addons allowed. Other Sciences/Engineering http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7395 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:32:12 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7395 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7396 Simulating physically realistic, complex dust behaviors is useful in interactive graphics applications, such as those used for education, entertainment, or training. Training in virtual environments is a major topic for research and applications, and generating dust behaviors in real time significantly increases the realism of the simulated training environment. We introduce a method for simulating the dust behaviors that a fast-traveling vehicle causes. Our method combines particle systems, rigid-body particle dynamics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), rendering, and visualization techniques. Our work integrates physics-based computing and graphical visualization for applications in simulated virtual environments. General Physics/Computational Physics http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7396 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:24:22 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7396 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7397 The authors' interdisciplinary computational methods course uses Python and associated numerical and visualization libraries to enable students to implement simulations for several different course modules, which highlight the breadth and flexibility of Python-powered computational environments. General Physics/Computational Physics http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7397 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:41:16 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7397 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7398 The Oregon State University Physics Department has recently initiated an undergraduate degree program in computational physics. Associated with that program is a National Science Foundation-funded project to develop curricula materials for introductory and advanced computational science classes. While we plan to publish traditional paper texts for these courses, we also are exploring ways to publish digital versions of these materials containing features that exploit new technologies. Specifically, we wish to advance digital books using multimodal and interactive elements to increase the access and understanding of mathematics and science. This installment of the education department describes the motivation behind, and the technologies needed for, the features we envision in future scientific documents. General Physics/Computational Physics http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7398 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:32:45 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7398 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7399 Students need self-assessment skills, yet in our experience, these skills appear to be severely lacking in undergraduate students. Descriptions from student interviews and related education research results suggest ways to increase students' ability to self-assess. General Physics/Computational Physics http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7399 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:27:35 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7399 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=5703 Many studies in PER suggest that language poses a serious difficulty for students learning physics. These difficulties are mostly attributed to misunderstanding of specialized terminology that often assigns new meanings to everyday terms. This dissertation presents a novel approach to the analysis of the role of language in learning physics. The approach is based on the analysis of the historical development of physics ideas, the language of modern physicists, and students’ difficulties in the areas of quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, and thermodynamics. These data are analyzed using linguistic tools borrowed from cognitive linguistics and systemic functional grammar. Specifically, the idea of conceptual metaphor and grammar is used to build a theoretical framework that accounts for - the role and function that language serves for physicists when they speak and reason about physical ideas and phenomena, and specific features of students’ reasoning and difficulties that may be related to or derived from language that students read or hear. The theoretical framework is developed using the methodology of a grounded theoretical approach. Predictions about the relationship between student discourse and their conceptual and problem solving difficulties are tested in the context of “heat” in thermodynamics and “force” in dynamics. In each case the language that students use to reason is analyzed with the framework. The results show that language is very important in students learning. In particular, students use features of physicists’ conceptual metaphors to reason about physical phenomena, often overextending and misapplying these features, and draw cues from the grammar of physicists’ speech and writing to categorize physics concepts. In summary, I present a theoretical framework that provides a possible explanation of the role that language plays in learning physics, and how and why physicists’ language influences students in the way that it does. Education Foundations/Communication/Language http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=5703 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:42:25 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=5703 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=5698 This paper introduces a theory about the role of language in learning physics. The theory is developed in the context of physics students and physicists talking and writing about the subject of quantum mechanics. We found that physicists’ language encodes different varieties of analogical models through the use of grammar and conceptual metaphor. We hypothesize that students categorize concepts into ontological categories based on the grammatical structure of physicists’ language. We also hypothesize that students overextend and misapply conceptual metaphors in physicists’ speech and writing. Using our theory, we will show how, in some cases, we can explain student difficulties in quantum mechanics as difficulties with language. Education Foundations/Communication/Language http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=5698 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:30:23 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=5698 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7564 This blog provides a feed for University of Maine Physics Education Research publications. The entries in the blog are organized by both date and topic. General Physics/Physics Education Research http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7564 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:24:35 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7564 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7521 Science safety in is a vital issue in 2008 because: 1) it is tested on many state science content tests, 2) pre-service teachers take the Praxis test which also requires knowledge of safe science practice, 3) teachers are being trained in alternative ways that may omit safe science methods, 4) science content standards in many states emphasize doing science without specific safety guidelines, especially for middle and elementary classrooms and 5) science methods curricula have not always included planning for and conducting experiments safely. National Science Education Standards (NSES) encourage active science learning with "best practices" promoting inquiry-based and hands-on instruction at all instructional levels. Teachers who teach science are using equipment that may or may not be developmentally appropriate for their students (using open flames in K-2nd grade, for example). Accidents occur and go unreported. Based on a survey of practice in South Dakota schools, a national survey of science teaching practice K-12 is proposed. Education Practices/Curriculum Development/Laboratory http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7521 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:14:56 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7521 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7645 This page contains a series of problems on the topic of magnetism developed for use with The Physics Suite, an activity-based learning project. Each problem was designed to help build qualitative understanding of physics and was built around student acquisition of knowledge as observed in recent studies. The problems vary in format and include estimation, context-based reasoning, multiple choice, short answer, qualitative questions, and essay questions. The topics include magnetic forces and fields, magnetic induction, mass spectrometers, Ampere's Law, inducing current, and Faraday's Law. This item is part of a larger collection of problems, in-class questions, and interactive resources developed by the University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group. Electricity & Magnetism/Magnetic Fields and Forces http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7645 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:58:54 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7645 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7714 This item is a tutorial on Uncertainties and Error Propagation. Topics covered include Systematic versus Random Error, Determining Random Errors, Relative and Absolute error, Propagation of errors, Rounding answers properly, and Significant figures. A list of well illustrated problems are embedded throughout the tutorial. General Physics/Measurement/Units/Error http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7714 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:52:28 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7714 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7712 The author has collected 35 years of cut articles from the New York Times that have physics applications. He added physics questions to the article and posted it online for students to answer. He used them for extra credit projects, quiz or test questions. The collection is made of five web pages with about 30 applications and questions per page. The applications are mostly in mechanics, heat and waves. General Physics/General http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7712 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:16:32 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7712 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=4680 This site contains java simulations for introductory physics, advanced physics, and math concepts. Topics covered include optics, and circuits. Each applet includes brief background information on the underlying physics and an explanation of how to use the item. General Physics/Collections http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=4680 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:58:03 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=4680 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=3254 The Physics Virtual Bookshelf is a repository for documents about Physics written by staff members of the Department of Physics, University of Toronto. This collection includes content on classical physics, computational physics, data analysis, modern physics, relativity, quantum mechanics, and pedagogy. The collection is organized by topic and includes tutorials, animations, videos, notes and simulations. General Physics/Collections http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=3254 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:49:02 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=3254 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=3349 This is a large collection of flash animations for all levels and topics in introductory physics. They include single animations, interactive simulations, and short tutorials. Topics covered include Classical Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Nuclear Physics, Optics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, and Waves. General Physics/Collections http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=3349 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:14:42 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=3349 http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7641 This page contains a series of problems on the topic of heat and thermodynamics developed for use with The Physics Suite, an activity-based learning project. Each problem was designed to help build qualitative understanding of physics and was built around student acquisition of knowledge as observed in recent physics education research studies. The problems vary in format and include estimation, context-based reasoning, multiple choice, short answer, qualitative questions, and essay questions. The topics include specific heat, intensive and extensive variables, energy and heat, and the relationship between kinetic energy and temperature. This item is part of a larger collection of problems, in-class questions, and interactive resources developed by the University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group. See Related Materials on this page for a link to the full collection of Physics Suite problems for introductory physics courses. Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics/Thermal Properties of Matter http://www.compadre.org/portal/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7641 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:10:40 EST http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=7641