scholarly journals Student Understanding of Period in Introductory and Quantum Physics Courses

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Wan ◽  
Paul J. Emigh ◽  
Gina Passante ◽  
Peter S. Shaffer
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Student Understanding ◽  
Physics Courses

scholarly journals “Shut up and calculate”: the available discursive positions in quantum physics courses

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Johansson ◽  
Staffan Andersson ◽  
Minna Salminen-Karlsson ◽  
Maja Elmgren
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Physics Courses

scholarly journals Student understanding of unit vectors and coordinate systems beyond cartesian coordinates in upper division physics courses

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene Vega ◽  
Warren M. Christensen ◽  
Brian Farlow ◽  
Gina Passante ◽  
Michael E. Loverude
Keyword(s):  
Student Understanding ◽  
Coordinate Systems ◽  
Cartesian Coordinates ◽  
Physics Courses ◽  
Unit Vectors

Probing Student Understanding of Basic Concepts and Principles in Introductory Engineering Thermodynamics

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian H. Kautz ◽  
Gerhard Schmitz
Keyword(s):  
Student Understanding ◽  
State Function ◽  
Instructional Tool ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Physics Courses ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Traditional Lectures ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Curricular Materials ◽  
Interactive Lecture

We report on an ongoing research study on student understanding of thermodynamic concepts and principles in the context of an introductory engineering thermodynamics course at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH). Through analysis of student responses to mostly qualitative questions, we have identified prevalent and persistent difficulties. In this paper, we describe the research methods, present some preliminary results, and discuss the implications of our work for instruction and the development of curricular materials. We also illustrate the use of interactive lecture questions as an instructional tool. In recent decades, research on student understanding in science and engineering has revealed that traditional quantitative problems often are not a suitable tool for the assessment of conceptual understanding. On the basis of results from prior investigations in the context of thermal physics we have therefore begun to administer “conceptual” questions to students of engineering thermodynamics. These questions are delivered through ungraded quizzes, course examinations, and as interactive lecture questions (ILQs or “clicker questions”) via a classroom communication system. While only the two written formats require students to explain the reasoning supporting their answers, we have found that there is good agreement between the results obtained through different methods. Our work so far has concentrated on probing student understanding of (1) work and the application of the first law to closed systems and flow processes, (2) the distinction between state and process quantities, in particular student understanding of entropy as a state function, and (3) the application of the second law, especially to refrigeration cycles. Conceptual difficulties that we have observed include, for example, the students’ tendency to associate an increase in entropy of the system with any irreversible process even if the state function property of the entropy leads to a different result. Similar difficulties have been documented in the context of introductory and upper-level physics courses. While ILQs serve as a research instrument, we also recognize their potential as an effective instructional tool. Data from post-tests suggest that the use of such questions can enhance student learning in traditional lectures. In addition, we discuss how results from this study contributed to the writing of a textbook on engineering thermodynamics.

scholarly journals Introductory quantum physics courses using a LabVIEW multimedia module

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismael Orquín ◽  
Miguel-Ángel García-March ◽  
Pedro Fernández de Córdoba ◽  
Javier F. Urcheguía ◽  
Juan A. Monsoriu
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Physics Courses

scholarly journals Nanoscale Heat Transfer Course for Undergraduates

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick E. Hopkins ◽  
Pamela M. Norris
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transfer ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Engineering Student ◽  
Solid State Physics ◽  
Spring Semester ◽  
Physics Courses ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
The University

The growing interest in nanoscale energy transfer research and funding in mechanical engineering departments far out weighs the availability for formal training of fundamental ideas and concepts in this area. Although several universities offer formal graduate courses in nanoscale energy transfer, these courses are often a survey of current research and are typically geared to graduate students or advanced undergraduates with a stonger physics background than the typical undergraduate engineering student. The goal of this paper is to outline a course that is designed to teach fundamental nanoscale energy transfer concepts to the undergraduate engineering student who has not taken advanced physics courses outside of the ABET approved mechanical engineering curriculum. A survey of different nanoscale energy transfer courses from various institutions around the world is discussed in specific context of the benefits for the typical mechanical engineering undergraduate. The limited textbooks that are available on the subject are also discussed. An outline of fundamental topics in quantum physics, statistical mechanics, and solid state physics is presented as important concepts that the typical undergraduate should understand in order to understand basic research and principles of nanoscale energy transfer. Important phenomena and techniques in nanoscale energy transfer research are also discussed. This course was taught as an undergraduate and graduate engineering elective at the University of Virginia in the spring semester of 2008.

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