IMPRESS Symposium (online)
This symposium will take place via ZOOM - no need to travel ;)
Notes/links from the chat
Coffee
https://www.einsteinianphysics.com/role-plays-and-songs/
Panel discussion
Jacob
Dream related to online education resource inventory: we have over the past couple of years started creating a public inventory for educational modules, https://qtedu.eu/ resources, and in the coming year, we will be transferring this to the European Quantum Readiness cecentrenter, https://quantumready.eu/#/ with a "quantum playlist" and a set of criteria for more curated and validated, and innovative highigh-qualityh quality resources. We will launch the Quantum Readiness efforts formally at the EQTC conference in October. oOnene of the main new pillars is that we are introducing something called EQRC Accords, in which all educational institutions and companies in the education and training ecosystem, can self-assess their quantum readiness efforts along a series of best practice dimensions, and get gold-silver-bronze acknowledgement for their efforts.
Julia
Information about CERN's PER team, publications etc https://per.web.cern.ch/
CERn Science Gateway https://sciencegateway.cern/
David
Publications Einsteinian Physics https://www.einsteinianphysics.com/published-papers/
Jyoti has just submitted a pair of papers that describe our activity-first approach to the Arrive: authors Tejinder Kaur, Magdalena Kersting…should be up within 24 hours
To know more about Einstein-first, please visit at https://www.einsteinianphysics.com As David mentioned, we have a new project called Quantum Girls and here is a website https://www.quantumgirls.org
we are all thinking along the same lines….retraining teachers. Important that we all collaborate and share our papers, Our second new paper is our first research paper on teacher training outcomes, and we are currently preparing a funding application for further research on teacher training outcomes.
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Welcome and coffee chat
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Panel discussion: Past achievements and new directions in modern physics education research
David Blair, University of Western Australia
Jacob Sherson, Aarhus University & Copenhagen University
Julia Woithe, CERN
Stefano Sandrelli, IAU Office of Astronomy for EducationConvener: Magdalena Kersting -
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Sparkle talks by Early-Career-Researchers: Ongoing research in modern physics education researchConveners: Julia Woithe (CERN), Magdalena Kersting
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Teachers and AI applied to Astronomy: the need for specific training programs 5m
Very often, secondary school teachers do not feel qualified to introduce new topics and tools in their Physics lessons. We report some activities suggested to teachers attending a training course jointly organized by the Physics Department of Turin University, the Regional Education Office (USR) in Piedmont, and the Territorial Training Team (EFT) of Piedmont. We briefly discuss the part of the project which aimed to provide new educational aids for introducing Artificial Intelligence applied to Astronomy.
Speaker: Andrea Piccione -
09:50
Teachers and Relativity: the need for specific training programs 5m
One of the issues that need to be addressed if we want to improve modern physics teaching in secondary school is the fact that often teachers do not feel qualified for this purpose. We report here the results of a questionnaire administered to teachers attending a training course jointly organized by the Physics Department of Turin University, the Regional Education Office (USR) in Piedmont, and the Territorial Training Team (EFT) of Piedmont and briefly discuss a project which is aimed to provide new educational aids for teaching relativistic physics.
Speaker: Matteo Luca Ruggiero (Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Torino) -
09:55
Translating Exoplanetary Science into Teaching Materials 5m
Astronomy is an exciting and engaging topic for students to learn about, and the field's interdisciplinary nature makes it well suited for adapting to suit a wide variety of STEM subjects. The aim of this research project is to develop and assess teaching materials based on cutting-edge astrophysics research topics. The research topics in question have been drawn from the CHAMELEON Network, a research network that investigates protoplanetary disks and exoplanets (planets outside our solar system). For this project, the researcher worked in collaboration with scientists and teachers to develop a set of inquiry lessons about exoplanet lighting and clouds. These lessons are centred around hands-on, interactive experiments that use affordable and approachable materials and are currently being piloted in a number of schools in Europe.
Speaker: Oriel Marshall (Copenhagen University) -
10:00
The design and implementation of an Einsteinian energy curriculum in middle school 5m
The most famous equation in physics, E=mc2, is rarely introduced in middle school physics curricula. This talk will present the analysis of an Einsteinian energy teaching module for Year 8 students (13-14-year-old), which encompasses the two fundamental energy formulas in modern physics, E=mc2 and E=hf. In the context of activity-based learning, the Einsteinian-Energy module relates to all the forms of Energy in traditional school curricula.
Speaker: Shachar Boublil (University of Western Australia) -
10:05
Supporting secondary school students’ understanding of time dilation through simulation-based inquiry learning 5m
Time dilation lies at the heart of Einstein’s special relativity theory. Learning about time dilation requires students to imagine light propagation in different inertial frames of reference. For numerous reasons, students find this very difficult, especially in secondary education.
We hypothesize that this obstacle may be overcome through simulation-based inquiry learning. In this learning activity, students formulate a prediction to a thought experiment and subsequently create a simulation of the thought experiment in an online simulation tool, called Relativity lab. By comparing their prediction to the simulation’s outcome, students can be stimulated to reflect on their existing conceptions about relative motion.
In order to evaluate this teaching approach, we have carried out a lesson study in which a 90-minute introductory lesson was designed, performed and evaluated by an interdisciplinary team of physics teachers and researchers. Data was collected by means of audio- and video recordings, observations, written assignments and student- and teacher interviews.
In this sparkle talk, I will present preliminary findings of our lesson study and will motivate our choice for lesson study as a research tool in design-based research. I hope to spark the joy of lesson study in modern physics education research!
Speaker: Paul Alstein (Utrecht University) -
10:10
Bio break 10m
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10:20
Piloting a Gravitational Wave Astronomy workshop with 14-year-old students in Greece: preliminary findings, barriers, and enablers. 5m
Gravitational Wave Astronomy has produced groundbreaking discoveries that helped open a new observational window to the Cosmos. Despite its novelty and impact in Science, GW Astronomy remains way beyond the reach of school curricula in Greece. In this talk, we discuss the piloting of a dedicated 3hr long workshop on Gravitational Wave Astronomy with 14-year-old students in Greece, organized in the framework of a broader Astronomy oriented “Skills Lab”. We will present the structure of the workshop, preliminary findings and discuss barriers and enablers that have been identified.
Speaker: Emmanouil Chaniotakis (Research and Development Department, Ellinogermaniki Agogi & Faculty of Educational Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) -
10:25
Investigating high school students’ gaze patterns when learning with Feynman diagrams 5m
Several research-based suggestions have been made on how concepts from particle physics can be taught to high school students. A frequently used subject-related representation within particle physics is the so-called Feynman diagram. However, very little is known about how this form of representation is perceived by students.
This project aims to design learning materials for 16-19-year-olds on Feynman diagrams so that they are conducive to learning concepts of elementary particle physics. We used an eye-tracking study to test the materials. The results give insights into the strategy development process of students when using this form of representation.Speaker: Merten Nikolay Dahlkemper (CERN) -
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Students' types of interest in physics 5m
Given the central importance of increasing students’ interest as a goal of physics education, empirical support for the theoretical description of interest is essential. Our research project investigates which aspects of physics students are interested in and whether they can be categorised into different types of interest based on their interest profiles and their physics-related self-concept. We conducted a cross-cohort online study with students aged 14 to 16 years from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland (N=1219). Mixed Rasch analysis revealed that most students can be categorised into one single type of interest in physics. Moreover, we introduced the ‘hierarchy of students’ levels of interest in physics’ (HOLIP) which provides a concise overview of how interesting different contexts (i.e. storylines), in which physics content may be set, are relative to each other. For example, the most interesting contexts are related to one’s own body (e.g., medical diagnostics), socio-scientific issues (e.g., smuggled arms), or existential questions of humankind (e.g., big bang theory). Knowing this hierarchy of levels of interest in physics (HOLIP) is important for educators trying to increase their students’ interests because it will enable them to match the design of their learning activities with their students’ interests.
Speaker: Sarah Maria Zoechling (University of Vienna (AT)) -
10:35
Identifying the aims of science shows 5m
This year, CERN is opening a new education and outreach facility, Science Gateway, which will host daily science shows alongside the exhibitions and lab-based workshops. The available literature suggests that science shows can lead to many positive outcomes, such as increasing knowledge of a topic and helping to create positive attitudes towards science. However, as the key aims of science shows are not clearly defined, it is difficult to know whether the outcomes achieve the desired aims. The objective of this research was to determine the most important aims of science shows, both in general and in the specific context of Science Gateway. To achieve this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty participants; ten from each of two expert groups: senior CERN employees with links to education and outreach, and science show presenters from around the world. Preliminary results suggest that the senior CERN employees view sense of awe and entertainment as the most important aims of science shows, whereas the science show presenters prioritised engagement and transferability (making science relevant to everyday life). This study will pave the way for future evaluation of science shows, both at this facility and in other contexts.
Speaker: Ruadh Duggan (Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht) -
10:40
Evaluation of a Digital Learning Module about Positron Emission Tomography 5m
Following the global pandemic, our research group at CERN has developed a new virtual learning format called a Digital Learning Module (DLM), which consists of a series of pre-recorded explanatory and experiment videos, interactive elements (e.g., quizzes, shortcuts), interactive screen experiments, and expert interviews, all integrated in a module that is openly available online. So far, a DLM has been created about the topic of Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
Aiming to derive general design principles that can be employed in the design of future DLMs, the first part of my PhD project is to qualitatively evaluate the PET DLM. For this, various theoretical design principles from existing literature have been considered – e.g., the Cognitive Affective Theory of Learning with Media, the Variation Theory of Learning, and the Predict-Observe-Explain method. These design principles have been compared to the ones employed in the PET DLM.
Currently, semi-structured interviews are being conducted with high-school students as they engage with the PET DLM, using a think-aloud protocol. A qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts will determine whether the employed design principles address the learning goals of the PET DLM. This set of general design principles will be the foundation of future DLMs.Speaker: Panagiota Chatzidaki (Lund University (SE))
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Coffee break 15m
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Interactive session: QUO VADIS modern physics education research?
Looking back at our previous IMPRESS contributions, we identified a list of 9 challenges the Modern Physics Education Research Community is facing. In this interactive session, we will vote on 3 of these challenges and discuss them in small groups. The session will conclude in an epic PowerPoint karaoke summarising the outcomes of the discussions.
Convener: Julia Woithe (CERN)-
11:00
Vote on what we will discuss 10m
The Nature of Modern Physics: Modern physics topics are fantastic opportunities to explicitly address the Nature of Science (NoS), which also provides a direct link to many science curricula. How can we best teach students and teachers (and scientists) about NOS and the nature of scientific models in the framework of modern physics education?
Inclusive Physics Education: How can modern physics education research help increase diversity and inclusivity in STEM fields? What strategies can we implement to provide equitable access to modern physics education, particularly in regions with limited resources and opportunities?
Maximising Educational Impact: How can we fully utilise modern physics topics to foster interest, self-concept, and career aspirations among young learners? How do we assess the long-term impact of modern physics education? How do we reach beyond those already interested and motivated, especially in out-of-school settings?
Student Conceptions and Mental Models: Compared to other physics education topics, there are only a few studies reporting on mental models and students’ conceptions of a few selected modern physics concepts. But knowledge of students' conceptions is needed for effective teaching and evaluation. How do we close the gaps and make the fragmented research results more coherent? How can we best avoid mixed models in which students confuse classical and modern physics concepts?
Design and Comprehension of Learning Resources: How can we design effective learning resources considering the complexity of modern physics that often involves unobservable entities and requires understanding at multiple levels (symbols, mathematics, (sub)microscopic world, macroscopic world)? How can we make educational representations more accessible to students and aid in their comprehension? Given the proven success but time-consuming nature of the Model of Educational Reconstruction (MER) and design-based research in modern physics topics, how do we strategise their use?
Teacher Preparedness and Motivation: What are the best methods to prepare and motivate teachers to instruct modern physics topics? How can we ensure teachers feel competent and enthusiastic about teaching these topics?
Incorporating New Technologies: How can we effectively incorporate new technologies like AI, AR, VR, simulations, and online learning into teaching modern physics? How can we leverage these technologies to communicate complex and abstract concepts?
Curricula Development and Evaluation: How do we incorporate more modern physics topics into the curriculum? How do we evaluate learning goals in modern physics education in the absence of standardised tests and proven exam questions?
Community and Practice: How do we unite the physics education research community that is distributed across many different countries, institutions, and projects? What are some ways to professionalize physics education research and make our efforts more cumulative, particularly in modern physics? How do we ensure that findings from modern physics education research are widely disseminated and implemented within educational institutions?
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Discussion in breakout rooms 30mSpeakers: Julia Woithe (CERN), Magdalena Kersting, Panagiota Chatzidaki (Lund University (SE))
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11:40
PowerPoint karaoke 10m
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11:50
Conclusion and last words 10m
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