| 5:00-7:00 | Registration, Lind Lecture Hall, Museum Area |
| 6:00-7:00 | Banquet, Lind Lecture Hall, Museum Area |
| 7:00-9:00 | Demonstration Session, Lind Lecture Hall, LL121 |
| 8:30 am -2:45 pm | Contributed Session, Lind Lecture Hall, LL121 |
| 2:45-3:15 pm | Drawing for books and prizes; Taking group picture |
| 3:15 | Adjourn |
| 3:15 | Optional Planetarium Show, Lind Lecture Hall, 2nd floor /Tour of SEM, Science Lab Building, SL 215 |
| Institution | Attendance |
| BYU | 18 |
| Weber State | 13 |
| BYU-Idaho | 9 |
| Utah State | 1 |
| U of U | 1 |
| Idaho State | 1 |
| Boise State | 1 |
| College of Eastern Utah | 1 |
| High Schools | 2 |
| Total Number of attendees = 47 | |
| Name/Institution | Demonstration Title |
| Chair: Ron Galli (Weber State University) | |
| Beehler, Adam U of U |
Fluorescence and Rail Gun |
| Coburn, James Utah State |
Electricity & Magnetism Demonstrations + a Few New Toys |
| Galli, Ronald Weber State |
Spinning Objects and Rotational Motion |
| Gee, Kent BYU |
From Trumpet to Tuba |
| Hills, Richard Weber State |
1. Collapse of the Angers Bridge. 2. The Falling CD and Skydiving. |
| Johnston, Adam Weber State |
Levitation of various objects in various airstreams |
| Kardelis, David | A Low Cost, Low Frequency Glass Breaker Using Sound |
| Merrill, Duane BYU |
High speed camera look at a egg into the wall collision |
| Peterson, Wayne BYU |
Nitrogen Tower |
| Pyper, Brian BYU-Idaho |
Ron Galli memorial Alphorn song, stomp rockets, coin flipping entropy |
| Steven Shropshire | Light Bulb Filament Oxidation |
| Stokes, Harold BYU |
Hoist |
| Time | Name/Institution | Presentation Title |
| 8:30-8:45 | Dr. Dale Ostlie Dean of College of Science |
Welcome and Opening Remarks |
| Morning Session -I, Chair: Harold Stokes (BYU) | ||
| 8:45 | Carroll, Brad Weber State University |
Einstein as an Icon |
| 8:57 | Van Huele, Jean-Francois BYU |
Redeeming Features of Learning Objectives |
| 9:09 | Nielson, Ryan BYU-Idaho |
Of Teaching and Magic: A few insights from the physiology of attention. |
| 9:21 | John Armstrong Weber State University |
Title: 60 Minutes to Near-Space: Undergraduate Research Experiences in Mission-based Science and Engineering |
| 9:33 | Schroeder, Dan Weber State University |
Teaching Astronomy Without a Textbook |
| 9:45 | Stephens, Denise BYU |
Developing Interactive Learning in Higher Division Astronomy Courses |
| 9:57 | Turley, Steve BYU |
Integrating Physics, Calculus, Music, and English: The 15 Week University |
| 10:09 | Pyper, Brian BYU-Idaho |
PER: Fun With Data Sets! |
| 10:21-10:45 | Break | |
| Morning Session II, Chair: Brian Pyper (BYU-Idaho) | ||
| 10:45 | Galli, Ronald Weber State University |
The Reflection of Light From a Uniformly Moving Mirror |
| 10:57 | Gee, Kent (and Tracianne B. Neilsen) BYU |
Overview of “Sounds to Astound: An Acoustics Demonstration Show” |
| 11:09 | Vernon, Julia BYU |
Acoustical Characterization of Exploding Hydrogen-Oxygen Balloons |
| 11:21 | Inglefield, Colin Weber State University |
A Reading-Intensive General Education Course |
| 11:33 | Johnston, Adam Weber State University |
Scientists at Play: Using Parks for Science Education Outreach |
| 11:45 | Arnold, Michelle Weber State University |
The Benefits and Shortcomings of Online Homework Assignments in College Physics Courses |
| 11:57 | Stokes, Harold BYU |
The Lenovo Thinkpad: How I Lost 40 lbs |
| 12:09 | Hills, Richard Weber State University |
Tuning the Vibrating Meter Stick |
| 12:21-1:30 | Lunch/Business Meeting | |
| Afternoon Session, Chair: Adam Johnston (Weber State University) | ||
| 1:30 | Olson, Jaren BYU-Idaho |
Getting started with physics education research |
| 1:42 | Saunders, Allison BYU-Idaho |
The Five Pillars of Attitudes in Physics Learning |
| 1:54 | Jeffery, Rondo (and Jerry Montgomery) Weber State University |
A numerical model of the charge distribution within nucleons due to quarks |
| 2:06 | Sohl, John Weber State University |
Thermodynamic Performance Measurement and Control |
| 2:18 | Merrill, Duane BYU |
Using video to teach physics |
| 2:30 | Migenes, Victor BYU |
Developing Radio Astronomy at BYU |
| 2:45-3:15 | Drawing for books and prizes/Group pictures | |
Presentation Abstracts |
||
| Name/Institution | Presentation Title | Abstract |
| Armstrong, John Weber State University |
60 Minutes to Near-Space: Undergraduate Research Experiences in Mission-based Science and Engineering | The High Altitude Reconnaissance Balloon for Outreach and Research is a student driven research project using high altitude balloons to deliver science experiments to near-space. We'll discuss an outline of the program and explore current research topics and future opportunities. |
| Arnold, Michelle Weber State University |
The Benefits and Shortcomings of Online Homework Assignments in College Physics Courses | Several text books now provide online homework software packages that accompany the text. These packages are advertised as beneficial based on decreasing instructor grading time and also providing students with helpful hints to guide them along as they attempt homework problem. Are there any downsides to these software packages? Are they the best option for large introductory classes? The basic concept behind online homework together with the pros and cons will be discussed. |
| Carroll, Brad Weber State University |
Einstein as an Icon | Einstein is the personification of a scientific genius, an icon whose name and face are equally recognizable to the general public. How can the public’s view of Einstein as an icon be quantified and compared to the recognition of icons in the arts, such as Picasso, Stravinsky, and Hemingway? Goggle Labs’ Book NGram Viewer provides a way, allowing the frequency of usage of these names in published books to be calculated and compared. We will see how Einstein stacks up against his contemporaries, and see how outside events influenced his name recognition. |
| Galli, Ronald Weber State University |
The Reflection of Light From a Uniformly Moving Mirror | When light reflects from a moving mirror, the reflected and incident angles are equal only for special cases. Reasons for this will be presented and a more basic principle of reflection will be suggested. |
| Gee, Kent (and Tracianne B. Neilsen) BYU |
Overview of “Sounds to Astound: An Acoustics Demonstration Show” | Each year, several hundred people from K-12 and university classes, scout troops, church groups, and even family reunions come to tour the unique acoustics research facilities at Brigham Young University (BYU). In an effort to expand outreach offerings, faculty and students within the Acoustics Research Group in the BYU Dept. of Physics and Astronomy began discussing development of an acoustics demonstration show. The show is presented by a team of undergraduate students and includes both physical and multimedia demonstrations related to acoustics. Although it is still under development, the show has been held eight times thus far for over 600 members of the public. This talk summarizes the outreach effort in its current state and describes plans for the future. |
| Hills, Richard Weber State University |
Tuning the Vibrating Meter Stick | If weights are fixed to a stick at various locations ("the prepared stick"), we can see how the vibration frequencies will change by looking at the Bernoulli beam equations. |
| Inglefield, Colin Weber State University |
A Reading-Intensive General Education Course | I will discuss the evolution of my Physics 1010 course over the past several years. Specifically, I have added a significant component of required reading from popularizations of 20th century physics. This is in addition to the traditional survey of topics from classical and modern physics. I’ll give my own thoughts on the value of reading for general education students and an assessment of the success of the course. |
| Jeffery, Rondo (and Jerry Montgomery) Weber State University |
A numerical model of the charge distribution within nucleons due to quarks | Numerical modeling of the charge distribution within protons and neutrons due to quarks is presented. Various arrangements of three-quark systems were tested and compared with empirical electron scattering experiments. A totally random distribution of three quarks does not match the empirical data. A triangular quark arrangement, with a probability distribution, gives a qualitative match to empirical results. |
| Johnston, Adam Weber State University |
Scientists at Play: Using Parks for Science Education Outreach | Science in the Parks is an ongoing outreach program at Weber State University, conducted at 6 Ogden (UT) City parks during the summer months. This presentation will describe the model for the program, as well as a philosophical stance for physics education outreach. |
| Merrill, Duane BYU |
Using video to teach physics | A short talk on the use of video analysis teach physics topics--video physics meets the movies. |
| Migenes, Victor BYU |
Developing Radio Astronomy at BYU | The field of Radio Astronomy was founded essentially by unemployed military radar engineers after World War II. There were many unanswered questions and unsolved problems left behind by radar research. The 1950s to 70s saw a big growth in the design and construction of radio antennas and the development of interferometric radio astronomy and synthesis arrays that increased the spatial resolution and sensitivity of the observations. The huge investments involved and the pressure for “big science” converted these instruments (many of them national observatories) into “black boxes”. This means that the instruments provided high-quality semi-calibrated data requiring very little basic knowledge of radio astronomy and observational techniques or little knowledge in the calibration procedures of the data, from the observers. Developing Radio Astronomy in BYU is based on acquiring and developing the necessary technology to teach and train undergraduate and graduate students in the techniques and skills required to conduct high quality research in a number of fields. This project is becoming a laboratory to not only teach radio astronomy and give "hands-on" experience to the students but also an opportunity to teach basic and fundamental physics concepts. We present the progress of this effort so far. |
| Nielson, Ryan BYU-Idaho |
Of Teaching and Magic: A few insights from the physiology of attention. | My recent experience teaching a Science Foundations course "Light, Sound, & Perception," has exposed me to some interesting details about the physiology of how we process visual and sound information which has some interesting implications for the business of teaching and learning. |
| Olson, Jaren BYU-Idaho |
Getting started with physics education research | Getting started with physics education research at your school may be simpler than you think. There are already several diagnostic tests developed which you are allowed to administer to your students. Add a few demographic questions to the end of the survey. Once you obtain the results from the bubble sheets, you can use the text files and a spreadsheet program to analyze them and find interesting trends by relating the pretests to the post tests, comparing demographics, comparing different tests to each other or even responses to individual questions to overall test results. |
| Pyper, Brian BYU-Idaho |
PER: Fun With Data Sets! | In usual applications in Physics Education Research (PER), you end up with a data set that hopefully tells you something about what it was you were looking for. Many times, though, there are other interesting gems to be found mining in the data. I'll plan to give you some examples of things we've noticed data mining in PER. |
| Saunders, Allison BYU-Idaho |
The Five Pillars of Attitudes in Physics Learning | Analyzing diagnostic tests can lead to some interesting discoveries. In the past we’ve compared the EBAPS, FCI, and Lawson tests to look for correlations between student scores with hopes for glimpses into promoting deep learning in physics. My research has been to break up the EBAPS into the five pillars it covers and compare them to the other diagnostic tests. It is my hope that by understanding how students assume where their knowledge comes from, we can help our students develop attitudes that would promote this kind of deep learning in physics. |
| Schroeder, Dan Weber State University |
Teaching Astronomy Without a Textbook | With the wealth of material available on the Web, we can easily teach astronomy without a textbook. Students then see the breadth and depth and diversity of science, as they follow their curiosity along hyperlinks. Of course they need lots of guidance, plus some supplemental explanations. |
| Sohl, John Weber State University |
Thermodynamic Performance Measurement and Control | I have modified a device originally designed by John Essick (Reed College) so that upper division students can measure the coefficient of performance of a refrigerator and the efficiency of a heat engine. The electric energy going into the thermoelectric cooler can be measured and the thermal energy into or out of an aluminum block can be measured at the same time. The device also works as originally intended for students to learn PID (proportional, integral, differential) control techniques. |
| Stephens, Denise | Developing Interactive Learning in Higher Division Astronomy Courses | While much literature currently exists for introducing student driven learning in introductory astronomy courses, there is nothing currently available for upper division astronomy courses. In addition, there are very few text books that exist for the sophomore level astrophysics course. I will talk about the current course I teach at BYU and the new textbook we have found to use for the class. I will also talk about what we are trying to implement in class to facilitate more student centered learning and build up discussion in the classroom. |
| Stokes, Harold BYU |
The Lenovo Thinkpad: How I Lost 40 lbs | |
| Turley, Steve BYU |
Integrating Physics, Calculus, Music, and English: The 15 Week University | A group of physics, mathematics, music, and English professors collaborated to produce an Honors class entitled "The 15 Week University." I will share successes, insights, and challenges from that experience. Students generally liked the format and were able to have important experiences integrating insights from all four disciplines. The course particularly benefited from an early discussion of the book "Learning and Teaching for Exponential Growth" by Susan Peterson Gong. That put the class and instructors on the same page intellectually and provided a rich and productive framework for the succeeding course experiences. |
| Van Huele, Jean-Francois BYU |
Redeeming Features of Learning Objectives | I will consider the use of explicitly stated learning objectives in a range of courses and share my experience on the matter. |
| Vernon, Julia BYU |
Acoustical Characterization of Exploding Hydrogen-Oxygen Balloons | Acoustical Characterization of Exploding Hydrogen-Oxygen Balloons. Julia A. Vernon, Kent L. Gee, and Jeffrey H. Macedone. Exploding balloons are visually impressive in introductory chemistry and physical science classes and as part of outreach programs. However, as impulsive noise sources, these demonstrations constitute a potential hearing damage risk to both the demonstrator and the audience. Anechoic measurements of various hydrogen and hydrogen-oxygen balloons were taken at Brigham Young University. Condenser microphones (6.35-mm and 3.2-mm) were placed at various angles and distances from the balloon and time waveform data were collected at a sampling frequency of 192 kHz. All sizes of hydrogen-only balloons were found to produce peak sound pressure levels less than 140 dB at distances greater than or equal to 2 m. On the other hand, large but reasonable hydrogen-oxygen balloons can result in peak levels reaching 160 dB at a distance of 2 m, which constitutes a significant hearing risk for unprotected listeners at typical distances. In addition to determining the risks associated with such demonstrations, analysis was conducted on the calculated spectra and time waveforms of the explosions to characterize the balloons as acoustic sources. Efforts to make chemistry educators more aware of the potential risks of these and similar demonstrations include submission of manuscripts with results to the Journal of Chemical Education. |
List of Participants |
| Name/Institution |
| Abbott, Jonathan BYU |
Allred, David |
| Amiri, Farhang Weber State |
Armstrong, John |
| Arnold, Michelle Weber State |
| Beehler, Adam U of U |
| Bond, Sherri Bountiful High School |
| Cardelis, David College of Eastern Utah |
| Carroll, Brad Weber State |
| Coburn, James Utah State |
| Davis, Brian BYU |
| Galli, Ronald Weber State |
| Gee, Kent BYU |
| Goddard, Chase BYU-Idaho |
| Hills, Richard Weber State |
| Inglefield, Colin Weber State |
| Jacquire, Andrew BYU |
| Jeffery, Rondo Weber State |
| Johnston, Adam Weber State |
| Kardelis, David College of Eastern Utah |
| Larson, Zephne BYU |
| Lines, Todd BYU-Idaho |
| Magleby, Stephanie BYU |
| McNeil, Stephen BYU-Idaho |
| Merrill, Duane BYU |
| Migenes, Victor BYU |
| Montgomery, Jerry Former Gradute of WSU |
| Murray, Bryce BYU-Idaho |
| Nielson, Ryan BYU-Idaho |
| Nixon, Ryan Dixon Middle School/BYU |
| Olson, Jaren BYU-Idaho |
| Palen, Stacy Weber State |
| Pederson, Dennis BYU-Idaho |
| Perry, Spencer BYU |
| Peterson, Wayne BYU |
| Pyper, Brian BYU-Idaho |
| Rees, Lawrence BYU |
| Saunders, Allison BYU-Idaho |
| Schroeder, Dan Weber State |
| Shropshire, Steven Idaho State |
| Sohl, John Weber State |
| Stephens, Denise BYU |
| Stokes, Harold BYU |
| Turley, Steve BYU |
| Ure, Heather BYU |
| Van Huele, Jean-Francois BYU |
| Vernon, Julia BYU |
| Watkins, Tiffany Boise State |