Physics Education Research Group (UMD)

 

 Past events

Page history last edited by Ayush Gupta 3 mos ago

EVENT: Science Education Seminar

Date: Monday, September 14, 2009

Venue: Toll Physics Building Room 4208

Time: 1:15-2:45

Who: All are welcome and everyone from Science Education and PERG are especially encouraged to attend

Speakers: Brian Danielak, Ayush Gupta, Andy Elby & the Engineering Education Group

Topic: The Role of Emotion and Affect in Engineers' Mathematical SenseMaking

Website: http://umdscienceedseminar.pbworks.com/

 

EVENT: PERG Crab Feast

Date: 29 Saturday 2009

Venue: Mike's Crab House, 3030 Riva Rd, Riva MD 21140

Time: 5:30 pm

Who: All people associated with the PERG group, including their children, spouses, and significant others

Contact for more information: Renee Michelle Goertzen

 

TIME CHANGE: Thesis defense for Brian Frank- Friday 8/07/09

Speaker: Brian Frank

Date:     7 August 2009

Time:     12 pm - 2 pm (not 3pm - 5pm)

Venue:   1305A Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    The dynamics of variability in introductory physics students' thinking: examples from kinematics

 

EVENT: Thesis defense for Brian Frank- Friday 8/07/09

Speaker: Brian Frank

Date:     7 August 2009

Time:     3 pm - 5 pm

Venue:   1305A Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    The dynamics of variability in introductory physics students' thinking: examples from kinematics

 

EVENT: Thesis defense for Tim McCaskey - Thursday 8/06/09

Speaker: Tim McCaksey

Date:     6 August 2009

Time:   1 pm - 3 pm     

Venue: 1305A Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:   Comparing and contrasting different methods for probing student epistemology and epistemological development in introductory physics

Additional Info: There will be a reception for Tim immediately after the defenese. All attendees are welcome to join us.

 

EVENT: PERG Group Meeting - Monday 7/20/09  

Speaker: Mike Hull

Date:     20 July 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1305A Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Undergraduate Engineering Students' Mathematical Sense-making

Abstract: Practice for PERC poster presentation

 

EVENT: PERG Group Meeting - Monday 6/29/09  

Speaker: Tiffany Sikorski

Date:     29 June 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1305A Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Progress in coherence seeking--what does it look like and how do we find it?

Abstract: In a paper we just submitted to a learning progressions conference, David, Victoria (SDSU) and I define progress in inquiry as "more stable engagement in inquiry practices over a wider variety of contexts." I'd like to lead an informal, data-centered discussion about the some of the empirical (and theoretical) challenges of this definition of progress, using coherence seeking as an example. Note: Participation in this discussion will require temporarily pretending that coherence seeking is an established inquiry practice.

 

EVENT: PERG Group Meeting - Monday 6/22/09  

Speaker: Saalih Allie

Date:     22 June 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1305A Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Saalih would discuss some of the current ideas that his group is pursuing.

 

EVENT: PERG Group Meeting - Monday 6/8/09  

Speaker: Renee Michelle Goertzen

Date:     8 June 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    How do tutorial TAs set the tone?

Abstract: Tutorial students learn how to "do tutorial" primarily from the explicit and implicit messages that they get from their TAs.  These messages are most clearly evident in the first few weeks of the semester, as students and TAs negotiate their expectations regarding what kinds of answers are acceptable, who leads the conversation, and what the TA's and students' roles are during their conversations. We present a case study of a TA's interaction with a group of students during the first three weeks of the semester as they "set the tone" by communicating and negotiating their expectations.

 

EVENT: SPECIAL SCIENCE SEMINAR - TUES 5/26/09 10 AM, 2212 BENJAMIN

 

Speaker:  Leema Berland, UT Austin

Title:    A detailed discourse analysis of norms and epistemological resources influencing how one class engaged in scientific argumentation

 

EVENT: PERG Group Meeting - 5/11/09    

Speaker: Joe Redish

Date:     11 May 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Ontology of epistemology or, "Daddy, what's an epistemological resource?"

Abstract: One of the most important contributions of the resource framework to education research is the concept of an "epistemological resource". This  was introduced by Elby and Hammer in a series of important papers ([1][2][3]).  They suggest that one's judgment as to whether one knows something is structured and dynamic.  I will propose a way to see epistemological resources as fitting in to an overall theoretical framework and propose some levels of structure that I have found useful in thinking about the development of expertise in physics problem solving.  These include "epistemological framing" and "epistemic warrants."  Discourse data from upper division and graduate physics will be presented in the hope of generating a discussion.  The key methodological issue to be discussed is, "What kind of data is needed to support proposing a new structure?"

 

[1] Elby & Hammer (2001), "On the substance of a sophisticated epistemology"

[2] Hammer & Elby (2002), "On the form of a personal epistemology"

[3] Hammer & Elby (2003), "Tapping students' epistemological resources"

 

 

EVENT: Science Education Seminar - Monday, 5/4/09    

Speaker: Luke Conlin

Date:     4 May 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   2101 Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:   Fantasy, Play, and Humor in Scientific Inquiry

Abstract: Inquiry in science involves both generative and reductive aspects.  There must be

space for ideas to be generated, introduced, and developed.  Alternately, ideas

must be challenged, critiqued, and selected.  How do students navigate this

sensitive balance when doing inquiry in the science classroom?  I suggest they

often do so using fantasy, play, and humor.  In this talk, I will discuss

theories of play and humor that speak to the epistemological roles they can take

on.  I will also show video clips of students using fantasy, play, and humor in ways

that contribute to the generative and reductive aspects of scientific inquiry.  Then I

will conclude by naming all 50 state capitals in less than 2 seconds.

 

 

EVENT: PERG Group Meeting - 4/27/09    

Speaker: Renee Michelle + Anyone who choosed to participate!

Date:     27 April 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Literature Review 

Abstract: I'd like to present a topic or two from my thesis work and solicit input from the group on what my lit review should contain.EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar -04/06/09

Speaker: Colleen Gillespie and Jen Richards

Date:     6 April 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   2101, Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Understanding How and When Novice Teachers Attend to Student Thinking

In our presentation, we offer a case study of one novice science teacher in order to explore how and when novice teachers attend to student thinking.  We focus primarily on two classroom observations and subsequent interviews with the novice teacher, Alex, in which we see stark differences in how (and even if) Alex attends to his own students' ideas and reasoning in the classroom.  Drawing on the theoretical framework of "framing," we consider the different ways in which Alex may be framing the kinds of activities in which he is engaged, and we propose that his framing may influence how and when he attends to student thinking in his teaching.

 

 

EVENT: NACS Seminar - Silvia Bunge 3/27/09

Speaker: Silvia Bunge

Title: Neurodevelopment of reasoning ability

Time and Location: 10:15, 1103 Biosciences Research Building

Seminar Website: http://www.nacs.umd.edu/news/seminars.cfm

Abstract: The capacity to reason with complex information and to solve novel problems, often referred to as fluid reasoning, is a central characteristic of human cognition. During childhood, the emerging capacity to reason supports learning across multiple domains. Understanding this most complex of human abilities provides a daunting but compelling challenge. Brain imaging studies in adults have gained some traction on this problem by examining the neural underpinnings of a key component of fluid reasoning: relational integration, or the ability to jointly consider multiple relations between mental representations. I will provide an overview of research in my laboratory focusing on the neural substrates of relational integration in adults, as well as the changes in brain structure and function that support its development over childhood and adolescence.

 

EVENT: Bag lunch seminar by Dave Pritchard 3/25/09

Visitor: Dave Pritchard, MIT

Bag lunch seminar: Room 1305A

Dave will give an informal presentation of his current research in physics education.

Host: Joe Redish

 

EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar -03/23/09

Speaker: Anyone who chooses to participate!

Date:     23 March 2009

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   2101, Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Dr. Phil Piety--Educational Systems Information Scientist at the American Institutes for Research.

 

Classroom Practices and Boundary Practices: Looking at Alignment and Cohesion for Middle School Science Assessment

 

This paper focuses on middle school science assessment: a topic becoming increasingly important for accountability.  It is part of a larger qualitative study

into science assessment practices in a single Midwest state that collected evidence from individual schools, the state testing office, and several

organizations in between.  Comparing evidence of assessment practices for science teachers with boundary practices of the annual accountability test

(meetings, school reviews, etc.), this paper explores the potential for interoperability between these two ways of accounting for student learning.  

This perspective is relevant for designing assessment systems where the needs of accountability must be reconciled with the requirements of local classroom discourse.  This information is useful for either a two-level (ex: formative/summative) or multi-leveled (ex: interim/district instruments)

assessment program.

 

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI

EVENT: Special Seminar: Leslie Atkins 3/20/09

Visitor: Leslie Atkins

Date: March 20, 2009

Time: 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Venue: 2121, Benjamin Building

Topic: Justifying scientific claims: Metarules of argument

Host: David Hammer

 

EVENT: Sightseeing with Visiting Scholar from Japan - 3/14/09

Visitor: Jun-Ichiro Yasuda,

          Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya University

          We will be sight-seeing around downtown DC, visiting monuments and/ or museums.   Anyone 

          interested in physics education in Japan is welcome to join!

Host: Mike Hull

 

EVENT: Seminar by Jun-Ichiro Yasuda  3/9/09

Title: The Change of Physics Students through Participation in Teaching Development Activities

Time and Place: 4:00 1305A Physics

Abstract: The education committee by the students (ECS) was established by several students in April, 2003, with the aim of improving education in the physics department of Nagoya University. This committee was established voluntarily by the students without request from faculty members. As voluntary activity, the students of ECS plan and manage events to develop the academic ability of the students in the physics department.

 The purpose of this research is to assess the effect on students as a result of spontaneous participation in teaching development activities. At first, we propose the assumption that students will become independent learners through the activities. To verify the assumption, we interviewed the 11 member of ECS with semi open-ended questions. We learned that such a program needs more than three years for students to become aware of becoming independent learners through participating in ECS activities. The developments of the students through activities are classified as three processes: developing the ability to put things in perspective, developing the ability to plan and manage the events, becoming independent learners.

 

EVENT: Visiting Scholars from Japan - 3/9/09-3/13/09

Visitors: Jun-Ichiro Yasuda and Masa-Aki Tanguchi,

          Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya University

Host: Joe Redish

 

EVENT: Science Teaching Center Seminar - 3/9/09

Speaker: Jason Yip

Date: 9 March 2009

Time: 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue: 2101, Benjamin Building

Who: Open to everyone

Topic: Connected Chemistry

Organized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI. 

 

EVENT: NACS Seminar - Michael Merzenich 2/13/09

Speaker: Michael Merzenich

Title: Brain Plasticity-Based Therapeutics

Time and Location: 10:15, 1103 Biosciences Research Building

Seminar Website: http://www.nacs.umd.edu/news/seminars.cfm

 

EVENT: Visiting Scholar from Japan - 2/17/09-2/20/09

Visitor: Dr. Naohiro Mae,

          Department of Physics, Ristumeikan University, Kyoto

Host: Mike Hull

 

 

EVENT: Michael Wittmann visiting - 2/17/09

Speaker: Michael Wittmann, University of Maine

Date: 17 February 2009

Time: 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue: 1304, Physics Building

Who: Open to everyone

Topic: Process-object Reification

 

EVENT: Science Teaching Center Seminar - 2/9/09

Speaker: Luke Conlin

Date: 26 January 2009

Time: 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue: 2102, Benjamin Building

Who: Open to everyone

Topic: Causal semantics of physics equations

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI. 

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 2/2/09

Speaker: Renee Michelle Goertzen

Date: 2 February 2009

Time: 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue: 1304, Physics Building

Who: Open to everyone

Topic: Practice AAPT talk and poster

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 12/15

Speaker: Brian Danielak

Date:     15 Dec. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304, Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:     TBA

Oraganized by: UMDPERG.

 

EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar - 12/08

Speaker: Kitty Tang

Date:     8 Dec. 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   2102, Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:     TBA

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI.

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 12/01

Speaker: Luke Conlin

Date:     1 Dec. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304, Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:     TBA

Oraganized by: UMDPERG.

 

EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar - 11/24

Speaker: Randy McGinnis

Date:     24 Nov. 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   2102, Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:     TBA

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI.

 

EVENT: PERG Seminar - 11/19

Speaker: Linda B. Smith

Date:      19 Nov. 2008

Time:     3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Venue:   4220 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Thinking and learning close to the sensory-motor surface creates knowledge that transcends the here-and-now

Organized by: UMD-PERG

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 11/17

Speaker: Amanda Woodward

Date:      17 Nov. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    TBA

Organized by: UMD-PERG

 

EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar - 11/10

Speaker: Kelly Schalk

Date:     10 Nov. 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   2102, Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:     A Case Study on an Undergraduate Student Interest Socio-Scientific Issues Based Curriculum Intervention

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI.

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 11/03

Speaker: Heather Dobbins, Joe Redish, Todd Cooke

Date:      3 Nov. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Physics for Biologists: Ongoing work + Grant Proposal

Organized by: UMD-PERG

 

EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar - 10/27

Speaker: David Hammer

Date:     27 Oct. 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   2102, Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    TBA

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI.

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 10/20

Speaker: Ayush

Date:      20 Oct. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    On going work: "Student difficulties with equations in physics"

Organized by: UMD-PERG

 

EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar - 10/13

Speaker: Anyone who chooses to participate!

Date:     13 Oct. 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   2102, Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Reading article on conceptual change - Chinn & Samarapungvan

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI.

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 10/06

Speaker: Renee Michelle Goertzen

Date:      6 Oct. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    TA Buy-in

Organized by: UMD-PERG

 

EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar - 09/29

Speaker: Stieff Group

Date:     15 Sept. 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   2102, Benjamin Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    TBA

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI.

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 09/22 - CANCELLED!

Speaker: Brian Frank

Date:      22 Sept. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:   Practice Job Talk

Organized by: UMD-PERG

 

EVENT: Science Education Program Seminar - 09/15

Speaker: Dan Levin

Date:     15 Sept. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   TBA

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    TBA

Oraganized by: Dan Levin & Mike Stieff, EDCI.

 

EVENT: Cognitive Science Colloquim - 09/11

Speaker: Randy Gallistel

Date:     11 Sept. 2008

Time:     3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Venue:   1103 Bioscience Research Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    TBA

Organized by: UMD-Cog. Sci. Colloquim Committee.

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 09/08 - CANCELLED

Speaker: CANCELLED

Date:      8 Sept. 2008

Time:     12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Venue:   1304 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    TBA

Organized by: UMD-PERG

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 08/11

Speaker: Ayush

Date:     11 Aug, 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   1219 Physics Building

Who:      Open to everyone

Topic:    Graduate Student Interview on Heat

Posted by: Ayush

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 07/28

Speaker: Everyone

Date:     28 July, 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   1219 Physics Building

Who:     Open to everyone

Topic:    Conversations around: ICLS, AAPT, PERC - what we saw, conquered, learned, or did not!

Posted by: Ayush

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 07/14

Speaker: Talk (Ayush) + Poster Session (Renee Michelle, Brian, and Ayush)

Date:     14 July, 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue:   1219 Physics Building

Who:     Open to everyone

Posted by: Ayush

 

EVENT: Intro Physics for Biology Students Coordinating Committee Meeting - 07/10

Organized by: Todd Cooke, Heather Dobbins, Joe Redish

Date: 10 July 2008

Time: 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Location: 1305A Physics Building

*Lunch provided

Posted by: Heather

 

EVENT: Dissertation Defense - Tom Bing

Speaker: Tom Bing

Date: 8 July, 2008

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Venue: 4316, Physics Building

Posted by: Ayush

 

EVENT: PERG Research Meeting - 07/07

Speaker: Tom Bing and Renee Michelle Goertzen

Date:     7 July, 2008

Time:     12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Venue: 1219 Physics Building

Posted by: Ayush

 

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