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2010

Confesiones de un profesor convertido, at Conferencia Inaugural de la Cátedra UNESCO, Universidad de Costa Rica (San Jose, Costa Rica), Tuesday, August 3, 2010:
talk_1649.pdf
Pensaba que era un buen profesor hasta que descubrí que mis estudiantes solo estaban memorizando información más que aprender a comprender el material. A quién debía culpar? A los estudiantes? Al material? Explicaré cómo llegué a la agonizante conclusión de que el culpable no era ninguno de estos. Era mi enseñanza la que causaba que los estudiantes fallaran! Mostraré como he ajustado mi método de enseñanza y cómo eso ha mejorado el desempeño de los estudiantes de manera significativa.
Comprensión o Memorización: ¿Estamos haciendo lo correcto?, at Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería (Bogotá, Colombia), Thursday, July 29, 2010:
talk_1650.pdf
Educación es mucho más que transferencia de información, sin embargo es lo que comúnmente se hace en cursos introductorios de gran tamaño -– los profesores presentan material (a pesar de que ese material puede estar disponible en su versión impresa) y para los estudiantes el principal propósito de las clases magistrales es tomar la mayor cantidad de notas que puedan. Pocos estudiantes tienen la habilidad, motivación y disciplina para sintetizar toda la información que se les entrega. Sin embargo la síntesis es quizás el más importante -- y el más eludido -– aspecto de la... Read more about Comprensión o Memorización: ¿Estamos haciendo lo correcto?
Comprensión o Memorización: ¿Estamos haciendo lo correcto?, at Foro Nacional de la Calidad Educativa 2010 (Bogotá, Colombia), Tuesday, July 27, 2010:
talk_1651.pdf
Educación es mucho más que transferencia de información, sin embargo es lo que comúnmente se hace en cursos introductorios de gran tamaño -– los profesores presentan material (a pesar de que ese material puede estar disponible en su versión impresa) y para los estudiantes el principal propósito de las clases magistrales es tomar la mayor cantidad de notas que puedan. Pocos estudiantes tienen la habilidad, motivación y disciplina para sintetizar toda la información que se les entrega. Sin embargo la síntesis es quizás el más importante -- y el más eludido -– aspecto de la... Read more about Comprensión o Memorización: ¿Estamos haciendo lo correcto?
Gender, mental rotations, and introductory physics, at Portland, OR, Thursday, July 22, 2010
In this talk we examine an often-cited claim for gender differences in STEM participation: cognitive differences on tests of spatial ability explain achievement differences in physics. We specifically investigate the role of mental rotations in physics achievement and problem-solving, viewing mental rotations as a tool that students can use on physics problems. We first look at student survey results for lower-level introductory students, finding a small, but significant correlation between performance on a mental rotations test and course achievement. In contrast, we find no such... Read more about Gender, mental rotations, and introductory physics
Assessing and Enhancing Student Learning in the Advanced Physics Lab, at AAPT Summer Meeting, 2010 (Portland, Oregon), Monday, July 19, 2010
Efforts to reform instructional physics labs--by defining measurable goals and improving student learning--have led to several innovations (i.e. rubrics for enhanced formative assessment) at the introductory level. However, researchers have yet to explore similar innovations in advanced laboratory courses. In an effort to fill this void, we investigated the observable aspects of student learning, culled from submitted written work and discussions between students and faculty, in light of specific changes to the advanced lab course (clear statement of learning goals, better-defined activities... Read more about Assessing and Enhancing Student Learning in the Advanced Physics Lab
Impact of Peer Instruction on underrepresented groups, at American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting 2010 (Portland, OR), Monday, July 19, 2010:
talk_1713.pdf
This talk discusses the performance of traditionally underrepresented groups (women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups) when taught introductory physics using Peer Instruction, either with traditional discussion sections or combined with other interactive engagement strategies. On average, students from these underrepresented groups enter with weaker preparation; for data obtained at Harvard University, we examine end-of-semester performance results, both end-of-semester conceptual inventory data and student grades, controlling for student background. We also summarize... Read more about Impact of Peer Instruction on underrepresented groups
Researching Implementation of Instructional Change in the Advanced Physics Laboratory, at American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting 2010 (Portland, OR, USA), Saturday, July 17, 2010
Abstract Body: Although physics education research on the implementation of instructional change in introductory physics laboratories is on the rise, dissemination of research on such change in advanced undergraduate laboratory courses is still lagging. This gap presents a problem for faculty seeking to improve students’ learning in advanced laboratories by using research-based pedagogies. In this study, we analyzed interview, observational, and course data to investigate four instructional changes implemented for the first time in an advanced physics laboratory course at one major research... Read more about Researching Implementation of Instructional Change in the Advanced Physics Laboratory
Academic Physicists' Introductory Teaching Improvement Efforts at Major Research Universities, at American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting 2010 (Portland, OR, USA), Saturday, July 17, 2010
There is no shortage of PER literature describing research-based, instructional strategies for improving teaching in introductory college physics courses. [1] It remains, however, that most physics faculty with visions of improved teaching based on such strategies must overcome significant barriers, including a reward system structured to direct faculty attention toward research and away from pedagogy. [2] Barriers to teaching improvement are compounded at major research universities (MRUs), where science faculty must balance extreme demands for research productivity with their teaching... Read more about Academic Physicists' Introductory Teaching Improvement Efforts at Major Research Universities
Serendipity, science, and engineering, at Faculty Seminar, REU Program, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), Thursday, July 15, 2010:
talk_1693.pdf
Shining intense, ultrashort laser pulses on the surface of a crystalline silicon wafer drastically changes the optical, material and electronic properties of the wafer. The resulting textured surface is highly absorbing and looks black to the eye. The properties of this 'black silicon' make it useful for a wide range of commercial devices. In particular, we have been able to fabricate highly-sensitive PIN photodetectors using this material. The sensitivity extends to wavelengths of 1600 nm making them particularly useful for applications in communications and remote sensing.

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