
NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | September 11, 2015 |
Latest Amendment Date: | September 11, 2015 |
Award Number: | 1504786 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
R. Corby Hovis
chovis@nsf.gov (703)292-4625 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
Start Date: | September 15, 2015 |
End Date: | August 31, 2018 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $40,526.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $40,526.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
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History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2 EAST LANSING MI US 48824-2600 (517)355-5040 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
East Lansing MI US 48824-1000 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): |
S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math, IUSE |
Primary Program Source: |
1300XXXXDB H-1B FUND, EDU, NSF |
Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
Studies have for a long time documented the need to introduce computational physics into the undergraduate curriculum. The future workforce needs to be computationally competent-in thinking as well as in skills and practice. This project is a response to the need and proposes exploration into a new change model using a research-based Framework. The Framework - a structure and a research strategy for introducing computation into undergraduate physics was born in 2006 and developed by the Partnership for Integration of Computation into Undergraduate Physics (PICUP).
The purpose of this collaborative research exploration is to design and test an adaptation of the Framework that is effective and sustainable and that can be scaled up by replication. It is a proof of concept study centered on this project's attempt at significant curricular reform through faculty development starting at the grass roots. The research-based PICUP Framework is used in a local approach at a sectional meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) followed by extensive collaborative development work among participating faculty. Research-based faculty development is implemented at regional sites and is scaled up by replication in any of the 47 AAPT sections. Central to the evaluation plan is assessing how this novel approach helps a computational community to develop. An experienced evaluator is developing metrics to measure progress.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Jobs and graduate education in STEM fields require undergraduates to be capable of using computation as a tool to solve scientific and technical problems. Computation is used widely to conduct analyses on rich and complex data, to develop models of a variety of physical and biological systems, and to manage data across nearly every service industry. It is used to perform numerical calculations both to design physical experiments and in situations where such experimentation is impractical or impossible. Integrating computation into undergraduate physics courses is advantageous because it is fundamental to the education of all STEM students, yet it is a challenge in physics where the curriculum is well established. Finding opportunities to include computation in undergraduate physics courses, developing instructional resources for teaching students to use computation in physics, and developing the ability of faculty to do so effectively are well-documented issues in this endeavor. This project sought to (1) promote the integration of computation into undergraduate physics courses, (2) give faculty access to instructional resources and guidance for them to successfully integrate computation into their courses, and (3) explore scalable, affordable, and adaptable ways to do this. In order to achieve these goals, we conducted 8 faculty development workshops and follow-up programs for a wide variety of faculty in different types of locales around the country. We engaged faculty experienced with computational physics instruction in each locale to both inspire and coordinate participants' subsequent work. In these communities, faculty could offer each other guidance and support. This project impacted approximately 120 faculty members at over 60 colleges and universities. As a result of the project, we have designed a workshop in several formats that can be used for continuing faculty development to enhance the integration of computational work in undergraduate physics courses.
Last Modified: 10/24/2018
Modified by: Marcos Daniel Caballero
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