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Projects in the Works
The following are some of the projects I
am presently or soon will be working on. If you are
interested in any of these or have comments, please feel
free to e-mail me at c_davies@gordonstate.edu
or call at 770-358-5392.
I am working on using the Maryland Physics
Expectation Survey to look at attitudes of various types of
students that take Gordon College's physics classes. Of
particular interest to me is looking at those students who take
the algebra/trig based course as well as those students who have
taken physics previously compared to those who have not. I
would like to see if there is a difference in the attitudes of
students who make it through the first physics course and those
who do not.
I am working on a project to
adapt the Just in Time Teaching (JiTT) philosophy
developed by Evelyn Patterson at the Air Force
Academy and Gregor Novak at IUPUI for physics and
physical science here at Gordon. The idea is to
use web based materials to assess student
learning within 48 hours of classroom instruction
as well as to assist students in managing their
time by having them complete activities prior to
coming to class. Initial testing of the reading quiz activities
is being performed in my Introduction to Physics courses.
Developing an activities for Videopoint 2.0
similar to activities packages available for Interactive
Physics. The emphasis will be on introduction of physical
representations for various types of physics problems. This
will hopefully provide a bridge from MBL activities to problem
solving work by allowing students to explore the motion of various
objects, produce graphs of the motion and then create appropriate
physical representations from these graphs.
Creating a student research program centered
around the simulation and analysis of water powered rockets.
Presently I'm working with several Gordon College students on this project.
Working with David Lawing of Macon State College
to develop an one-dimensional collisions experiment using MBL
equipment.
I'm working on an
activities manual for my Introduction to Physics and
Principles of Physics courses. This is something like a lab manual but
more comprehensive. The first semester is
essentially finished and was very successful
according to student performance on the Force
Concept Inventory (FCI) and Force and Motion
Concept Test. Student reviews of the material
were very positive. Much of the manual for the
second semester is also done. If you're
interested in looking at it, contact me and I'll
send you a copy of what I have. Note, much of the
material is borrowed from the Real Time Physics
curriculum of Sokoloff, Thronton and Laws as well
as from van Heuvelen's ALPS kits.
To Dr. Davies' Professional Page
To Dr. Davies' Home Page
To Dr. Davies' Page at Gordon
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