Teaching Machine Learning for the Physical Sciences: A summary of lessons learned and challenges

Lessons Learned from Teaching Astronomy with Virtual Reality

We report on the initial phase of an ongoing, multi-stage investigation of how to incorporate Virtual Reality (VR) technology in teaching introductory astronomy concepts. Our goal was to compare the efficacy of VR vs. conventional teaching methods using one specific topic, Moon phases and eclipses. After teaching this topic to an ASTRO 101 lecture class, students were placed into three groups to experience one of three additional activities: supplemental lecture, "hands-on" activity, or VR experience. All students were tested before and after their learning activity. Although preliminary, our …

Teaching Color Science to EECS Students Using Interactive Tutorials: Tools and Lessons

Teaching color science to Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) students is critical to preparing them for advanced topics such as graphics, visualization, imaging, Augmented/Virtual Reality. Color historically receive little attention in EECS curriculum; students find it difficult to grasp basic concepts. This is because today's pedagogical approaches are nonintuitive and lack rigor for teaching color science. We develop a set of interactive tutorials that teach color science to EECS students. Each tutorial is backed up by a mathematically rigorous narrative, but is presented in …

Teaching labs during a pandemic: Lessons from Spring 2020 and an outlook for the future

We report results from a survey of lab instructors on how they adapted their courses in the transition to emergency remote teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this report is to share the experiences of instructors in order to prepare for future remote teaching of labs. We include summaries of responses to help illustrate the types of lab activities that were done, learning goals for the remote labs, motivations for instructors' choices, challenges instructors faced, and ways in which instructors and students communicated. This is a first step in a larger project as part of an…

Physics graduate teaching assistants' beliefs about a grading rubric: Lessons learned

Explication and reflection on expert vs. novice considerations within the problem-solving process characterize a cognitive apprenticeship approach for the development of expert-like problem solving practices. In the context of grading, a cognitive apprenticeship approach requires that instructors place the burden of proof on students, namely, that they require explanations of reasoning and explication of problem-solving processes. However, prior research on instructors' considerations when grading revealed their reluctance to use such a grading approach, motivated by a perception of teaching t…

从物理教育研究中学习：对经济学教育的启示

Learning from Physics Education Research: Lessons for Economics Education

我们相信，经济学家可以从其他学科的教育研究实践和相关的教学创新中学到很多东西，特别是物理教育。在本文中，我们确定了物理教育研究区别于经济学教育研究的三个关键特征-（1）物理教育研究在学习科学原理方面的故意基础，（2）一个共同的概念研究框架，专注于学生如何学习物理概念，（3）学科知识构建的累积过程-并描述了它们对新教学体系的影响。教学活动和物理教育课程设计。此外，我们突出了四个具体的例子，成功的教学创新来自物理教育-上下文丰富的问题，概念测试，即时教学，互动讲座演示-并说明这些做法可以适应经济教育。

Bringing Physical Physics Classroom Online -- Challenges of Online Teaching in the New Normal

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has greatly impacted all forms of social activities globally, including traditional classroom activities across all levels of instruction (kindergarten to universities). While many countries have opted for suspension of lessons, this cannot continue indefinitely and alternative means to continue lessons must be developed. While online and blended learning (including MOOCs) have been an active subject of research and discourse during the pre-pandemic days, onset of the pandemic has suddenly created an immediacy to such means of course delivery, better …