Sensor-Based Physics Tools Workshop

Saturday, January 18th, 2025

(In conjunction with the AAPT Winter Meeting in St. Louis, MO)

Over 20 participants joined in on this one-day workshop about using sensors as educational tools! This workshop aimed to provide two-year college faculty with tools and skills to not only create more sensor-based activities for use in their own classes, but also to lead future workshops on the same topic in their local communities. 

The workshop used the ‘train the trainer’ model to (i) teach participants on the use of various sensor-based tools, and (ii) provide materials for participants to take the workshop to their communities (e.g. an AAPT Section meeting, local STEM conference, etc.). Various tools included proprietary ones (such as by Vernier and Pasco) and those built into phones and tablets, as well as Arduino-based sensors.

In this workshop, participants:

• Saw a showcase of various sensor tools, including those from Vernier and Pasco;
• Gained hands-on experience with these tools through different activities; and
• Prepared to facilitate a future workshop  

Facilitators:

• Shahida Dar (Mohawk Valley Community College, NY)
• Thomas Herring (Western Nevada College, NV)
• Tom O'Kuma (Lee College, TX)
• Fran Poodry (Vernier Science Education)
• Eric Gardner (PASCO Scientific)

Timeline:

Workshop Schedule: