February 13, 2025 Issue #42

SPOTLIGHT is the OPTYCs bi-weekly newsletter. It brings you OPTYCs activity updates, highlights from recent publications related to physics education, and news & resources for Two-Year colleges.

Upcoming events

• AJP TPT Info Session 2025 February 15, 2025 from 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
  Join us for this lively information session on how and what to publish in both AAPT journals: American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher. Editors for each journal will present on the publishing process and relevant topics and content sought. Facilitators: Beth Parks (Colgate University and editor for AJP) and Gary White (The George Washington University and editor for TPT) 

• Matter & Interactions 2025 March 1, 2025 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm EST
  In addition to providing an overview of M&I , the facilitators will put participants into "student mode" so they can experience the difference between traditional curricula and M&I on a selected subset of topics in both first and second semester courses. Facilitators: Joe Heafner (Independent scholar, NC) and Aaron Titus (North Carolina State University)

• ComPADRE 2025 March 8, 2025 from 12:00pm - 2:00pm EST   
  AAPT/ComPADRE hosts many physics education projects, including OPTYCs, PICUP (computation in undergraduate physics), PhysPort (PER-based resources for all instructors), and the Living Physics Portal (teaching materials for life-sciences focused introductory physics courses).The goal of this workshop is to help all attendees understand what is available through the projects and content hosted on ComPADRE. Facilitator: Bruce Mason (ComPADRE Director, AAPT)

• Supporting Physics Education with Gameplay March 14, 2025 from 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
  Gaming provides an opportunity to immerse students in collaborative problem-solving using their knowledge and reinforcing their identities. In this session, we’ll discuss different experiences with introducing gameplay in physics education: gamifying the classroom, physics-related boardgames, physics-related video/mobile games—all experiences are welcome! Facilitator: W. Brian Lane (University of North Florida)

• Learning Assistants Programs April 4, 2025 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
  Classes with LAs have been shown to improve conceptual understanding and course pass rates. The number of LA programs at two-year colleges (TYCs) is growing. Join us in this interactive session to learn about LA programs, and hear from TYC faculty who have incorporated LAs into their teaching toolkit. Facilitators: Jim Rabchuk (Oakton Community College, IL), Mel Sabella (Chicago State University, IL) 

• Aurora Magnetic Fields 2025 April 19, 2025 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
  This workshop will use aurora and associated data as a way to teach about magnetic fields. The auroral currents in the ionosphere will be modelled as current-carrying wires. We will work with Biot and Savart’s law, with wires with current, and with the right hand rule. Real field data from auroral were obtained from the Magnetic Observatory Network. Facilitator: Francesca Viale (Northern Virginia Community College, VA)

• NRAO Info Session 2025 May 2, 2025 from 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
  The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is more than just astronomy—we have opportunities for those interested in fields like physics, computer science, engineering, data science, and science education. During this session, you'll learn about our student programs, undergraduate curriculum, and citizen science projects. Facilitator: Valarie Bogan (National Radio Astronomy Observatory.) 

When I taught my first course, I started with the assigned textbook (not chosen by me), identified the relevant chapters for the course, and tried to convey as much of each chapter as I could in the allotted time. Not only was this incredibly time-consuming, it was likely ineffective for my students! With more experience (and hopefully a bit of wisdom), the idea of ‘backwards design’ for education is central to my teaching philosophy now. In this model, we start with the goals or objectives. What content do I want my students to know? What skills are essential for my students to have? Once these have been identified, we then plot a trajectory towards those goals. Isn’t this how designing works? If I start with a goal of “not being hungry”, I can think about multiple paths towards that goal: cook something, go to a restaurant, open up something pre-packaged… Once I choose a path, I then need to plot the path: what food do I have readily available? How much effort do I wish to expend? If only I realized this when I taught my first course! (As an aside, I truly dislike the phrase backward design, as I believe that starting with the goals in mind is the essence of design.)

TYC Publications

• Clickers in the ’60s at a TYC?  by David Marasco. The Physics Teacher 

• Initiating PER collaborations with two-year colleges by Sherry L. Savrda, Anthony Escuadro, Abigail R. Daane, Karim Diff, and Kristine P. H. Lui. PERC '24 Conference Proceedings

In 2025, this section will highlight resources related to the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology Quantum Topics in the Introductory Physics Classroom A collection of papers devoted to the idea of teaching about quantum mechanics in the introductory physics course from The Physics Teacher Celebrating the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology A special issue of the American Journal of Physics celebrates all aspects of quantum mechanics in recognition of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

• The American Association of Physics Teachers 
• Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges (AAPT area committee)
• Join the TYC Google group: Send an email to tycphysics@googlegroups.com
• PhysPort Recommendations about teaching methods, assessment, and results from PER
• PER Central A resource collection for physics education researchers 
• Physics Review Physics Education Research Fully open access journal for PER 
• arXiv Physics education The arXiv repository for physics education papers
• AIP Statistical Research Center Data on education, careers, and diversity in physics, astronomy and other physical sciences

optycs.aapt.org

The work of OPTYCs is supported by NSF-DUE-2212807.