Normalizing Computational Methods in the Undergraduate Physics Curriculum

该项目旨在通过加强大学生使用计算技能解决问题来服务于国家利益。传统的物理课程培养学生将数学方法视为解决物理问题的常规方法。然而，计算机硬件和软件的普及和进步表明，那些经过训练使用计算机解决问题的学生可能比他们单独使用数学方法能够解决更困难和复杂的问题。理想情况下，学生应该认为数学和计算方法是互补的，并明智地使用两者来解决问题。由于传统的物理课程已经强调了数学方法，这个项目的目标是训练物理专业的学生使用计算机来解决物理问题，并将计算解决问题视为解决问题的一种正常方式，就像学生传统上被训练来看待数学方法一样。物理领域应该受益于那些将计算视为解决问题的自然方法的学生，因为这些学生将有信心解决更广泛的问题。此外，那些接受过使用计算机解决科学问题训练的学生会带来额外的工具和理解来承担任务。因此，他们应该发现自己为商业和工业就业做好了充分的准备。研究人员的目标是让物理专业的学生看到计算方法是解决物理问题的一种正常方式，而不是一种局限于狭义问题的不寻常技术。通过修改物理课程以嵌入计算方法，研究人员假设学生将获得常规使用计算的信心，并将发展判断哪些问题可以用分析方法解决，哪些问题需要数值方法，以及这些互补技术之间的相互作用如何能够富有成效。为了实现这一愿景，研究人员将在本科物理课程的每门课程中注入计算方法。主要工作将包括：(1)开发、测试和改进课程材料，将计算技术纳入整个课程；(2)开发、完善和验证评估工具，用于测量学生在计算方法方面的情感和认知发展；(3)研究学生在课程学习过程中解决问题自我效能感的发展。该项目将解决以下研究问题：在课程的哪一点上，学生在各种计算技能方面获得自我效能感？他们对自己的分析和计算能力的信心是在同一点上获得的，还是独立获得的？自我效能感与成绩和其他外部因素的联系有多紧密？该项目由改善本科STEM教育（IUSE: EHR）计划资助，该计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by strengthening undergraduate students' use of computational skills to solve problems. The traditional physics curriculum trains students to think of using mathematical methods as the normal way to solve physics problems. However, the proliferation of and advances in computer hardware and software suggest that students who are trained to use computers to solve problems may be able to tackle more difficult and sophisticated problems than they can with mathematical methods alone. Ideally, students should think of mathematical and computational methods as complementary and make judicious use of both to solve problems. Since the traditional physics curriculum already emphasizes mathematical methods, the goal of this project is to train physics majors to use computers to solve physics problems and to think of computational problem-solving as a normal way to approach problems, in the same way students have traditionally been trained to view mathematical methods. The field of physics should benefit from having students who see computation as a natural way to solve problems, because these students will be confident about tackling a wider range of problems. In addition, students who are trained to use computers to solve scientific problems bring additional tools and understanding to bear on tasks. As a result, they should find themselves well-prepared for employment in business and industry.The investigators aim to get physics students to see computational methods as a normal way to approach physics problems, instead of an unusual technique limited to narrowly defined problems. By modifying physics courses to embed computational methods, the investigators hypothesize that students will gain the confidence to use computation routinely and will develop judgment as to which problems may be solved analytically, which problems require numerical methods, and how the interplay between these complementary techniques can be fruitful. To achieve this vision, the investigators will infuse every course in the undergraduate physics curriculum with computational methods. The primary work will include: (1) developing, testing, and refining curricular materials used to incorporate computational techniques throughout the curriculum; (2) developing, refining, and validating assessment instruments used to measure students' affective and cognitive development with respect to computational methods; and (3) conducting research on students' development of self-efficacy in problem-solving as they progress through the curriculum. The project will address the following research questions: At what points in the curriculum do students gain self-efficacy with respect to various computational skills? Do they gain confidence in their analytical and computational skills at the same points, or independently? How strongly is self-efficacy tied to grades and other external factors? This project is funded by the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE: EHR) program, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.