Sustainably Integrating Computation Throughout the Physics Major Degree

该项目旨在通过调查在本科物理专业课程中整合计算来服务于国家利益。认识到计算在学生的知识和技能，学习的学术课程，以及在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的职业生涯中发挥的重要作用，该项目发起了广泛的努力，将计算整合到本科物理课程的各个层次。认识到在高等教育的基础广泛的努力，以促进学生的成功与不同的人才和经验的重要性，该项目将这种观点融入其方法来建立，整合和维持计算物理。在国家报告的指导下，这一部一级的多年期结构性改革工作-由部一级的计算执行工作队领导-从战略上选择了两个中级课程供初步执行。该项目旨在（1）将计算作为解决物理问题的标准工具整合到本科物理课程中，（2）建立一个部门流程，以维持课程和教学实践的变化。与整个部门的努力相一致，该项目被映射到Kotter的机构变革八阶段模型，重点是传达变革愿景，授权广泛的行动，并取得短期成功。重要的是，这一努力有意整合了证据，以指导变革进程。项目投入与拟议活动、交付成果、预期成果、变革愿景以及有针对性/广泛的传播活动相一致。收集到的与学生的表现和经历有关的数据包括来自学生记录、课程评估、调查和对一部分学生的半结构化访谈的信息。将这些数据与历史数据和前后数据进行比较。从教师通过准人种学访谈收集的数据将探讨他们的经验和对课程修改和变化过程的看法。该小组将对定性数据进行专题分析，对定量数据进行描述性比较分析，并将结果传播给内部受众（以指导部门改革工作）和外部受众（以促进对将计算作为解决问题的工具纳入物理课程的有效性的认识和理解）。NSF IUSE：EDU计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过其机构和社区转型跟踪该计划支持努力转变和改善高等教育机构和学科社区的STEM教育。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by investigating the integration of computation throughout the curricula in the undergraduate physics major. Acknowledging the significant role that computation plays in student knowledge and skills, academic programs of study, and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the project initiates a wide-ranging effort to integrate computation into all levels of the undergraduate physics program. Recognizing the importance of broad-based efforts in higher education to foster the success of students with diverse talents and experiences, the project integrates this perspective in its approach to establish, integrate, and sustain computation in physics. Guided by national reports, this department-level multi-year structured change effort - led by a departmental Computation Implementation Task Force - has strategically selected two mid-level courses for initial implementation. The project aims to (1) integrate computation as a standard tool to solve physics problems into the undergraduate physics curriculum and (2) establish a departmental process for sustaining changes to the curriculum and teaching practices. In alignment with the department-wide effort, the project is mapped to Kotter’s Eight Stage Model of Institutional Change with a specific focus on communicating the change vision, empowering broad-based action, and generating short-term successes. Importantly, this effort has intentionally integrated evidence to guide the change process. Project inputs are aligned with proposed activities, deliverables, expected outcomes, vision of change, and targeted/broad dissemination activities. Data collected relating to students’ performance and experiences include information from student records, course assessments, surveys, and semi-structured interviews with a subset of students. These are compared to historical and pre-post data. Data collected from faculty through quasi-ethnographic interviews will probe their experience and perceptions of the curricula modifications and the change process. The team will conduct thematic analyses of qualitative data and descriptive comparative analyses of quantitative data and the findings will be disseminated to internal audiences (to guide department change efforts) and external audiences (to contribute to knowledge and understanding of the effectiveness of establishing computation as a problem-solving tool into the physics curriculum). The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its Institutional and Community Transformation track the program supports efforts to transform and improve STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities.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.