Using Mobile Apps to Enhance Students' Learning and Scientific Reasoning Skills in General Education Physics Courses

该项目旨在通过改善非STEM专业的入门物理课程的教学和学习来服务于国家利益。国家的经济繁荣越来越依赖于培养一支受过良好教育的、多样化的STEM劳动力和一个有科学素养的公众。然而，只有不到20%的学士学位是在STEM领域授予的。非STEM专业的学生通常会参加旨在提高STEM鉴赏力的通识教育（GE）课程，而不是教授特定的STEM知识和技能。这些课程往往忽略了对发展STEM知识和技能至关重要的基于探究的方法和实验研究。然而，随着通用技术的最新进展，有可能将移动的设备（智能手机和平板电脑）与关于学生如何学习得最好的教育研究结果相结合，为非STEM专业提供丰富的内容和基于探究的学习体验。本项目将探讨这种整合的一个例子。也就是说，研究人员将使用移动的技术和基于研究的教育策略，在GE的音乐物理课程中教授波物理和量子物理，该课程使用音乐中发现的概念来教授量子物理。熟悉波物理学和量子物理学对追求各种职业道路的学生非常有用。基于量子物理学原理的新兴技术目前正在开发中，并有可能彻底改变计算，信息科学，数据安全，高速通信和导航。学生对这些原则有基本的了解是很重要的。带有多个内置传感器的移动的设备有可能提供低成本、高质量的教育内容，使用户不仅能够了解周围的世界，而且能够与之互动。物理学方面的新教育方法，如研究性科学学习环境（ISLE）方法，通过让学生像物理学家一样通过动手，互动体验。研究人员将研究和开发一个交互式移动的应用程序，该应用程序将数据采集工具、电子文本、电子学习模块和通用电气课程中的ISLE方法集成在一起，通过一个普遍感兴趣的主题（音乐物理学）来教授量子物理学。音乐物理学和量子物理学都是波的物理学。因此，学生将通过音乐的基本原理学习现代物理学中最重要的学科。研究人员旨在确定这种方法是否能提高学生的学习能力、批判性思维、科学推理能力和科学素养。这项研究有可能将新的学习工具扩展到传统的物理课堂环境之外，为更多的受众提供高质量的物理教育。该项目将产生一个新的移动的应用程序，其中包含可在各种教育环境中实施的电子文本和电子学习模块。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。该奖项反映了NSF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 improving teaching and learning in introductory physics courses for non-STEM majors. The nation's economic prosperity depends more and more on cultivating a well-educated, diverse STEM workforce and a scientifically literate public. Yet less than 20% of bachelor's degrees are awarded in STEM fields. Non-STEM majors often take general education (GE) courses aimed at increasing the appreciation of STEM rather than teaching specific STEM knowledge and skills. These courses often leave out the inquiry-based approaches and experimental investigations that are important for developing STEM knowledge and skills. However, with recent advances in common technologies, it is possible to couple mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) with findings from education research about how students learn best, to provide both rich content and inquiry-based learning experiences for non-STEM majors. This project will pursue one example of that integration. Namely, the investigators will use mobile technology and research-based educational strategies to teach the physics of waves and quantum physics in a GE course on the Physics of Music, which uses the concepts found in music to teach quantum physics. Familiarity with the physics of waves and quantum physics is useful to students who pursue a variety of career paths.New, emerging technologies based on the principles of quantum physics are currently being developed and have the potential to revolutionize computing, information science, data security, high-speed communications, and navigation. It is important for students to develop a basic understanding of these principles. Mobile devices with multiple built-in sensors have the potential to deliver low-cost, high-quality educational content that allows users not only to learn about the world around them but also to interact with it. New educational approaches in physics, such as the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach, increase students' learning by having students discover physical principles the way a physicist does -- through hands-on, interactive experiences. The investigators will research and develop an interactive mobile application that integrates data acquisition tools, an e-text, e-learning modules, and the ISLE approach in a GE course to teach quantum physics through a topic of general interest, the physics of music. Both the physics of music and quantum physics are the physics of waves. Thus, students will learn the most important subject in modern physics through the underlying principles of music. The investigators aim to determine whether this method increases students' learning, critical thinking, scientific reasoning skills, and scientific literacy. This research has the potential to extend new learning tools beyond a traditional physics classroom setting, enabling high-quality physics education for larger audiences. The project will result in a new mobile app that contains an e-text and e-learning modules that can be implemented in a variety of educational settings. The NSF IUSE: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its 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.