Prof.
Cedric Linder
(Uppsala University and University of the Western Cape)
01/10/2018, 11:30
Track A - Physics at University
Oral Presentation
This case study looks at reflective dialogue about the choice of disciplinary representations* in relation to the crafting of teaching practice that is skilful, knowledgeable, and conceptually based. The data (n=15) comes from a purposeful sample of teachers drawn from Sweden, South Africa, Germany, Canada and the United States who are responsible for introductory level classes in physics at...
Dr
Urban Eriksson
(National resource center for physics education, physics departement, Lund University, Lund, Sweden)
01/10/2018, 11:50
Track A - Physics at University
Oral Presentation
When entering the discipline of physics, and in particular astronomy, students are faced with many challenges. Not only do they need to learn to “read” and “write” the “language of the discipline”, built by all the semiotic systems and resources (tools, representations, and activities) used by the discipline, but also to learn to think spatially, or extrapolate three-dimensionality from 1D and...
Dr
Annaretha Coetzee
(Tshwane University of Technology)
01/10/2018, 12:10
Track A - Physics at University
Oral Presentation
Part of a larger project, first year students’ alternative conceptions relating to Bernoulli’s principle were investigated. In order to develop teaching interventions using constructivist principles, students’ prior understanding is important as new knowledge is linked to their prior knowledge. In most of the secondary schools, flow dynamics is not part of the curriculum and therefore very...
Dr
Elizabeth Angstmann
(UNSW, Sydney)
01/10/2018, 12:30
Track A - Physics at University
Oral Presentation
In this talk I will discuss the development of an introductory contextualised online physics course and the methods that have been used to measure its effectiveness. The course, entitled “Everyday Physics”, has been running since 2013. The course consists of twelve topics, one per week, based on everyday objects and phenomena. For example, students learn about thermal physics in topics called...
Mr
Case Rijsdijk
(SAAO (retd))
01/10/2018, 15:00
Track G - Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics
Oral Presentation
South Africa, SA, like every other country around the world, has a huge, latent talent, much of it in the rural areas, that needs to be identified, nurtured and monitored. Olympiads and Competitions have the capacity to do this, but to give access to many learners to enter these Olympiads and Competitions means that Multiple Choice Questions, MCQ, need to be used. The SA Agency for Science and...
Dr
Jennifer Williams
(Rhodes University)
01/10/2018, 15:20
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
As the South African universities become more inclusive and the number of students entering increases, the range of backgrounds of these students is also broadening. The physics departments have noticed that students are ‘not well prepared’ for university studies (SAIP & CHE, 2013). The physics departments realised that while there are many people engaged in trying to improve the school...
Dr
Hilary Masenda
(School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand)
01/10/2018, 15:40
Track G - Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics
Oral Presentation
Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are a tempting alternative to constructed response questions, especially when large numbers of students are being examined, because of their potential to save labour during marking [1]. However, one major criticism of the MCQ is that it lacks a mechanism to award ‘partial marks’. Moreover, it is limited in its ability to assess understanding, or the...
Dr
Christine Steenkamp
(University of Stellenbosch)
01/10/2018, 16:00
Track G - Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics
Oral Presentation
In physics it is required from students from first year onwards to be able to apply core concepts in different contexts, ranging from commonplace to highly specialised examples. Students also need to transfer their understanding of core concepts to subsequent years of study since physics hierarchically builds on these understandings as students progress in their studies. Cumulative learning...
Dr
Jacobus Diener
(Botswana International University of Science and Technology)
01/10/2018, 17:00
Track C - Curriculum: Design, Development and Delivery
Oral Presentation
In Botswana, a drive is underway to transform the country's economy from being mining/resource-based to research and technologically driven. In aid of this cause, the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) was recently established, with classes starting in 2012.
With few large-scale industries, the formal employment possibilities of graduates in Botswana are...
Mr
Ross Dix-Peek
(NMMU)
01/10/2018, 17:20
Track C - Curriculum: Design, Development and Delivery
Oral Presentation
The first and most important question with regards to any educational activity: ‘What is the purpose of this activity?’. The simple answer to this to this question, in the terms of Physics education in South Africa, is the to develop the skills highlighted in the SAIP Draft Benchmark Statement. The second question is then: ‘How do you best develop these skills?’. The purpose of this paper is...
Mrs
Linley Fourie
(University of the Free State)
01/10/2018, 17:40
Track C - Curriculum: Design, Development and Delivery
Oral Presentation
The aim of this presentation is to rethink the role of the instructor in the teaching and learning process. It is directed at instructors and staff members involved in the course design process. Learners browse the internet for most of their knowledge acquisition. From Google, YouTube, Wikipedia, and even social media sites – the internet has become its own “new age” instructor. Online...
Prof.
Nithaya Chetty
(University of Pretoria)
01/10/2018, 18:00
Track C - Curriculum: Design, Development and Delivery
Oral Presentation
It is more than a hundred years since some of the most basic notions of quantum mechanics were founded, but the subject still remains largely a mystery and conceptually a difficulty for many first time students. Some treatments of the introductory material tend to lean more toward the formalism and the theoretical underpinnings of the subject. Yet, today, quantum mechanics is a very practical...
Dr
Mbela Kalengay
(UNAM)
02/10/2018, 08:30
Track L - Other (Please elaborate under comments below)
Oral Presentation
The sun is the principal source of energy for all living things, without its presence all life on earth would come to an end. Solar energy is radiant energy from the sun caused by nuclear fusion in the sun’s core. For many years solar energy has been looked at as a fundamental source of energy due to vast amounts of energy that are made freely available. Solar energy is harnessed, stored and...
Ms
Tshiamiso Makwela
(Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa, 7701)
02/10/2018, 08:50
Track L - Other (Please elaborate under comments below)
Oral Presentation
As part of ongoing efforts to improve teaching in astronomy an instrument, the Introductory Astronomy Questionnaire (IAQ) was developed at the University of Town (Rajpaul et al. 2014). The IAQ covered a wide range of topics that are usually covered in an introductory astronomy course and was first administered to a cohort of students who had enrolled for such a course as a pre- and post-test....
Mr
Alexander Sivitilli
(University of Cape Town)
02/10/2018, 09:10
Track L - Other (Please elaborate under comments below)
Oral Presentation
How is the present collective view of our place in the cosmos reflected in the mind of an individual? This is an important question to consider when teaching astronomy, as the descriptions involve the seemingly familiar, like space and time, yet on scales that are not easily comprehensible within simple mental models.
As outlined in Part I of the present work, we explore how students in an...
Prof.
Mmantsae Moche Diale
(University of Pretoria)
02/10/2018, 09:30
Track L - Other (Please elaborate under comments below)
Oral Presentation
IUPAP is the host of two related commissions in physics, all working towards making physics possible in developing world while teaching it better everywhere else. These commissions, C13 and C14, are expected to continually interact with each other so that physics remains the centre of all sciences. In this presentation, C13 commission will present their activities in the past three to five...
Prof.
Gerd Kortemeyer
(Michigan State University)
02/10/2018, 11:30
Track F - ICT and Multimedia Revolution in Physics Education
Oral Presentation
The talk describes two computer games developed using the Unity 3D platform: "A Slower Speed of Light," designed to teach Special Relativity, and "Kirchhoff's Revenge," designed to teach circuit laws. The talk includes a short demo of both games, a discussion of the effort required to develop immersive game and learning environments, experiences and research results using these games in...
Mr
Antonie Fourie
(University of the Free State)
02/10/2018, 11:50
Track E - Teaching and Learning of Laboratory based Physics
Oral Presentation
Due to limited equipment and laboratory space for practicals, students only have a relatively short time to complete their weekly practical. In this time they need to familiarise themselves with the apparatus that they are going to be using, carry out the experimental procedure, and obtain and interpret all the expected results. Their practical manual is comprehensive enough for them to...
Mr
Kim Svensson
(Lund University)
02/10/2018, 12:10
Track F - ICT and Multimedia Revolution in Physics Education
Oral Presentation
Programming is an integral part of modern physics and, at the same time, gaining increased interest in modern education. More and more students are being taught programming at schools. In upper secondary schools in Sweden, where, after the first of July 2018 [1], students are required to experience and use programming in both mathematics and technology. This elevation of programming from a...
Dr
Douglas Clerk
(School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand)
02/10/2018, 12:30
Track A - Physics at University
Oral Presentation
A challenge that is perhaps common to many universities is that of large class sizes, particularly at the first-year level, with ever-larger lecture venues being needed to accommodate the ever-larger classes. As a result of this trend, physics teaching staff in our university have increasingly found themselves teaching in venues that are not only remote from their usual “home territory” but...
Mr
Paul Molefe
(University of Johannesburg)
02/10/2018, 15:20
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
According to literature, the most important factor in education is to determine what students already know and to consider when teaching them. Unfortunately, there is a body of knowledge from physics education research revealing that we cannot simply build onto all existing knowledge that students have, because they contain misconceptions that differ from the accepted scientific understanding....
Deepak Kar
(University of Witwatersrand)
02/10/2018, 15:40
Track L - Other (Please elaborate under comments below)
Oral Presentation
Due to historical reasons, the interest in science education and research in South Africa is lower compared to other developing countries. However, in a recent discussion meeting it appeared that this problem is exacerbated by lack of understanding of what science means. To many, science is too western, and incompatible with every day experiences. That in turns leads to a feeling that science...
Mrs
Mafor Penn
(University of Johannesburg)
02/10/2018, 16:00
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
This paper reports the preliminary findings of a wider study targeted at assessing the affordances of virtual and augmented reality in Physical sciences learning. In this preliminary study, we assess pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards the use of virtual laboratories for learning of physics concepts. The study followed a sequential mixed-method design. In the first phase, a quantitative...
Dr
Emanuela Carleschi
(Department of Physics, University of Johannesburg)
04/10/2018, 08:30
Track C - Curriculum: Design, Development and Delivery
Oral Presentation
Curriculum development for higher education science degrees becomes particularly important with regards to service courses, i.e. those courses designed to cater for students majoring in scientific disciplines different from that of the service course. Not only do service courses provide general scientific literacy to future scientists, but (if properly designed) they also address...
Dr
Kreetha Kaewkhong
(Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai University, Thailand and Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand)
04/10/2018, 08:50
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
The purpose of this study is to investigate understanding of 50 Thai pre-service physics teachers, Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai University about seeing an object. The samples in this study were collected by asking for volunteers. They were asked to answer the 4 tasks about seeing in various situations by interview, 1) seeing an object which can illuminate light by itself, 2) seeing an...
Dr
FOLASHADE AFOLABI
(Department of Sciene Education, Distance Learning Institute,University of Lagos, Nigeria)
04/10/2018, 09:10
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
Physics is a science subject that has attracted the attention of researchers over the years due to low enrolment and poor achievement of students in the subject. One of the major focuses of Government reform in science education is amending the curriculum from teacher-centred to student-centred curriculum and life-long learning. This is done for students to be able to relate what is learnt in...
Mr
Collin Bacela
(Nelson Mandela Univeristy)
04/10/2018, 09:30
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
The effectiveness of using a teaching strategy, based on analogies for direct current electric circuits, to attempt to address first-year underprepared university students was investigated. The study consisted of 53 participants drawn from the faculty of health sciences at Nelson Mandela University. A quantitative research design was adopted using the “Determining and Interpreting Resistive...
Dr
Pradip Deb
(School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Australia)
04/10/2018, 11:30
Track I - Physics and Interdisciplinary Issues
Oral Presentation
X-ray imaging has become fundamental diagnostic tool in healthcare. More than four billion medical images are being captured globally in each year for clinical purpose by using ionizing radiations. There is an increasing demand for delivery of additional diagnostic and therapeutic services from medical radiations and imaging sectors worldwide as the population is growing. For high-quality...
Rodrigo Araujo
(Programa de Pós-graduação Interunidades em Ensino de Ciências- USP)
04/10/2018, 11:50
Track J - Physics in an Informal and Non-Formal Environment
Oral Presentation
The insertion of Modern and Contemporary Physics (MCP) topics in the high school physics curriculum has been discussed for approximately two decades in Brazil and it is already possible to observe the inclusion of some of these topics in the curricula adopted by some schools. In accordance with the guidelines contained in the National Curricular Parameters for High School (PCNEM) and the...
Prof.
Manjula Sharma
(The University of Sydney)
04/10/2018, 12:10
Track E - Teaching and Learning of Laboratory based Physics
Oral Presentation
PROBLEM
The teaching of experimental physics in laboratories is central to any physics course. Through the teaching of experimental skills, students learn to produce scientific knowledge following scientific methods, by developing expertise in identifying and designing experiments, critical thinking and problem solving skills, the capability to analyze scientific findings and to communicate...
Prof.
Nithaya Chetty
(University of Pretoria)
04/10/2018, 12:30
Track K - International Networks and Collaboration in Physics Education
Oral Presentation
Solid State Physics/Materials science is arguably the most important discipline in the physical sciences that should be developed in Africa given its rich resources of minerals, energy and biological diversity. Developing materials science should therefore be an important goal for Africa with important opportunities for economic benefits and quality people development. There are already many...
Mr
Martin Konecny
(Department of Physics Education , Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague)
04/10/2018, 15:00
Track G - Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics
Oral Presentation
The contribution deals with autors experiences with evaluation of their own physics and chemistry teaching. Autor of contribution obtain experiences during teaching at Mensa grammar school, especially in lower lever of school education system (Mensa grammar school is focus on gifted students). The methods of evaluation can be apply in normal schools too. Autor of contribution deals with...
Dr
Mark Herbert
(University of the Western Cape)
04/10/2018, 15:20
Track G - Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics
Oral Presentation
This paper reports on work that has been done in the Physics Department at University of the Western Cape (UWC). The mainstream mechanics physics first year module centers its focus on improving students’ success by giving them epistemological access to the study of physics. Central to the module teaching philosophy and pedagogy is the socio-cultural perspectives on learning in the sciences....
Ms
Nada BELKEBIR
(Ecole Mohammadia d'Ingénieurs / Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane)
04/10/2018, 15:40
Track G - Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics
Oral Presentation
Studio teaching approach is increasingly adopted as an alternative to the standard teaching methodology. It allows a better active learning setting for students to increase their participation inside the classroom while lecturing time by teachers is substantially reduced. This new methodology has been tested in many universities around the world and has proved its effectiveness. In this paper...
Dr
Douglas Clerk
(School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand)
04/10/2018, 16:00
Track G - Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics
Oral Presentation
This presentation reports the results of a study inspired by perceived shortcomings in the ‘problem-solving’ abilities of undergraduate physics students. Evidence in support of this perception is found in both the relevant literature (Gil-Perez, Dumas-Carré, Caillot, & Martinez-Torregrosa, 1990) (Mayer, 1998) (Tuminaro & Redish, 2003) and in analysis of student performance in relation to the...
Mr
Ishiyaku Abubakar
(University of Cape Town)
04/10/2018, 17:00
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
Ishiyaku Mbela1, Tshiamiso Makwela1, Alexander Sivitilli1, Dale Taylor1,2, Saalih Allie1,2
1 Physics Department, University of Cape Town, South Africa, 7701
2 Academic Development Programme, University of Cape Town, South Africa, 7701
Explanations of what we perceive visually may not depend solely on invoking an appropriate model for light but can also involve aspect of visual cognition....
Dr
Ignatius John
(CPUT)
, Dr
Martin Kudinha
(CPUT)
04/10/2018, 17:20
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
Understanding graphs is a primary skill in any discipline, physics in particular. Students frequently do not know whether to extract the desired information from the slope or height of a graph. This is a pilot study to understand the interpretation of direction of a vector in a kinematics graph. We used a questionnaire consisting of three graphs to study the understanding of kinematics graphs...
Dr
Kwanele Booi
(Cape Peninsula University of Technology)
, Mrs
Toliwe Chehore
(Cape Peninsula University of Technology)
, Ms
Vannessa Van Staden
(Cape Peninsula University of Technology)
, Mrs
Zena Scholtz
(Cape Peninsula University of Technology)
04/10/2018, 17:40
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
Lack of mathematical knowledge has often been considered responsible for high failure and drop-out rates in Physics, both at school and higher education levels. Failure in problem solving has frequently been used as evidence for inadequate mathematical knowledge, since mathematical concepts are used as a tool for physics problem solving. Physics knowledge is underpinned by physical theories...
Mr
Mphiriseni Khwanda
(University of Johannesburg)
04/10/2018, 18:00
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
Challenges in the teaching and learning of physics existed as far as education existed worldwide. During the period, various approaches were continuously suggested and implemented but the learning gains were always disappointing, and physics was labelled as a difficult subject for the chosen few and that idea encouraged instructors accept high failure rate in physics as normal. Departing form...
Dr
Philip Southey
(Stellenbosch University)
05/10/2018, 08:30
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
This talk will critique the notions of “concept”, “context” and “transfer”; presenting both experimental data and theoretical argument which comprised the core of my PhD research. These notions are fundamental in educational discourse, yet they are often taken for granted. A common implicit metaphor is that a concept sits in a context, like a solid object in a surrounding environment. I will...
Prof.
Nageswar Rao Chekuri
(Woodbury University)
05/10/2018, 08:50
Track D - Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts
Oral Presentation
During structured actions on an event in physical-sociocultural (PSC) environments, peripheral neurosensors capture patterns and changes in variety of PSC-environmental energies and convert into electric signals. These signals travel through specified neural paths to various brain areas where they persistently fire neighboring neurons to form neural circuits by synapsing with them. A neuron...
Prof.
Guilherme S. Marcom
(UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE CAMPINAS - UNICAMP)
05/10/2018, 09:10
Track G - Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics
Oral Presentation
Brazil has some large-scale assessments, for instance, state or national exams to evaluate basic education, higher education admission process, and the national high school exam (ENEM) which is for sure the most important. It is possible to do ENEM as many times as Brazilian students want, but it is only possible to access higher education if one has finished high school. ENEM consists of...
Prof.
Manjula Sharma
(The University of Sydney)
05/10/2018, 09:30
Track F - ICT and Multimedia Revolution in Physics Education
Oral Presentation
Reflection
“Reflection enables us to correct distortions in our beliefs and errors in problem-solving” (Mezirow, 1990). The importance of reflection in education has been noted as far back as 1910 in John Dewey’s book “How we think”. According to Dewey, there are 6 phases of reflection.1. an experience;
2. spontaneous interpretation of the experience; 3. naming the problem or the question...
