Expert TA Blog

The AAPT, or the American Association of Physics Teachers, was founded in the 1930s and is the premier global professional society for physics education. Their goal is “to enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching.”

Twice a year, the AAPT organizes a national meeting at various locations across the United States, giving its members and physics educators at all levels a chance at ongoing professional development. There will be a collection of speakers, workshops, and hundreds of sessions over a four or five-day period all centered around physics education.

Relevant software companies, organizations, and STEM promoters are typically represented at these meetings, along with many product-specific groups such as PASCO, Arbor Scientific, Merlan Scientific, Vernier and Texas Instruments each wanting you to demo their tools and equipment.

"Many of our members have told us that attending an AAPT national meeting has been the single-most transformative experience in their teaching careers. Attendees come away from our meetings equipped with ideas that they can quickly incorporate in their classrooms." says Mike Hall, Director of Membership at AAPT. How to become a member of AAPT?

In San Diego at the 2018 National Winter Meeting, Dr. David Pritchard of MIT and other contributors collaboratively presented, "The State of Online Physics Courses & Building Online Communities of Learning". The talk touched on the evolution of online homework which included data analysis of effective methodologies including blended learning, the flipped classroom, social media engagement, and the positive use of peer instruction.

Whether you are a first-time instructor using Expert TA, or an educator who has leveraged our online homework system for many years, the following blog will provide a look at how easy it is to get started within the Expert TA environment.

Many instructors are frustrated with students using the internet to cheat on homework and other assignments.  This article is an example that instructors and schools are not powerless.  As TCU is showing, a firm position can be taken and something can be done about this problem.  

Many educators look for new and innovative ways to teach their students. Thanks to today’s technology, content is provided in a wide range of formats to suit different...

The Value of Solving Problems the Right Way

While online homework makes grading more manageable, many instructors feel that it is a compromised version of hand-written homework. Yes, students should solve for final numeric results, but most instructors agree that they should also deal with key symbolic relationships, and draw Free Body Diagrams when necessary. Emphasizing the problem solving process and including symbolic expressions has always been central to Expert TA’s online homework system, and is backed by case studies showing measurable increases in student outcomes.

At Expert TA, we have always made it a top priority to provide instructors with the best possible protections against cheating online. The scope of the problem has never been greater, with the ever-expanding volume of solutions posted on the internet, and the advent of "tutoring" services through which students can have any problem solved in a matter of minutes. Our focus on this goal requires continual development and innovation..

Getting to know the Expert TA Team - Each post in our Expert TA Spotlight series will highlight the personal and professional accomplishments of a member of the Expert TA community. First up is Director of Content, Dr. Chris Duston.

Congratulations to the University of Central Oklahoma on being recognized as one of the top 10 schools in the nation for their dedication to student engagement.

Many instructors feel online homework systems are lacking the ability to grade student work similarly to how they grade a traditional paper-based assignment. The truth is: they are right. Historically, online homework is a time-saver for instructors with heavy schedules and large classes.