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As schools moved to an online-only mode of instruction, many professors were forced to adjust to the new circumstances. Covid-19 pushed instructors to do remote testing and the absence of an in-class proctored environment caused everyone to rethink how they administer exams.
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.
In 1960, Seymour Sarason and his colleagues first articulated the issue of test anxiety among elementary school students, highlighting that “…[w]e live in a test-conscious, test-giving, culture in which the lives of people are in part determined by their test performance”.
We’re excited to kick off a new series in which we will highlight a variety of interesting topics related to Physics and Engineering. If you’re like us, you love science, and if you’re teaching Physics you’re probably curious about the world around you. We hope you enjoy the first in our Explore Science series - What it Takes to Make a Building Earthquake-Proof.
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.
There are many great science podcasts, and lots of intriguing episodes out there to explore. In this post we do not intend to offer a comprehensive review of them all, but rather a recommendation of a few of our favorites. From the ethereal narratives of Radiolab, to the cutting edge research of the Physics World, we can’t get enough science, and these six podcasts are topping our list right now. Let us know what you’re listening to in the comment section below.
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.
Dr. Cindy Schwarz will receive the American Association of Physics Teacher’s 2017 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching. Expert TA would like to congratulate Dr. Schwarz on this accomplishment, which honors her extraordinary contributions to the Physics education community spanning nearly three decades.
A teaching assistant (TA) is an individual who assists a teacher with instructional responsibilities, and as many of you know, TAs are a big part of the college classroom. The duties of a TA can include research-based projects, but many spend the majority of their time on lab work and grading.
These educational helpers are hired to assist with various instructor functions as a means to supplement graduate expenses. However, since most TAs are heavily involved with their own graduate studies, their availability is often limited to a few hours each week.
The popularity of electronic homework in recent years has changed the role of TAs in college classrooms, giving them much more responsibility to work directly with students rather than using all of their weekly hours putting red ink onto papers.
Dr. Stephen Remillard is an associate professor of physics and the department chair at Hope College. He describes the evolution of the role of teaching assistants for their physics faculty, "Rather than using some or all of five hours per week to grade, they use all of their time to interact with students now.” The TAs at Hope College already had limited participation in learning sessions, but now they are leading the majority of the student study groups in the department. Dr. Remillard continued:
Students sign up for a TA-led study group with 10 to 15 other students. The group meets once per week to work through exercises intended to address common sticking points associated with that week's topic. Because there is no professor present, the TA learns how to lead groups of people through [various] learning exercises.
Many universities, like UNC Charlotte, provide valuable resources for their TAs as they learn how to teach and lead. UNC Charlotte’s “A Brief Survival Guide for New Graduate Teaching Assistants” is a great guide for their TAs with specific resources and planning materials ranging from planning what you’re going to teach to dealing with problem students.
Drexel University’s “The Effective Teaching Assistant” is also a valuable resource. It provides a full guide to preparing lectures and recommendations on being effective in the new position.
As Drexel points out to its TAs:
Teaching assistants are expected to maintain the same standards of professional ethics as any member of the Drexel University faculty. Always come to class on time and prepared to teach. You may have expected your duties to consist simply of research and grading, but find yourself with sole responsibility for one or more classes.
TAs are certainly more than just homework and lab graders now. Many will be able to include significant teaching responsibilities on their curriculum vitae, which can be an important deciding factor for future job applications.
