Gordon Aubrecht

Physics 131

Fall 2003

Journal Topics

Weeks are counted starting with week 1 due by midnight on Thursday, 2 October and numbering sequentially.

Journal 1:

• Tell me a little about why you chose to come to Physics and what you think will happen in the course.
  • Why I am taking Physics and how it relates to my major.
  • What I hope to learn from this course.
  • What I hope to do with this new knowledge.
  • What I expect the lectures to do for me.
  • What I expect the book to do for me.
• How many hours you think it will take to learn all you need to know from this course? Include everything: lectures, homework, etc. fill in ______ h/wk
• What is the difference between science and technology? Give an example of an engineer doing science and a scientist doing technology.
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)

due 2 October 2003

Journal 2:

• What difficulties or frustrations have you experienced in your first reading from the book?
• Explain Newton’'s First Law in your own words.
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)

due 9 October 2003

Journal 3:

• Explain the difference between Newton's 1st and 3rd Laws as it impacts drawing free body diagrams.
• Why should physicists draw diagrams? Answer in your own words.
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)

due 16 October 2003

Journal 4:

• Do you read the examples in more detail or in less detail than the rest of the book?
• What is easiest and what is hardest about the course so far?
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)

due 23 October 2003

Week 5:

• Explain the difference between velocity and acceleration to your younger sister, who has not yet had algebra in high school.
• Now you’ve had some quizzes and a midterm. How have they helped/harmed you? What is the one problem you'd most like to see on a midterm, quiz, or final? Why that particular problem? Include a solution to the problem.
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)

due 30 October 2003

Week 6:

• Distinguish displacement and distance for your younger sister (see last week). How do the concepts change if you use finite differences?
• What has been best and worst about the book so far?
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)
• Write a specific problem on conservation of momentum that will help you see whether a fellow Physics 131 student understands the concept.

due 6 November 2003

Week 7:

• Explain how conservation laws can be useful in working physics problems. Give an example problem and work it using momentum conservation.
• What is the one problem you’d least like to see on a midterm, quiz, or final? Why that particular problem?
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)
• Write a specific problem on conservation of energy that will help you see whether a fellow Physics 131 student understands the concept.

When you study for a test, what best characterizes your attitude towards becoming very familiar with the formulas (equations)?

a. Since they’re not really what’s tested, they’re not very important, worth under 5% of my study time.

b. Formulas are a little important, but not nearly as important as certain other things such as the problem-solving techniques or the qualitative concepts.. Worth between 5% and 10% of my study time.

c. Being very familiar with the formulas is fairly important, worth 10% to 20% of my study time.

d. Being very familiar with the formulas is quite important, worth 20% to 30% of my study time.

e. Being very familiar with the formulas is very important, worth 30% to 40% of my study time.

f. Being very familiar with the formulas is essential, worth over 40% of my study time.

due 13 November 2003

Week 8:

• What is the difference between the relativistic and the nonrelativistic energy due to?
• What is the one problem you’d most like to see on a midterm, quiz, or final? Why that particular problem?
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)
• Write a specific problem on relativistic energy that will help you see whether a fellow Physics 131 student understands the concept.

Dane, a student just like you, with the same abilities, background knowledge, and time constraints. Dane’s grade in the course doesn’t matter to him; in fact, he’s taking the course pass­fail. As a result, he does not need to worry about grades. His goal is simply to understand physics more deeply. How should Dane allocate his time in studying Physics 131?

a. Since formula’re not really what’s tested, they’re not very important, worth under 5% of his study time.

b. Formulas are a little important, but not nearly as important as certain othis things such as the problem-solving techniques or the qualitative concepts. They are worth between 5% and 10% of his study time.

c. Being very familiar with the formulas is fairly important, worth 10% to 20% of his study time.

d. Being very familiar with the formulas is quite important, worth 20% to 30% of his study time.

e. Being very familiar with the formulas is very important, worth 30% to 40% of his study time.

f. Being very familiar with the formulas is essential, worth over 40% of his study time.

due 20 November 2003

• How does SHM interface with the topic of waves? Explain.
• What have you learned, if anything, from the tests and quizzes?
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)
• Write a specific problem on SHM that will help you see whether a fellow Physics 131 student understands the concept.

due 26 November 2003

• Explain how you could have improved your score on the second midterm and the makeup? (“I should have studied more” may be true, but it is not the answer I am looking for.)
• Explain the resonance response curve. What is the relation between the width of the curve and the height?
• What topic do we most need to review of the ones studied so far? Explain why you believe this is the one most in need of review.
• Evaluate how your labs this quarter have helped or hurt you in your understanding of physics. Which lab did you get the most help in understanding physics from?
• Imagine that you were talking to your friend Dana again. Tell him the most interesting thing you had learned in Physics 131, and why she should find it interesting.
• What did you learn in Physics 131 this week? How did you learn it? What techniques for teaching/learning helped you learn? Why/how do you believe what you learned is the correct description of the way nature works? (be specific)
• Write a specific problem on resonance that will help you see whether a fellow Physics 131 student understands the concept.

Questionnaire. Please send me answers to these questions.

1. What is your method of choosing items to submit? For each of the items, please rate it in terms of encouraging (E), neutral (N), or discouraging (D):

€The item came early on the list (i.e., you do the first few listed).

€The item was rated as being easier.

€The item was rated as being harder.

€The item was a ³question² instead of a ³problem.²

€My friends chose the item already.

€The item used or asked for a graph.

€The item sounded interesting.

€I need to practice items of its type.

€The posted solution for that item was clear to me. [Group-1]

€The item¹s numerical answer is in the back of the book. [Group-2]

2. How many of the 20 weekly questions do you normally read while making your choice of items to do for each week¹s homework?

€fewer than 10 problems.

€exactly as many as I need to to turn them in (i.e., 10).

€between 10 and 15.

€between 15 and 20.

€exactly 20.

3. Please describe the way you use the Group I problem solutions. For example, do you read them before thinking about the problems? Or refer to them only when you get stuck? Or simply ignore them completely

4. Ignoring for a moment what makes things easier for you to complete the assignments, which of these methods do you feel would be best for your learning of physics?

€Ordinary homework, not like the homework in this course, that are optional and not graded.

€Ordinary homework, not like the homework in this course, that are graded individually and returned.

€Having access to completed Group I solutions before the due date.

€Having access to completed solutions to all problems before the due date.

€Other (explain):

5. Do you view the solutions for problems you did not submit? Mark all that apply

€Yes, while studying for tests or quizzes.

€Yes, while choosing and working on homework problems.

€Yes, as part of my regular studying for the course.

€I don't read any extra solutions.

€I don¹t read any solutions at all.

6. About how much time per week do you spend doing solutions for the homework assignments?

€None (0 hours)

€0-1€hours

€1-2 hours

€2-3 hours

€3-4 hours

€4-5 hours

€5-6 hours

€more than 6 hours

7. What component of the class had the largest positive impact on your performance on this test?

€Lecture

€Flexible Homework

€Problem solving by teacher in class

€Problem solving by groups of students in class

€Tutorials

€Office visit

€Other (explain):

Thank you for doing the survey (you may submit separately or as part of your journal).

due 4 December 2003

take me to Gordon's home page

take me to the lecture notes

take me to the syllabus

take me to the quiz page

You can email me from Netscape or Explorer by clicking on aubrecht@mps.ohio-state.edu.