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Student-Identified Themes Around Computation in High School Physics

ORAL

Abstract

We are developing a survey which evaluates the attitudes of students exposed to computational learning activities in their high school physics classrooms. We administered a pilot questionnaire in various classrooms and conducted a thematic analysis on student responses. Several themes were identified for investigation via teacher interviews while further themes emerged from analysis of open-ended responses to initial survey items. Those themes included the applicability of physics ideas in coding, computational thinking practices, and the usefulness of computation. This work lays the foundation for the development of a robust and validated survey that assesses students’ opinions, expectations, and attitudes towards learning computation in their science classes.

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Authors

  • Theodore Bott

    Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Michigan State University

  • Clemens Winkelmann

    University of Michigan, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Michigan State University; CREATE for STEM Institute, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Michigan State University, Kettering University, Kent State University - Physics, Kent State University - Chemistry, Institute for Physics, Martin-Luther-Universitaet, Halle, Germany, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA, IPG Photonics, 50 Old Webster Rd., Oxford, MA 01540, OptiGrate, 562 S. Econ Circle, Oviedo, FL 32765, Northrop Grumman Synoptics, 1201 Continental Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28273, University of Toledo, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, Case Western Reserve University, Clarkson University, Univ of Dayton, Australian Ntl Univ, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Dev Command - Armament Ctr, Wayne State University, The University of Akron, Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Néel Institute, Grenoble, France

  • Clemens Winkelmann

    University of Michigan, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Michigan State University; CREATE for STEM Institute, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Michigan State University, Kettering University, Kent State University - Physics, Kent State University - Chemistry, Institute for Physics, Martin-Luther-Universitaet, Halle, Germany, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA, IPG Photonics, 50 Old Webster Rd., Oxford, MA 01540, OptiGrate, 562 S. Econ Circle, Oviedo, FL 32765, Northrop Grumman Synoptics, 1201 Continental Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28273, University of Toledo, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, Case Western Reserve University, Clarkson University, Univ of Dayton, Australian Ntl Univ, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Dev Command - Armament Ctr, Wayne State University, The University of Akron, Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Néel Institute, Grenoble, France

  • Clemens Winkelmann

    University of Michigan, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Michigan State University; CREATE for STEM Institute, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Michigan State University, Kettering University, Kent State University - Physics, Kent State University - Chemistry, Institute for Physics, Martin-Luther-Universitaet, Halle, Germany, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA, IPG Photonics, 50 Old Webster Rd., Oxford, MA 01540, OptiGrate, 562 S. Econ Circle, Oviedo, FL 32765, Northrop Grumman Synoptics, 1201 Continental Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28273, University of Toledo, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, Case Western Reserve University, Clarkson University, Univ of Dayton, Australian Ntl Univ, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Dev Command - Armament Ctr, Wayne State University, The University of Akron, Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Néel Institute, Grenoble, France