INTRODUCTION OF TRINITY OFINTRODUCTION OF TRINITY OF SCINCE: PHYSICS, EXPERIMENT ,

AND MATHEMATICS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTSINTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

S.Fujii*,a and H.Ohnoa

National Institute of Technology, Tokyo College,

Department of Liberal Arts, Hachiohji, Tokyo, Japan

“13th International Symposium on Advances in Technology Education Engineering Education for Sustainable Development in 21st Century”, 19th, August, 2019 @Shunan‐city, Yamaguchi prefecture 1

Research QuestionsResearch Questionsin physics education

• How can we introduce “difficult concept in physics” in more intuitive way?→experiences and experiment (f i t ti l t d t )(for international students)

[Situation]Curriculum gap→lots of unfamiliar phenomena→lots of ambiguous questions→difficult!

• How can we realize intuitive and deeper understanding of physics?(for whole students)

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C t tContents• Introduction

• Background• Our method

• Materials and methods [Concrete procedure in class ]• β‐ray absorption experiment setup and devices• Pre‐experiment by instructors• Short summarySt d t i t• Student experiment

• Linear / semi‐log ploting• Students activity/ instructor feedback• Students activity/ instructor feedback

• Discussion• class design philosophy• class design philosophy• Review Questions in physics education

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IntroductionIntroduction

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B k d

Background

Background• Ability to wonder→think→consider→reason

Shimamune (2008) [Psychologist]

• Smaller learning step:• Target behavior↓×more trial×a littile more time            

l=same goal⇒chance of reinforcement of learning ↑

• Motivation↑ ?• Motivation ↑ ?

physics

goal

4.5.

6.goal

p y

start3.

2.1.start

Conventional Step by step class

Experiment mathematics

Conventional experimental class

Step by step class

※Too smaller steps can make student bored (Depends on learning level of students) 

trinity of science complete  status map

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Perspective of studentsBackground

Perspective of students (Starting point)

• Interesting theme choiceEx. theme involving with social problems…g p• Lacks primitive physics experience of daily life

ex radioactive phenomena any ‘new’ idea (even acceleration)emphasis

ex. radioactive phenomena, any  new  idea (even acceleration)……

• [where to start] Sharing situation in physics, experimental setting, pre‐experiment

• [how to think] intuition under logic; physics, experiment and mathematics 

physicsimportant piecesto fill

(Liking known knowledge altogether)

• [why ?] naïve questions (→discovery)mathematics

• Toward unified understandingtrinity of science complete  status map

Experiment

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Materials andMaterials and methodsmethods

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β b ti i t 01

Setup and devices

β-ray absorption experiment 01

G i Müll t bGeiger‐Müller tube [GM‐tube](Detector)

counting deviceVolume

HV ADJ

SHIMADZU RADIATION DETECTOR      RMS‐6N

cpmV

GM PROBE

START RESETβ‐ray absorption instruments

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β b ti i t 02

Setup and devices

β-ray absorption experiment 02

To dector(GM tube)

30mm30mm

40mm source board (β‐ray source fixed)

absorption board

plates tray β‐ray source

β ray is partially0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 1.0mm, 2.0mm, 3.0mm, 5.0mm 

β‐ray absorption instruments

aluminum plates and its thickness

β‐ray is partially absorbed by the aluminiumplatesplates

configuration(front) 9

Worksheet and pre-experiment by

Pre‐experiment

Worksheet and pre experiment by instructors

Beta-ray absorption experimentExperiment2-1

the 1st time the 2nd time the 3rd timeavrage

Beta ray absorption experiment

background radiationAttention：Average  value should be rounded  to the first decimal placeexample：14.32≒14.3

[cpm]0N

Experiment2-2

beta ray source B

Net intensity (onlyone time) [cpm]

intensity of β-raysource [cpm]

βN 0NN −βInstructor chose the pure i ll d i

thicknessaverage

[cpm]Net intensity

[cpm]

d[cm] the 1st time the 2nd time the 3rd time

0.10

0.15

intensity [cpm]

Attention：Average  value should be rounded

βN 0NN −β

exponentially decreasing region of counting rate for the thickness by pre‐

0.20

0.25

0.30

Experiment After the removal of all aluminum plates

Attention：plot linear graph on the corridor of experiment room withapproximated curve (show it by thick color curves).

be rounded  to the first decimal place

example:220.45≒220 5

experiment

2-3After the removal of all aluminum plates

Thcknessof air

ℓ[cm]

4.0

5.0

intensity [cpm]

(Only one time)

only if youhave time

≒220.5

Worksheet6.0

8.0

12.0

Attention：plot linear graph on the corridor of experiment room withapproximated curve (show it by thick black curves).

Worksheet(Gray part is differentamong other groups)

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Sh tShort summary• For (international) students who are poor at physicsFor (international) students who are poor at physics

• Socially important theme choice: radioactivity• Make every procedure easier to achieve (small step:primitive experiences, discovery by themselves)

• Find links between physics, experiment and mathematics (completing jigsaw puzzle)

Unified understanding of physics physics6

goal

3.2.

1.

4.5.

6.

start Experiment

trinity of science complete  status map

mathematics

(Physics, experiment and mathematics)

Experiment

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St d t i t

Student experiment

Student experiment

• Overview• 120 minutes class 9 international students120 minutes class, 9 international students (divided into 3 groups)

• Part1: 30 minutes Introduction of basic• Part1: 30 minutes, Introduction of basic radioactivity (ppt. slide)

• Part2: 45minutes Experiment and data• Part2: 45minutes, Experiment and data plot/analysis

P t3 15 i t Di i d f db k• Part3: 15minutes, Discussion and feedback from instructor

56.

goal

3.2.

1.

4.5.

start 12

D t l t i Li l

Student experiment

physics

Data plot in Linear scale8000

Graph A

physics

• Primitive experience• Plot in large linear 

h ( h A)

7000

Graph A

1m1 t i it f i

mathExperiment

graph (graph A)         (8m×1m area)

6000

5000

m]

1m trinity of science complete  state map

• Pre‐chosen area is plotted in Graph B

4000

Graph B

Inte

nsity

[cpm

171cm 

• Exponential decreasing can be experienced as

3000

2000

Graph B height

can be experienced as primitive level

• even of recreation (fun)1000

0Thickness [mm]

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Data re-plot in semi-logStudent experiment

Data re plot in semi log scale 10000• Semi‐log plotting coresponding to  

100

1000

ty [cpm

]

p ggraph B       (previous page) 10

100

Intensit

• Three groups had1

0 1 2 3 4 5

Thickness [mm]Three groups had different intensity  semi‐log graph with 

[ ]physics

g g psame tangent.

mathematicsExperiment

trinity of science complete  status map

p

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Students activity/Instructor

Student experiment

Students activity/Instructor feed backSt d t ’ ï ti• Students’ naïve questions

• why background radiation is not zero, remembering i d i f di i i ?introduction of radioactivity?

• why the same tangent appears in semi‐log graph?

Instructors comment on●[Physics]physic interpretation●[Data analysis, mathematics] 

physics

ymathematical relation between exponential and logarithm mathematicsExperimentp g(quantative level)  trinity of science 

complete  status map

p

15

short break: pasting 160 h t f A4 !sheets of A4 papers!

(1m×1m:5×4=20sheets)(1m×1m 5×4 20sheets)

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Discussion

DiscussionDiscussion

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O l d i hil h

Discussion

Our class design philosophy

Separate and Linkpprimitive stage, discovery  stage

physicsphysics

Unified understanding of 

trinity of science complete status map

mathematicsExperimentPhysics, experiment and mathematics

complete  status map

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Review of initial questionsand temporal answer

Q1 How can we introduce “difficult concept in physics” inQ1.How can we introduce  difficult concept in physics  in more intuitive way?

A1 Introduce primitive experiments or contents as aA1. Introduce primitive experiments or contents as a buffer to standard one, which will grow intuition and enable them to link(relation) between physics,enable them to link(relation) between physics, experiments and mathematics. 

Q2.How can we realize intuitive and deeperQ2.How can we realize intuitive and deeper understanding of physics?

A2 Transform students’ difficulty into primitiveA2. Transform students  difficulty into primitive experiences and start from there.  Then make them naïve questions based on experiments. The answer has q palready set in the experiment. Just repeat this in every direction (physics, experiment and mathematics) 19

DISCOVER the universal law of physics

Ph iTh kPhysicsThank youy(Let us discuss)

E i t M th ti

( )

Experiment Mathematics

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