13 papers
This study evaluates four large language models on AP Physics free-response questions, finding that while they demonstrate strong capabilities in structured algebraic problem-solving, they exhibit significant limitations in spatial reasoning, visual interpretation, and conceptual integration, with performance varying notably across different years and exam levels.
This paper investigates the semi-infinite square potential well by deriving rules for the number of bound states, correcting a flawed graphical simplification found in standard textbooks, and providing accurate approximations and exact solutions for the energy eigenvalues and eigenfunctions.
The paper introduces a new "Pairs and Squares" rendering of the Periodic Table that leverages the fact that the number of orbitals at each atomic energy level forms a perfect square to create a more regular and intuitive structure compared to existing presentations.
A quasi-experimental study in a high school physics course found that while using tablets and smartphones as experimental tools did not significantly outperform conventional teaching methods in terms of learning gains or motivation, it proved to be an effective alternative that achieved comparable results without causing negative effects like distraction or cognitive overload.
This paper presents the findings of "Canadian Physics Counts," the first nationwide survey of the Canadian physics community, which reveals significant underrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and gender-diverse individuals, highlights a severe lack of accommodations for those with disabilities, and underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to retain a diverse workforce.
This paper presents a replicable, low-cost framework for conducting hour-long "Learning Together" sessions that facilitate safe, structured, turn-based reflection on historical, cultural, and equity-related topics within physics institutes.
This study investigates how students utilize generative AI in physics computational modeling, finding that while it aids planning and debugging, productive use requires limiting reliance to small steps and verifying outputs, whereas over-reliance hinders fundamental learning and necessitates pedagogical adjustments like emphasizing pre-coding planning and maintaining human support.
This paper presents a web-based, installation-free smartphone application that compensates for device rotation to provide global-coordinate acceleration data, enabling undergraduate students to accurately reconstruct motion trajectories and deepen their understanding of mechanics through hands-on experiments.
This paper presents Stan, a locally deployed, privacy-preserving AI system for an undergraduate thermodynamics course that utilizes open-weight models to simultaneously provide grounded, reference-backed tutoring for students and generate actionable teaching insights for instructors from a shared corpus of lecture transcripts and textbook data.
This study utilizes Computational Grounded Theory to analyze over 10 million tokens of chatbot interactions from a university Modern Physics course, successfully identifying persistent student misconceptions and reasoning patterns to demonstrate the method's potential for scaling insights in AI-driven educational research.
An analysis of over 67,000 articles from 24 Canadian Science Publishing journals between 2010 and 2021 reveals that women remain underrepresented as authors, particularly in leadership roles and engineering fields, with disparities likely stemming from broader workforce inequalities rather than publication bias.
This bibliometric analysis of 138 Web of Science publications from 2021 to 2025 reveals that physics education is undergoing an AI-driven transformation characterized by exponential growth since 2023, a shift from traditional data analysis to generative AI and interdisciplinary applications, and a future trajectory focused on adaptive learning ecosystems and ethical AI integration.
A simple agent built on the Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview model achieved a perfect score on the IPhO 2025 theory problems, though this result may be compromised by potential data contamination due to the model's release occurring after the competition.