A First-Year Research Experience: The Freshman Project in Physics at Loyola University Chicago
Jonathan Bougie, Asim Gangopadhyaya, Sherita Moses, Robert D. Polak, Gordon P. Ramsey, Weronika Walkosz
aa r X i v : . [ phy s i c s . e d - ph ] J un A First-Year Research Experience: The Freshman Project inPhysics at Loyola University Chicago
Jonathan Bougie, ∗ Asim Gangopadhyaya, † SheritaMoses, ‡ Robert D. Polak, § and Gordon P. Ramsey ¶ Department of Physics, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, U.S.A.
Weronika Walkosz ∗∗ Current affiliation: Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, U.S.A.
Abstract
Undergraduate research has become an essential mode of engaging and retaining students inphysics. At Loyola University Chicago, first-year physics students have been participating in theFreshman Projects program for over twenty years, which has coincided with a period of significantgrowth for our department. In this paper, we describe how the Freshman Projects program hasplayed an important role in advancing undergraduate research at Loyola, and the profound impactit has made on our program. We conclude with suggestions for adoption of similar programs atother institutions. . BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION In recent decades, faculty members at many colleges and universities have worked to in-volve undergraduates in research in order to provide them with a deeper and more engagedlearning experience. As college-bound students and their parents visit university campuses,they often ask whether they would be able to participate in meaningful research projects.Faculty members have responded by making their research more accessible to undergradu-ates, and increasing numbers of universities are now advertising their record in providingsuch opportunities to their undergraduate students. Federal government programs such asthe National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)and private foundations such as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have also stepped inby providing resources. Studies have shown great benefits follow from undergraduate research experiences. Theundergraduate research opportunity is a powerful tool which enhances student engagement,incites curiosity, and emboldens professional identification. The 2003 Strategic Programsfor Innovations in Undergraduate Physics (SPIN-UP) report from the National Task Forceon Undergraduate Physics (NTFUP) identified undergraduate research, faculty mentorship,and a high level of interaction among faculty and students as key elements of successfuldepartments. More recently, the final report of the Joint Task Force on UndergraduatePhysics Programs (J-TUPP) includes undergraduate research as an important element incase studies of programs “which have implemented significant activities to prepare theirphysics students for diverse careers.” Physics graduates report the necessity of skills suchas teamwork, technical writing, oral communication, programming, and the application ofphysics to practical problems and leadership in managing projects; all of which can bedeveloped within the context of research experience. While recognition of the importance of undergraduate research experiences has becomecommonplace, there remain outstanding questions, such as how to best make research ac-cessible to undergraduates, what exactly constitutes undergraduate research, and when intheir academic career students should begin research. For example, while many opportuni-ties exist mostly for upper-division physics undergraduates, such as REU experiences andinternships, mentoring and student engagement is an important part of attracting and re-taining students in their early years in the major, where substantial erosion in the major2an happen.
In this manuscript, we discuss the Freshman Projects (FP) program in the Physics De-partment at Loyola University Chicago (LUC), which is designed to engage all majors in thedepartment in research starting from their first year in our program. This program has beenrunning continuously since the 1995-1996 Academic Year. In the following sections, we de-scribe the Freshman Project at LUC, discuss its role in the development of our department,discuss the perspectives of various faculty members involved in its implementation, and makesome suggestions as to how similar initiatives could be developed at other institutions.
II. HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS OF FRESHMAN PROJECTS
In the Spring 1996 semester, the first cohort of nine freshmen participated in an adhoc research initiative which later gave rise to the FP program. The instructor for theintroductory course for physics majors (AG - one of the authors of this manuscript), askedseveral of his colleagues to serve as mentors to provide engaged and deep learning experiencesbeyond what could be normally covered in the classroom.Four groups were formed, and each group of students worked on a project with theirrespective mentor during that semester. The four projects that students and their mentorschose to investigate were: the Inverse Feynman Sprinkler, characteristics of high-frictionsurfaces, a study of a rolling sphere on a curved surface, and the dynamics of motion invertical circles. After designing and performing the experiments, students presented theirresults to the department. Students and faculty considered the effort to be a great success.Given this enthusiastic reception, the department decided to continue with the FreshmanProjects. Initially, FP were integrated into the second-semester introductory physics labfor majors (PHYS 126L). In 2008, Freshman Projects became a separate one-credit course(PHYS 126F), and is currently required for all students seeking a B.S. in Physics or anyof the interdisciplinary majors that are jointly offered by the Physics Department. Theseinterdisciplinary majors include the B.S. in Biophysics, B. S. in Physics with ComputerScience, and the B.S. in Theoretical Physics/Applied Mathematics; we henceforth refer to thecomplete list of majors who are required to take this course as “majors in the department”or with similar nomenclature.Currently, students take FP during the Spring Semester of their first year as a physics3ajor. They generally take this course concurrently with General Physics II (PHYS 126)and the accompanying Laboratory course (PHYS 126L). Each participating faculty memberis assigned a section of PHYS 126F, with a maximum enrollment of 3-5 students. Each groupmust choose a topic of research in consultation with their mentor. Some faculty mentorschoose a project or key area of interest and encourage students who share that interest towork with them, while others develop the project ideas through guided discussion with theirstudents. The FP program was originally conceived to explore topics from the first semesterof introductory physics. However, throughout the years, projects have also included moreadvanced topics due to student interest.Once the Spring Semester begins, the faculty mentor and their students agree on a projectto explore and write a simple proposal outlining their plans. This proposal should include astatement of the problem and its motivation, a brief background literature review includingkey terms and concepts, a list of materials needed to complete the project, and an accom-panying budget (current maximum is $200 per group, paid for by lab fees). In addition,it needs to outline the proposed work itself with an estimated timeline to accomplish theproject.Each group must then implement the proposed project, which must include designingand building an experiment, carrying out related theoretical calculations, and collecting andanalyzing data. As a regular course, each group is scheduled to meet with their mentor oncea week for two hours throughout the semester, with additional work performed betweenmeetings. Each group is required to keep a scientific notebook to record their activitiesthroughout the semester.At the end of the semester, the department sponsors the Freshman Project Seminar,where each group presents their work, generally as a 12-minute presentation followed by a3-minute question-and-answer period. The Physics faculty and other students and guestsattend this event and the groups have a chance to answer questions and discuss their work.While the projects are appropriate for first-year physics students, and do not alwaysinvolve cutting edge research, the course structure is designed to model several aspects ofscientific research: from proposing a project, to carrying out the elements of the proposal,to presenting the results to a wider audience. Since these projects are open ended and arenot to be found in any handbook, there is always the “thrill” of discovery in the air.4
II. BENEFITS OF FRESHMAN PROJECTS TO STUDENTS AND THE DE-PARTMENTA. Project-based Learning
The benefits of research engagement are vast both for students and research mentors,impacting not only their cognitive and intellectual growth, but also leading to professionaladvancement. While research engagement for undergraduates is generally optional and typ-ically involves upper-level students, the FP program at Loyola is mandatory and involvesstudents in their first year of college.This experience integrates various skill sets in investigating an applied problem, just be-yond the level of the freshman courses. By working together as a group during the semester,students learn important teamwork and project management skills and can form close bondswith their teammates and mentor. Such bonds have been important in integrating studentsinto our department; helping to attract and retain students. These skills are also critical forthe 21st Century workforce. Freshman Projects also help students develop a variety of skills. These can include variousexperimental techniques and the use of the machine shop. Students may learn programmingskills or mathematical methods that may go beyond skills they would normally learn intheir first year. Learning these skills in conjunction with a specific project emphasizes theapplication of this material. Finally, by writing project proposals and presenting their finalresults, students learn how to present scientific results both in oral and written forms. Inthese ways, FP fulfills many of the goals established by the J-TUPP report for preparingstudents for the contemporary job market. With the longevity of our program, we now have a former student who returned to Loyolaas a faculty member (WW- one of the authors of this manuscript), and who is now at LakeForest College. She has now seen the transformative aspect of the Freshman Projects fromthe perspective of a mentor. Here WW describes her experience:
CASE STUDY: Dr. Weronika Walkosz
As someone who participated in a Freshman Project as both a student and faculty mem-ber, I would like to outline some of the advantages of Loyolas FP program on learning,attitude, and professional development of freshman students and their mentors.5irst, my early involvement in research as a freshman student helped me become easilyintegrated into Loyolas Physics community. By working closely with other Freshmen and amentor on a common project, I was able to form professional relationships that helped menavigate a demanding physics curriculum. Indeed, my FP partner and I continued learningfrom each other, preparing for exams and solving homework problems together. The projectalso provided me with an ongoing one-on-one mentorship with a physics faculty member,who could advise me better on my career options. The project also helped me develop goodcommunication and presentation skills, and made me more confident to ask questions inclass.Second, the early exposure to research taught me personal responsibility and persistencein solving difficult and often unexplored problems, prepared me for advanced coursework,and trained me on how deal with uncertainty. I learned to balance my course work withmy research activities, collaboration with independence, factual knowledge with freedom ofthought and discovery. The project helped me realize that even simple phenomena havemany nuances, and their exploration and discovery is not always easy or straightforward.Third, the project was instrumental in clarifying and preparing me for a career in science.Through my participation in FP, I have learned how to think, plan, and design as a scientist.After completing the FP in my first year of college I was able to continue the work in thefollowing year and apply for scholarships to fund it. A longer commitment to my researchproject, in turn, prepared me better for graduate school. The possibility of continuing thework after the freshman year is one of the most important features of the FP at Loyola thatcan lead to peer-reviewed publications, scholarships, participation in national conferences,or simply help in post-graduation plans.As a faculty member supervising a Freshman Project, I was able to see my students par-ticipate in the benefits of project-based learning in a way that paralleled my own experienceas a student. The project allowed the students to focus on an open-ended question under-standing and solving of which required exploration, analysis, creativity, communication andcollaboration. It challenged them to take ownership of their own learning, while inspiringand motivating each other. It also showed them that research requires patience, persistence,and good management skills. 6 . Ongoing Research and Dissemination
The Freshman Project Seminar concluding the semester gives students an experiencedeveloping presentation skills and communicating scientific ideas. In addition, many projectsinitiated as Freshman Projects are presented at the local chapter of AAPT or other symposia.In 2005, our projects were featured in the
Chicago Tribune . Some FP have blossomed into more advanced research project and have been presentedat regional, national, and international conferences. Some have also resulted in publicationswith students as co-authors, particularly in journals such as
Physics Teacher and
AmericanJournal of Physics .Here is a partial list of some recent publications that began as FP, each with studentauthors or co-authors:1. an ongoing series of publications regarding acoustical properties of musical instruments,
2. an article about a magnet traveling through a conducting pipe,
3. an ongoing series of articles regarding experiments in optics,
4. an article about the nanobiophotonics of gold nanoparticles. It is important to recognize that many students who become excited about their researchin the freshman year continue research through later years, and not always in the same areaas the first year. Therefore, the FP program has encouraged a culture of undergraduateresearch for students and faculty in our department that goes beyond publications directlyrelated to FP.As one example, several groups of students have worked under the supervision of RP (afaculty member and one of the authors of this manuscript) on a series of optics projectswith the idea of developing low-cost optics experiments and demonstrations with classroomapplication. These groups have presented their results at various professional meetings andhave led to several journal publications. Below, RP describes how his work with studentsgot started:
CASE STUDY: Dr. Robert Polak
We initially developed a project to create a low-cost student spectrometer and a demon-stration of image formation using LEDs and a cylindrical lens. We presented this project at7 local AAPT meeting where it was suggested that we should attempt to publish it. Workingwith the students over the summer, we completed a manuscript that was accepted for pub-lication in
The Physics Teacher . Over the next two years, we developed more experimentsand demonstrations, starting with understanding easily observable properties of waves us-ing ripple tanks such as interference and diffraction and then showing how to demonstrateinterference and diffraction of sound and light using readily available materials. This hascontinued to be a source of inspiration for freshman projects as the physics is easily acces-sible for freshman physics major and the development of low-cost instructional tools meetssocial justice goals of Loyola University Chicago.Individually, students involved in these projects have often found a path in their academiccareer. In one case, a transfer student demonstrated particularly strong experimental skillsin creating these new experiments. She continued to work on the project for the next year,guiding some work to publication. Based on her strong experimental skills, she earnedthe opportunity to participate in an REU experience and then completed her senior yearworking with an experimental scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, providing her theskills needed to pursue graduate studies in optics.
C. Integration of Faculty Into the Department
In addition to its benefits to students, the Freshman Project can have benefits for facultyin the department. In addition to helping faculty members to find students to work within their research, working closely with students and developing collaborative projects hasimportant benefits in integrating new faculty into the department.As one example of the benefits of FP for integrating faculty into the department, SM (afaculty member and one of the authors of this manuscript) discusses her experience teachingFP in her second year in the department:
CASE STUDY: Dr. Sherita Moses
Students chose to enroll in my section based on their interest in my area of research,and submitted an interdisciplinary proposal involving nanobiophotonics. The initial classdiscussed what would be required to complete the research, including the collaborativeinterdisciplinary effort that would be required. My goal was to create hands-on experiencesby exposing my group to different laboratories to train on state-of-the-art instruments of8cience. This provided me the opportunity to interact with other scientists in the academic,as well as the professional community. The resulting research was published, and thoseundergraduate students are now active members in the Research Gate community.In my opinion, the benefits of teaching Freshman Projects included increased studentinvolvement in my area of research, and building student-faculty interactions. This teachingexperience resulted in an addition to my publication portfolio. Finally, what I found to beparticularly rewarding, were the new relationships formed with other academics and scien-tists across different disciplines, forging relationships that will foster future opportunities fororiginal research. Freshman Projects is an ideal course to use to develop your faculty mem-bers on all tiers. According to Dr. Patty Phelps, understanding your vision, believing inlife-long growth, establishing a great network, taking the initiative, and at all times being aperson of integrity exhibit some of the fundamentals of faculty development . Participatingin this project at Loyola University Chicago provided these fundamentals for me. D. Impact of Freshman Project on a growing department
1. Role of Freshman Project in a Growing Department
The project has had a very positive impact on our program since its inception. It hasplayed a key role in developing and cohering a rapidly growing department as it has coincidedwith a period of strong growth. As Table I shows, our department has had a great successin attracting and retaining growing numbers of students since the introduction of FP. Thegraduating class of 1998 was the first class that participated in FP, and there has been alarge increase in the number of graduates since then.This project was an important part of a series of curricular changes that has led to therevitalization of the department. It has played a role in building a familial atmosphere in adepartment with students occupying a central place in the unit at an important stage in theircareers. As the department grew, students who once could expect relatively individualizedattention from their freshman sequence instructors could easily get lost if attention werenot paid to keeping the department faculty accessible to them. Through their FreshmanProject mentor, students have another go-to-person to discuss their concerns or to just chatabout their future. They get the opportunity to work closely with a mentor and their peers,9
ABLE I.Number of graduates from the LUC Physics Department as averaged over seven separatefour-year periods. Each year listed indicates the Academic Year ending in that year; forexample, “1991” indicates AY 1990-1991.Year range Average number of gradsper academic year1991-1994 5.01995-1998 5.31999-2002 7.52003-2006 9.02007-2010 23.82011-2014 27.82015-2018 30.3 and these experiences can help them to identify closely with the department and to feelwelcomed and integrated into the activity of the department.
IV. SUGGESTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SIMILAR PROGRAMSA. Faculty Involvement
In the FP course, students and faculty members spend a large amount of time workingtogether to complete their projects within a semester. Faculty mentoring plays an importantrole in guiding students through the project. To ensure success, chosen projects shouldbe sufficiently complex, yet not overwhelming, with well-established goals that can andshould be met through collaboration. The role of a mentor in helping students individuallyunderstand the problem and work together to solve it is crucial. Although all studentsshould be actively involved in each aspect of the project, facilitating different students to leaddifferent aspects of the project gives students a chance to develop collaborative leadershipskills. Therefore, the most important key to success of the program is the buy-in by facultymembers. 10he benefits of the program to the faculty and to the department can be helpful to ensurefaculty commitment. Faculty can learn more about the physics major at an early stage intheir departmental involvement. Students can be attracted to the department by seeingthe exciting activity of other students, and since introducing students to research early intheir careers can increase student retention, the potential benefit for the department aresignificant.At Loyola, there was initially no formal credit given to faculty mentors, and yet facultyinvolvement was strong due to their appreciation for the benefits of the course for thestudents and the department. This, however, was not an ideal situation as faculty tookon additional responsibilities for the project without receiving credit; equally importantly,the transcript of the students did not show that they had carried out research with theiradvisers during their freshman year. Therefore, additional incentive can be provided forfaculty if their effort on the project can be counted, formally or informally, towards theirteaching responsibilities, and sometimes to their scholarship. At Loyola, we did this in 2008by making Freshman Projects a separate one-credit course.
B. Physical Resources
The physical resources required to start a similar program are small. Minimum necessaryresources include: work space (one table per group) and access to lab equipment and com-puting facilities (which may be as simple as standard laptop computers). While materialsupplies needed for building many experimental setups can be acquired at home improve-ment stores at a reasonable cost, some additional funds may be required. We started theprojects at Loyola with a budget of $50 per group for supplies, on average, which has beengradually increased to its current rate of $200 per group. At Loyola, we have been able toprovide this funding by instituting lab fees for lab-based courses in Physics, including FP.The collection of lab fees has occasionally also allowed us to purchase equipment that canbe shared in various Freshman Projects as well as advanced undergraduate projects. Otherresources available to the department can also be usefully integrated into the FP course;as an example, at Loyola, we have a machine shop which is staffed by a skilled part-timeemployee. As a part of the FP course, this machinist provides a safety class to all studentsand trains them in the use of several tools. The benefits in attracting and retaining students11ay also justify the allocation of additional institutional resources to the department.
C. Integration Into Curriculum
When considering such a program, it is important to assess its desired role in the cur-riculum and how to introduce this new element successfully. One possibility is to start it asa part of the second semester of the introductory physics lecture or the corresponding labcourse, as we did at Loyola. This allows the program to get off the ground with a relativelyminor commitment. Assigning a faculty FP coordinator (which could be the instructor ofthe introductory physics class or lab) can help to unify activity across the various groups. Ifpossible, it may be helpful to start the project as an innovative course, i.e., develop a set oflearning objectives, specific goals, time commitments, grading rubrics and responsibilities forstudents and faculty members before implementing the program, as well as an appropriateassessment plan for future improvements.It is generally useful to consider the Freshman Project experience as a simple model ofphysics research, beginning with a proposal that includes requirements for theoretical, exper-imental and construction component. As the project progresses, students should documenttheir progress electronically and/or in a lab notebook. Finally, a seminar or poster sessionto complete the semester gives students experience in scientific presentation.To maximize the impact of the activity, groups can be encouraged to present their workoutside the department, such as at local AAPT meetings, an undergraduate research sym-posium or an SPS regional or national meeting. Depending on the nature of the project,faculty members and their research groups could consider publication in an undergraduateresearch journal, or journals such as
The Physics Teacher , American Journal of Physics , orjournals devoted to research on specific areas.The benefits of the program may trickle in slowly, hence some level of patience is war-ranted. The faculty should meet as a whole to periodically assess progress and discuss theprojects based on experience and student feedback. There should be a review of the projectsat the end of the semester to decide on any necessary changes for future years.Naturally, implementation of these suggestions may need to be modified based on theavailable faculty members in a department, its student body, and the resources available.However, even a subset of these elements, combined with a department’s ideas for their own12roject development, could provide an excellent freshman project experience for a cohort ofphysics majors.
V. CONCLUSIONS
The Freshman Project in Physics has played an important role at Loyola UniversityChicago as the department has transformed from a relatively small major to a departmentwith a number of annual graduates frequently among the top ten undergraduate-only Physicsprograms in the country . In doing so, it has helped to facilitate interaction between facultyand students, and has taught students valuable skills that will prepare them for careers inthe Twenty-First Century. We believe that this program can provide a useful model forincoporating project-based learning at early stages in students’ careers into the curriculumat other institutions. VI. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank all of the LUC Physics faculty who have contributedto the development of the Freshman Projects program, including Dr. Maria Udo, whosediscussion and suggestions were helpful in writing this manuscript. We would also like tothank Mr. Thomas Ruubel, who has kept excellent records and provided some data relatedto Table I. ∗ [email protected] † [email protected] ‡ [email protected] § [email protected] ¶ [email protected] ∗∗ [email protected] L. Guterman, “What good is undergraduate research, anyway?” The Chronicle of HigherEducation, , A12 (2007). M. Graham, J. Frederick, A. Byars-Winston, A. Hunter, and J. Handelsman, “Increasing per-sistence of college students in stem,” Science, , 1455–1456 (2013). R. C. Hilborn, R. H. Howes, and K. S. Krane, “Strategic programsfor innovations in undergraduate physics: Project report,” (2003), URL . P. Heron and L. McNeil, “Phys 21: Preparing physics students for 21st-century ca-reers. a report by the joint task force on undergraduate physics programs,” (2016), URL L. McNeil and P. Heron, “Preparing physics students for 21st-century careers,” Physics Today, , 38–43 (2017). A. Gangopadhyaya, “Undergraduate research - what is it?” Proc. of The World Conference onPhysics Education 2012 (Ankara, Turkey), pp. 753–762 (2014). J. M. Osborn and K. K. Karukstis, “The benefits of undergraduate research, scholarship, andcreative activity,” in
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