Kathleen Foote

A cross-cultural survey of female undergraduates’ aspirations for scientific study and careers

Almost worldwide, females still comprise a minority of degree-holders and employees in the physical sciences. Although a significant amount of research has been done to investigate and improve the underrepresentation of females in science, the problem is far from solved. Since this is still a global issue, this cross-cultural study uses qualitative survey responses completed by approximately hundred Indian, American and Brazilian female college/university science students to identify factors that influenced students to choose scientific majors and plan for future careers. Both differences and common influences between cultures have practical implications for techniques to help attract and retain women in science worldwide.

Using Charge Distributions to “Immerse” Your Classroom in an Electric Field

Because electric fields are both invisible and three dimensional, they can be quite difficult to introduce to students. Simple diagrams are unable to convey the complexity or depth of the field, and computer simulations in isolation do not provide a familiar spatial context for students to understand what they see. Through “immersing” the classroom in an imaginary electric field, we propose an activity to engage the students in both visualizing and computing the electric field generated by a distribution of charges. This activity provides the opportunity for active learning within classrooms of all sizes, whether they utilize a traditional lecture format or a reformed learning environment.