This study was based on the hypothesis that students' epistemological beliefs could become more expertlike with a combination of appropriate instructional activities: (i) preclass reading with metacognitive reflection, and (ii) in-class active learning that produces cognitive dissonance. This hypothesis was tested through a five-year study involving close to 1000 students at two institutions, in four physics courses. Using an experimental design, data from student interviews, writing product assessments, and the Discipline-Focused Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire (DFEBQ) we demonstrate that the beliefs of novice science learners became more expertlike on 2 of the 4 DFEBQ factors. We conclude that a combination of an activity that gets students to examine textual material metacognitively (Reflective Writing) with one or more types of in-class active learning interventions can promote positive change in students' epistemological beliefs.

Traditional lab sections in introductory physics courses at Mount Royal University were replaced by a new style of lab called ‘labatorials’ developed by the Physics Education Development Group at the University of Calgary. Using labatorials in introductory physics courses has lowered student anxiety and strengthened student engagement in lab sessions. Labatorials provide instant feedback to the students and instructors. Interviews with students who had completed Introductory Physics labatorials as well as the anonymous comments left by them showed that labatorials have improved student satisfaction. Students improved their understanding of concepts compared to students who had taken traditional labs in earlier years. Moreover a combination of labatorials and reflective writing can promote positive change in students’ epistemological beliefs.

In this paper, we present a selection methodology in the physics laboratory that lowers student anxiety and is beneficial to the instructors as well. At Mount Royal University, the traditional laboratory experimental exercises were replaced by a new style of laboratory called labatorials. In our previous research work, we found that labatorials integrate communications and discussions in a friendly environment. They decrease students’ anxiety and improve self-confidence. However, there have been some challenges associated with physics labs that are not specific to labatorials such as the final lab grades of students who miss a lab. Phys1201 and Phys1202 courses at MRU are 13-week courses with around 200 first-year students each semester. There are two training sessions for the lab instructors during the first two weeks of the semester to familiarize them with labatorial goals and strategies. Due to the training sessions and to make sure that the topics of the experiments have been covered in the classroom, introductory physics laboratories start the third week of the semester. There is no lab during the reading break at MRU and we are left with 10 weeks to cover 10 labs. A lab instructor cannot control student absences, and students should not be punished for missing a lab due to illness or a family situation. Each introductory physics course is divided into three to four lecture sections and around 15 lab sections each semester. One solution was to provide opportunities for students to go to another lab section when they miss a lab. However, this solution created new challenges for both students and instructors. It was not easy to find a lab section that matches the schedule of the students missing a lab. On the other hand, at MRU there is only one lab instructor for each 16-student lab section. Some feedback we have received from students is that they would prefer groups of two or three members as most of the time not every member of every group participates. Having one more student making up a lab resulted in having a group of five and made the group activity more difficult. We had received much negative feedback from students working with a new member in groups of five. Some lab instructors excused the missing lab grade and some provided a make-up lab opportunity during a time that worked for them and the students. There are many sessional lab instructors working in our department that cannot provide opportunities for students to make up labs during a time that they do not teach. On the other hand, they are not paid for the extra two-hour make-up labs as well. Not having a consistent solution for the students missing a lab in different sections increased the number of complaints. To address this challenge and use a consistent solution applicable in all lab sections, we decided to use a common practice in the Department of Mathematics and Computing at MRU that allows students to choose the best k quiz/activity grades from the n quizzes/activities written, a policy they call selective assessment.

While riding a motorcycle the rider can find the handlebars along with the motorcycle frame to begin to oscillate at a high frequency. This motorcycle weave can be very dangerous as its frequency can be high at high speeds of the motorcycle. We collect evidence as how to avoid this motorcycle weave by numerically analyzing the eigenvalues of a certain matrix polynomial arising from the linearized model for the motorcycle motion. Among other suggestions, our simulations confirm that the rider leaning forward indeed mitigates such a high-speed motorcycle weave. Our model provides a prediction as to what attributes of the motorcycle increase or decrease the chances of the weave occurring.

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