Computation is intertwined with essentially all aspects of physics research and is invaluable for physicists' careers. Despite its disciplinary importance, integration of computation into physics education remains a challenge. Here we perform design research to create an educational environment that incorporates making, the creation of shared physical and digital artifacts, and acquisition of data with smartphones. The design is intended to promote students' agency, creativity and self-expression alongside doing physics. We present a content analysis of student work from initial implementations of this approach to illustrate the very complex epistemic maneuvers students make as they engaged in computational modeling and some of the creative ways they used smartphones. We conclude with implications of the design for broader instruction.

Smartphone based labs are a cornerstone of our efforts to reform the introductory labs in both our calculus-based and algebra-based classes. Students use smartphones to collect data in the lab (Bluetooth paired with sensors) and at home (using the native sensors in the phone). In this talk, we will give a brief overview of the project, then emphasize the at-home labs. These labs have allowed us to substantially reduce crowding in the lab, emphasize data analysis, and give students an opportunity to be more exploratory in their approach to lab. We will highlight examples of our at-home labs and discuss lessons learned during the first year of the project.

In this work we present some examples of acoustics laboratories that can be carried out with low-cost equipment, which during the pandemic were essential to maintain activities in our experimental physics courses. In particular, we will show a simple and inexpensive experiment on acoustic resonance that students can carry out at home, using a smartphone and the extendable tube of a vacuum cleaner. Producing sound by gently hitting one end of the tube with the palm of an open hand, the resonant frequencies for different lengths of the telescopic tube can be measured with a smartphone. This is possible thanks to the great camputational capacity of smartphones, which allows them to perform the Fast Fourier Transform in real time, this being one of the many factors that convert these pocket computers into portable laboratories, available in the most diverse circumstance, whether during confinement or a field activity, among many others.

This presentation will describe a novel laboratory activity where the acoustic frequencies produced by the resonant vibrational modes of coins are measured using a smartphone’s microphone and analyzed in real-time using free mobile applications. The resulting resonant acoustic spectra allow for unique characterization of coins with different physical properties. The activity provides the opportunity to develop student skills in a very simple, yet elegant, experimental design, be exposed to a wide range of fundamental physics phenomena and use powerful visualization tools. In addition to the STEM benefits, students will investigate coins that convey a story of art, society and history creating additional student interest. This presentation will include examples of resonant acoustic spectra for a range of coins and describe a wide range of opportunities for investigation that has been used in introductory high school physics or can be extended to challenge advanced physics majors in universities.