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© International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 International Baccalaureate® | Baccalauréat International® | Bachillerato Internacional®

Physics Internal Assessment: Strategies to overcome school closures and restrictions with a focus on using simulation and database sources of data. October 2020 © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 International Baccalaureate® | Baccalauréat International® | Bachillerato Internacional®

Physics individual investigation Many schools preparing students for the internal assessment are confronting problems facilitating the practical data gathering phase normally associated with the Individual Investigations because • School is closed, students work from home • School is open but hands on practical work is prohibited © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 3

Physics individual investigation This presentation has two sections Section A: “What can I do? ” • Facilitating a successful Individual Investigation without an available school laboratory Section B: “How to mark the IA? ” • Assessing with the assessment criteria the outcome report © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 4

Section A Facilitating a successful Individual Investigation without an available school laboratory: Teacher Guidance • Appreciate that working from home is not an easy task • Provide encouragement at all stages of the work • Suggest a variety of investigation types Home Based, Home-Based with Smartphones, Computer Simulations, Database, Hybrid and Modelling © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 5

Section A Types of Investigations • Home-based: This would include anything plus the kitchen sink. A bouncing ball and a ruler might be all that is needed Crater formation in sand • Home-based with Smartphones: The use of various apps allows quantified measurements to be made plus the possibility of high speed videos for analysis Inverse square law for light © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 6

Section A Types of Investigations—continued • Computer Simulations: A simulation can be used to generate data, albeit artificial data, that can then be processed analyzed to answer a research question Millikan oil drop simulation • Online Databases: A professionally established database can provide ample data for an appropriate research question Determine the mass of Earth using satellite data © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 7

Section A Types of Investigations—continued • Models and Hybrid: Modelling Software Programs—design a two dimensional world and control the parameters Model two billiard balls colliding Spreadsheets—process the appropriate equations and solve a problem Iteration of SHM equations to illustrate damping Hybrids—relating formal models to real world data Real and ideal projectile motion © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 8

Section A Facilitating a successful Individual Investigation without an available school laboratory: Teacher Guidance—continued • After consultation with the student, and before the investigation is started, require the student to submit a proposal • Approve proposals only if the investigation is appropriate, meaning that it can address the assessment criteria and that it is commensurate with the curriculum © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 9

Section A Facilitating a successful Individual Investigation without an available school laboratory: Teacher Guidance—continued • Confirm that any relevant safety, ethical and environmental issues are addressed • Establish the authenticity of student’s work © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 10

Section A: “What can I do? ” Section B: “How to mark the IA? ” Advice for addressing simulation and database IA work. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 11

Section B: Assessing the report • There is no change in the general IA task Research question, variables, data processing, analysis, conclusion and evaluation • The same scientific skills will be assessed The Group 4 aims, objectives and skills remain the same • There is no change in the assessment criteria Personal engagement, exploration, analysis, evaluation and communication © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 12

Section B: Assessing the report— continued • Examiners mark positively Examiners apply the criteria fairly, and they mark what the student has done, not what the student should have been done • Teacher comments on the student script Teacher’s comments are used to help the examiner understand how the teacher applied the given assessment criterion to the student work • IA skills The assessment criteria state the abilities that the examiner is assessing. Students should make sure these skills are clearly demonstrated in their report. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 13

Section B: Assessing the report— Criteria Personal engagement: independent thinking, creativity, initiative Exploration: scientific context, research question, variables, method and procedures Analysis: select, record, process and interpret data Evaluation: conclusion based on analysis and research question plus evaluation of method and results within relevant scientific context Communication: effective communications, focus in content, process and outcomes, scientific terminology © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 14

Personal engagement—simulations With simulations, special attention can be given to • Reason for selecting simulation instead of hands on • Creative use of simulation data • Designing appropriate method or presentation © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 15

Personal engagement–database With database work, special attention can be given to • The selection of a given database • The research question and depth of understanding (because database information is often very complex) © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 16

Exploration—computer simulation • When using a simulation for primary data, the motive and rationale of the research question are important. • The reliability and sufficiency of data are determined by the simulation, but the student’s selection of an appropriate simulation is crucial. • The circular nature of the generated data needs to be addressed as well as the non-empirical nature of the data. • Appropriate methodology looks at what the student does with the data, not the source of data. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 17

Exploration—online database • Although the student selects an appropriate database for their primary data, the student has no control over the quality of data. Students are not expected to evaluate professionally obtained data. • Most databases have far more than enough data, so the sufficiency of data is determined by what the student makes use of. • Repeated measurements may not be possible, but the student could find the same information on another database and comments about the precision and accuracy could be made. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 18

Analysis–simulation & database • The selection and recording of primary data from a simulation or database needs to be sufficient and relevant to answer the research question. • Data from a simulation is generated by a computer program and is not empirical. Analysis skills (data collection, processing and graphing, appreciating uncertainties) can still be done with simulated data. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 19

Analysis–continued • Primary data with a simulation or database will reveal a degree of precision and a limit given by significant figures. The least count is the minimum uncertainty. Repeated measurements can be made with a simulation and if the results are identical then this can be stated. • Often database information will not include uncertainties; students are not expected to evaluate this data. Rather, the method of analysis can propagate the primary data precision and uncertainties and keep the processing within a reasonable range. The same information might be compared on different databases. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 20

Evaluation—computer simulations The conclusion and evaluation of an IA using a computer simulation as a source of primary data needs to reflect: • The non-empirical nature of the primary data • The scope and limit of data available • Any assumptions of the method of analysis • Improvements on method, not the source of data © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 21

Evaluation–database The conclusion and evaluation of an IA using database information as a source of primary data needs to reflect: • The scope and limit of data available, including the precision of the data • Any assumptions of the method of analysis • Improvements on the method, not the source of data • Students cannot be expected to evaluate professionally established databases © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 22

Communication • When a simulation or database uses unconventional units, such as hours or feet, the student can convert to SI units or units appropriate for the research question. Unconventional units in the primary data do not inhibit the communications of the report. • Screenshots of a simulation and the readouts are expected, and a screenshot of a sample of the data for databased investigation is expected. Not all the data needs to be shown. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 23

• Topics addressed using simulations in student IA work Big G by simulation, Climate prediction, Damping and SHM, Discharge of a capacitor and circuit resistance, Electromagnetic induction, Extreme conditions with the general gas law, Faraday’s law and magnetic moment, Full-wave rectification and smoothing, Gas law constant, Gravitational field and potential lines, Large amplitude pendulums, Light wavelength and intensity of internally reflected light, Millikan oil drop (charge of an electron), Planck’s constant, Projectile motion and air friction, Schwarzschild radius and mass of black hole, Wien’s Law, Young’s double slit with light and sound • Topics addressed using databases in student IA work Age of the universe via Hubble’s law, Cosmic ray analysis, Determining the speed of light from astronomical data, GPS tracking and the Sagnac effect, Kepler’s third law and Jupiter’s No audio on this slide. moons, Mass of Earth using satellite data, Stellar black body radiation, Sunspot rotation, Temperature of stars and size of © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 24

Hybrid investigations can combine a spreadsheet or a database or a simulation or a modelling program with a traditional hands on approach. Assessment remains the same. • Virtual models of the world There a variety of modelling software programs that allow student so construct virtual two-dimensional models of the physics world. A student modelled the collision between two billiard balls establishing variable speeds, elasticity and motion. A slow-motion video of a real billiard ball collision (found online) was then compared, the parameters adjusted in the model, and the result was that the elasticity and coefficient of friction were determined. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 25

Hybrid investigations–continued • Spreadsheet modelling One popular modelling technique is the process of iteration. Using nothing but a spreadsheet, iteration is a mathematical way of solving an equation which generates a sequence of approximations. Most spreadsheet allows you to automatically enter a wide range of initial data. One example is simple harmonic oscillator with damping, where the student adjusted the parameters and graphed the results. Real SHM motion was then compared and parameters determined. In a similar way, real and ideal projectiles motion can be compared. Another student used a spreadsheet to investigate the most efficient way (meaning the least lost energy) to charge a capacitor and resistor circuit. A formal analysis using Euler-Lagrange equations revealed the correct approach. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 26

Conclusion • Students have a wide range of types of explorations, including computer simulations and databases as sources of primary data. • Non-hands-on sources of data can be assessed in the same way as traditional IA work. Special attention and consideration is given to the non-empirical nature of a computer simulation data. • As with all student explorations, assessment requires an interpretation of the indicators statements and judgment about what is and is not relevant. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020 27