Check out the YouTube channel Let’s Code Physics. A few video series include:

• A Journey through Modern Physics
• VPython for Beginners
• Coding for High School Physics
• Computational Problems for Intro Physics
• Euler-Cromer for Beginners
• Tracker for Beginners

Online coding platforms

• Glowscript
• p5.js

Using an online coding platform like Glowscript or p5.js streamlines the process of coding. Students/faculty can edit and run the program on their browser and save it to the cloud.

In Brian’s YouTube videos, he provides the code that he is working with in the video so that you can program along with him and use that code in your class.

Great analogy: Learning to program is a lot like learning a musical instrument.

• Learning a first instrument is very challenging; not only are you learning the instrument, but you are also learning to read music.   Learning a second instrument is almost always easier; the rules of music have not changed. Once you learn one programming language, it’s much easier to learn another one after that because they all have the same structure.

Brian believes his biggest successes have been

• The Euler-Cromer series
• The V-Python for Beginners series

Any new directions for the channel?

• Brian tries to have 2 or 3 major series each fall and spring semester
• Since he has many of the core components of programming covered in previous series, he’s branching into more course specific series
  • For instance, for the Spring 2021 semester he will make a series for junior level Modern Physics
  • Physics of the Wheel of Time book series??

PICUP – Partnership for Integration of Computation in Undergraduate Physics

• Learn more at Compadre.org/PICUP

Resources on the website

• Schedule of events: webinars, workshops, recordings
• Collection of peer-reviewed exercise sets
  • Ready for classroom use, with starter code and lead-in code
• PICUP Slack channel. People post on this multiple times a week with questions and answers

Where to learn more in-person?

• There is usually a 2-3 day intensive new faculty PICUP workshop each year.
• There are AAPT sessions and workshops about PICUP each meeting.

How can I build more confidence in my ability to teaching coding in physics?

• Start with an existing code. Don’t start with a blank program.
• Play with the code like it was a lab experiment. Know how “the equipment” works. You don’t read a manual to learn the code; you play with the program and coding.
• Think about your goals for incorporating computation in the class. What are you hoping to accomplish?
  • One goal is to support the physics. In this case, learning all of the nuts and bolts of coding may not be your major interest.
  • Another goal is teaching computational skills. You want students to know what’s “under the hood.”
  • You need to determine where you are on this spectrum. This will determine the types of activities you write, what you ask your students to do, and how much weight you put on the coding itself.
• Scaffolding process
  • You and students start by reading code. Can you look at the lines of code and say what it will do?
  • Then you want to learn to use code.
  • Then modify code.
  • Then add code.
  • This guides you toward the end goal of being able to write code from scratch.

And now for something completely different: sending a letter home to mom and dad (or 5-year old brother, for instance) about the physics you learned in lab

• Article: Letters home as an alternative to lab reports
  • or here