#  Research 

 



The Science Education Research Group aims to investigate impactful questions about science education pedagogy. We explore the effectiveness of current practices used in our classrooms as well as new practices. Please find selected publications below.

 

##  Selected Publications 

 



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### 2026

[Two-Stage Final Exams: An Assessment Strategy for Enhanced Collaborative Learning and Reduced Student Stress](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0047231X.2026.2620442). *Journal of College Science Teaching*  (2026).



 

 

[Two-Stage Final Exams: An Assessment Strategy for Enhanced Collaborative Learning and Reduced Student Stress](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0047231X.2026.2620442). *Journal of College Science Teaching*  (2026).



 

 

 

- add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract
 
Two-stage exams, which pair a traditional individual exam with a subsequent collaborative, group exam, have been shown to enhance learning, retention, and student attitudes in midterm settings. This study investigates whether these benefits extend to...



 

 

 

[Views on AI Existential Risk Before and After a Public Event at Harvard University](https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.27785). *arXiv* (2026).



 

 

[Views on AI Existential Risk Before and After a Public Event at Harvard University](https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.27785). *arXiv* (2026).



 

 

 

- add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract
 
We report the results of identical pre- and post-event surveys given to attendees of a talk, two-sided conversation, and Q&amp;A centered around the book If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies at Harvard University in March 2026, covering perceived probability of...



 

 

 

[Visualizing Mathieu-Type Dynamics in a Tabletop Magnetic Trap: A Coil-Driven Parametric Oscillator](https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.03409). *arXiv* (2026).



 

 

[Visualizing Mathieu-Type Dynamics in a Tabletop Magnetic Trap: A Coil-Driven Parametric Oscillator](https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.03409). *arXiv* (2026).



 

 

 

- add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract
 
We present a tabletop demonstration of dynamic stabilization and ponderomotive-like trapping using a pair of sinusoidally-driven anti-Helmholtz coils and a suspended permanent magnet. The oscillating field produces a rapid micromotion superimposed on a...



 

 

 

 



### 2025

[Active learning through flexible collaborative exams: Improving assessments across disciplines](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14697874251344293). *Active Learning in Higher Education* (2025).



 

 

[Active learning through flexible collaborative exams: Improving assessments across disciplines](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14697874251344293). *Active Learning in Higher Education* (2025).



 

 

 

- add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract
 
Two-stage exams, which pair a traditional individual exam with a subsequent collaborative exam, are widely popular with both students and faculty for fostering deep engagement, collaboration, and immediate feedback. Over the last decade, this assessment...



 

 

 

[AI tutoring outperforms in-class active learning: an RCT introducing a novel research-based design in an authentic educational setting](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-97652-6). *Scientific Reports (Springer Nature)* (2025).



 

 

[AI tutoring outperforms in-class active learning: an RCT introducing a novel research-based design in an authentic educational setting](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-97652-6). *Scientific Reports (Springer Nature)* (2025).



 

 

 

- add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract
 
Advances in generative artificial intelligence show great potential for improving education. Yet little is known about how this new technology should be used and how effective it can be compared to current best practices. Here we report a randomized...



 

 

 

[Demonstrating Dynamic Stability in Paul Traps: Exploring Rotating Saddles with Liquid Nitrogen Droplets](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.04035). *arXiv* (2025).



 

 

[Demonstrating Dynamic Stability in Paul Traps: Exploring Rotating Saddles with Liquid Nitrogen Droplets](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.04035). *arXiv* (2025).



 

 

 

- add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract
 
Rotating saddle potentials provide a compelling visual demonstration of dynamic stability, widely used in undergraduate physics as mechanical analogs to the RF Paul trap. Traditional demonstrations typically rely on rolling ball bearings, whose frictional...



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

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