Physics Bowl Editor:
| edit | Term of office | edit | Term of office |
Jim Nelson |
1985 |
W. Edward Gettys
|
1988 |
| Mary Mogge
|
1993 |
Courtney Willis
|
1999 |
| Richard Olenick
|
2005 |
Michael Faleski
|
2008 2017 |
| Jon Anderson
|
Current |
Myra West
|
Current |
Competition History
Starting in 1983…
An article by Jim Nelson (former editor) provides some origins of the annual exam introduced by the AAPT, which eventually led to the PhysicsBowl: James Nelson, "AAPT/NSTA high school physics examination," Phys. Teach. 21, 100-103 (February 1983).
Another article by Kenneth Fox and Jim Nelson contains more information about the beginnings of the physics competition: Doug Fox and Jim Nelson, “Physics contests for high school students,” Phys. Teach. 21, 161–163 (March 1983).
More details about the competition can be found in Edward Gettys's (another former editor) documents on the "Quantitative Testing" (which later evolved into the PhysicsBowl): to the AAPT Test Development Committee (Draft) Feb, 1989, and another document: to the NSF, May 1989.
Furthermore, former editor Courtney Willis provides more historical information about the competition through her writings.
"For your background, the testing board wasn't originally formed for PhysicsBowl. It arose because many HS teachers wanted a universal test similar to the one the ACS uses for chemistry. The testing board was formed for that reason. The test is then revised every few years. Teachers buy the test papers and give them to their students. This way, teachers get the answers and some statistics so they can compare student performance. The test is an external benchmark that teachers can use to measure overall performance for the year. I was very happy when this test first appeared around 1980 because I was teaching HS physics and chemistry at a small school in the mountains and had been using the ACS test for some time. Thank you for taking the physics test as well.
Metrologic entered the education market in 2007 and first proposed PhysicsBowl. Herb Gottlieb, a representative of Metrologic and a member of the testing board, proposed a partnership. Metrologic would provide free lasers to the highest-scoring schools in each region, and the AAPT testing board would compile the annual test. Thus, the testing board would provide PhysicsBowl with..." An annual competitive exam is written, and then a revised introductory exam is conducted periodically. In the mid-1980s, the AAPT began sponsoring the Physics Olympiad, and the examination board had some responsibility there at different times. About 10 years ago, the PhysicsBowl became so popular that it almost replaced the introductory exam. In the following years, there were many sponsors. There was a time when national and regional scholarships were available for high achievers, which I think also helped drive the PhysicsBowl's growth.
One of the biggest changes to the competition occurred in 2002 when a second division was introduced. Previously, all students had to answer 40 questions, but as the competition became more competitive, it became necessary to divide them into two groups. This feature has been retained since.
Not only did the competition itself change, but its sponsors also changed. In the following years, Metrologic eventually moved to other areas (after 2001), the Knowles Science Education Foundation became one of the sponsors (in 2002), and Frey Scientific and Texas Instruments became sponsors starting in 2003. In 2009, Vernier Scientific also became an annual sponsor. Several other sponsoring companies were added in 2011, including Educational Innovations, Inc., John Wiley & Sons, Pasco Scientific, and Princeton University Press.
The format of the competition has changed significantly in recent years. Previously, exams were printed and mailed to teachers, but this method was phased out in 2011. Instead, PDF forms can be mailed to teachers for photocopying. Furthermore, WebAssign, which began in 2008, now has a fully online competition version.
Finally, a recent article on PhysicsBowl was published on TPT: Michael C. Faleski, “25 Years of AAPT's PhysicsBowl,” Phys. Teach. 48, 156-157 (March 2010).