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In this work, we assess the use of machine learning to classify fission events in the Active Target Time Projection Chamber (AT-TPC) using data from an experiment performed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University. The experiment produces an extremely large quantity of data, less than 3% of which are fission events. Therefore, separating fission events from the background beam events is critical to an efficient analysis. A heuristic method was developed to classify events as Fission or Non-Fission based on hand-tuned parameters. However, this heuristic method places 5% of all events into an Unlabeled category, including 15% of all fission events. We present a PointNet model trained on the data labeled by the heuristic method. This model is then used to generate labels for the events in the Unlabeled category. Using the heuristic and machine learning methods together, we can successfully identify 99% of fission events. 

The role of facilitator, and facilitation strategies, are components that sometimes get overlooked as important in promoting collaborative interactions, such as with group work. Being able to work effectively in a group is a required skill for most disciplines, in particular for those in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. It is also central throughout the Professional Development Program (PDP) developed and run by the Institute of Scientist and Engineer Educators (ISEE), starting with group formation and leading all the way up to the final culminating activity. As such, PDP teams are taught facilitation strategies. Keeping in mind a group’s goals and what their measures for accountability are, the facilitator should be able to give constructive feedback and actively assess the team’s progress on the go. In this process, the facilitator can identify early on issues that can then be addressed before they become pathological. In this paper, we discuss from our experience as PDP participants and facilitators, what are different spaces we have applied facilitation strategies, what are some of the strategies that have worked throughout the years to improve group work, and what observations from the group help us make the best possible assessment.