Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2008 APS April Meeting and HEDP/HEDLA Meeting
Volume 53, Number 5
Friday–Tuesday, April 11–15, 2008; St. Louis, Missouri
Session R16: Frontiers in Physics Education Research |
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Sponsoring Units: FEd Chair: Paula Heron, University of Washington Room: Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront (formerly Adam's Mark Hotel), Director's Row 29 |
Monday, April 14, 2008 10:45AM - 11:21AM |
R16.00001: Effectiveness of different tutorial recitation teaching methods and its implications for TA training Invited Speaker: We present results from a comparative study of student understanding for students who attended recitation classes that used different teaching methods. The purpose of the study was to evaluate which teaching methods would be the most effective for recitation classes associated with large lectures in introductory physics courses. Student volunteers from our introductory calculus-based physics course at the University of Cincinnati attended a special recitation class that was taught using one of four different teaching methods. A total of 272 students were divided into approximately equal groups for each method. Students in each class were taught the same topic, ``Changes in Energy and Momentum,'' from ``Tutorials in Introductory Physics'' by Lillian McDermott, Peter Shaffer and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington. The different teaching methods varied in the amount of student and teacher engagement. Student understanding was evaluated through pretests and posttests. Our results demonstrate the importance of the instructor's role in teaching recitation classes. The most effective teaching method was for students working in cooperative learning groups with the instructors questioning the groups using Socratic dialogue. In addition, we investigated student preferences of modes of instruction through an open-ended survey. Our results provide guidance and evidence for the teaching methods which should be emphasized in training course instructors. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 14, 2008 11:21AM - 11:33AM |
R16.00002: Teaching Quantum Physics: What Is An Electron? Art Hobson Quantum field theorists have understood for decades that electrons and other material ``particles'' are quanta of the electron-positron field and other fields, just as photons are quanta of the electromagnetic field, and that a field quantum is a discrete and irreducible portion (or ``chunk,'' or ``bundle'') of a field, occupying an extended spatial region. But this understanding has not seeped through to most teachers and textbook writers at the introductory or undergraduate levels. Hence, there is still much discussion, and perplexity, about the supposed wave-particle paradox. But there is no paradox. Electrons are field quanta, extending spatially throughout the delta-x of the uncertainty principle, not particles. I will present a simple experiment-based method of teaching these quantum fundamentals. The experiments are the double-slit experiment for light and for electrons using intense beams (demonstrating interference) and dim beams (demonstrating discrete interactions). [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 14, 2008 11:33AM - 11:45AM |
R16.00003: Impact of Context-Rich, Multifaceted Problems on Students' Attitudes Towards Problem-Solving Craig Ogilvie Young scientists and engineers need strong problem-solving skills to enable them to address the broad challenges they will face in their careers. These challenges will likely be ill-defined and open-ended with either unclear goals, insufficient constraints, multiple possible solutions, and different criteria for evaluating solutions so that our young scientists and engineers must be able to make judgments and defend their proposed solutions. In contrast, many students believe that problem-solving is being able to apply set procedures or algorithms to tasks and that their job as students is to master an ever-increasing list of procedures. This gap between students' beliefs and the broader, deeper approaches of experts is a strong barrier to the educational challenge of preparing students to succeed in their future careers. To start to address this gap, we have used multi-faceted, context-rich problems in a sophomore calculus-based physics course. To assess whether there was any change in students' attitudes or beliefs towards problem-solving, students were asked to reflect on their problem-solving at the beginning and at the end of the semester. These reflections were coded as containing one or more problem-solving ideas. The change in students' beliefs will be shown in this talk. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 14, 2008 11:45AM - 11:57AM |
R16.00004: Investigating the Conceptual Variation of Major Physics Textbooks John Stewart, Richard Campbell, Jessica Clanton The conceptual problem content of the electricity and magnetism chapters of seven major physics textbooks was investigated. The textbooks presented a total of 1600 conceptual electricity and magnetism problems. The solution to each problem was decomposed into its fundamental reasoning steps. These fundamental steps are, then, used to quantify the distribution of conceptual content among the set of topics common to the texts. The variation of the distribution of conceptual coverage within each text is studied. The variation between the major groupings of the textbooks (conceptual, algebra-based, and calculus-based) is also studied. A measure of the conceptual complexity of the problems in each text is presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 14, 2008 11:57AM - 12:09PM |
R16.00005: Identifying student difficulties with aspects of partial differentiation in upper-level thermodynamics John Thompson, Brandon Bucy, Donald Mountcastle We are investigating student understanding and application of mathematics in an upper-level undergraduate thermodynamics course. We asked students about the relationship between complementary partial derivatives of the isothermal compressibility \textit{($\kappa )$} and the thermal expansivity \textit{($\beta )$} of a substance. Both of these material properties can be expressed with first-order partial derivatives of the system volume. Several student responses implied a difficulty with the notion of variables held fixed during evaluation of a partial derivative. Specifically, when asked to find the partial derivative of one of these quantities with respect to a variable that was initially held fixed (e.g., \textit{($\partial \kappa $/ $\partial $T)}$_{P})$, a common response was that this (mixed second-order) partial derivative must be zero. This difficulty persisted among students even after instruction. Although we have previously reported several difficulties with partial differentiation in the context of the Maxwell relations, the above tendency is not apparent in that context. We interpret these results as one example of student failure to appropriately link physical understanding with mathematical reasoning. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 14, 2008 12:09PM - 12:21PM |
R16.00006: Addressing student difficulties with aspects of partial differentiation in upper-level thermodynamics Brandon Bucy, John Thompson, Donald Mountcastle We have reported previously that students demonstrate an inability to correctly equate the mixed second-order partial derivatives of the state function of volume (\textit{nonzero} quantities in general), arguing instead that these derivatives must identically equal zero. Based on the results of our research, we have developed, designed and implemented a guided-inquiry instructional sequence (``tutorial'') for upper-level undergraduate thermodynamics students to address this and related student difficulties with partial derivatives encountered on diagnostic questions. The sequence uses a graphical interpretation of partial derivatives in the context of an ideal gas $P-V-T$ surface to bridge the abstract mathematical concepts with concrete physical properties. We present pre- and post-instruction data from a classical thermodynamics course in which the tutorial was administered, and compare those outcomes to results obtained after lecture-based instruction. Based on these results, it appears that the tutorial not only addressed the difficulty discussed above but also positively impacted student performance in related topics later in the course. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 14, 2008 12:21PM - 12:33PM |
R16.00007: A revision of college students' concept domain of lunar phases. Rebecca Lindell Previous research (Lindell, 2001) showed that college students' lunar phases concept domain consisted of 8 dimensions: Period of Moon's orbit, Period of Moon Phases, Direction of Moon's orbit around the Earth, Motion of the Moon in the sky, Phase and Sun-Earth-Moon relationship, Phases-Location in the Sky-Time of Observation relationship, Cause of Phases and Effect of Location on Earth on observed phase. Each dimension uncovered has a number of facets, each representing the scientific correct answer, as well as the different alternative models possible. In a follow-up study, interview data was collected from 25 pre-service elementary education majors. This additional study uncovered previously undiscovered difficulties students' had with lunar phases. The discovery of these new difficulties resulted in the need to revise the original concept domain. The new revised concept domain will be presented as well as proposed changes to the successful Lunar Phases Concept Inventory (LPCI) to account for this change. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 14, 2008 12:33PM - 12:45PM |
R16.00008: Evolution is only a theory? Murray Peshkin I have been speaking to diverse groups about science and religion in the context of the attacks on the teaching of biological evolution in public schools. My audiences have included church groups, classrooms, business clubs, and general public. In explaining why science does not threaten most people's religious beliefs and why belief in evolution is not really optional, I have learned that most people have never been told what a theory is and how we know when it's right, or what it means that our theories are always provisional but well-established theories are nevertheless reliable where they apply. It seems that we have taught students and the public about gravity and DNA, but never told them what science is all about. We need to do better. The people I have addressed have mostly appreciated hearing about these things and about why science, properly understood, does not deny most people's religious beliefs. I will discuss these and other lessons I have learned from the reactions to my talks. *For identification. This work is not supported by Argonne Natl. Lab. [Preview Abstract] |
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