Abstract
Typical physics textbook problems often include supportive diagrams that visualize the physical situation although the potential benefits of providing
Highlights
Typical physics textbook problems often include supportive diagrams that visualize the physical situation the potential benefits of providing such diagrams is not yet fully established
We aim to answer the following research questions: (i) Do diagrams help students in problem solving? (ii) What can eye-tracking reveal about the role of diagrams in problem solving? (iii) Which eye-tracking parameters are appropriate measures of visual attention during physics problem solving? Methods.—Participants: Sixty undergraduate students from the Department of Physics, University of Zagreb participated in this study
The results showed that correct problem solvers had shorter dwell time and a smaller number of fixations compared to incorrect problem solvers, whereas no statistically significant difference was found for the average fixation duration
Summary
Typical physics textbook problems often include supportive diagrams that visualize the physical situation the potential benefits of providing such diagrams is not yet fully established. We used eye tracking to explore the role of supportive diagrams in problem solving. In addition to the role of diagrams, we evaluated different eye-tracking measures as measures of visual attention during physics problem solving. It seems that the fixation duration is rather constant, and not always sensitive to the manipulation in the task. Some reports suggested that students who were given a diagram describing a physical situation were less likely to draw additional, expertlike diagrams (e.g., to draw vectors) and were less successful in problem solving than those who were prompted to draw the diagrams [3,4,5]. We use eye tracking to explore the role of supportive diagrams in problem solving. Measurement of eye movements provides detailed information on the underlying cognitive processes during problem solving than conventional assessment methods which provide only
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
