Abstract
As highlighted by research, students have difficulty in understanding the physics of rolling motion and the role that sliding friction forces have in it. Physics courses at high school and introductory university level do not usually handle the subject with the attention it deserves. Textbooks often only show particular rolling examples instead of providing a general treatment of the underlying physics. Therefore, students can develop misunderstandings that lead to errors when approaching general problems. In 2014 we have designed a teaching learning sequence (TLS) rooted in previous research about student conceptions, centred on the role of friction in different cases of rolling. A series of experiments based on video analysis integrated with interactive simulations were used to emphasize key concepts and to motivate students in their exploration of the subject. The activity sequence was designed for undergraduate students or advanced high school classes. In this paper we report novel results from three years of testing and refining the teaching sequence at both the Universities of Pavia and Trento.
Highlights
Rolling motion is a fundamental physics topic, included in all introductory courses
The activity sequence was designed for undergraduate students or advanced high school classes
Starting from research results, we developed an activity sequence designed to address students’ difficulties as well as to help students acquire the elements of an explanatory model for the complex phenomena involved in rolling motion [12]
Summary
Rolling motion is a fundamental physics topic, included in all introductory courses. the students’ understanding of this topic is frequently quite limited and unsatisfactory, as several studies have shown. Starting from research results, we developed an activity sequence designed to address students’ difficulties as well as to help students acquire the elements of an explanatory model for the complex phenomena involved in rolling motion [12]. In this work we report novel results from three years of testing and refining this teaching sequence at both the Universities of Pavia and Trento. During these years the sequence was modified according to the cycle of design, implementation, evaluation and redesign (see figure 1). The activities were tested with 65 undergraduates who performed the experimental activities in groups of three and completed the experimental work in three sessions of 2 hours each
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