Introductory Physics Students Research Articles

How often does unguided peer interaction lead to correct response consensus? An example from conceptual survey of electricity and magnetism

In this research, we investigated the impact of peer collaboration and changes from individual to group performance of graduate students on the conceptual survey of electricity and magnetism (CSEM) without any guidance from the instructor. We define construction of knowledge as a case in which the group answered the question correctly but in the individual administration of the survey before the group work, one member gave the correct answer and the other gave incorrect answer. We find that there was a significant improvement in the performance of students after peer interaction, which was mostly attributed to construction of knowledge. However, students had very few opportunities to co-construct knowledge as there were hardly any situations in which neither student in a group provided a correct answer. We analyzed the effect size for improvement from individual to group scores for each CSEM item to understand the characteristics of these questions that led to productive group interaction. We also compared the group performance of the graduate students to the introductory physics students in a prior study using the CSEM to get insight into the concepts that showed differences for the two groups and those that were challenging for both groups of students before and after collaboration with peers. Our findings can motivate physics instructors to incorporate group interactions both inside and outside of the classroom even without instructor’s involvement so that students at all levels can learn from each other and develop a functional understanding of the underlying concepts.

Four errors students make with inverse-square law vectors

In this paper, we discuss four errors introductory physics students make when attempting to add two inverse-square law vectors. We observe multiple instances in which students (1) add vectors as if they were scalars, (2) project the r (or r 2) in the denominator, instead of the entire vector, when attempting to find the vector’s components, (3) incorrectly apply the Pythagorean theorem when attempting to calculate the magnitude of the resultant vector, and (4) incorrectly relate the signs of the components of an electric field (or force) to the signs of the electric charges. While these are not the only errors students make, they are the most frequently occurring based on our analysis of 678 exams taken by students in either introductory mechanics or electricity and magnetism (E&M). We then show how these errors can be encoded into a new type of activity or assessment question which we call a ‘student error task.’ Introductory physics instructors can use the student error task in this paper as a way to engage or assess their students’ understandings of how to add two inverse-square law vectors.

A Tool for Introductory Physics Students to Conduct Optics Experiments: A Self-Made Dark Box

A Tool for Introductory Physics Students to Conduct Optics Experiments: A Self-Made Dark Box

Evolution of response time and accuracy on online mastery practice assignments for introductory physics students

Evolution of response time and accuracy on online mastery practice assignments for introductory physics students

Investigating student ability to follow reasoning chains: The role of conceptual understanding

Introductory physics students are capable of following the solution to a qualitative problem using step-by-step reasoning, even for tasks for which they are not likely to generate the correct reasoning on their own.

Teaching Electric Fields with a Simulation and Game

Electric fields are a notoriously difficult concept for introductory physics students. Because of their lack of tangibility, electric fields are often perceived as being abstract and challenging to grasp.

Investigating and Improving Student Understanding of Conductors and Insulators

Concepts involving conductors and insulators are challenging at all levels of instruction. Here, we summarized an investigation of the difficulties that introductory students have pertaining to the charging of conductors and insulators and how that research was used as a resource to develop, validate, and evaluate a conceptual tutorial on this challenging topic. The tutorial uses guided inquiry-based teaching–learning sequences and focuses on helping students develop conceptual understanding of charging conductors and insulators using concrete examples. At a large university in the US, we first evaluated whether there was any statistically significant difference on the pretest (before college instruction) between the performance of students who had any high school physics instruction and those who did not on relevant questions. Then, we compared the performance of introductory physics students in the experimental group who engaged with the tutorial and the control group who did not engage with the tutorial and only had traditional, lecture-based instruction. Our analysis shows large improvements from pre- to post-tests (i.e., from before to after instruction) for the tutorial group and large gaps in post-test scores between the nontutorial and tutorial groups.

Harmonic motion analysis simplified for introductory physics students

Graphical analysis of a mass oscillating on a spring with friction allows students to solve the system without using differential equations.

Motivation and Feelings of Competence Among University Students in Introductory Physics

This work analyzes whether there is a cognitive bias between the ideal perception of the skills and the real performance in an introductory physics class, and additionally, whether predictions of students’ performance are related to various motivational variables. We examined through a validated survey and network analysis the relationship between several motivational aspects and volitional variables with the accuracy of their predictions. The results show that the students present a motivational bias when students’ desires were considered, mainly in the students with low academic performance. Finally, it is necessary to explore the development of specific interventions that target the motivations of students, in order to be effective, and to reduce the gap between expected and actual grades, increasing students’ metacognitive skills and thus their academic performance.

Employing Practical Work, Computer Simulations and Feedback: Promoting Introductory Physics Students’ Learning of Circular and Rotational Motion

Research has found circular and rotational motion to be a challenging topic for undergraduate physics students. This article reports on Introductory Physics students’ learning of concepts and quantitative principles in circular and rotational motion. It involves a teaching strategy that uses hands-on practical work, PhET simulations and a focus on feedback in line with the Active Learning Theory developed by Chi and colleagues. Data in this study were collected via in-depth interviews, end-of-lesson tasks and questionnaires. After the intervention, most students were able to show understanding of the relationship between velocity (linear and angular) and radius, predict the motion of a car at a curve given the velocity and show understanding of the relationships between mass distribution and moment of inertia. They considered that hands-on practical work facilitated the derivation of equations and establishing of relationships whereas the accompanying group discussions provided opportunities for justifying developing conceptual understanding. The strengths of the use of PhET simulations were seen as the visualisation of vector directions, the opportunities to confirm predictions and the perceived high reliability of the measurements. The study also showed that feedback was perceived to contribute positively towards the ability to derive equations and relate concepts and even promote self-regulation practices. All in all, this study revealed that a complementary combination of hands-on practical work, free internet-based resources such as PhET simulations and a focus on feedback helps Introductory Physics students learn concepts and quantitative principles in the physics topic of circular and rotational motion.

Promoting Problem Solving Through Interactive Video-Enhanced Tutorials

Students in introductory college physics often have wide ranges of preparation, making it challenging to deliver effective instruction for all. While numerous educational products and strategies have been shown to be broadly effective, there is a need for research-based online materials that support personalized learning and focus specifically on improving problem-solving abilities. Building from our Interactive Video Vignettes (IVVs), we are developing freely available Interactive Video-Enhanced Tutorials (IVETs). These combine videos of real instructors who guide students through an expert-like problem-solving process using a series of required questions that motivate students to interact with the material. Research on the effectiveness of the IVETs is underway and preliminary results are encouraging.

Sign and Sense of an Induced Electric Current by a Nearby Moving Magnet

In one of the Faraday’s experiments an electric current is induced in a conducting loop when a magnet in front of it moves towards or away from the loop. While the direction of circulation of the electric current in the loop has only two options, it depends on three experimental conditions that generate eight cases. Even though the Faraday law or the Lenz law by itself answers for the current sense in each case, we think that a graphic synthesis of all the cases and its corresponding result is a new and interesting exercise we want to discuss. The resulting diagram is a starting point for other exercises on the induced current that a teacher might propose to their students in introductory college physics.

Sound Wave Propagation from Underdamped Free Oscillation of Metallic Cantilever Beams

We describe here a low-cost experiment for introductory physics students where they compare the physical properties of aluminum and steel by means of cantilever oscillations. This, in turn, allows the students to improve their physical intuition about these materials. Further, the students can apply their physics and mathematics knowledge and skills to create an experiment-based physical model.

Teaching strategies predict instructors’ perceptions of their effectiveness in engaging students in introductory physics for life sciences courses

Introductory physics for life sciences courses frequently include lab activities relevant to life science disciplines are more likely to successfully engage student majoring in life science disciplines than those that do not.

A Race Between Rolling and Sliding Up and Down an Incline

Races between moving objects are an engaging way to teach dynamics to introductory physics students. One standard example consists in racing hollow and solid cylinders as they roll down an inclined plane. Another striking demonstration is a race between two marbles on side-by-side tracks that start and end together, but with one track taking a straight path and with the other following a cycloidal shape. In the present article, two objects (having the same mass and shape) are launched from the same starting height with the same speed up an inclined plane. One of the objects is subject to kinetic friction. The other object is not because it rolls without slipping on wheels along the incline with negligible rolling friction. Each object travels upward, slows down, and then turns around and retraces its path to its starting point. If the two objects are launched simultaneously, which one makes it back first?

Development and validation of a conceptual survey instrument to evaluate students’ understanding of thermodynamics

We discuss the development and validation of a conceptual multiple-choice survey instrument called the Survey of Thermodynamic Processes and First and Second Laws (STPFaSL) suitable for introductory physics courses. The survey instrument uses common student difficulties with these concepts as resources in that the incorrect answers to the multiple-choice questions were guided by them. After the development and validation of the survey instrument, the final version was administered at six different institutions. It was administered to introductory physics students in various traditionally taught calculus-based and algebra-based classes in paper-pencil format before and after traditional lecture-based instruction in relevant concepts. We also administered the survey instrument to upper-level undergraduates majoring in physics and Ph.D. students for bench marking and for content validity and compared their performance with those of introductory students for whom the survey is intended. We find that although the survey instrument focuses on thermodynamics concepts covered in introductory courses, it is challenging even for advanced students. A comparison with the base line data on the validated survey instrument presented here can help instructors evaluate the effectiveness of innovative pedagogies designed to help students develop a solid grasp of these concepts.

Epistemology, socialization, help seeking, and gender-based views in in-person and online, hands-on undergraduate physics laboratories

Undergraduate physics laboratory course structures have been identified in policy reports for novel design innovations to meet the needs of a diverse and growing student population. To this end, an online, hands-on laboratory option was implemented at a large, public university for introductory physics students using the iOLab device. To determine whether students in this new course structure had similar perspectives to their in-person counterparts in terms of select attitudinal measures, a quasiexperimental, observational quantitative study was undertaken to measure students’ epistemological views as well as their beliefs about socialization and help seeking in online and in-person laboratory environments. Undergraduate students who were enrolled in calculus-based introductory physics (N=998) were surveyed in the second half of the semester to elicit their epistemological beliefs about physics laboratory work and their views on social engagement and academic help seeking in the laboratory. Parametric and nonparametric comparisons of central tendency were employed to measure differences between students in the in-person and online laboratories, as well as gender differences and associated interaction effects. Students showed no overall differences in attitudes related to epistemological and help seeking beliefs. There were significant differences related to views of socialization; students taking in-person physics laboratories valued socialization more than students taking the course online. Gender differences in epistemological and help seeking beliefs were identified overall, however, these differences were no longer significant when examining the interactions of laboratory type and gender. This finding suggests that self-selection into laboratory type may diminish gender gaps in affective domains by allowing students to choose the laboratory structure that meets their learning and logistical needs. In terms of physics epistemology, socialization and help seeking in the laboratory may not be as important to students’ perceptions of physics knowledge acquisition as previously thought. This study provides insights into the feasibility of online, hands-on laboratory experiences to meet the affective goals articulated in in-person laboratories, as well as institutional recommendations for advising students to select courses that match their individual learning styles.Received 23 February 2020Accepted 15 July 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020116Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasDiversity & inclusionEpistemology, attitudes, & beliefsLearning environmentPhysics Education Research

Disabling barriers experienced by students with disabilities in postsecondary introductory physics

Introductory physics students are better supported by instructors who intentionally choose to conceptualize disability as situated in the interaction between the individual and instructional structures and actively work to remove barriers and add supports for all students.

Holistic framework to help students learn effectively from research-validated self-paced learning tools

With limited time available in the classroom, e-learning tools can supplement in-class learning by providing opportunities for students to study and learn outside of class. Such tools can be especially helpful for students who lack adequate prior preparation. However, one critical issue is ensuring that students, especially those in need of additional help, engage with the tools as intended. Here we first discuss an empirical investigation in which students in a large algebra-based physics course were given opportunities to work through research-validated tutorials outside of class as self-study tools. Students were provided these optional tutorials after traditional instruction in relevant topics and were then given quizzes that included problems that were identical to the tutorial problems with regard to the physics principles involved but had different contexts. We find that students who worked through the tutorials as self-study tools struggled to transfer their learning to solve problems that used the same physics principles. On the other hand, students who worked on the tutorials in supervised, one-on-one situations performed significantly better than them. These empirical findings suggest that many introductory physics students may not engage effectively with self-paced learning tools unless they are provided additional incentives and support, e.g., to aid with self-regulation. Inspired by the empirical findings, we propose a holistic theoretical framework to help create learning environments in which students with diverse backgrounds are provided support to engage effectively with self-study tools.Received 9 August 2019Accepted 1 July 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020108Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasAssessmentInstructional strategiesLearning environmentTechnologyPhysics Education Research

Can students apply the concept of “which-path” information learned in the context of Mach–Zehnder interferometer to the double-slit experiment?

The ability to use concepts learned in one context to solve problems in a different context (i.e., transfer of learning) is often one of the major goals of physics instruction. After all, the ability to transfer learning from one context to another is a prerequisite to recognizing the applicability of compact physical laws to a multitude of contexts and is a hallmark of expertise in physics. The majority of the studies on transfer of learning in physics have focused on introductory students and it has often been found that introductory students have difficulty in effectively transferring their learning and applying what they learned in one situation to another situation. However, compared to advanced students, introductory students have significantly less prior relevant knowledge and skills, which may be crucial for promoting effective transfer. Here, we examine upper-level undergraduate and graduate students' ability to transfer their learning about the concept of “which-path” information and its relation to whether or not interference is observed from the context of the Mach Zehnder interferometer (MZI) to a new context of the double-slit experiment (DSE). Students worked through a tutorial on the MZI in which they learned to use the concept of which-path information to reason about interference of single photons when polarizers with various orientations are placed in one or both paths of the MZI. After working on the MZI tutorial, students were asked similar questions in the isomorphic context of the DSE before any instruction about the DSE and we examined the extent to which transfer of learning about which-path information occurred from the MZI to the DSE context. We find evidence suggesting that positive transfer of learning from the MZI to the DSE occurred despite the lack of an instructional intervention designed to help students recognize the similarity between the two contexts. The effectiveness of the MZI tutorial in promoting positive transfer of learning from one context to another in quantum mechanics sheds light on the expertise of the advanced physics students. Instructors of advanced physics courses can take advantage of the findings presented here, which show the difference between introductory and advanced physics students' expertise and ability to transfer from one context to another.