Multiple-choice Problem Research Articles

Gender differences in college students’ achievement in teaching English as a foreign language using inquiry-based learning

Gender becomes one of the essential factors that are always considered in the various relationships among variables in the educational field. The purpose of this study is to examine the involvement of gender differences in the enhancement of college students’ English achievement using inquiry-based learning. A quasi-experimental two-way factorial design among groups was applied to carry out this study. 300 Indonesian EFL (English for Foreign Language) college students were randomly allocated to one of two groups. The experimental group (N = 150) consisted of 85 females and 65 males who were given inquiry-based learning. Meanwhile, the control group (N = 150) contained 75 males and 75 females who were given direct learning. An achievement English test containing 50 multiple choice problems was administered to them before and after their involvement. The data was analyzed using some tests such as the independent sample t-test, paired sample t-test and factorial between two groups ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance) and SPSS v.29 was used to promote these analyses. The results of this recent study showed that the intervention of inquiry-based learning has a significant and positive effect on enhancing college students’ EFL achievement. Moreover, there is significant evidence that gender differences are involved in the enhancement of college students’ English achievement in inquiry-based learning. There is a statistically significant relationship between gender and inquiry-based learning. This study implies that inquiry-based learning can be applied to enhance students’ achievement in Indonesian EFL colleges.

A comparative study of students’ performance in flipped classroom and structured interactive session teaching learning method in Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics

Introduction: Flipped classroom is an element of blended learning, integrating both face-to-face learning in the class through group discussion and distance learning outside the class by watching video lessons and online collaboration. The objective of the study was to introduce and assess the effectiveness of flipped classroom in teaching and learning of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics and to understand the perspective of students about the same. Methods: Third year undergraduate dental students were randomly divided into two groups: structured interactive session group and flipped classroom group. Structured interactive session group had their class taken in the traditional manner while the flipped classroom group was given power point presentation and videos beforehand so that students came to class being prepared. The in class time was utilized for group discussions and peer exercises. Same set of questions including multiple choice questions (MCQs) and problem based questions (PBQs) validated by the faculties involved in the research was used for assessment. A questionnaire was then provided to students regarding their perception of flipped classroom method. Results: Among the 41 students, 19 students were in structured interactive session group and 22 were in flipped classroom group. The mean MCQ and PBQ score in structured interactive session group was 69.47 and 59.39 respectively whereas it was 73.17 and 66.55 respectively in flipped classroom group. Conclusions: The performance of flipped classroom group was better in both MCQs and PBQs. Students preferred flipped classroom method and were ready to accept it as their teaching learning modality.

Measuring Learning Loss Due to Disruptions from COVID-19: Perspectives from the Concept of Fractions

Ineffective learning during Covid-19 can be a major cause of learning loss. Through polytomous item response theory analysis, this study seeks to identify learning loss of fractions and investigate the reliability and validity of the DINA model diagnostic test. This study involved 177 Grade 8 students from six junior high schools in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, to obtain information about the validity and reliability of the diagnostic test and learning loss of fraction due to Covid-19. The research was conducted by designing diagnostic test, expert validation, and empirical testing. Multiple choice problems with polytomous options were developed. This study produced 20 valid problems based on the level of item discriminant, item difficulty, and slip and guess, with a reliability of 0.899. This study revealed that learning loss was experienced by 62 students from low-level junior high schools (100%), 51 students from middle-level junior high schools (98%), and 54 students from high-level junior high schools (85.7%). It can be said that low-level schools have the highest percentage of students with learning loss. It is recommended that future studies evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic tests in identifying learning weaknesses in mathematics before semester exams using the items generated in this study.

Analysis and optimization on partition-based caching and delivery in satellite-terrestrial edge computing networks

As a viable component of 6G wireless communication architecture, satellite-terrestrial networks support efficient file delivery by leveraging the innate broadcast ability of satellite and the enhanced powerful file transmission approaches of multi-tier terrestrial networks. In the paper, we introduce edge computing technology into the satellite-terrestrial network and propose a partition-based cache and delivery strategy to make full use of the integrated resources and reducing the backhaul load. Focusing on the interference effect from varied nodes in different geographical distances, we derive the file successful transmission probability of the typical user and by utilizing the tool of stochastic geometry. Considering the constraint of nodes cache space and file sets parameters, we propose a near-optimal partition-based cache and delivery strategy by optimizing the asymptotic successful transmission probability of the typical user. The complex nonlinear programming problem is settled by jointly utilizing standard particle-based swarm optimization (PSO) method and greedy based multiple knapsack choice problem (MKCP) optimization method. Numerical results show that compared with the terrestrial only cache strategy, Ground Popular Strategy, Satellite Popular Strategy, and Independent and identically distributed popularity strategy, the performance of the proposed scheme improve by 30.5%, 9.3%, 12.5% and 13.7%.

Review and experimental comparison of ranking and choice procedures for constructing a univocal recommendation in a preference disaggregation setting

We account for the preference disaggregation setting given multiple criteria ranking and choice problems. An assumed preference model is a set of additive value functions compatible with the Decision Maker’s pairwise comparisons of reference alternatives. The incompleteness of such indirect preferences implies the multiplicity of feasible functions and the ambiguity in indicating the most preferred alternative or ordering alternatives from the best to the worst. We review approaches that construct a univocal recommendation under such scenarios. They represent four groups of methods: procedures selecting a representative value function, decision rules, scoring methods, and mathematical models for constructing a robust ranking. The use of all thirty-five approaches is illustrated on a simple decision problem. Then, they are compared in an extensive computational study in terms of their abilities to reconstruct the DMs’ true preferences and robustness of delivered recommendations given the support they are given in the set of all compatible models. The results are quantified in terms of seven performance measures. Their analysis indicates that in the context of choice, it is beneficial to consider the rank acceptabilities for the best ranks. For ranking problems, the most advantageous outcomes are attained by procedures that emphasize the most frequent relations or positions in the feasible polyhedron. Apart from the average results, we discuss how the performance of all approaches changes for different parameterizations of the decision problem and preference model.

Investigating unprompted and prompted diagrams generated by physics majors during problem solving

Diagrams are ubiquitous in physics, especially in physics education and physics problem solving. Physics problem solvers may generate diagrams to orient to a scenario, to organize information, to directly obtain an answer, or as a tool of communication. In this study, we asked 19 undergraduate and graduate physics majors to answer 18 multiple-choice (MC) physics questions and then complete six diagramming tasks of situations similar to six of the MC problems: the MC problems contained no prompting regarding diagrams, while the diagramming tasks explicitly asked participants to carefully generate diagrams. This prompting placed participants in one of two epistemic frames, problem solving or communicating, which allowed us to explore which elements and features the students include (or not) in diagrams generated when students are working within these two frames. By comparing students’ spontaneously generated diagrams to their prompted diagrams, we found differences in size, accuracy, and amount of detail in unprompted problem-solving diagrams and prompted communicating diagrams. We also looked at correlations between the presence and features of unprompted diagrams with participants’ answer choice. Looking at the different cohorts (e.g., lower-division undergraduate and graduate students), we found that the differences in diagramming between cohorts were generally smaller than the differences within a cohort. We also explore implications for teaching and research.4 MoreReceived 16 June 2021Accepted 20 December 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.010104Published 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 AreasResearch methodologyScientific reasoning & problem solvingPhysics Education Research

New guidelines for choosing priority areas of economic diversification based on a system of situational centers

One of the important management functions of the situation center system is to ensure planning (strategic, medium term, and operational), which includes justification of goals, optimal allocation of resources to achieve the goals, taking into account economic complexity, evolutionary conditionality and innovation activity. There is no universal solution to promote economic development and structural change. It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the regions when developing and designing industrial and economic policies. An approach to assessing priority areas of diversification based on recommendations for the development of sectors is presented. The approach is focused on increasing the economic complexity of the regional economy, taking into account the evolutionary conditionality of its development, the impact of innovative activity of regions and the provision of sectors with resources. Its capabilities have been tested for 14 sectors of the economy of the Belgorod region on 2019 data. For each sector, estimates were obtained according to six criteria. Sectors whose characteristics have the property of Pareto optimality in the considered multiple choice problem are priority when choosing the direction of diversification of the regional economy. The implementation of the proposed approach using digital technologies in regional situation centers can ensure coordination of decisions taken by regions when choosing priority areas of diversification in order to increase economic security. The methodology used makes it possible to take into account and display in real time in the initial information considered by any region the decisions already taken by other regions, which is an urgent task for the system of situational centers.

Common errors in mechanical physics among high school graduates in Brazil

Research on problem-solving strategies has been conducted since the 1940s. Experts and novices use different strategies in problem solving; the main difference is in the familiarity with which they face new problems. For multiple-choice problems, an analysis of distractors can provide possible clues about the resolution processes developed by examination candidates and reveal some learning difficulties. Thus, this study analysed data from the Brazilian National High School Examination (ENEM) because it holds great importance at the national level and mobilizes millions of candidates due to its advantages, such as admission to high social demand courses in public universities in Brazil. Our main objective was to identify some of the difficulties high school graduates face in mechanical physics. Thus, we analysed the rate of alternatives for a sample of six million students, finding that practically all the mechanics items indicated that there was no priority model in the item resolution process. Considering this finding, we concluded that the mechanics items at ENEM could be deemed difficult to solve, also indicating a greater variety of errors that students comment on. To analyse these possible mistakes made by students, we applied the analysis on distractors, which represent the reasoning hypotheses that students make when solving an item incorrectly. The analysis revealed the existence of a large set of errors in the knowledge of these students, such as mathematical immediacy (40%), symbolic forms (22%), non-scientific conception (22%), intuitive reasoning (9%), and analysis of the wrong images provided by the item (9%).

Bayesian ordinal regression for multiple criteria choice and ranking

We propose a novel Bayesian Ordinal Regression approach for multiple criteria choice and ranking problems. It employs an additive value function model to represent indirect Decision Maker’s (DM’s) preferences in the form of pairwise comparisons of reference alternatives. By defining a likelihood for the provided preference information and specifying a prior of the preference model, we apply the Bayesian rule to derive a posterior distribution over a set of all potential value functions, not necessarily compatible ones. This distribution emphasizes the potential differences in the abilities of these models to reconstruct the DM’s pairwise comparisons. Hence a distinctive character of our approach consists of characterizing the uncertainty in consequence of applying indirect preference information. We also employ a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm, called the Metropolis-Hastings method, to summarize the posterior distribution of the value function model and quantify the outcomes of robustness analysis in the form of stochastic acceptability indices. The proposed approach’s performance is investigated in a thorough experimental study involving real-world and artificially generated datasets.

How Eccentric Is the Orbit of the Earth, and Where Is the Sun?

At a conference on educational physics, someone described a series of multiple-choice problems to test students’ ideas about various mechanical phenomena. One of the problems questioned students’ conceptions about the shape of the Earth’s orbit in the solar system. The question was as follows: Which of the following schematic illustrations corresponds most accurately to the real situation regarding the position of the Sun and the shape of the Earth’s trajectory around the Sun, when viewed from top?

Development of higher order thinking skills based problem solving questions on the nervous system concept

Research on the development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) questions based on problem solving on neural system material aims to produce valid and reliable HOTS questions. The development of higher order thinking skills questions refers to Anderson & Karthwohl and Polya frameworks. The questions that developed are a multiple choice problem with five alternative answers. The evaluation process includes self-assessment, expert review, one-to-one and small groups. Readability questions are tested at the one-to-one stage. The results of the small group stages are then analysed item items, namely item validity and item reliability. The validity of items is calculated based on expert review validation, while the reliability of the questions is calculated using Anates 4.0. The results of the research conducted showed that the questions developed were valid (86,1%) and reliable (0,35). The results of this study can be used as a reference for teachers to provide HOTS questions and familiarize students with solving problems with these characteristics.

Towards a reduced phase space quantization in loop quantum cosmology with an inflationary potential

We explore a reduced phase space quantization of loop quantum cosmology (LQC) for a spatially flat Friedmann-Lema\^{\i}tre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) universe filled with reference fields and an inflaton field in a Starobinsky inflationary potential. We consider three separate cases in which the reference fields are taken to be the Gaussian dust, the Brown-Kucha\ifmmode \check{r}\else \v{r}\fi{} dust, and massless Klein-Gordon scalar reference fields respectively. This is a ``two-fluid'' model in which reference fields act as global clocks providing a physical time in an inflationary spacetime, and allow bypassing various technical hurdles in conventional quantum cosmological models. The reduced phase space is obtained in terms of the Dirac observables of the gravitational as well as the inflaton degrees of freedom. The physical Hamiltonians of the two dust models take the same form but turn out to be quite different from that of the Klein-Gordon reference field which reflects an aspect of the multiple choice problem of time. Loop quantization is implemented using the so-called $\overline{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ scheme and the Schr\"odinger equations involving the physical Hamiltonian operators generating the evolution in the physical time in the dust and massless Klein-Gordon models are obtained. These turn out to be quantum difference equations with the same nonsingular structure as for other models in LQC. We study some phenomenological implications of the quantization using the effective dynamics resulting from the reduced phase space quantization including the resolution of the big bang singularity via a quantum bounce, and effects of the different reference fields on e-foldings in both the preinflationary and the slow-roll inflationary phases. We find that different clocks, even when starting with a small but same energy density, can leave tiny but different imprints on the inflationary dynamics. In addition, for Brown-Kucha\ifmmode \check{r}\else \v{r}\fi{} dust, the choice of a negative energy density can result in a cyclic evolution before the onset of inflation constraining certain values for ideal clocks.

How to switch between relational quantum clocks

Every clock is a physical system and thereby ultimately quantum. A naturally arising question is thus how to describe time evolution relative to quantum clocks and, specifically, how the dynamics relative to different quantum clocks are related. This is a particularly pressing issue in view of the multiple choice facet of the problem of time in quantum gravity, which posits that there is no distinguished choice of internal clock in generic general relativistic systems and that different choices lead to inequivalent quantum theories. Exploiting a recent unifying approach to switching quantum reference systems [Vanrietvelde et al 2020 Quantum 4 225; Vanrietvelde et al 2018 arXiv:1809.05093[quant-ph])], we exhibit a systematic method for switching between different clock choices in the quantum theory. We illustrate it by means of the parametrized particle, which, like gravity, features a Hamiltonian constraint. We explicitly switch between the quantum evolution relative to the non-relativistic time variable and that relative to the particle’s position, which requires carefully regularizing the zero-modes in the so-called time-of-arrival observable. While this toy model is simple, our approach is general and, in particular, directly amenable to quantum cosmology. It proceeds by systematically linking the reduced quantum theories relative to different clock choices via the clock-choice-neutral Dirac quantized theory, in analogy to coordinate changes on a manifold. This method suggests a new perspective on the multiple choice problem, indicating that it is rather a multiple choice feature of the complete relational quantum theory, taken as the conjunction of Dirac quantized and quantum deparametrized theories. Precisely this conjunction permits one to consistently switch between different temporal reference systems, which is a prerequisite for a quantum notion of general covariance. Finally, we show that quantum uncertainties generically lead to a discontinuity in the relational dynamics when switching clocks, in contrast to the classical case.

Assessment of a serious game that may contribute to improving logical-mathematical reasoning in high school students

Actualmente, contar con habilidades para resolver problemas usando el razonamiento lógico-matemático es muy importante para el desarrollo de la ciencia y la tecnología. De acuerdo con los resultados de pruebas como el Programa para la Evaluación Internacional de Alumnos (PISA) y Plan Nacional para la Evaluación de los Aprendizajes (PLANEA), en México los estudiantes se encuentran en un dominio insuficiente en este razonamiento debido a que conocen los conceptos, pero no saben cómo aplicarlos. Para contribuir a resolver este problema, en esta investigación se presenta la evaluación de un juego serio (el cual contiene problemas de opción múltiple) para fortalecer el razonamiento lógico-matemático con la implementación de un sistema basado en lógica difusa. Para lograr lo anterior se diseñaron dos exámenes similares en cuanto complejidad y el tiempo máximo de respuesta. Posteriormente se aplicó la primera prueba y después se les proporcionó a 33 estudiantes de nivel medio superior el juego, los cuales lo utilizaron durante dos semanas y finalmente se aplicó la segunda prueba. Se analizaron los resultados de las pruebas con base en el tiempo invertido y los niveles alcanzados durante el uso del juego, se encontró que la mayoría de los estudiantes pueden hacer procedimientos lineales, pero se les dificulta hacer múltiples procedimientos, también se identificó que los estudiantes que utilizaron el juego o avanzaron de nivel mejoraron a diferencia de los que no lo hicieron.

Correlation Study of Students’ Scientific Argumentation, Critical Thinking, and Concept Mastery on Newton’s Law of Motion

Considering the importance of each competency to the students’ development then those they should have a positive correlation with each other. Therefore, this research aims to find the relation between argumentation skill, critical thinking, and concept mastery of Senior High School Students and to find their level of scientific argumentation, critical thinking, and concept mastery ability. The research used mixed-method. The qualitative data was focused on students’ scientific argumentation while the quantitative data was focused on the level of variables based on the indicator, correlations between variables, and the number of students in each level of each variable. The participant in this research is senior high school students who already learned Newton’s Law of motion. The critical thinking skill and concept mastery test included some different multiple-choice problems and followed by an essay of reason/ support for the answer each. While, the argumentation test formed by chained questions, including multiple choice test and essay test to figure out the Toulmin Argumentation Pattern (TAP). The test was given without giving any treatment for the participant. Based on the result concluded that: There is a very strong positive correlation between scientific argumentation, critical thinking skill, and concept mastery; While their scientific argumentation ability categorized intermediate, students’ have a low grade of critical thinking skill and concept mastery. Keywords: scientific argumentation, critical thinking skill, concept mastery

Keeping in School Shape (KiSS): A Program for Rehearsing Math Skills Over Breaks from School

If you don’t use it, you lose it. School breaks, during which students do not regularly participate in instruction, can therefore have negative consequences on learning. This is especially true for mathematics learning since skills build progressively on earlier materials. How can we bridge these gaps in formal instruction? The Keeping in School Shape (KiSS) program is a mobile, engaging, innovative, and cost-effective way of using technology to help students who have time off between related math courses stay fresh on prerequisite knowledge and skills. Founded on learning theory and designed on a model of behavioral change, the KiSS program embodies retrieval practice and nudges by sending students a daily multiple-choice review problem via text messaging over school break. After rating their confidence in solving the daily problem students receive feedback and a solution. This study explores measures of participation, accuracy, and confidence in an implementation of the KiSS program over winter break between two sequential introductory engineering courses at a large state university in the Southwest United States. Results indicate that careful attention should be paid to the construction of the first few days of the program, and that encouragement, additional resources for review and practice, and an increased breadth of problem difficulty may improve participation.

University Students’ Misconception in Electromagnetism

This aim of the research was to analyse the university students’ conception of electromagnetism. This research used a mixed-method design, the combination of a quantitative and qualitative method. For the quantitative part, the research utilised a conception test of electromagnetism, for the qualitative part, the research focused on the descriptive analysis that generated by the university students. The participant in this research was 15 physics students from 9 different classes in the Physics Department of a national university in East Java Indonesia. A conception test included ten different multiple-choice problems and followed by the descriptive analysis of these problems. The participants asked to choose the right answer and write their reasons or arguments that support their answer. In this study, the test was given without giving any treatment for the participant. The analyse method that used in this research was the quantitative and qualitative description. The result showed that the conception of students ranged between 2nd semester (freshman) and 4th Semester (sophomore) in the physics department. Therefore, it is concluded that the students have electromagnetism misconception.

Revised Bloom’s taxonomy to analyze the final mathematics examination problems in Junior High School

This research aims to analyze the final semester examination using revised Bloom’s taxonomy and to classify problem’s contextuality. This research is a descriptive study using documents analysis. The problem, which was analyzed, is a final examination problem of mathematics subject in the odd semester of 7th SMP N 12 Semarang period 2017/2018. The 40 multiple choice problems are used in this study. Based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy, the problems are classified into six categories, there are remembering (C1), understanding (C2), applying (C3), analyzing (C4), evaluating (C5), and creating (C6). Based on contextuality, the problem is classified to contextual and non-contextual problems. The result of the study shows that most problem is in the understanding category (C2) as many as 25 items and the other is remembering (C1), applying (C3), and analyzing (C4). There is no problem in evaluating (C5) and creating (C6) category. Most of the problem is non-contextual problems.

Physics teaching assistants’ views of different types of introductory problems: Challenge of perceiving the instructional benefits of context-rich and multiple-choice problems

Teaching assistants might not recognize value of common types of assessment items, including multiple-choice and context-rich problems.

Development of Creative-Thinking Instrument in Mathematics Problem Solving Based on Logical Mathematics Intelligence

The aim of this research is knowing whether research instrument is feasible or no to get data of research. The instrument of this research is logical mathematics quotient test with 25 problems in multiple choice and mathematics problem solving test with 4 questions in essay. Testing the appropriateness of instrument of logical mathematics intelligence consist of content validity, level of problem difficulties, power differentiator, and reliability. Meanwhile, testing the appropriateness of instrument of mathematics problem solving use content validity. The validator for both of logical mathematics intelligence test and mathematics problem solving test is expert judgement. There are 39 students of Senior High School as respondent who are joining instrument try out. The results of appropriateness of instrument show: 1) there are 25 questions of logical mathematics quotient instrument which are feasible to take research data, and 2) instrument of mathematics problem solving in linier equation system material is feasible to use with some revisions from expert judgment.