Introductory College Physics Research Articles

Math remediation intervention for student success in the algebra-based introductory physics course

A short term on-line math tutorial can increase student success in introductory college physics.

Modifying the test of understanding graphs in kinematics

In this article, we present several modifications to the Test of Understanding Graphs in Kinematics. The most significant changes are (i) the addition and removal of items to achieve parallelism in the objectives (dimensions) of the test, thus allowing comparisons of students' performance that were not possible with the original version, and (ii) changes to the distractors of some of the original items that represent the most frequent alternative conceptions. The final modified version (after an iterative process involving four administrations of test variations over two years) was administered to 471 students of an introductory university physics course at a large private university in Mexico. When analyzing the final modified version of the test it was found that the added items satisfied the statistical tests of difficulty, discriminatory power, and reliability; also, that the great majority of the modified distractors were effective in terms of their frequency selection and discriminatory power; and, that the final modified version of the test satisfied the reliability and discriminatory power criteria as well as the original test. Here, we also show the use of the new version of the test, presenting a new analysis of students' understanding not possible to do before with the original version of the test, specifically regarding the objectives and items that in the new version meet parallelisms. Finally, in the PhysPort project (physport.org), we present the final modified version of the test. It can be used by teachers and researchers to assess students' understanding of graphs in kinematics, as well as their learning about them. © 2017 authors. Published by the American Physical Society.

Investigating and improving introductory physics students’ understanding of the electric field and superposition principle

We discuss an investigation of the difficulties that students in a university introductory physics course have with the electric field and superposition principle and how that research was used as a guide in the development and evaluation of a research-validated tutorial on these topics to help students learn these concepts better. The tutorial uses a guided enquiry-based approach to learning and involved an iterative process of development and evaluation. During its development, we obtained feedback both from physics instructors who regularly teach introductory physics in which these concepts are taught and from students for whom the tutorial is intended. The iterative process continued and the feedback was incorporated in the later versions of the tutorial until the researchers were satisfied with the performance of a diverse group of introductory physics students on the post-test after they worked on the tutorial in an individual one-on-one interview situation. Then the final version of the tutorial was administered in several sections of the university physics course after traditional instruction in relevant concepts. We discuss the performance of students in individual interviews and on the pre-test administered before the tutorial (but after traditional lecture-based instruction) and on the post-test administered after the tutorial. We also compare student performance in sections of the class in which students worked on the tutorial with other similar sections of the class in which students only learned via traditional instruction. We find that students performed significantly better in the sections of the class in which the tutorial was used compared to when students learned the material via only lecture-based instruction.

Determining magnetic susceptibilities of everyday materials using an electronic balance

The magnetic properties of an object and its interaction with an external magnetic field can be described through the magnetic (volume) susceptibility χV, which divides nearly all kinds of matter into diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic substances. Quantitative measurements of χV are usually technically sophisticated or require the investigation of substances with high values of χV to reveal meaningful results. Here, we show that both diamagnetic and paramagnetic effects in everyday materials can be measured using only an electronic balance and a neodymium magnet, both of which are within the reach of typical introductory college and high school physics classrooms. The experimental results match related literature values remarkably well.

Too Early for Physics? Effect of Class Meeting Time on Student Evaluations of Teaching in Introductory Physics

This paper reports observations that show a significant effect of class meeting time on student evaluations of teaching for an introductory college physics class. Students in a lecture section with an early-morning meeting time gave the class and instructors consistently lower ratings than those in an otherwise nearly identical section that met an hour later, even for aspects of the course that were seemingly identical across the two sections.

Interweaving the Principle of Least Potential Energy in School and Introductory University Physics Courses

Understanding advanced physical phenomena such as vertically hanging elastic column, soap bubbles, crystals and cracks demands expressing and manipulating a system’s potential energy under equilibrium conditions. However, students at schools and universities are usually required to consider the forces acting on a system under equilibrium conditions, rather than taking into account its potential energy. As a result, they find it difficult to express the system’s potential energy and use it for calculations when they do need to do so. The principle of least potential energy is a powerful idea for solving static equilibrium physics problems in various fields such as hydrostatics, mechanics, and electrostatics. In the current essay, the authors describe this principle and provide examples where students can apply it. For each problem, the authors provide both the force consideration solution approach and the energy consideration solution approach.

Multi-perspective views of students’ difficulties with one-dimensional vector and two-dimensional vector

Researchers of students’ conceptual change usually collects data from written tests and interviews. Moreover, reports of conceptual change often simply refer to changes in concepts, such as on a test, without any identification of the learning processes that have taken place. Research has shown that students have difficulties with vectors in university introductory physics courses and high school physics courses. In this study, we intended to explore students’ understanding of one-dimensional and two-dimensional vector in multi perspective views. In this research, we explore students’ understanding through test perspective and interviews perspective. Our research study adopted the mixed-methodology design. The participants of this research were sixty students of third semester of physics education department. The data of this research were collected by testand interviews. In this study, we divided the students’ understanding of one-dimensional vector and two-dimensional vector in two categories, namely vector skills of the addition of one-dimensionaland two-dimensional vector and the relation between vector skills and conceptual understanding. From the investigation, only 44% of students provided correct answer for vector skills of the addition of one-dimensional and two-dimensional vector and only 27% students provided correct answer for the relation between vector skills and conceptual understanding.

Characterizing interactive engagement activities in a flipped introductory physics class

Towards the development of more refined descriptions of type and amount of interactivity in an introductory college physics course.

Effective student teams for collaborative learning in an introductory university physics course

Students in randomly assigned collaborative learning groups do just as well as those in carefully assigned groups.

Applicability of the Newtonian gravity concept inventory to introductory college physics classes

The study described here extends the applicability of the Newtonian Gravity Concept Inventory (NGCI) to college algebra-based physics classes, beyond the general education astronomy courses for which it was originally developed. The four conceptual domains probed by the NGCI (Directionality, Force Law, Independence of Other Forces, and Threshold) are well suited for investigating students' reasoning about gravity in both populations, making the NGCI a highly versatile instrument. Classical test theory statistical analysis with physics student responses pre-instruction (N = 1,392) and post-instruction (N = 929) from eight colleges and universities across the United States indicate that the NGCI is composed of items with appropriate difficulty and discrimination and is reliable for this population. Also, expert review and student interviews support the NGCI's validity for the physics population. Emergent similarities and differences in how physics students reason about gravity compared to astronomy students are discussed, as well as future directions for analyzing the instrument's item parameters across both populations.

Cross section for (nearly) everyone

Both total and differential cross sections for the reflection of light beams off finite solid surfaces obtained by the rotation of a generic derivable convex function are presented. The calculations are developed using elementary notions of mathematics and are therefore suitable for introductory undergraduate university physics courses. Three particular cases are discussed as examples of the general procedure and of the possible considerations about cross sections in general and the physical properties of specific systems.

Textbook presentations of weight: Conceptual difficulties and language ambiguities

The term “weight” has multiple related meanings in both scientific and everyday usage. Even among experts and in textbooks, weight is ambiguously defined as either the gravitational force on an object or operationally as the magnitude of the force an object exerts on a measuring scale. This poses both conceptual and language difficulties for learners, especially for accelerating objects where the scale reading is different from the gravitational force. But while the underlying physical constructs behind the two referents for the term weight (and their relation to each other) are well understood scientifically, it is unclear how the concept of weight should be introduced to students and how the language ambiguities should be dealt with. We investigated treatments of weight in a sample of twenty introductory college physics textbooks, analyzing and coding their content based on the definition adopted, how the distinct constructs were dealt with in various situations, terminologies used, and whether and how language issues were handled. Results indicate that language-related issues, such as different, inconsistent, or ambiguous uses of the terms weight, “apparent weight,” and “weightlessness,” were prevalent both across and within textbooks. The physics of the related constructs was not always clearly presented, particularly for accelerating bodies such as astronauts in spaceships, and the language issue was rarely addressed. Our analysis of both literature and textbooks leads us to an instructional position which focuses on the physics constructs before introducing the term weight, and which explicitly discusses the associated language issues.Received 12 September 2014DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.010117This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 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 Society

Standing Waves and Inquiry Using Water Droplets

Most high school and introductory college physics classes study simple harmonic motion and various wave phenomena. With the majority of states adopting the Next Generation Science Standards1 and pushing students to explore the scientific process for themselves, there is a growing demand for hands-on inquiry activities that involve and develop more data analysis and computational thinking skills. This article outlines several options for using an engaging standing wave phenomenon, Faraday waves, in physics classes. These options include the instructor using Faraday waves as a class demonstration of interesting fluid and wave properties, students doing an inquiry lab to investigate several properties of Faraday waves on water droplets, and the possibility of smaller numbers of students using Faraday waves as an independent research topic.

Towards Explaining the Water Siphon

Many high school and introductory college physics courses cover topics in fluidics through the Bernoulli and Poiseuille equations, and consequently one might think that siphons should present an excellent opportunity to engage students in various laboratory measurement exercises incorporating these fascinating devices. However, the flow rates (or average exit velocities) of simple water siphons have not been sufficiently explained,1 nor has an associated analytical model been developed demonstrating sufficient experimental correspondence to allow physics instructors to bring closure between theoretical concepts and laboratory experiences. We present such an explanation and analytical model for the flow rates of simple water tube siphons. Further, we report measurements that show the model gives good correspondence to flow rates of siphons over a wide range of tube lengths, inner diameters, and water heights (hydrostatic head), and for which the Reynolds numbers range from 102 to 105.

Are Virtual Labs as Effective as Hands-on Labs for Undergraduate Physics? A Comparative Study at Two Major Universities

Most physics professors would agree that the lab experiences students have in introductory physics are central to the learning of the concepts in the course. It is also true that these physics labs require time and money for upkeep, not to mention the hours spent setting up and taking down labs. Virtual physics lab experiences can provide an alternative or supplement to these traditional hands-on labs. However, physics professors may be very hesitant to give up the hands-on labs, which have been such a central part of their courses, for a more cost and time-saving virtual alternative. Thus, it is important to investigate how the learning from these virtual experiences compares to that acquired through a hands-on experience. This study evaluated a comprehensive set of virtual labs for introductory level college physics courses and compared them to a hands-on physics lab experience. Each of the virtual labs contains everything a student needs to conduct a physics laboratory experiment, including: objectives, background theory, 3D simulation, brief video, data collection tools, pre- and postlab questions, and postlab quiz. This research was conducted with 224 students from two large universities and investigated the learning that occurred with students using the virtual labs either in a lab setting or as a supplement to hands-on labs versus a control group of students using the traditional hands-on labs only. Findings from both university settings showed the virtual labs to be as effective as the traditional hands-on physics labs.

Correlating student interest and high school preparation with learning and performance in an introductory university physics course

Students who take introductory university physics because they are interested learn more than students who take the course because it is required.

Students’ Difficulties in Solving Physics Problems in Introductory College PhysicsCourses at King Saud University

The purpose of this study was to identify the difficulties facing students in introductory college physics courses at King Saud University in solving physics problems, by exploring faculty members' perceptions of these difficulties, and through analyzing students' answers to physics problems in final exams. The study mainly focused on four themes of difficulties, including: the problems verbal context, physics laws, mathematical skills and graphs or diagrams. The study also sought to learn about faculty's perception towards the degree of influence of the proposed solutions. The study sample consisted of 27 physics faculty members, in addition to 391 students. The study showed consistency between the faculty members' perception towards the difficulties of solving problems and the analysis of student answers in final exams. The difficulties related to the verbal context were the most common among students, whereas difficulties related to mathematical skills were the least common. In addition, the results revealed that there were also difficulties related to physical laws, and knowledge of graphs or diagrams. The findings showed that the perceptions of faculty members towards proposed solutions as being as a “high effect”on fourteen suggested techniques, while their perception towards the rest of the techniques were as “medium effect”. Finally, their perception towards only one technique was being of “low effect".

Students’ Difficulties in Solving Physics Problems in Introductory College PhysicsCourses at King Saud University

The purpose of this study was to identify the difficulties facing students in introductory college physics courses at King Saud University in solving physics problems, by exploring faculty members' perceptions of these difficulties, and through analyzing students' answers to physics problems in final exams. The study mainly focused on four themes of difficulties, including: the problems verbal context, physics laws, mathematical skills and graphs or diagrams. The study also sought to learn about faculty's perception towards the degree of influence of the proposed solutions. The study sample consisted of 27 physics faculty members, in addition to 391 students. The study showed consistency between the faculty members' perception towards the difficulties of solving problems and the analysis of student answers in final exams. The difficulties related to the verbal context were the most common among students, whereas difficulties related to mathematical skills were the least common. In addition, the results revealed that there were also difficulties related to physical laws, and knowledge of graphs or diagrams. The findings showed that the perceptions of faculty members towards proposed solutions as being as a “high effect”on fourteen suggested techniques, while their perception towards the rest of the techniques were as “medium effect”. Finally, their perception towards only one technique was being of “low effect".

The Leaf Electroscope: A Take-Home Project of Unexpected Depth

The leaf electroscope is a common piece of demonstration equipment found in many high school and introductory college physics laboratories. Its simplicity allows a compelling demonstration of electrostatic forces, and its versatility makes it useful in the demonstration of a number of physical phenomena. The electroscope has a long history; a device for detecting net static charge using a rotating needle, the versorium, was described by Gilbert in De Magnete in 1600.1 The leaf electroscope was invented by Bennet and described in a letter published by the Royal Society in 1787.2 This paper will describe the use of the leaf electroscope as a build-at-home project in the second-semester introductory calculus-based physics class at the University of Arkansas.

Expanded Markers of Success in Introductory University Physics

As part of our Physics Education Research Group efforts to transform the physics instruction at Florida International University (FIU), we have focused attention on how to assess the reforms we implement. In this paper, we argue that the physics education community should expand the ways that it measures students' success beyond grades and conceptual inventory scores to include assessments of students' participation in a learning community and changes in their attitudes. We present case studies of three introductory undergraduate physics students' increasing participation in the physics learning community at FIU, which is a large, urban, Hispanic-serving institution. In previous work, we have reported gains in conceptual learning and attitudes about learning science in those students enrolled in the introductory courses at FIU taught with Modeling Instruction, which operates in a collaborative learning environment [Brewe, E., Kramer, L., & O'Brien, G. (2009). Modeling instruction: Positive attitudinal shifts in introductory physics measured with CLASS. Physical Review Special Topics—Physics Education Research, 5(1). doi: 10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.013102]. This paper expands upon those results in considering the variety of opportunities for participating in the physics learning community and by closely examining three aspect of student participation: students' attitudes about learning physics, their ties within the physics classroom, and their relationships within the physics learning community. This provides a more comprehensive understanding of how students in underrepresented groups may become successful physics learners.