PHY 905 - Fall 2007

Introduction

Readings:

• "Learning physics versus passing courses," H. Lin, Phys. Teach. 20, 151-157 (1982)
• "Wherefore a science of teaching?," D. Hestenes, Phys. Teach. 17, 235-242 (1979)
• "Oersted Medal Lecture 2001: 'Physics Education Research - The Key to Student Learning'," L. C. McDermott, Am. J. Phys. 69,1127-1137 (2001)

Student Attitudes and Expectations

Do it yourself: Maryland Physics Expectations Survey 

Concept Inventories
(with Prof. Libarkin)

Do it yourself: Force Concept Inventory

Introduction to concept inventories

Concept Inventories
(Prof. Libarkin)

Readings:

• "Force Concept Inventory," D. Hestenes, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer, Phys. Teach. 30, 141-158 (1992)
• "What does the Force Concept Inventory Actually Measure?" D. Huffman and P. Heller, Phys. Teach. 33, 138-143 (1995)
• "Interpreting the Force Concept Inventory: A response to March 1995 Critique by Huffman and Heller," Phys. Teach. 33, 502-506 (1995)
• "Interpreting the Force Concept Inventory: A reply to Hestenes and Halloun," Phys. Teach. 33, 503-511 (1995)
• "Common concerns about the Force Concept Inventory," C. Henderson, Phys. Teach 40, 542-547 (2002)
• "Interpreting force concept inventory scores: Normalized gain and SAT scores," V. P. Coletta, J. A. Phillips, and J. J. Steinert, Phys. Rev. ST-PER 3 (2007)

Concept Inventories
(Prof. Libarkin)

Readings:

• "Assessing student learning of Newton's laws: The Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation and the evaluation of active learning laboratory and lecture curricula," R. K. Thornton and D. R. Sokoloff, Am. J. Phys. 66, 338-352 (1998)
• "The Geoscience Concept Inventory: Application of Rasch Analysis to Concept Inventory Development in Higher Education," J. C. Libarkin and S. W. Anderson (2006)
• "Development of the Geoscience Concept Inventory," J. C. Libarkin, S. W. Anderson (2007)

"Expert and Novice"

Readings:

• "Student problem solving behaviors," K. A. Harper, Phys. Teach. 44, 250-251 (2007)
• "Categorization and representation of physics problems by experts and novices," M. T. H. Chi, P. J. Feltovich, and R. Glaser, Cognitive Science 5, 121-152 (1981)
• "Expert and novice performance in solving physics problems," J. Larkin, J. McDermott, D. P. Simon, and H. A. Simon, Science 208, 1335-1342 (1980)

Learning to Learn

Readings:

• "Helping physics students learn about learning," A. Elby, Am. J. Phys. 69, S54-S64 (2001)
• "Learning to think like a physicist: A review of research-based instructional strategies," A. Van Heuvelen, Am. J. Phys. 59, 891-897 (1991)
• "Another reason that physics students learn by rote," A. Elby, Am. J. Phys. 67, S52-S57 (1999)
• "Teaching problem solving through cooperative grouping" (Parts 1 and 2), P. Heller (Part 1: R. Keith and S. Anderson, Part 2: M Hollabaugh), Am. J. Phys. 60, 627-636, 636-644 (1992)

Readings:

• "Epistemological Beliefs in Introductory Physics," D. Hammer, Cognition and Instruction 12, 151-183 (1994)
• "Student Expectations in Introductory Physics," E. F. Redish, R. N. Steinberg, and J. M. Saul, Am. J. Phys. 66, 212-224 (1998)
• "The impact of epistemology on learning: A case study from introductory physics, " L. Lising and A. Elby, Am. J. Phys. 73, 372-382 (2005)

Epistemologies

Readings:

• "Personal epistemology research: implications for learning and teaching," B. K. Hofer, Educ. Psyc 13, 353-383 (2001)
• "College Physics Students' Epistemological Self-Reflection and Its Relationship to Conceptual Learning," D. May and E. Etkina, Am. J. Phys 70, 1249-1258 (2002)
• "Elements of a cognitive model of physics problem solving: epistemic games," J. Tuminaro and E. F. Redish, Phys. Rev. ST-PER 3 (2007)

Representations

Readings:

• "Translation Difficulties in Learning Mathematics," J. Clement, J. Lochhead, and G. S. Monk, Am. Math. Monthly 88, 286-290 (1981)
• "Testing student interpretation of kinematics graphs," R. Beichner, Am. J. Phys. 62, 750-762 (1994)
• "Student difficulties in connecting graphs and physics: examples from kinematics," L. McDermott, M. L. Rosenquist, and E. H. van Zee, Am. J. Phys. 55, 503-513 (1987)
• "Effects of representation on students solving physics problems: A fine grained characterization." P. Kohl and N. Finkelstein, Phys. Rev. ST-PER 2 (2006)

Representations

Readings:

• "Relation between students' problem-solving performance and representational format," D. Meltzer, Am. J. Phys. 73, 463-478 (2005)
• "What students' learning of representations tells us about constructivism," A. Elby, J. Math. Behavior 19,481-502 (2000)
• "Strongly and Weakly Directed Approaches to Teaching Multiple Representation Use in Physics," P. Kohl, D. Rosengrant and N.D. Finkelstein, Phys. Rev. ST-PER 3 (2007)
• "Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representations," N.S. Podolefsky and N.D. Finkelstein, Phys. Rev. ST-PER 2 (2006)
• "Confusion by representation: On students' comprehension of the electrical field concept," S. Törnkvist, K.-A. Petterson and G. Tranströmer, Am. J. Phys. 61, 335-338 (1993)

Conceptual Change

Readings:

• "What changes in conceptual change?," A. diSessa, B. L. Stein, Int. J. Sci. Educ. 20, 1155-1191 (1998)
• "Encouraging conceptual change: the use of bridging analogies in the teaching of action-reaction forces and the 'at rest' condition in physics," T. Bryce and K. MacMillan, Int. J. Sci. Educ. 27, 737-763 (2005)
• "Using resource graphs to represent conceptual change," M. Wittmann, Phys. Rev. ST-PER 2 (2006)

Curriculum Development

Readings:

• "The impact of video motion analysis on kinematics graphs and interpretation skills," R. J. Beichner, Am. J. Phys. 64, 1272-1277
• "Research as a guide for teaching introductory mechanics: An illustration in the context of Atwood's machine," L. C. McDermott, P. S. Shaffer, and M. D. Somers, Am. J. Phys. 62, 46-55 (1994)
• "Modeling instruction in mechanics," I. A. Halloun and D. Hestenes, Am. J. Phys. 55, 455-462 (1987)

Particular Topics: Waves

Readings:

• "Making sense of how students make sense of mechanical waves," M. C. Wittmann, R. N. Steinberg, and E. F. Redish, Phys. Teach. 37, 15-21 (1999)

Particular Topics: Thermodynamics

Readings:

• "Investigation of students' reasoning regarding heat, work, and the first law of thermodynamics in an introductory calculus-based general physics course," D. Meltzer, Am. J. Phys. 72, 1432-1446 (2004) 

Particular Topics: Electric Field and Potential

Readings:

• "Analysis of shifts in students' reasoning regarding electric field and potential concepts," D. Meltzer, 2006 Physics Education Research Conference [Syracuse, New York (USA), 26-27 July 2006], edited by L. McCullough, L. Hsu, and P. Heron [American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings 883, 177-180 (2007)
• ""Analogical scaffolding and the learning of abstract ideas in physics: An example from electromagnetic waves," N.S. Podolefsky and N.D. Finkelstein, Phys Rev ST-PER 3 (2007)
• "Learning physics in context: a study of student learning about electricity and magnetism." N. D Finkelstein. Int. J. of Sci. Educ. 27, 1187-1209 (2005)

Particular Topics: Circuits

Do it yourself: Analysis of student discussions about DC and AC circuits

Readings:

• "Student conceptions of simple electric circuits," N. Fredette and J. Lochhead, Phys. Teach 19, 194-198 (1980)
• "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. Part 1: Investigation of student understanding," L. C. McDermott and P. S. Shaffer, Am. J. Phys. 60, 994-1003 (1992), "Part 2: Design of Instructional Strategies, ibid, 1003-1013, P. S. Shaffer and L. C. McDermott, and erratum, ibid, 61, 81 (1993)

Discussion
(Prof. E. F. Redish)

Discussion session with Prof. E. F. Redish, Department of Physics, University of Maryland.

Particular Topics: Optics

Readings:

• "Student difficulties in understanding image formation by a plane mirror," F. M. Goldberg and L. C. McDermott, Phys. Teach. 24, 472-480 (1986)
• "An investigation of student understanding of the real image formed by a converging lens or concave mirror," F. M. Goldberg and L. C. McDermott, Am. J. Phys. 55, 108-119 (1987)
• "An investigation of student understanding of single-slit and double-slit interference," B. S. Ambrose, P. S. Shaffer, R. N. Steinberg, and L. C. McDermott, Am. J. Phys. 67, 146-155 (1999)

Particular Topics: "Modern" Physics

Readings:

• "Exploring student understanding of energy through the quantum mechanics conceptual survey." S. B. McKagan and C. E. Wieman, PERC Proceedings 2005. (2006)
• "Student difficulties in learning quantum mechanics," I. D. Johnson, K. Crawford, and P. R. Fletcher, Int. J. Sci. Educ. 20, 427-446 (1998)

Instructional Methods: Peer Instruction and "Clickers"

Do it yourself: ConcepTests

Readings:

• "Peer Instruction: Ten Years of Experience and Results," C. H. Crouch and E. Mazur, Am. J. Phys., 69, 970-977 (2001)
• "Peer Instruction: A User's Manual" (excerpts), E. Mazur,  Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ (1997)

Instructional Methods: Online Homework and Exams

Readings:

• "Review of Research Results and Experiences with LON-CAPA," G. Kortemeyer et al. (preprint)
• "Effective Feedback to the Instructor from Online Homework," G. Kortemeyer, M. Hall, J. Parker, B. Minaei-Bidgoli, G. Albertelli, W. Bauer, and E. Kashy, J.Async. Learn. Netw. 9 (2005)
• "Retaking a Test Online," G. Kortemeyer, W. Bauer, W. Benenson, and E. Kashy, Phys. Teach. 44, 235-239 (2006)
• "The Influence of Web-Based Homework on Quantitative Problem-Solving in a University Physics Class," A. Pascarella, Proceedings of the NARST Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2004)

Instructional Methods: Online Homework

Do it yourself: creating online homework 

Instructional Methods: Online Homework

Instructional Methods: Online Discussions

Readings:

• "Influence of non-moderated and moderated discussion sites on student success, " D. A. Kashy, G. Albertelli, W. Bauer, E. Kashy, and M. Thoennessen, J. Asynch. Learn. Netw. 7, 31-36 (2003)
• "Online learning in higher education: a review of research on interactions among teachers and students," R. Wallace, Education, Communication, and Information 3, 241-280 (2003)
• "An analysis of asynchronous online homework discussions in introductory physics courses," G. Kortemeyer, Am. J. Phys. 74, 526-536 (2006)
• "Correlations between Student Discussion Behavior, Attitudes, and Learning, " G. Kortemeyer, Phys. Rev. ST-PER 3 (2007)

Instructional Methods: Just-In-Time Teaching

Readings:

• "Just-in-time teaching: blending active learning with web technology" (excerpts), G. M. Novak, E. T. Patterson, and A. D. Gavrin, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ (1999)

Instructional Methods: Computerized Tutors

Do it yourself: ANDES Physics LearnLab

Instructional Methods: Tutorials

Do it yourself: "Tutorials in Introductory Physics," L.C. McDermott, P.S. Shaffer, and The Physics Education Group at the University of Washington, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ (2002)

Reading:

• "Replicating and understanding successful innovations: Implementing tutorials in introductory physics." N. D. Finkelstein and S. J. Pollock, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 1 (2005)