Comparing problem solving performance of physics students in inquiry‐based and traditional introductory physics courses

1994 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 627-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Thacker ◽  
Eunsook Kim ◽  
Kelvin Trefz ◽  
Suzanne M. Lea
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Introductory Physics ◽  
Physics Students ◽  
Physics Courses ◽  
Introductory Physics Courses

Exercises are problems too: implications for teaching problem-solving in introductory physics courses

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 055703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Zuza ◽  
Mikel Garmendia ◽  
José-Ignacio Barragués ◽  
Jenaro Guisasola
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Introductory Physics ◽  
Physics Courses ◽  
Teaching Problem ◽  
Introductory Physics Courses

scholarly journals Topic Order in Introductory Physics and its Impact on the STEM Curricular Ladder

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa L Larkin
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Introductory Physics ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Physics Courses ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Electricity And Magnetism ◽  
Physics Course ◽  
Introductory Physics Courses

Introductory physics courses are an important rung on the curricular ladder in STEM. These courses help to strengthen students critical thinking and problem solving skills while simultaneously introducing them to many topics they will explore in more detail in later courses in physics and engineering. For these reasons, introductory physics is a required element on the curricular ladder. Most often, introductory physics is offered as a two-semester sequence with basic mechanics being taught in the first semester and electricity and magnetism in the second. In fact, this curricular sequence has not been altered in decades. Is there a reason for this? There are many other enduring questions that arise pertaining to these foundation courses in physics. These questions include: Does taking the introductory course sequence “out of order” have an impact on student learning in physics? What topics should be taught? When should these topics be taught? What topics could be left out? The list of questions is essentially endless. This paper will address some of these questions in part, through a brief discussion on student learning in a second-semester algebra-based physics course. Connections will also be made to the broader curricular ladder in STEM. To this end, an illustration that makes connections to an engineering statics course will be presented. This discussion will conclude by presenting some broader implications for the larger STEM communities.

scholarly journals Using Online Interactive Physics-based Video Analysis Exercises to Enhance Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscilla W. Laws ◽  
Robert B. Teese ◽  
David P. Jackson ◽  
Maxine C. Willis ◽  
Kathy Koenig
Keyword(s):  
Video Analysis ◽  
Interactive Video ◽  
Analysis Software ◽  
Physics Students ◽  
Physics Courses ◽  
On Line ◽  
Curricular Materials ◽  
Introductory Physics Courses ◽  
Physical Phenomena ◽  
The Impact

As part of our new digital video age, physics students throughout the world can use smart phones, video cameras, computers and tablets to produce and analyze videos of physical phenomena using analysis software such as Logger Pro, Tracker or Coach. For several years, LivePhoto Physics Group members have created short videos of physical phenomena. They have also developed curricular materials that enable students to make predictions and use video analysis software to verify them. In this paper a new LivePhoto Physics project that involves the creation and testing of a series of Interactive Video Vignettes (IVVs) will be described. IVVs are short webbased assignments that take less than ten minutes to complete. Each vignette is designed to present a video of a phenomenon, ask for a student’s prediction about it, and then conduct on-line video observations or analyses that allow the user to compare findings with his or her initial prediction. The Vignettes are designed for web delivery as ungraded exercises to supplement textbook reading, or to serve as pre-lecture or pre-laboratory activities that span a number of topics normally introduced in introductory physics courses. A sample Vignette on the topic of Newton’s Third Law will be described, and the outcomes of preliminary research on the impact of Vignettes on student motivation, learning and attitudes will be summarized.

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