Implementing Interactive Laboratory-Based Learning Techniques in Second-Semester Introductory Physics

9455732斯图尔特研究表明，学生使用的以公式为中心的问题解决策略与经验丰富的科学家使用的策略不同，学生在物理入门课程中获得的知识是一组随机组织的事实和方程式，对概念的理解很少，有许多误解。已经开发了许多方法来克服这些问题，并在小型机构或某一位教授身上取得了相当的成功。这些方法往往过于昂贵或复杂，无法转移到大型综合性大学。此外，研究生作为未来的科学教师，总体上没有得到足够的教育培训。将开发一种旨在克服这些问题的教学系统，其方法可以标准化，可供较大的工程学校使用，也适用于较小的机构。该方法通过小组讨论，引导学生从具体的“动手”例子到概念理解，以先想法，后命名的方式。定量的实验结果验证了这一点。概念与学生熟悉的日常现象有关。学生们被教导如何思考物理问题。合作学习被发现可以提高女性和少数民族学生的记忆力，因此受到了重视。研究生和高级本科生作为学徒被带到教学过程中，并提供材料让他们熟悉要使用的教学策略。在一门以微积分为基础的物理入门课程中(每年300名学生)，在三年的时间里，这项技术将得到改进，通过测试和面试来确定最成功的策略。结果将以便于在其他地方实施的格式提供。将制定一个类似于Hestenes力学评价的电磁学概念理解评价标准。“动手”活动指南将在非工科课程中有用，特别是对教育工作者的课程，并可调整用于较低层次的教育。

9455732 Stewart Research shows that students use formula-centered problem-solving strategies that differ from those used by experienced scientists, and that the knowledge students gain in introductory physics is a randomly organized set of facts and equations, with little conceptual understanding and many misconceptions. Many approaches have been developed to overcome these problems, and have met with reasonable success in small institutions, or for a particular professor. These approaches are often too expensive or complicated to transfer to large comprehensive universities. Also, graduate students, the future instructors of science, are in general inadequately trained as educators. A teaching system designed to overcome these problems in a method that could be standardized and made available to larger engineering schools, as well as being appropriate for smaller institutions, will be developed. The method involves leading the student from concrete "hands-on" examples to conceptual understanding through group discussion, in the idea first, name afterward fashion. Quantitative experimental results provide verification. Concepts are related to everyday phenomena familiar to the student. Students are taught how to think about physics problems. Cooperative learning, found to improve retention of female and minority students, is emphasized. Graduate and advanced undergraduate students are brought into the teaching process as apprentices, with materials to acquaint them with the teaching strategies to be employed. In a calculus-based introductory physics course (300 students annually), over a three year period, the technique will be refined, using testing and interviews to determine the most successful strategies. The results will be made available in a format designed to facilitate implementation elsewhere. A standard of evaluation for conceptual understanding for electromagnetism, similar to the Hestenes mechanics evaluati on, will be developed. The "hands-on" Activity Guide would be useful in non-engineering courses, particularly classes for educators, and could be adapted for use in lower education.