Development of Curricular Tools for Quantitative Estimation in Physics

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This project uses equipment to address a curricular need that exists in this department and in physics programs nationwide. One of the express goals of introductory physics courses is to prepare students to apply physics to the world around them. Students should be capable of thoughtfully performing back-of-the-envelope calculations to reach valid conclusions about physics as it is observed. Rarely, if ever, do teachers validate this skill by testing students. The outcomes of those tests that have been employed are disappointing. Therefore, this department is developing methods to ensure greater student skill in these estimation processes. If students are going to learn to make valid estimations, they need to practice. It is crucial that they have quick feedback about the accuracy of their estimates. To this end, eight computer-based data acquisition systems are being used along with suitable probes and modeling software. Together with structured learning activities, this hardware provides the immediate feedback that is needed to develop student skills in estimation. Simple modeling exercises enable the students to discover which aspects of the problem are most critical. Because of the growing numbers of physics classes with access to microcomputer based labs (MBL), the tools and resources developed are easily transportable to schools nationwide.