Development of Active-Learning Curricular Materials in Thermodynamics

这个项目正在为热力学研究创造新的主动学习课程材料，这将对初级和中级的物理和化学教学产生直接影响。创造这些新材料的动机是对学生学习的研究，该研究表明，仅利用课堂授课、标准背诵和实验的教学，对大多数学生对物理和化学基本概念的理解只产生了相对较小的提高。正在开发的材料可以被描述为引导探究问题集。它们经过精心设计，既能引出学生对所学科目的共同困难，又能通过一系列重点突出、有策略顺序的问题和练习，引导学生正面面对这些困难。这些练习的一个整体特点是要求学生用简短的书面陈述来解释他们的推理过程。在通过这些问题和练习的过程中，引导学生解决他们的困难和困惑，并牢固地掌握目标概念。该材料由一系列紧密相连的内容组成：(1)以高度“互动”形式进行的简短文本阐述；(2)在大班课堂交流系统中使用的选择题、概念导向型问题；(3)引导学生引出并解决概念上的困难的结构化问题；最后(4)加强理解的练习。整个重点将是定性推理和基本概念的掌握。大量的图画、图解和图形材料被纳入其中。通过持续的课堂使用和重新设计来严格评估材料的有效性，并结合学生学习成果的评估。计划成为高中教师的本科生参与设计和测试过程，从而为他们未来的专业活动做好宝贵的准备。

Physics (13) This project is creating new active-learning curricular materials for the study of thermodynamics, which would have a direct impact on instruction both in physics and chemistry at the introductory and intermediate juniors level. The motivation for the creation of these new materials is research on student learning which suggests that instruction utilizing only lecture classes and standard recitations and labs results in relatively small increases in most students' understanding of fundamental concepts in physics and chemistry. The materials being developed can be described as guided-inquiry problem sets. They are carefully designed both to elicit common student difficulties regarding the subjects under study, and then to lead students to confront these difficulties head-on with a tightly focused and strategically sequenced series of questions and exercises. An integral feature of these exercises is to require students to explain their reasoning process with short written statements. In the course of working through these questions and exercises, students are guided to resolve their difficulties and confusion and to attain a firm grasp on the targeted concepts. The material consists of a tightly linked set of (1) brief textual expositions in highly "interactive" format, (2) multiple-choice, concept-oriented questions for use with classroom communication systems in large classes, (3) structured series of questions that lead students to elicit and then resolve conceptual difficulties, and finally (4) exercises to strengthen understanding. The emphasis throughout will be on qualitative reasoning and mastery of fundamental concepts. A great deal of pictorial, diagrammatic, and graphical material is incorporated. The effectiveness of the materials being rigorously assessed by continual in-class use and redesign, in conjunction with evaluation of student learning gains. Undergraduate students who plan to become high-school teachers are involved in the design and testing process, thereby gaining valuable preparation for their future professional activities.