Math Practice for Physics: Building Math Fluency in an Introductory Undergraduate Physics Context

物理数学练习：在本科物理入门背景下培养数学流利度

基本信息

批准号：
1914709
负责人：
Andrew Heckler
金额：
$ 47.33万
依托单位：
Ohio State University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2019
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2019-10-01 至 2023-09-30
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1914709&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Math Practice Physics Building Fluency

项目摘要

With support from the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR), this project aims to serve the national interest by improving math fluency in introductory physics courses. The goal is to use research-based principles, together with methods from cognitive psychology and education research, to develop, implement, and assess a set of practice assignments called Math Practice. Math Practice is based on Essential Skills, an existing online platform used at Ohio State University. The initial scope of this project is to advance knowledge about how to address students' difficulties with math skills that are needed for success in introductory physics courses. This initial work will involve the 15,000 students in introductory physics courses at the target schools. However, because this intervention is both low-cost and logistically simple to implement, it could potentially improve performance and retention of the 500,000 students enrolled each year in physics classes nationwide. Furthermore, although the Math Practice application will be designed to help all students, it is likely to especially help underprepared students succeed and continue in physics courses. The design of this proposed intervention is based on well-established research-based learning methods, including spaced and interleaved mastery practice with immediate feedback. This method is expected to automate and thereby reduce the cognitive load involved in applying basic math procedures in physics. Reducing cognitive load is important since physics tends to have complex, perceptually rich notation and contexts. The experimental design will include control conditions and "A/B testing" to explore optimal practice tasks and formats, such as comparison of alternative solutions and combinations of generic and context-rich format practice. The assessments will include validated math instruments, course performance, and motivational survey scales. These assessments will be used for iterative improvement of materials, investigation of areas of student difficulty, and investigation of potentially important student-level factors of performance and motivation. As a result, the practice tasks and assignment design will have a strong empirical and theoretical basis. Further, this project is expected to advance knowledge about student difficulties with essential math skills and the mechanisms underlying these difficulties, in an introductory physics context. In addition, it is expected to advance knowledge of the effectiveness of several specific kinds of empirically and theoretically promising math practice tasks. Finally, the project is expected to determine the extent to which student characteristics and motivations interact with this intervention. Thus, it will potentially provide information about the mechanisms of the difficulties and additional avenues for productive interventions. Given that math is essential in all STEM disciplines, the information learned in this project could potentially extend to all of STEM education. For example, the difficulties students have with symbolic notation in introductory physics are also likely to be encountered in other areas of STEM. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在NSF改善本科STEM教育计划的支持下：教育和人力资源（IUSE：EHR），该项目旨在通过提高入门物理学课程的数学流利度来服务国家利益。目的是使用基于研究的原则以及认知心理学和教育研究的方法来开发，实施和评估一组称为数学实践的实践任务。数学实践基于基本技能，这是俄亥俄州立大学现有的在线平台。该项目的最初范围是促进有关如何在入门物理课程中成功解决学生在数学技能方面的困难的知识。这项最初的工作将涉及15,000名学生参加目标学校的介绍性物理课程。但是，由于这种干预既是低成本又易于实施，因此它可能会提高全国物理课程中每年入学的500,000名学生的绩效和保留。此外，尽管数学实践申请将旨在帮助所有学生，但它可能特别帮助准备不足的学生成功并继续进行物理课程。该提议的干预措施的设计基于建立的基于研究的学习方法，包括与立即反馈的间隔和交错的掌握实践。预计该方法将自动化，从而减少应用物理基本数学程序所涉及的认知载荷。减少认知载荷很重要，因为物理学往往具有复杂的，感知的富度符号和环境。实验设计将包括控制条件和“ A/B测试”，以探索最佳的实践任务和格式，例如替代解决方案的比较以及通用和上下文富裕格式实践的组合。评估将包括经过验证的数学工具，课程表现和动机调查量表。这些评估将用于迭代改进材料，对学生难度领域的调查以及对潜在重要的学生水平的表现和动机的调查。结果，实践任务和作业设计将具有强大的经验和理论基础。此外，在介绍性的物理环境中，该项目有望通过基本的数学技能和这些困难的基本机制提高有关学生困难的知识。此外，有望提高人们对几种特定类型的经验和理论上有前途的数学实践任务的有效性的了解。最后，预计该项目将确定学生的特征和动机与这种干预措施相互作用的程度。因此，它可能会提供有关困难机制和生产力干预措施的其他途径的信息。鉴于数学在所有STEM学科中都是必不可少的，因此该项目中学到的信息可能会扩展到所有STEM教育。例如，在STEM的其他领域也可能会遇到学生在入门物理学中遇到符号符号的困难。 NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与的学生学习轨道，该计划支持有希望的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估的评估来支持的。