Education Research on Simulations and Visualization in Introductory Physics

物理学入门模拟与可视化教育研究

• 批准号: 2120980
• 负责人: Andrew Duffy
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-10-01 至 2025-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2120980&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Education; Research; Simulations; Visualization; Introductory

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving students' understanding of key concepts in physics with the use of computer simulations. The focus will be electromagnetism, waves, and optics, which are topics usually covered in the second semester of introductory physics at colleges and universities. In previous research (supported by NSF Award DUE-1712159), the investigators produced a collection of over 200 physics simulations dealing mainly with topics in mechanics, and they compared the effectiveness of labs that used the simulations to labs that used hands-on equipment. The rapid switch to online learning during the recent COVID-19 pandemic made evident the importance of having remote lab experiences ready to go. In this project, the investigators will build several simulation-based labs, improve them with the assistance of undergraduate learning assistants (students trained in pedagogy who return to a course they previously took to help students learn), and carry out education research to assess the effectiveness of the labs in a second-semester introductory physics course. Building on their prior research, which compared simulation-based labs with hands-on labs, the investigators will focus on "hybrid" labs that merge the best of both environments -- allowing students to investigate concepts in an idealized situation using simulations and then compare those understandings to those gained in real-world scenarios with real-world lab equipment. The researchers hope to demonstrate that several designs for a lab can produce acceptable learning gains. Such a result will give instructors and students flexibility to adapt to local conditions at their institutions. The project will also give them materials they can use if they need to switch to online learning.This project centers on education research associated with HTML5 computer simulations for topics in electromagnetism, waves, and optics. The investigators will design several simulation-based labs, including the simulations themselves as well as worksheets and guided-inquiry lab packets. They will test them in a class of approximately 400 undergraduates, with a focus on comparing the effectiveness of hybrid labs (labs that use both simulations and hands-on experiments) versus hands-on (only) labs. They will also look at effectiveness in the context of recitations in which students interact with simulations versus working through the concepts without a simulation. The education research questions will primarily concern how the use of a simulation in place of, or in combination with, hands-on lab equipment impacts (1) students' gains in content knowledge on written assessments for specific concepts in electromagnetism, waves, and optics; (2) students' attitudes towards learning physics; (3) students' analysis or use of visual tools and representations to explain specific concepts in electromagnetism, waves, and optics; and (4) students' development of skills in visual modeling and representation when learning about specific concepts in electromagnetism, waves, and optics. 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.

该项目旨在通过使用计算机模拟提高学生对物理学关键概念的理解，从而为国家利益服务。重点将是电磁学，波和光学，这是通常在学院和大学的入门物理学第二学期涵盖的主题。在之前的研究中（由NSF Award DUE-1712159支持），研究人员制作了200多个物理模拟的集合，主要涉及力学主题，他们将使用模拟的实验室的有效性与使用动手设备的实验室进行了比较。在最近的COVID-19大流行期间迅速转向在线学习，这表明了准备远程实验室体验的重要性。在这个项目中，研究人员将建立几个基于模拟的实验室，在本科生学习助理的帮助下改进它们（接受过教育学培训的学生，他们返回到他们以前参加的课程，以帮助学生学习），并进行教育研究，以评估实验室的有效性在第二学期的入门物理课程。在他们之前的研究基础上，将基于模拟的实验室与动手实验室进行了比较，研究人员将专注于“混合”实验室，将两种环境中最好的部分融合在一起-允许学生使用模拟在理想化的情况下研究概念，然后将这些理解与现实世界中获得的理解进行比较。研究人员希望证明，实验室的几种设计可以产生可接受的学习收益。这样的结果将使教师和学生能够灵活地适应其机构的当地条件。该项目还将为他们提供材料，如果他们需要切换到在线学习。该项目的中心是与电磁学，波和光学主题的HTML5计算机模拟相关的教育研究。研究人员将设计几个基于模拟的实验室，包括模拟本身以及模拟和引导调查实验包。他们将在大约400名本科生中进行测试，重点是比较混合实验室（使用模拟和动手实验的实验室）与动手实验室的有效性。他们还将在学生与模拟互动的复习背景下研究有效性，而不是在没有模拟的情况下通过概念进行工作。教育研究的问题主要是如何使用模拟代替，或结合，动手实验室设备的影响（1）学生的内容知识的书面评估在电磁学，波，光学的具体概念的增益;（2）学生对学习物理的态度;（3）学生分析或使用视觉工具和表现来解释电磁学、波和光学中的特定概念;以及（4）学生在学习电磁学、波和光学的具体概念时，视觉建模和表示技能的发展。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。