Transcript Changes in Student Understanding of the Direction of Force, Velocity, and Acceleration Funded in part by: Rebecca Rosenblatt & Andrew F.

Changes in Student Understanding of the Direction of Force, Velocity, and Acceleration
Funded in part by:
Rebecca Rosenblatt & Andrew F. Heckler
Test Statistics
18 Questions
Students' difficulties with conceptual questions about force,
velocity, and acceleration have been well documented.
2
2
2
2
1
However, there has been no single systematic study of student
understanding of all paired relations among the concepts of
force, velocity, and acceleration.
An F  v question. “At a particular instant of time, there
a) It is moving to the right
b) it is moving to the left
c) it is not moving
d) both a and b are possible
e) both b and c are possible
f ) a, b, and c are possible
“Misconception”
0.57
Avg. K-R 20 alpha
0.79
Avg. Correlation of
Score w/ Final Grade
Avg. Correlation of
“misc.” w/ Final Grade
0.37
Pre-Correct
30
Pre-Middle
40
Pre-Misc
0
Regular Course (N=228)
25
38
50
60
Pre-Correct
Pre-Middle
Pre-Misc
4
14
6
0
8
7
14
0
0
Post-Misc
Honors Course (N= 230)
53 % Stay in their Model
6 % Move Backward
39 % Move Forward
Majors Course (N= 48)
59 % Stay in their Model
0 % Move Backward
34 % Move Forward
Post-Correct
Post-Correct
4. a – v Pre and Post in the Majors Course
4. a – v Pre and Post in the Honors Course
Pre-Correct
Pre-Middle
Pre-Misc
40
Pre-Correct
14
9
25
40
Pre-Middle
Pre-Misc
10
6
15
2
3
10
9
2
20
15
4
1
5
Cannot-beOpposite
Post-Misc
Post-Misc
Must-be-Aligned
(''Misconception'')
Post-Middle
Post-Middle
Post-Correct
Post-Correct
16. v – F Pre and Post in the Honors Course
16. v – F Pre and Post in the Honors Course
16. v-F
80
Pre-Correct
Pre-Middle
Pre-Correct
Pre-Misc
Pre-Middle
Pre-Misc
29
60
30
30
30
21
20
20
22
10
0
10
9
3
16
1
0
Must-be-Aligned
(''Misconception'')
12
0
7
0
2
4
Majors Course
42 % Stay in their Model
2 % Move Backward
54 % Move Forward
0
0
Cannot-beOpposite
Honors Course
54 % Stay in their Model
4 % Move Backward
42 % Move Forward
16
12
14
40
Majors Course
62 % Stay in their Model
8 % Move Backward
31 % Move Forward
0
0
0
Honors Course
49 % Stay in their Model
9 % Move Backward
42 % Move Forward
35
12
20
15
Cannot-be-Zero
100
Post-Middle
Post-Middle
20
Correct
88
0
0
60
Cannot-be-Zero
75
55
40
19
Correct
63
Second Year Course (N=65)
20
Cannot-be-Zero
Cannot-be-Opposite
Correct
13
14. F – v Pre and Post in the Majors Course
3
30
Percentage
“Misconception”
Must-be-Aligned
(''Misconception'')
80
Cannot-be-Zero
Cannot-be-Opposite
Correct
pushing to the right on a box with a force, F. There is also a
friction force f between the box and the floor. If at that exact
moment, the box is moving to the right, which statement best
describes the forces on the box at that time?”
5.0
.0
Post-Misc
4. a - v
Percentage
“Misconception”
Honor’s Course (N =86)
10.0
20
2
0
Cannot-beOpposite
Honors Mechanics
20
1
Cannot-be-Zero
15.0
30
10
Second Year Mechanics
20.0
0
15
20
Correct
Regular Mechanics
- 0.40
12
20
Cannot-be-Zero
Cannot-be-Opposite
Correct
25.0
14. F – v Pre and Post in the Honors Course
60
An v F question. “At exactly 10:02 A.M., a man is
F>f
F<f
F=f
both a and b are possible
both a and c are possible
a, b and c are possible
Avg. Correlation of
Score w/ FCI
40
its acceleration is uphill. Which statement best describes the
motion of the car at this time?”
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
a-F
v,dv - F
v,dv - a
filler
80
An a  v question. “A car is on a hill and the direction of
a) it is moving uphill
b) it is moving downhill
c) it is not moving
d) both a and b are possible
e) both a and c are possible
f ) a, b, and c are possible
1
1
1
6
14. F-v
Percentage
are several forces acting on an object in both the positive and
negative direction, but the forces in the negative direction (to
the left) are greater. Which statement best describes the
motion of the object at this instant?”
v-F
F-v
a-v
v-a
F-a
Distrobutions for FVA test
Percentage of students
Introduction
of the U.S. Dept. of Education (#R305H050125)
to Andrew F. Heckler and Vladimir M. Sloutsky.
Post-Misc
Post-Misc
Post-Middle
Post-Correct
Conclusions
 The data from the three course levels suggests that student understanding may evolve from the common incorrect “misconception”
response to the correct answer by moving through a partially correct response “state”.
 With-in-Student data collected pre and post in the Honors Mechanics Course and the Majors Mechanics Course supports this.
 The Honors course shows an average of 15 to 20% movement from misconception to both the middle model and correct states.
 And a smaller 5 to 10% movement from the middle model into the correct response.
Post-Middle
Post-Correct
Contact Info
Rebecca Rosenblatt: Graduate Student in physics at The Ohio State University.
[email protected]
Andrew Heckler: Assistant Professor in physics at The Ohio State University.
[email protected]