PERC 2010 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Possibilities: A Framework for Modeling Students’ Deductive Reasoning in Physics |
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| Abstract: | Students often make errors when trying to solve qualitative or conceptual physics problems, but the process of deduction that students use when solving physics problems has not been thoroughly studied. To better understand that reasoning, I have developed a framework, based on the "Mental Models" framework in psychology championed by P. N. Johnson-Laird. This "Possibilities Framework" allows us to interpret errors in reasoning as a failure to flesh out all of the possibilities that result from the underlying physical premises. By identifying this failure, potential interventions can be suggested for student difficulties that range from overlooking potentially relevant physical quantities to actively oversimplifying the situation of interest. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Jon D. H. Gaffney University of Kentucky KY Phone: (724)601-5936 |
