PERC 2011 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Assessing Students’ Ability to Solve Introductory Physics Problems Using Integrals in Symbolic and Graphical Representations |
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| Abstract: | Integration is widely used in physics in electricity and magnetism (E&M), as well as in mechanics, to calculate physical quantities from other non-constant quantities. We designed a survey to assess students' ability to apply integration to physics problems in introductory physics. Each student was given a set of 10 problems, and each set of problems had two different versions; one consisted of symbolic problems and the other graphical problems. Some students were given symbolic problems before graphical problems and others were given the problems in the opposite sequence. The purpose of this study was to investigate students skills in solving integrals they had learned after completing first semester mechanics compared to their skills after completing E&M in the second semester. We also investigated differences between the two sequences of problems. The results from this integration survey will be presented and discussed. This work is supported in part by U.S. National Science Foundation grant 0816207 |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Neelam Khan Georgia Gwinnett College 1000 University Center Lane Lawrenceville, GA 30043 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Dehui Hu, Kansas State University Dong-Hai Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City University of Pedagogy N. Sanjay Rebello, Kansas State University |
