PERC 2012 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | The effect of research-based instruction in introductory physics on a common cognitive bias |
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| Abstract: | Inspired by a paper at last year's PERC conference (AIP Conf Proc 1413 315 (2012)), in which Rebello compared students' score estimations with their actual assessment scores, we present results of a study in which students in an introductory physics class were asked to predict their scores on two assessments, one pre- and one post-instruction. Our results show that pre-instruction the academically strongest students in the class tend to underestimate their score slightly, whereas the weakest students overestimate their performance significantly. These results are consistent with the findings of Rebello and demonstrate a well-known cognitive bias (the Dunning-Kruger effect). Post-instruction, we find that the ability of the weakest quartile cohort to accurately predict their own assessment score has improved significantly, and is no longer different to the average discrepancy in predicted score from any other quartile post-instruction. We discuss the implications these results have for instruction and for development of enhanced metacognition amongst physics students. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Ross Galloway University of Edinburgh School of Physics and Astronomy James Clerk Maxwell Building Edinburgh, UK, Non U.S. EH9 3JZ Phone: +44 (0)131 650 8614 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Simon Bates, University of Edinburgh Jonathan Parker, University of Edinburgh Evguenia Usoskina, University of Edinburgh |
Contributed Poster | |
| Contributed Poster: | Download the Contributed Poster |
