written by Jacquelyn J. Chini and Jarrad W. T. Pond

We analyze data from over 5500 students, spanning multiple semesters and instructors within a single institution, to explore how Gains and Losses in Force Concept Inventory scores vary between instructional approaches, including traditional lecture/laboratory courses, lecture-supported "mini-studio" and studio courses. We observe that the trend for Gain to increase and Loss to decrease with increasing pre-test score, initially observed across institutions, extends to individual student effects within an institution. The correlations between pre-test score and Gain/Loss were least pronounced for more minimally guided instructional strategies, such as studio. Additionally, we find similar or improved Gains and Losses for studio-type courses compared to traditional courses. These trends argue against the claim that novices require strongly guided instruction.

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Last Modified April 24, 2015

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