Network Analysis of Students' Representation Use in Problem Solving Documents

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Network Analysis of Students' Representation Use in Problem Solving 

written by Daryl R. McPadden and Eric Brewe

We present the preliminary results of a study on student use of representations in problem solving within the Modeling Instruction Physics 2 course (MI-Phys2), which covers introductory electricity and magnetism (E&M).  Representational competence is a critical skill needed for students to develop a sophisticated understanding of college science topics and to succeed in their science courses.  In this study, approximately 70 students from the MI-Phys2 course were given a survey of 25 physics problem statements both pre- and post- instruction, over both Newtonian mechanics (NM) and E&M.  For each problem statement, students were asked to select one or more representations the would use in that given situation.  We analyze the survey results through network analysis (NA) in order to identify which students selected similar representations.   We also compare the student networks for those students who had previously taken the Modeling Instruction Physics 1 course (MI-Phys1) and those students who had taken an alternative Physics 1 course.

Last Modified December 16, 2015

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