• Open Access

Quantum mechanics concept assessment: Development and validation study

Homeyra R. Sadaghiani and Steven J. Pollock
Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 11, 010110 – Published 13 March 2015

Abstract

As part of an ongoing investigation of students’ learning in first semester upper-division quantum mechanics, we needed a high-quality conceptual assessment instrument for comparing outcomes of different curricular approaches. The process of developing such a tool started with converting a preliminary version of a 14-item open-ended quantum mechanics assessment tool (QMAT) to a multiple-choice (MC) format. Further question refinement, development of effective distractors, adding new questions, and robust statistical analysis has led to a 31-item quantum mechanics concept assessment (QMCA) test. The QMCA is used as post-test only to assess students’ knowledge about five main topics of quantum measurement: the time-independent Schrödinger equation, wave functions and boundary conditions, time evolution, and probability density. During two years of testing and refinement, the QMCA has been given in alpha (N=61) and beta versions (N=263) to students in upper division quantum mechanics courses at 11 different institutions with an average post-test score of 54%. By allowing for comparisons of student learning across different populations and institutions, the QMCA provides instructors and researchers a more standard measure of effectiveness of different curricula or teaching strategies on student conceptual understanding of quantum mechanics. In this paper, we discuss the construction of effective distractors and the use of student interviews and expert feedback to revise and validate both questions and distractors. We include the results of common statistical tests of reliability and validity, which suggest the instrument is presently in a stable, usable, and promising form.

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  • Received 22 September 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.010110

This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Homeyra R. Sadaghiani

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768, USA

Steven J. Pollock

  • Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA

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Issue

Vol. 11, Iss. 1 — January - June 2015

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