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Investigating the Perceived Difficulty of Introductory Physics Problems
written by Elizabeth Gire and N. Sanjay Rebello
We present two studies investigating factors that correlate with students' and instructors' perceptions of problem difficulty. In the first study, introductory physics students and instructors were asked to rate the difficulty of textbook-style work-energy problems. These difficulty ratings are compared and we look for correlations between the difficulty ratings and a measure of problem complexity. We find differences between students' and instructors' ratings and a correlation between instructors' ratings and problem complexity but no significant correlation between students' ratings and problem complexity. In the second study, we asked introductory physics students and instructors to rate the difficulty of textbook-style kinematics problems. Additionally, we asked students to provide ratings of their familiarity with these problems and complete solutions. We explore the relationship between difficulty ratings, problem complexity, problem familiarity, and the rate at which students solve the problems correctly.
Physics Education Research Conference 2010
Part of the PER Conference series
Portland, Oregon: July 21-22, 2010
Volume 1289, Pages 149-152
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Classical Mechanics
- General
Education Foundations
- Student Characteristics
= Ability
Education Practices
- Active Learning
= Problem Solving
- Lower Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Report
= Research study
Intended Users Formats Ratings
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- Professional/Practitioners
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Mirror:
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3515184
Access Rights:
Limited free access and
Available for purchase
A preprint of the work is available. A hard copy of the PERC 2010 proceedings is available for purchase from the AIP.
Restriction:
© 2010 American Institute of Physics
DOI:
10.1063/1.3515184
NSF Number:
0816207
PACS:
01.40.Fk
Keywords:
PERC 2010, difficulty, introductory physics, mechanics, problem solving
Record Cloner:
Metadata instance created October 20, 2010 by Alea Smith
Record Updated:
May 1, 2013 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
August 24, 2010
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Record Link
AIP Format
E. Gire and N. Rebello, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2010, Portland, Oregon, 2010, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10426&DocID=1892).
AJP/PRST-PER
E. Gire and N. Rebello, Investigating the Perceived Difficulty of Introductory Physics Problems, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2010, Portland, Oregon, 2010, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10426&DocID=1892>.
APA Format
Gire, E., & Rebello, N. (2010, July 21-22). Investigating the Perceived Difficulty of Introductory Physics Problems. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2010, Portland, Oregon. Retrieved May 5, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10426&DocID=1892
Chicago Format
Gire, Elizabeth, and N. Sanjay Rebello. "Investigating the Perceived Difficulty of Introductory Physics Problems." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2010, Portland, Oregon, July 21-22, 2010. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10426&DocID=1892 (accessed 5 May 2024).
MLA Format
Gire, Elizabeth, and N. Sanjay Rebello. "Investigating the Perceived Difficulty of Introductory Physics Problems." Physics Education Research Conference 2010. Portland, Oregon: 2010. 149-152 Vol. 1289 of PER Conference. 5 May 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10426&DocID=1892>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{ Author = "Elizabeth Gire and N. Sanjay Rebello", Title = {Investigating the Perceived Difficulty of Introductory Physics Problems}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2010}, Pages = {149-152}, Address = {Portland, Oregon}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {1289}, Month = {July 21-22}, Year = {2010} }
Refer Export Format

%A Elizabeth Gire %A N. Sanjay Rebello %T Investigating the Perceived Difficulty of Introductory Physics Problems %S PER Conference %V 1289 %D July 21-22 2010 %P 149-152 %C Portland, Oregon %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10426&DocID=1892 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2010 %O July 21-22 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Gire, Elizabeth %A Rebello, N. Sanjay %D July 21-22 2010 %T Investigating the Perceived Difficulty of Introductory Physics Problems %B Physics Education Research Conference 2010 %C Portland, Oregon %V 1289 %P 149-152 %S PER Conference %8 July 21-22 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10426&DocID=1892


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