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Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research
Design and validation of the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey
written by Sam B. McKagan, Katherine Perkins, and Carl E. Wieman
The Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey (QMCS) is a 12-question survey of students' conceptual understanding of quantum mechanics. It is intended to be used to measure the relative effectiveness of different instructional methods in modern physics courses. In this paper, we describe the design and validation of the survey, a process that included observations of students, a review of previous literature and textbooks and syllabi, faculty and student interviews, and statistical analysis. We also discuss issues in the development of specific questions, which may be useful both for instructors who wish to use the QMCS in their classes and for researchers who wish to conduct further research of student understanding of quantum mechanics. The QMCS has been most thoroughly tested in, and is most appropriate for assessment of (as a posttest only), sophomore-level modern physics courses. We also describe testing with students in junior quantum courses and graduate quantum courses, from which we conclude that the QMCS may be appropriate for assessing junior quantum courses, but is not appropriate for assessing graduate courses. One surprising result of our faculty interviews is a lack of faculty consensus on what topics should be taught in modern physics, which has made designing a test that is valued by a majority of physics faculty more difficult than expected.
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Assessment
= Conceptual Assessment
= Instruments
Quantum Physics
- General
- Lower Undergraduate
- Graduate/Professional
- Upper Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Research study
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Professional/Practitioners
- Researchers
- application/pdf
- text/html
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Mirror:
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevST…
Access Rights:
Free access
Additional information is available.
License:
This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.
Rights Holder:
American Physical Society
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.6.020121
PACSs:
01.40.Fk
01.40.gf
03.65.-w
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created February 27, 2011 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
July 29, 2011 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
November 10, 2010
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AIP Format
S. McKagan, K. Perkins, and C. Wieman, , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 6 (2), 020121 (2010), WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10744&DocID=2211).
AJP/PRST-PER
S. McKagan, K. Perkins, and C. Wieman, Design and validation of the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 6 (2), 020121 (2010), <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10744&DocID=2211>.
APA Format
McKagan, S., Perkins, K., & Wieman, C. (2010, November 10). Design and validation of the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey. Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res., 6(2), 020121. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10744&DocID=2211
Chicago Format
McKagan, S, K. Perkins, and C. Wieman. "Design and validation of the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey." Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 6, no. 2, (November 10, 2010): 020121, https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10744&DocID=2211 (accessed 28 March 2024).
MLA Format
McKagan, Sam, Katherine Perkins, and Carl Wieman. "Design and validation of the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey." Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 6.2 (2010): 020121. 28 Mar. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10744&DocID=2211>.
BibTeX Export Format
@article{ Author = "Sam McKagan and Katherine Perkins and Carl Wieman", Title = {Design and validation of the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey}, Journal = {Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res.}, Volume = {6}, Number = {2}, Pages = {020121}, Month = {November}, Year = {2010} }
Refer Export Format

%A Sam McKagan %A Katherine Perkins %A Carl Wieman %T Design and validation of the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey %J Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. %V 6 %N 2 %D November 10, 2010 %P 020121 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10744&DocID=2211 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Journal Article %A McKagan, Sam %A Perkins, Katherine %A Wieman, Carl %D November 10, 2010 %T Design and validation of the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey %J Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. %V 6 %N 2 %P 020121 %8 November 10, 2010 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10744&DocID=2211


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