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Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class
written by Kathy Shan
Introductory physics courses often serve as gatekeepers for many scientific and engineering programs and, increasingly, colleges are relying on large, lecture formats for these courses. Many students, however, leave having learned very little physics and with poor views of the subject. In interactive engagement (IE), classroom activities encourage students to engage with each other and with physics concepts and to be actively involved in their own learning. These methods have been shown to be effective in introductory physics classes with small group recitations. This study examined student learning and views of physics in a large enrollment course that included IE methods with no separate, small-group recitations. In this study, a large, lecture-based course included activities that had students explaining their reasoning both verbally and in writing, revise their ideas about physics concepts, and apply their reasoning to various problems. The questions addressed were: (a) What do students learn about physics concepts and how does student learning in this course compare to that reported in the literature for students in a traditional course?, (b) Do students' views of physics change and how do students' views of physics compare to that reported in the literature for students in a traditional course?, and (c) Which of the instructional strategies contribute to student learning in this course? Data included: pre-post administration of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), classroom exams during the term, pre-post administration of the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey (CLASS), and student work, interviews, and open-ended surveys. The average normalized gain (=0.32) on the FCI falls within the medium-gain range as reported in the physics education literature, even though the average pre-test score was very low (30%) and this was the instructor's first implementation of IE methods. Students' views of physics remained relatively unchanged by instruction.
University: University of Toledo
Academic Department:  Curriculum and Instruction
Pages 195
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© 2013 Kathy Shan
Type:
PhD
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created July 31, 2014 by Kathy Shan
Record Updated:
March 14, 2018 by Lyle Barbato
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April 14, 2014
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AIP Format
K. Shan, , PhD, University of Toledo, 2013, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13328&DocID=3881).
AJP/PRST-PER
K. Shan, Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class, PhD, University of Toledo, 2013, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13328&DocID=3881>.
APA Format
Shan, K. (2014, April 14). Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class (PhD, University of Toledo, 2013). Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13328&DocID=3881
Chicago Format
Shan, Kathy. "Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class." PhD, University of Toledo, 2013. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13328&DocID=3881 (accessed 18 April 2024).
MLA Format
Shan, Kathy. "Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class." PhD. 14 Apr. 2014. University of Toledo, 2013. 18 Apr. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13328&DocID=3881>.
BibTeX Export Format
@phdthesis{ Author = "Kathy Shan", Title = {Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class}, School = {University of Toledo}, Type = {PhD}, Month = {April}, Year = {2014} }
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%A Kathy Shan %T Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class %R PhD %D April 14, 2014 %P 195 %I University of Toledo %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13328&DocID=3881 %O Curriculum and Instruction %O application/pdf %O PhD

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%0 Thesis %A Shan, Kathy %D April 14, 2014 %T Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class %B Curriculum and Instruction %I University of Toledo %P 195 %8 April 14, 2014 %9 PhD %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13328&DocID=3881


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