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Improving Student Understanding of Vector Fields in Junior-Level E&M
written by Bert C. Xue, Ryan L. C. Hazelton, Peter S. Shaffer, and Paula R. L. Heron
Over the past several years, the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington has been developing tutorial worksheets for small-group sections for junior-level electrodynamics courses. We have observed that most of our students enter these courses with a working knowledge of static electric and magnetic fields in simple systems. However, many students have significant difficulties in transferring this knowledge to other vector fields. We first attempted to address these difficulties by having students draw analogies from basic static fields to new vector fields, but this strategy proved to be challenging for many students. Our subsequent attempt focused on familiarizing students with how the divergence and curl of a vector field defines that vector field. This approach is proving successful in enabling students to then relate this knowledge of general vector fields to understand newly introduced vector fields.
Physics Education Research Conference 2016
Part of the PER Conference series
Sacramento, CA: July 20-21, 2016
Pages 404-407
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Assessment
= Conceptual Assessment
Education Practices
- Active Learning
= Problem Solving
- Instructional Material Design
= Tutorial
Mathematical Tools
- Vector Calculus
= Vector Field
- Upper Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Research study
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Researchers
- application/pdf
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Mirror:
https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2016…
Access Rights:
Free access
License:
This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the published article's author(s), title, proceedings citation, and DOI.
Rights Holder:
American Association of Physics Teachers
DOI:
10.1119/perc.2016.pr.096
Keyword:
PERC 2016
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created December 1, 2016 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
December 29, 2016 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
December 29, 2016
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AIP Format
B. Xue, R. Hazelton, P. Shaffer, and P. Heron, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA, 2016, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14280&DocID=4634).
AJP/PRST-PER
B. Xue, R. Hazelton, P. Shaffer, and P. Heron, Improving Student Understanding of Vector Fields in Junior-Level E&M, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA, 2016, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14280&DocID=4634>.
APA Format
Xue, B., Hazelton, R., Shaffer, P., & Heron, P. (2016, July 20-21). Improving Student Understanding of Vector Fields in Junior-Level E&M. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14280&DocID=4634
Chicago Format
Xue, B, R. Hazelton, P. Shaffer, and P. Heron. "Improving Student Understanding of Vector Fields in Junior-Level E&M." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA, July 20-21, 2016. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14280&DocID=4634 (accessed 28 March 2024).
MLA Format
Xue, Bert C., Ryan Hazelton, Peter Shaffer, and Paula R. L. Heron. "Improving Student Understanding of Vector Fields in Junior-Level E&M." Physics Education Research Conference 2016. Sacramento, CA: 2016. 404-407 of PER Conference. 28 Mar. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14280&DocID=4634>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{ Author = "Bert C. Xue and Ryan Hazelton and Peter Shaffer and Paula R. L. Heron", Title = {Improving Student Understanding of Vector Fields in Junior-Level E&M}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2016}, Pages = {404-407}, Address = {Sacramento, CA}, Series = {PER Conference}, Month = {July 20-21}, Year = {2016} }
Refer Export Format

%A Bert C. Xue %A Ryan Hazelton %A Peter Shaffer %A Paula R. L. Heron %T Improving Student Understanding of Vector Fields in Junior-Level E&M %S PER Conference %D July 20-21 2016 %P 404-407 %C Sacramento, CA %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14280&DocID=4634 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2016 %O July 20-21 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Xue, Bert C. %A Hazelton, Ryan %A Shaffer, Peter %A Heron, Paula R. L. %D July 20-21 2016 %T Improving Student Understanding of Vector Fields in Junior-Level E&M %B Physics Education Research Conference 2016 %C Sacramento, CA %P 404-407 %S PER Conference %8 July 20-21 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14280&DocID=4634


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