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Assessing and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics
written by Chandralekha Singh
We developed a survey to probe student understanding of quantum mechanics concepts at the beginning of graduate instruction. The survey was administered to 202 graduate students in physics enrolled in first-year quantum mechanics courses from seven different universities at the beginning of the first semester. We also conducted one-on-one interviews with fifteen graduate students or advanced undergraduate students who had just finished a course in which all the content on the survey was covered. We find that students share universal difficulties about fundamental quantum mechanics concepts. The difficulties are often due to over-generalization of concepts learned in one context to other contexts where they are not directly applicable and difficulty in making sense of the abstract quantitative formalism of quantum mechanics. Instructional strategies that focus on improving student understanding of these concepts should take into account these difficulties. The results from this study can sensitize instructors of first-year graduate quantum physics to the conceptual difficulties students are likely to face.
Physics Education Research Conference 2005
Part of the PER Conference series
Salt Lake City, Utah: August 10-11, 2005
Volume 818, Pages 69-72
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Alternative Conceptions
General Physics
- Physics Education Research
Quantum Physics
- General
- Upper Undergraduate
- Graduate/Professional
- Reference Material
= Research study
Intended Users Formats Ratings
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- Educators
- application/pdf
- non-digital
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Mirror:
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2177025
Access Rights:
Available for purchase
Restriction:
© 2005 American Institute of Physics
DOI:
10.1063/1.2177025
NSF Number:
0244708
PACSs:
01.40.Fk
01.40.gb
03.65.-w
Keywords:
PERC 2005, conceptual difficulties, conceptual survey of quantum mechanics, education, over-generalization, quantum theory, teaching
Record Cloner:
Metadata instance created May 14, 2009 by Jenny Rempel
Record Updated:
July 9, 2013 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
February 14, 2006
Other Collections:

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Record Link
AIP Format
C. Singh, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2005, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8917&DocID=3489).
AJP/PRST-PER
C. Singh, Assessing and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2005, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8917&DocID=3489>.
APA Format
Singh, C. (2005, August 10-11). Assessing and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8917&DocID=3489
Chicago Format
Singh, Chandralekha. "Assessing and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah, August 10-11, 2005. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8917&DocID=3489 (accessed 29 March 2024).
MLA Format
Singh, Chandralekha. "Assessing and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics." Physics Education Research Conference 2005. Salt Lake City, Utah: 2005. 69-72 Vol. 818 of PER Conference. 29 Mar. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8917&DocID=3489>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{ Author = "Chandralekha Singh", Title = {Assessing and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2005}, Pages = {69-72}, Address = {Salt Lake City, Utah}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {818}, Month = {August 10-11}, Year = {2005} }
Refer Export Format

%A Chandralekha Singh %T Assessing and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics %S PER Conference %V 818 %D August 10-11 2005 %P 69-72 %C Salt Lake City, Utah %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8917&DocID=3489 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2005 %O August 10-11 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Singh, Chandralekha %D August 10-11 2005 %T Assessing and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics %B Physics Education Research Conference 2005 %C Salt Lake City, Utah %V 818 %P 69-72 %S PER Conference %8 August 10-11 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8917&DocID=3489


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