Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students

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written by Dyan L. McBride and Dean A. Zollman

This study focuses on how students apply previous learning of light and basic geometric optics to the context of wavefront aberrometry. In one aspect of this study we compared the application of previous learning of students who had studied light and basic geometric optics in a physics course with those who had not and thus could only apply knowledge obtained in an informal way. We sought to examine what differences exist in the way they construct an understanding of wavefront aberrometry. The data showed that students with no formal instruction tended to rely on experiential knowledge as one would expect. However, the students with formal instruction relied on textbook knowledge and tended to discount or ignore their everyday experiences. We will discuss what this difference in knowledge types might imply about the knowledge construction process.

Physics Education Research Conference 2009
Part of the PER Conference series
Ann Arbor, Michigan: July 29-30, 2009
Volume 1179, Pages 209-212

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Published: November 11, 2009

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education Foundations - Behavior = Behavior Development - Cognition Optics - Modern Optics - The Eye	- Lower Undergraduate	- Reference Material = Research study

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Mirror:: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3266717
Access Rights:: Free access and
Available for purchase; A preprint of the work is available. A hard copy of the PERC 2009 proceedings is also available.
Restriction:: © 2009 American Institute of Physics
DOI:: 10.1063/1.3266717
NSF Number:: 0426754
PACS:: 01.40.Fk
Keywords:: PERC 2009, applied learning, physics education, prior knowledge, transfer
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created October 8, 2009 by Alea Smith
Record Updated:: July 16, 2010 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: November 11, 2009
Other Collections:: The PER-Central

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=9485">McBride, Dyan, and Dean Zollman. "Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 29-30, 2009.</a>

AIP Format

D. McBride and D. Zollman, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9485&DocID=1358).

AJP/PRST-PER

D. McBride and D. Zollman, Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9485&DocID=1358>.

APA Format

McBride, D., & Zollman, D. (2009, July 29-30). Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Retrieved May 2, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9485&DocID=1358

Chicago Format

McBride, Dyan, and Dean Zollman. "Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 29-30, 2009. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9485&DocID=1358 (accessed 2 May 2025).

MLA Format

McBride, Dyan, and Dean Zollman. "Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students." Physics Education Research Conference 2009. Ann Arbor, Michigan: 2009. 209-212 Vol. 1179 of PER Conference. 2 May 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9485&DocID=1358>.

BibTeX Export Format

@inproceedings{ Author = "Dyan McBride and Dean Zollman", Title = {Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2009}, Pages = {209-212}, Address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {1179}, Month = {July 29-30}, Year = {2009} }

Refer Export Format

%A Dyan McBride %A Dean Zollman %T Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students %S PER Conference %V 1179 %D July 29-30 2009 %P 209-212 %C Ann Arbor, Michigan %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9485&DocID=1358 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2009 %O July 29-30 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A McBride, Dyan %A Zollman, Dean %D July 29-30 2009 %T Applying Knowledge in New Contexts: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Instruction Students %B Physics Education Research Conference 2009 %C Ann Arbor, Michigan %V 1179 %P 209-212 %S PER Conference %8 July 29-30 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9485&DocID=1358

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