Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data
In this study, we surveyed students from a calculus-based and an algebra-based introductory physics course at a liberal arts college about their ability to draw conclusions from measurement data. Both courses are taught in a studio mode and use the Workshop Physics curriculum. The survey questions were adapted from Kok et al. (2019), who found that an increase in the number of decimal places hinders students' ability to compare data sets. We administered the survey online before and after instruction on measurement uncertainty. On the survey, students considered two experiments that differ only by one setup. Students were first asked to make predictions about the experimental outcomes as to whether or not the outcomes agree, and then were given data to analyze and draw conclusions. The survey had two versions where the measurement data had either two or four decimal places. We used the framework of point and set paradigms to characterize student reasoning. The set paradigm emphasizes a measurement distribution rather than a single measurement; it is considered more expert-like. The results show that students tended to switch from a correct to an incorrect answer after analyzing the data. The number of decimal places did not seem to correlate with the switch in student answers. We also found that after instruction on measurement uncertainty, student reasoning tended to shift from the point paradigm toward set paradigm as many students included the standard deviation or standard deviation of the mean in the analysis. However, many students did not seem to recognize how the uncertainty could inform the conclusion as to whether or not the data sets agree; most students appeared to rely only on the comparison of the means. We discuss implications for instruction as well as future research areas.
Physics Education Research Conference 2021
Part of the PER Conference series Virtual Conference: August 4-5, 2021 Pages 432-437
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<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=15793">Wan, Tong, and Joshua M. Mickelsen. "Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2021, Virtual Conference, August 4-5, 2021.</a>
AIP Format
T. Wan and J. Mickelsen, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2021, Virtual Conference, 2021, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15793&DocID=5522).
AJP/PRST-PER
T. Wan and J. Mickelsen, Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2021, Virtual Conference, 2021, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15793&DocID=5522>.
APA Format
Wan, T., & Mickelsen, J. (2021, August 4-5). Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2021, Virtual Conference. Retrieved October 3, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15793&DocID=5522
Chicago Format
Wan, Tong, and Joshua M. Mickelsen. "Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2021, Virtual Conference, August 4-5, 2021. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15793&DocID=5522 (accessed 3 October 2024).
MLA Format
Wan, Tong, and Joshua M. Mickelsen. "Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data." Physics Education Research Conference 2021. Virtual Conference: 2021. 432-437 of PER Conference. 3 Oct. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15793&DocID=5522>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{
Author = "Tong Wan and Joshua M. Mickelsen",
Title = {Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2021},
Pages = {432-437},
Address = {Virtual Conference},
Series = {PER Conference},
Month = {August 4-5},
Year = {2021}
}
Refer Export Format
%A Tong Wan %A Joshua M. Mickelsen %T Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data %S PER Conference %D August 4-5 2021 %P 432-437 %C Virtual Conference %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15793&DocID=5522 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2021 %O August 4-5 %O application/pdf
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%0 Conference Proceedings %A Wan, Tong %A Mickelsen, Joshua M. %D August 4-5 2021 %T Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data %B Physics Education Research Conference 2021 %C Virtual Conference %P 432-437 %S PER Conference %8 August 4-5 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15793&DocID=5522 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual. The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References. The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation. The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ. Investigating student ability to draw conclusions from measurement data:Know of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it. |
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