A conceptual map about alternating current circuits

Teachers are deeply concerned on how to be more effective in our task of teaching. We must organize the contents of our specific area providing them with a logical configuration, for which we must know the mental structure of the students that we have in the classroom. We must shape this mental structure, in a progressive manner, so that they can assimilate the contents that we are trying to transfer, to make the learning as meaningful as possible. In the generative learning model, the links before the stimulus delivered by the teacher and the information stored in the mind of the learner requires an important effort by the student, who should build new conceptual meanings. That effort, which is extremely necessary for a good learning, sometimes is the missing ingredient so that the teaching-learning process can be properly assimilated. In electrical circuits, which we know are perfectly controlled and described by Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's two rules, there are two concepts that correspond to the following physical quantities: voltage and electrical resistance. These two concepts are integrated and linked when the concept of current is presented. This concept is not subordinated to the previous ones, it has the same degree of inclusiveness and gives rise to substantial relations between the three concepts, materializing it into a law: The Ohm, which allows us to relate and to calculate any of the three physical magnitudes, two of them known. The alternate current, in which both the voltage and the current are reversed dozens of times per second, plays an important role in many aspects of our modern life, because it is universally used. Its main feature is that its maximum voltage is easily modifiable through the use of transformers, which greatly facilitates its transfer with very few losses. In this paper, we present a conceptual map so that it is used as a new tool to analyze in a logical manner the underlying structure in the alternate current circuits, with the objective of providing the students from Sciences and Engineering majors with another option to try, amongst all, to achieve a significant learning of this important part of physics.AB thanks the “Generalitat Valenciana” of Spain (project PROMETEOII/2015/015) and the "Vicerrectorado de Tecnologías de la Información" of the University of Alicante, Spain (project GITE-09006-UA)

Teaching and learning active Physics within framework of competencies

The educational process, and as consequence, the student training in different disciplines is a topic of great interest for both national and international, such is the case in many of the science fields like Physics, reason why diverse institutions or organisms devote themselves to the task of studying the application of different implemented educational models, for example, the current educational model based on the approach for competences that appeared in the '70s, we will board this educational process from a completely theoretical point of view, trying to adjust it to Physics. This educational model has a systemic approach that when applied to the teaching- learning process of a natural, factual, experimental and exact science like Physics, it implies that the knowledge to be considered should be relative to natural phenomena, demonstrable in an experimental form and that could be studied and modelled by means of mathematics. For such characteristics, the knowledge that constitutes it has been observed, studied and explained along the history, determining its conceptualization based on the knowledge that permit to adapt, to correct and/or clarify the vision and the knowledge in the different educational models. The above mentioned model is based in the bonding that should exist between the formation and preparation, as well as the application of the knowledge, competences and skills in the student’s job field, demonstrating with it the progress and successful learnings; obtaining with it the decision making. Nevertheless, it is important to consider that the results depend to a great extent on the elements that are involved in the process, such as the teacher and the pupils; as well as, the different methods, tools, technologies and strategies that are implemented. In a school environment, particularly, inside the educational model based on the approach for competences, we have concentrated in the task of studying and designing a methodological proposal for teaching and learning Physics within a framework of competences; methodology that can be explored and applied to different knowledge, educational levels, institutions, and why not, even after the combination of other methods and teaching techniques

The scientific learning according to Vigotsky

The interaction within the social environment allows for knowledge to be created according to each of the actors involved in the learning process. The everyday experience of the student and the presence of the teacher are the two most important factors that make it possible for learning to be more significant. We want to study in depth this theoretical aspect of scientific learning, so that this one is, if it is possible, more significant. Behind each person that learns there is a person who thinks and who uses his/her language as a learning tool that permits to build higher psychological processes. The development of human beings needs to be explained in terms of social interaction, the maturation of the student allows that his/her thinking acquires formal structures that each time are more elaborated. Language plays a crucial role in cognitive development to obtain scientific knowledge, because if individuals handle words and symbols they will be able to construct scientific concepts every time they are motivated and supervised by a teacher. Vygotsky tells us that at the beginning of science you can find the word, the language, which plays an important role in cognition and one of the most significant contributions of his work is the relationship between the thought and the language. Learning is a progressive and evolutionary process in continuous development that is in a constant reorganization of the psychological processes; therefore, learning is a dynamic task from a few innate rudiments to the very essence of the human being. There is a contrast between what is known and what is learned, there is a thesis and an antithesis in dialectical battle. From this confrontation of unlike elements emerges the synthesis, a third element; that is to say, a resolution, a comprehension of the problem. If it is intended that the scientific knowledge learned is incorporated into the development of children, it is necessary that this knowledge is applied subsequently in their everyday experience

The scientific learning according to Vigotsky

The interaction within the social environment allows for knowledge to be created according to each of the actors involved in the learning process. The everyday experience of the student and the presence of the teacher are the two most important factors that make it possible for learning to be more significant. We want to study in depth this theoretical aspect of scientific learning, so that this one is, if it is possible, more significant. Behind each person that learns there is a person who thinks and who uses his/her language as a learning tool that permits to build higher psychological processes. The development of human beings needs to be explained in terms of social interaction, the maturation of the student allows that his/her thinking acquires formal structures that each time are more elaborated. Language plays a crucial role in cognitive development to obtain scientific knowledge, because if individuals handle words and symbols they will be able to construct scientific concepts every time they are motivated and supervised by a teacher. Vygotsky tells us that at the beginning of science you can find the word, the language, which plays an important role in cognition and one of the most significant contributions of his work is the relationship between the thought and the language. Learning is a progressive and evolutionary process in continuous development that is in a constant reorganization of the psychological processes; therefore, learning is a dynamic task from a few innate rudiments to the very essence of the human being. There is a contrast between what is known and what is learned, there is a thesis and an antithesis in dialectical battle. From this confrontation of unlike elements emerges the synthesis, a third element; that is to say, a resolution, a comprehension of the problem. If it is intended that the scientific knowledge learned is incorporated into the development of children, it is necessary that this knowledge is applied subsequently in their everyday experience