205 research outputs found
A framework for the natures of negativity in introductory physics
Mathematical reasoning skills are a desired outcome of many introductory
physics courses, particularly calculus-based physics courses. Positive and
negative quantities are ubiquitous in physics, and the sign carries important
and varied meanings. Novices can struggle to understand the many roles signed
numbers play in physics contexts, and recent evidence shows that unresolved
struggle can carry over to subsequent physics courses. The mathematics
education research literature documents the cognitive challenge of
conceptualizing negative numbers as mathematical objects--both for experts,
historically, and for novices as they learn. We contribute to the small but
growing body of research in physics contexts that examines student reasoning
about signed quantities and reasoning about the use and interpretation of signs
in mathematical models. In this paper we present a framework for categorizing
various meanings and interpretations of the negative sign in physics contexts,
inspired by established work in algebra contexts from the mathematics education
research community. Such a framework can support innovation that can catalyze
deeper mathematical conceptualizations of signed quantities in the introductory
courses and beyond
Framework for the natures of negativity in introductory physics
Mathematical reasoning skills are a desired outcome of many introductory physics courses, particularly calculus-based physics courses. Novices can struggle to understand the many roles signed numbers play in physics contexts, and recent evidence shows that unresolved struggle can carry over to subsequent physics courses. Positive and negative quantities are ubiquitous in physics, and the sign carries important and varied meanings. The mathematics education research literature documents the cognitive challenge of conceptualizing negative numbers as mathematical objects—both for experts, historically, and for novices as they learn. We contribute to the small but growing body of research in physics contexts that examines student reasoning about signed quantities and reasoning about the use and interpretation of signs in mathematical models. In this paper we present a framework for categorizing various meanings and interpretations of the negative sign in physics contexts, inspired by established work in algebraic contexts from the mathematics education research community. Such a framework can support innovation that can catalyze deeper mathematical conceptualizations of signed quantities in the introductory courses and beyond
Online administration of a reasoning inventory in development
We are developing a new research based assessment (RBA) focused on
quantitative reasoning -- rather than conceptual understanding -- in physics
contexts. We rapidly moved administration of the RBA online in Spring 2020 due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. We present our experiences with online, unproctored
administration of an RBA in development to students enrolled in a
large-enrollment, calculus-based, introductory physics course. We describe our
attempts to adhere to best practices on a limited time frame, and present a
preliminary analysis of the results, comparing results from the online
administration to earlier results from in-person, proctored administration. We
include discussion of online administration of
multiple-choice/multiple-response (MCMR) items, which we use on the instrument
as a way to probe multiple facets of student reasoning. Our initial comparison
indicates little difference between online and paper administrations of the
RBA, consistent with previous work by other researchers.Comment: PERC 202
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