4,497 research outputs found
Mathematical Tutorials in Introductory Physics
Students in introductory calculus-based physics not only have difficulty
understanding the fundamental physical concepts, they often have difficulty
relating those concepts to the mathematics they have learned in math courses.
This produces a barrier to their robust use of concepts in complex problem
solving. As a part of the Activity-Based Physics project, we are carrying out
research on these difficulties and are developing instructional materials in
the tutorial framework developed at the University of Washington by Lillian C.
McDermott and her collaborators. In this paper, we present a discussion of
student difficulties and the development of a mathematical tutorial on the
subject of pulses moving on strings.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, 12 references and note
Addressing student models of energy loss in quantum tunnelling
We report on a multi-year, multi-institution study to investigate student
reasoning about energy in the context of quantum tunnelling. We use ungraded
surveys, graded examination questions, individual clinical interviews, and
multiple-choice exams to build a picture of the types of responses that
students typically give. We find that two descriptions of tunnelling through a
square barrier are particularly common. Students often state that tunnelling
particles lose energy while tunnelling. When sketching wave functions, students
also show a shift in the axis of oscillation, as if the height of the axis of
oscillation indicated the energy of the particle. We find inconsistencies
between students' conceptual, mathematical, and graphical models of quantum
tunnelling. As part of a curriculum in quantum physics, we have developed
instructional materials to help students develop a more robust and less
inconsistent picture of tunnelling, and present data suggesting that we have
succeeded in doing so.Comment: Originally submitted to the European Journal of Physics on 2005 Feb
10. Pages: 14. References: 11. Figures: 9. Tables: 1. Resubmitted May 18 with
revisions that include an appendix with the curriculum materials discussed in
the paper (4 page small group UW-style tutorial
Numerische Simulation von Temperaturgradienten und thermisch induzierten Eigenspannungen in Natursteinplatten infolge von Sonneneinstrahlung
The interaction between micro-organisms and natural stone surfaces has been studied in great detail in the past. The destructive mechanisms of micro-organisms can be roughly subdivided into (a) chemical attack and (b) physical attack. Microorganisms may physically destroy the structure of stones by creating an inter-granular swelling pressure. Recently, it has been shown experimentally that black spots formed by yeast-like fungi lead to a local temperature increase by selective absorption of solar radiation. The maximum temperature observed for clean marble surfaces remained below the maximum temperature observed on inoculated surfaces. As a consequence, thermal dilatation of inoculated marble was shown to be more important. Destruction of the heated stone occurs predominantly if there exists a thermal gradient. In this paper, temperature distribution in clean and stained marble plates have been simulated numerically. Thermal eigenstresses have been determined. It is shown that tensile stresses of up to 5 N/mm2 can be expected. This may cause damage in weak zones of the surface. A sudden driving rain leads to much higher stresses. Cyclic thermal loading may eventually destroy the surface by fatigu
Understanding and Affecting Student Reasoning About Sound Waves
Student learning of sound waves can be helped through the creation of
group-learning classroom materials whose development and design rely on
explicit investigations into student understanding. We describe reasoning in
terms of sets of resources, i.e. grouped building blocks of thinking that are
commonly used in many different settings. Students in our university physics
classes often used sets of resources that were different from the ones we wish
them to use. By designing curriculum materials that ask students to think about
the physics from a different view, we bring about improvement in student
understanding of sound waves. Our curriculum modifications are specific to our
own classes, but our description of student learning is more generally useful
for teachers. We describe how students can use multiple sets of resources in
their thinking, and raise questions that should be considered by both
instructors and researchers.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, 28 references, 7 notes. Accepted for
publication in the International Journal of Science Educatio
Thyroid nodule management: clinical, ultrasound and cytopathological parameters for predicting malignancy
Although fine-needle aspiration cytology is considered to be the reference method for evaluating thyroid nodules, the results are inaccurate in approximately 10-30% of cases. Several studies have attempted to predict the risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules based on age, nodularity, thyrotropin values, thyroid autoimmune disease, hot/cold nodule status, and ultrasound parameters. However, no consensus has been found, and none of these parameters has significantly affected patient management. The management of indeterminate thyroid nodules and re-biopsies of nodules with initially benign cytological results remain important and controversial topics of discussion. The Bethesda cytological system and several studies on the use of molecular markers to predict malignancy from cytological samples of thyroid nodules need further clarification. More in-depth discussions among and continuous education of the specialists involved in treating thyroid disease are necessary to improve the management of these patients. This review aims to examine the clinical, laboratory, ultrasound, and scintigraphic parameters that can be used for thyroid nodule management
Using resource graphs to represent conceptual change
We introduce resource graphs, a representation of linked ideas used when
reasoning about specific contexts in physics. Our model is consistent with
previous descriptions of resources and coordination classes. It can represent
mesoscopic scales that are neither knowledge-in-pieces or large-scale concepts.
We use resource graphs to describe several forms of conceptual change:
incremental, cascade, wholesale, and dual construction. For each, we give
evidence from the physics education research literature to show examples of
each form of conceptual change. Where possible, we compare our representation
to models used by other researchers. Building on our representation, we
introduce a new form of conceptual change, differentiation, and suggest several
experimental studies that would help understand the differences between
reform-based curricula.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figures, no tables. Submitted for publication to the
Physical Review Special Topics Physics Education Research on March 8, 200
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