Physics Education
We discuss a study to evaluate the extent to which free-response questions can be approximated by multiple-choice equivalents. Two carefully designed research-based multiple-choice questions were transformed into a free-response format and…
We discuss a study to evaluate the extent to which free-response questions could be approximated by multiple-choice equivalents. Two carefully designed research-based multiple-choice questions were transformed into a free-response format…
Students' attitudes and approaches to problem solving in physics can greatly impact their actual problem solving practices and also influence their motivation to learn and ultimately the development of expertise. We developed and validated…
Grades provide students with their primary performance feedback: signals which affect academic choices. Variations in grading practice among courses impose grade penalties (and bonuses) on students who take them. These grade penalties are…
In order to facilitate an intuitive understanding of classical physics concepts we have developed Potential Penguin - a game where players manipulate the landscape around a sliding penguin in order to control its movement. The learning goal…
Differentiation is a mathematical skill applied throughout science in order to describe the change of a function with respect to a dependent variable. Thus, an intuitive understanding of differentiation is necessary to work with the…
In this article, we draw on previous reports from physics, science education, and women's studies to propose a more nuanced treatment of gender in physics education research (PER). A growing body of PER examines gender differences in…
We show that in a simple experiment at undergraduate level, suitable to be performed in classes of science and engineering students, it is possible to test accurately, on a popular 1N4148 p-n diode, the range of the junction currents where…
Serial and parallel combinations of diodes are studied by first establishing approached equivalence formulae. Sorting diodes enlights the true dispersion of their characteristics. This simple exercice helps students to realize that…
In this article we discuss a procedure to solve the one dimensional (1D) Schroedinger Equation for a periodic potential, which may be well suited to teach band structure theory. The procedure is conceptually very simple, so that it may be…
We discuss the existence and stability of circular orbits of a relativistic point particle moving in a central force field. The stability condition is somewhat more restrictive in Special Relativity. In the particular case of attractive…
The momentum representation is seldom used in quantum mechanics courses. Some students are thence surprised by the change in viewpoint when, in doing advanced work, they have to use the momentum rather than the coordinate representation. In…
In this paper we present a step forward to improve general physics as an educational experience: the implementation of a new course component composed by innovative workshop activities based on computational modelling in the general physics…
Scientific research involves mathematical modelling in the context of an interactive balance between theory, experiment and computation. However, computational methods and tools are still far from being appropriately integrated in the high…
The motion of astronomical bodies and the centre of mass of the system is not always well perceived by students. One of the struggles is the conceptual change of reference frame, which is the same that held back the acceptance of the…
We made an interferometric Michelson type setup and a simple holographic setup to demonstrate the feasibility of interferometric and holographic techniques by means of a diode laser. The laser was made by using a common diode available as a…
Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is a powerful tool widely used in engineering community. It is based on identification of a physical contradiction in a problem, and based on the corresponding pair of contradicting parameters…
Students who successfully engage in self-regulated learning, are able to plan their own studying, monitoring their progress and make any necessary adjustments based upon the data and feedback they gather. In order to promote this type of…
Students often have difficulty in understanding qualitatively the behaviour of simple electric circuits. In particular, as different studies have shown, they find multiple batteries connected in multiple loops difficult to analyse. In a…
Secondary school students in the United States continue to underachieve in mathematics and science. Improving teacher quality is a core component of improving student achievement. Here we report on a professional development program, the…