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Re: [Phys-l] Students create a new approach to AP Physics



The main reason why Sadler has little to verify PER is that virtually all of
the evidence comes from conventional courses. So in essence he has shown
what improves courses in a conventional fashion. The idea that the current
curriculum is overloaded is certainly verified by Sadler. That is one major
tenet of PER. The instructor who follows a book may actually be
knowledgeable in his subject, but not in pedagogy. I know of a physics PhD
who falls into this class in HS.

Notice that the Sadler survey does not do any testing, but relies on grades
from conventional courses.

Then there is the problem that many texts are confusing, overloaded in
details, and often downright incorrect. The HS Holt Physics by Serway and
Faughn has a dreadful section on heat/thermo. The bold print banners
sometimes contradict the text and there is a section where they refer to ice
water, show a cooler with ice water, while the reading plainly refers to
cold water at 5 deg. C. The text tries to make the point that heat should
refer only to transfer of internal energy, but the wording of the text often
contradicts this. I have no problem to referring to heat as a synonym for
internal energy, but if the conventional usage is to be used, then the text
should be written well to support it.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


Interesting that JC points to Sadler here. I heard him talk just prior to
his report coming out, and as I recall, his survey did not necessarily
point
to much that the PER movement could 'crow' about. ;-)

The 'no text book' correlation with performance could have a number of
interpretations, but one that would seem to make sense is that an
instructor
who doesn't use a text is likely to be one who is very knowledgeable and
very committed to his/her instruction. I would say that in such cases it
is
the instructor who is 'highly engaged' in the course. As almost anyone
who
has taught for a while knows, covering the entire book at almost any level
of course, requires one to move way too fast through the material--so not
finishing a text is a good sign that the instructor has pared down the
coverage to be manageable (in spite of external 'standards'.) Of course
one can have different interpretations--the extreme dislike that students
seem to have towards having to actually read their textbooks (lucky if I
can
get them to buy them in my Gen-Ed class) can then produce an attitudinal
barrier towards learning---etc. ;-)