Re: [Phys-l] physics assessment

[lhodges@iastate.edu]

Apropos of this, I remember reading an article, probably in Mathematics
Magazine, about Mary Ellen Rudin (who, like her husband, was a well-known
mathematician).  She remembered showing up in some large building, maybe a
gymnasium, to have her freshman schedule filled out at the University of Texas,
where she was enrolling.  The hall had tables with faculty members at them to
assist students.  She went to a table with a distinguished-looking gentleman,
who spoke to her in somewhat formal terms.  He never asked her what she was
interested in or anything of the sort.  Rather, she remembered, he fired at her
a series of logical questions, along the line of "If such and such, then what
would result..." .  Based on this, he decided to place her in some math courses,
including one that he himself taught.  He was the (in)famous R. E. Moore, who
had sized her up, correctly, as a promising mathematician and decided he wanted
her as his student.  She eventually received her Ph.D. with him and wound up in
later years with a prominent chair at Wisconsin.  The curious thing about this
is that Moore was notoriously known for believing that women and blacks were
incapable of being good mathematicians, and discriminating against them, but he
apparently made an exception for Mary Ellen Rudin just on the basis of a short
conversation with her.

Just a story I was reminded of when I came across this post.  If I don't have
all the details right, I hope I'm close.

> I teach at a private high school, and we have three levels of physics:
> regular, honors, and AP. Most of the students are juniors and seniors, but
> we also have a few freshmen. In recent years more kids are signing up for
> honors physics. Many can handle it, but some either want more of a
> challenge or want "honors" on their transcript.
>
> We would like to come up with some sort of "pre-test" to act as a filter
> to give us some sort of indication of which course might be best for them,
> or what "skills" are needed for honors vs regular. We don't want kids to
> be in honors and then feel overwhelmed after the first few weeks. Getting
> into another course can mess with their schedules or be impossible to do.
> Do other teachers have these issues?
>
> The math part of a pre-test is relatively easy. I can test their
> algebra/trig skills. However, most physics problems are word problems, and
> these questions are harder to design since the students enrolling would
> have no formal training in the subject. We also teach concepts, so I am
> also looking for some good multiple choice questions that would assess
> their knowledge of the world coming into the course. In theory we would
> then have some sort of "cutoff" score/grade to separate the kids into two
> groups for the two courses.
>
> I am wondering if any of you do this sort of thing, even at the college
> level. Physics involves a different way of thinking. Many concepts are
> counterintuitive. Students have different math backgrounds/abilities. And
> there is the whole idea of the language we use (speed and velocity, energy
> and momentum, temperature and heat, etc.). It's also difficult to predict
> how students will do in a physics course, but we are hoping a pre-test can
> provide some answers for "borderline" students.
>
> I would appreciate any ideas/websites from teachers who may have these
> sorts of tests already available.
>
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