Some subscribers to Phys-L might be interested in a recent
discussion-list post "In Defense of Pre/Post Testing With Concept
Inventories [Hake (2012)]. The abstract reads:
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Bruce Sherwood and Paul Camp, in recent posts on the Physics
Education Research Topical Group (PERTG) discussion list, denigrate
pre/post testing with concept inventories, typifying a trend in some
physics education research circles to discount such practice as naive
and useless.
I think such sentiment betrays an ignorance of the history of PER. In
"Lessons from the Physics Education Reform Effort" [Hake (2002)] at
<http://bit.ly/aL87VT> I wrote:
"For more than three decades, physics education researchers have
repeatedly shown that *traditional* introductory physics courses with
passive student lectures, recipe labs, and algorithmic problem exams
are of limited value in enhancing students' conceptual understanding
of the subject. Unfortunately, this work was largely ignored by the
physics and education communities until Halloun and Hestenes
(1985a,b) devised the 'Mechanics Diagnostic' (MD) test of conceptual
understanding of Newtonian mechanics."
For a review of pre/post testing with concept inventories in physics
and engineering see "The Impact of Concept Inventories On Physics
Education and It's Relevance For Engineering Education" [Hake (2011)]
at <http://bit.ly/nmPY8F> (8.5 MB).
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"He who knows only his own generation
Remains always a child."
Cicero (in "Orator")
REFERENCES [URL shortened by <http://bit.ly/> and accessed on 25 June 2012.
Hake, R.R. 2012. "In Defense of Pre/Post Testing With Concept
Inventories," online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at
<http://bit.ly/LaPNbm>.Post of 25 Jun 2012 12:31:15-0700 to AERA-L
and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post were
transmitted to several discussion lists and are also on my blog
"Hake'sEdStuff" at <http://bit.ly/NtD0As> with a provision for
comments.
In Defense of Pre/Post Testing With Concept Inventories