Re: [Phys-L] [SPAM] Evaluation tests

["Anthony Lapinski" <Anthony_Lapinski@pds.org>]

I'm at a private school and asked a similar question on this listserv a
few years ago. I got many good responses and web links for information. I
wanted to make some kind of "placement" test to see if students will be
able to handle the course. I now give it out on the first day of class,
and give feedback the following day. I tell them if they scored low, they
will probably struggle in this class. Probably is the key word. Here's my
evidence: Over the past few years, every student who dropped my physics
class did poorly on this test. The reverse is not always true: Every
student who did poorly on this test did not drop the class.

It's mostly a math/reasoning test to check their algebra/trig skills. Also
a few metric conversion to see what they know. Only takes about 30 minutes
to do. You don't want to scare kids away from physics -- some kids are
"rusty" from the long summer break. And there are those who might be weak
at math but can understand physics and do fairly well in the course. But
so far it's a fairly good predictor for me. And it's better to have this
information early on in the course rather than later, when it might be
difficult for kids to switch into another class.

I tried asking some "physics" questions on this test, but few kids got
them right.

Examples:
1. The three balls on the three hills -- which gets to the bottom first?
2. If you drive somewhere with an average speed of 60 mph and return the
same way with an average speed of 30 mph, then is your average speed for
the entire trip less than, equal to, or more than 45 mph?
3. Salt is often used on icy roads. Does adding salt lower or raise
ice’s melting point?
4. What causes the seasons?


Here are the ten questions on my current test. (Teacher notes in
parentheses).

1. A small turtle is at the bottom of a 25-foot well. Each day it crawls
up 3 feet then slides down 2 feet while it sleeps. How long will it take
the turtle to get out of the well?

A. 21 days
B. 22 days
C. 23 days
D. 24 days
E. 25 days

2. A bat and ball cost $1.10. If the bat costs $1.00 more than the ball,
then how much does the ball cost?

A. 1 ¢
B. 5 ¢
C. 10 ¢
D. 20 ¢
E. 100 ¢

3. A lily pond starts with a single leaf. Each day the number of leaves
doubles, until the pond is completely covered by leaves on the 20th day.
On what day was the pond half covered?

A. 5th
B. 10th
C. 15th
D. 18th
E. 19th

4. This distance-time graph represents a car on a straight road. The slope
of the line is

A. negative (constant).
B. zero.
C. positive (constant).					(constant nonzero slope graph here)
D. decreasing.
E. increasing.

5. Convert these metric quantities:

mass of teacher = 85 kg = ______________________________ g

height of teacher = 1.725 m = ______________________________ cm

volume of 12-oz soda can = 355 mL = ______________________________ L

mass of penny = 2.5 g = ______________________________ mg


Solve for the variable:

6.	12H - (4H - 6) = 27 - 6H		(basic algebra)

7.	5 = 735/3T2				(like law of universal gravitation)

8.	1/10 = 1/2 + 1/M			(like mirror/lens equation)

9.	Right triangle				(missing side -- use Pyt Thm)

10.	Right triangle				(missing angle -- use inverse trig)


So you know, most kids miss the first four questions and the trig
problems. They generally know the metric system, basic algebra, and the
Pythagorean Theorem. I am always surprised every year at how poor their
reasoning skills are. Then again, most classes do not involve
critical/logical thinking.

I make alterations to the test every year. I'm looking for any feedback
about these questions, or other questions to add in the future.


Phys-L@Phys-L.org writes:
> Hello, all,
>
> Our University will change its policy regarding drops, withdrawals, and
> academic penalties beginning next Fall. With this new policy, it would
> really help students if the could make an informed decision in the first
> one or two weeks of a course whether they would do well in it. So, I was
> wondering if there exists a test that we can administer in the first week
> of the first course of the algebra-based physics sequence that would
> predict student success in the course. If there is such a test, we'd like
> to try it out in the Spring and summer. Any help would be most
> appreciated.
>
> If you can send this information to me at the email address below, I can
> gather and post a summary in early next semester.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Promod Pratap
> Prpratap@uncg.edu
>
>
> -- 
> Promod R. Pratap, Ph.D., Chair
> University of North Carolina at Greensboro
> Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
> 322 Petty Building
> PO Box 26170
> Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
> Tel: (336)334-3214 (Office)
>      (336)334-4279 (Lab)
> _______________________________________________
> Forum for Physics Educators
> Phys-l@phys-l.org
> http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l