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Re: AP students



This particular question is very interesting, as this particular experiment
was completed by some of my students last Fri. Both the Workshop Physics
and Real Time Physics have the students do a variety of experiments where
they must predict and then see the results. Finally after gaining a feel
for the circuits they learn some formalism to help them get precise answers.
The evaluation that goes with this curriculum tests their understanding and
not their ability to grind out calculations. Once they understand the
experiments, then Kirchoff's rules make a lot of sense.

Mechanics similarly can be taught with a conceptual base, so that the
students do not need the large number of equations that fill the texts.
With a few basic equations, some pictures, and a few graphs they can answer
all of the traditional problems, and quite few more rich context problems.
Admittedly not all students achieve this higher level of problem solving,
but a significant fraction can do it. This is where the FCI comes in. I
contend that high scores are necessary, but not sufficient to develop expert
problem solving skills. The expert can solve all levels of problems. Even
expert problem solving can have algorithms, but they are more generalized,
and more flexible. I would welcome some good alternatives to the FCI and
FMCE, but at the moment they are probably the best indicators of conceptual
understanding.

I would also like to point out that giving the students the necessary
exploration in a lab setting, provides a basis for understanding the physics
concepts. This is especially necessary with today's students, who do not
have much experience with mechanical or electrical things. In an earlier
time, farm boys made excellent scientists and engineers because of their
mechanical background, and their ability to work hard. This pool has dried
up. The excellent PBS series on Einstein suggest that his understanding of
mechanics probably flowed from his experiences in the family factory.
Precisely the sort of activities that build a context for the learning, can
also help students achieve higher FCI scores.

John M. Clement
St. Pius X HS, Houston

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators
[mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu]On Behalf Of John Barrer
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 2:31 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: AP students


New to my school, I inherited a variety of second year
(and some first year) students for APB. On our
circuits and fields test, there was one question;
given three identical resistors in a series/parallel
circuit (2 in parallel with one in series with the
pair), how does the current change in the remaining 2
resistors when one of the parallel pair burns out
(opens)? The vast majority of the second year students
got this question wrong, but yet could quite easily
solve end-of-chapter problems. These students had been
thru a traditional course last year. I'd maintain that
"problem solving ability" should at least include
(maybe focus on) solving problems of this sort where
one cannot simply rely on a set of algorithms. I think
this is an example of the value of non-quantitative
problems in assessing conceptual understanding. John
Barrere Apex Hs Apex, NC


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