Chronology | Current Month | Current Thread | Current Date |
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] | [Date Index] [Thread Index] | [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] | [Date Prev] [Date Next] |
For my graduate class at UVa, I am working on an assignment that I
will use with my high school students. This assignment increases the
amount of questions in tests and homework sets that are both
qualitative and conceptual in nature . I’ve always tried to
incorporate some conceptual aspects to my labs, homework, and test
questions, but I struggle with it in several areas. Obviously, “plug
and chug” is easier to teach than the conceptual nature of physics.
Show the students the pattern to a formula and they can find numbers
to plug into an equation with very little effort. Some areas that I
would like to work on are:
1) I’d like to increase the conceptual nature of my class without
losing the quantitative component.
What is an appropriate balance to
the number of conceptual type questions versus the number of
quantitative problems found on a test (or even a homework assignment)
for a high school physics class?
Obviously, “plug
and chug” is easier to teach than the conceptual nature of physics.
Show the students the pattern to a formula and they can find numbers
to plug into an equation with very little effort.
2) Remaining objective in grading questions that are qualitative. I
don’t always have time to make out rubrics for every question. What
characteristics do you look for in short essay answers?
3) Preparing students for these types of test questions. What
techniques do you use to help them develop the skills necessary to
think conceptually?
4) Finding resources that show the conceptual nature of physics.
Typically, when I look for conceptual type questions, I either use
Hewitt’s book
or use <physicsclassroom.com>.
4) Finding resources that show the conceptual nature of physics.