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Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations
written by Eleanor C. Sayre
This thesis expands and details the resources model of cognition through the use of two metaphors, maps and graphs. Maps and graphs, complementary representations of the resources model, provide organizational structure and illustrate core properties of the model. Maps show which resources are relevant to a given situation and graphs show how those resources can be connected to each other.

A nearly-novel situation is one that forces students into an area outside of established conceptions, but near many resources. Being outside of established conceptions forces students to make sense on-the-fly, while being near many resources means students have opportunities to build graphs by linking resources together to help make sense of a new situation.

The physics of diode design is an ideal nearly-novel situation in which to study epistemology and metacognition in upper-level physics students: rich in physics ideas, not mathematically complex, and understudied by the population. Through clinical interviews and an iterative survey, students were questioned about the functions of diodes in circuits, then asked to design a diode given a charge source. Following their design, students were asked questions intended to probe their previous studies of diodes and to suggest possible effects to consider in a redesign of their diodes. Students could then redesign their diode.

Nine of twenty-five respondents were incapable of designing a diode. Nondesigners usually indicated they could not remember how, despite having never studied diode construction. Epistemologically, these students appear to use knowledge-as-rememberable to the exclusion of knowledge-as-derivable in this context.

We find two constraints on successful reasoning in nearly-novel situations. To see a situation as nearly-novel, students must both be familiar with and see the necessary material as relevant. Furthermore, the epistemological resource knowledge-as-derivable must not be blocked from activating.
University: The University of Maine
Academic Department:  Physics & Astronomy
Pages 76
1 supplemental document is available
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education - Basic Research
- Behavior
- Cognition
= Cognition Development
- Student Characteristics
Electricity & Magnetism
- General
- Semiconductors and Tubes
= Diodes
- Upper Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Thesis/Dissertation
PER-Central Types Intended Users Ratings
- PER Literature
- Thesis/Dissertation
- Researchers
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© 2005 Eleanor C. Sayre
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Thesis
Keyword:
diode construction
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created February 26, 2011 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
August 10, 2020 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
August 2, 2005
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AIP Format
E. Sayre, , Thesis, The University of Maine, 2005, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10737&DocID=2169).
AJP/PRST-PER
E. Sayre, Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations, Thesis, The University of Maine, 2005, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10737&DocID=2169>.
APA Format
Sayre, E. (2005, August 2). Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations (Thesis, The University of Maine, 2005). Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10737&DocID=2169
Chicago Format
Sayre, Eleanor. "Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations." Thesis, The University of Maine, 2005. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10737&DocID=2169 (accessed 7 November 2024).
MLA Format
Sayre, Eleanor. "Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations." Thesis. 2 Aug. 2005. The University of Maine, 2005. 7 Nov. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10737&DocID=2169>.
BibTeX Export Format
@phdthesis{ Author = "Eleanor Sayre", Title = {Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations}, School = {The University of Maine}, Type = {Thesis}, Month = {August}, Year = {2005} }
Refer Export Format

%A Eleanor Sayre %T Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations %R Thesis %D August 2, 2005 %P 76 %I The University of Maine %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10737&DocID=2169 %O Physics & Astronomy %O application/pdf %O Thesis

EndNote Export Format

%0 Thesis %A Sayre, Eleanor %D August 2, 2005 %T Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations %B Physics & Astronomy %I The University of Maine %P 76 %8 August 2, 2005 %9 Thesis %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10737&DocID=2169


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Advanced Students' Resource Selection in Nearly-novel Situations:

Is Supplemented By http://umaine.edu/center/files/2009/12/Sayre_Defense.pdf

This powerpoint was used as part of the thesis defense on August 2, 2005.

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