Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task

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written by Shih-Yin Lin and Chandralekha Singh

We discuss the categorization of 20 quantum mechanics problems by 6 physics professors and 22 undergraduate students from two honors-level quantum mechanics courses. Professors and students were asked to categorize the problems based upon similarity of solution. We also had individual discussions with professors who categorized the problems. Faculty members' categorizations were overall rated better than those of students by three faculty members who evaluated all of the categorizations. But the categories created by faculty members were more diverse compared to the uniformity of the categories they created when asked to categorize introductory mechanics problems.

Physics Education Research Conference 2009
Part of the PER Conference series
Ann Arbor, Michigan: July 29-30, 2009
Volume 1179, Pages 185-188

download 136kb .pdf
Published: November 11, 2009

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education - Basic Research - Cognition - Student Characteristics = Skills - Teacher Characteristics Quantum Physics - General	- Upper Undergraduate - Graduate/Professional	- Reference Material = Report = Research study

PER-Central Type	Intended Users	Ratings
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Formats:: application/pdf
non-digital
Mirror:: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3266710
Access Rights:: Free access and
Available for purchase; A preprint of the work is available. A hard copy of the PERC 2009 proceedings is also available.
Restriction:: © 2009 American Institute of Physics
DOI:: 10.1063/1.3266710
NSF Numbers:: 0653129; 055434
Keywords:: PERC 2009, categorization task, expert-novice differences, quantum mechanics
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created October 7, 2009 by Alea Smith
Record Updated:: May 23, 2012 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: November 11, 2009

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=9479">Lin, Shih-Yin, and Chandralekha Singh. "Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 29-30, 2009.</a>

AIP Format

S. Lin and C. Singh, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9479&DocID=1353).

AJP/PRST-PER

S. Lin and C. Singh, Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9479&DocID=1353>.

APA Format

Lin, S., & Singh, C. (2009, July 29-30). Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Retrieved March 18, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9479&DocID=1353

Chicago Format

Lin, Shih-Yin, and Chandralekha Singh. "Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 29-30, 2009. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9479&DocID=1353 (accessed 18 March 2025).

MLA Format

Lin, Shih-Yin, and Chandralekha Singh. "Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task." Physics Education Research Conference 2009. Ann Arbor, Michigan: 2009. 185-188 Vol. 1179 of PER Conference. 18 Mar. 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9479&DocID=1353>.

BibTeX Export Format

@inproceedings{ Author = "Shih-Yin Lin and Chandralekha Singh", Title = {Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2009}, Pages = {185-188}, Address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {1179}, Month = {July 29-30}, Year = {2009} }

Refer Export Format

%A Shih-Yin Lin %A Chandralekha Singh %T Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task %S PER Conference %V 1179 %D July 29-30 2009 %P 185-188 %C Ann Arbor, Michigan %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9479&DocID=1353 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2009 %O July 29-30 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Lin, Shih-Yin %A Singh, Chandralekha %D July 29-30 2009 %T Assessing Expertise in Quantum Mechanics using Categorization Task %B Physics Education Research Conference 2009 %C Ann Arbor, Michigan %V 1179 %P 185-188 %S PER Conference %8 July 29-30 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9479&DocID=1353

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