PERC 2008 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Which One is Right? How Students Choose between Problem Solutions |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | In an on-going research study, we present the following task to current and former introductory physics students: given a problem statement and three possible solutions, only one of which is correct, identify the correct solution and the errors in the other solutions. By investigating how the students make their selection, we seek to address two different research questions. First, what specific actions do the students use to arrive at their conclusions? Second, how do students use deductive reasoning in their choices and justifications? Preliminary results suggest that students do exhibit beneficial learning behaviors but with varying levels of sophistication. Additionally, they use a variety of justifications for their selections and do not always ensure that their selection is deductively sound. In this poster, we will present our preliminary coding scheme and a few notable examples from our pilot study. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Evan Richards North Carolina State University |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Jon D. H. Gaffney North Carolina State University jdgaffne -at- ncsu.edu Dr. Ruth Chabay North Carolina State University rwchabay -at- ncsu.edu |
