PERC 2013 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Development of an Estimation Skills Diagnostic |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | The ability to accurately estimate physical quantities is an invaluable skill for scientists and engineers. The development of estimation skills has become an explicit learning goal in the first-year physics course for engineering students at UBC. In order to establish a baseline and look for possible gains in skill level, we have developed a 10-question multiple-choice assessment designed to probe student ability and confidence in estimating physical quantities such as mass, size, and time. Student interviews were used to establish question validity and open-ended written versions were used to seed multiple-choice responses. The diagnostic was administered as a pre-test and post-test and given to a set of experts to establish its discriminatory power. The results showed a statistically significant difference between students and experts, but no overall student gains. This poster will give an analysis of the results and share some observations based on student interviews. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Andrew Macdonald Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia 6224 Agricultural Road Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Vancouver, Phone: (604) 822-5244 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Co-author: S. A. Burke Affiliations: 1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia 2. Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia Co-author: C. E. Heiner Affiliations: 1. Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative, University of British Columbia 2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia |
Contributed Poster | |
| Contributed Poster: | Download the Contributed Poster |
