PERC 2018 Abstract Detail Page
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Abstract Title: | Transition Analysis: A new method for tracking changes in student understanding using concept inventories |
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Abstract: | Student learning is often characterized using "normalized gain" and "normalized change" physics education research studies. These measures are simple to understand and easy to calculate but may not capture the full story. We have developed a data collection and analysis scheme in which we probe how students change their responses to each individual question from pre-test to post-test rather than simply considering students' overall scores. We collect and digitize student responses using open-source optical mark recognition software (FormScanner). Then we categorize each student's paired responses for each question according to what kind of change, or transition, occurred. We use a set of metrics based on transition frequencies to characterize our results at the whole class, individual student, and individual question level. By using this analysis scheme, we can investigate at a deeper level how students' understanding of physics concepts were changed (or were not changed) by the instruction they received. |
Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Session Time: | Poster Session I |
Poster Number: | A23 |
Author/Organizer Information | |
Primary Contact: |
Candice M. Etson Department of Physics, Wesleyan University 265 Church Street 2nd Floor Middletown, CT 06459 Phone: 860-685-2034 |
Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Julianna Harwood (Department of Physics, Wesleyan University) Heather Burte (Learning Innovation and Networked Knowledge Research Lab, University of Texas at Arlington) |