PERC 2018 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Designing, validating, and contrasting closely related conceptual quantum mechanics questions for spin states and spatial wavefunctions |
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| Abstract: | Student understanding of quantum mechanics is a topic of increasing interest to physics education researchers. One goal in such research is to investigate differences in performance in various popular instructional paradigms. Towards this end, we have modified an existing, validated, conceptual multiple-choice assessment, the QMCA [Sadaghiani and Pollock, PRSTPER. 11, 010110 (2015)] to include questions explicitly framed in two "contexts": spins (spin-1/2 systems, using Dirac notation) and position (spatial wavefunctions represented in position space.) We discuss the development of new questions, and present preliminary results on student performance on questions which contrast related conceptual ideas. Our data come from "spins-first" instructional contexts. This effort serves as an initial validation for the new questions, provides insights into differing responses and internal consistency, and forms a basis for future work to allow instructors to tune assessment questions to best match and inform their own instructional environment choices. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Session Time: | Poster Session III |
| Poster Number: | C65 |
| Contributed Paper Record: | Contributed Paper Information |
| Contributed Paper Download: | Download Contributed Paper |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Steven Pollock University of Colorado, Boulder 390 UCB, Dep't of Physics University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80305 Phone: 303-492-2495 Fax: (303) 492-3352 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Homeyra R. Sadaghiani (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona) Adam T. Quaal (California State University, Fullerton) Gina Passante (California State University, Fullerton) |
Contributed Poster | |
| Contributed Poster: | Download the Contributed Poster |
