PERC 2019 Abstract Detail Page
Previous Page | New Search | Browse All
| Abstract Title: | Student perceptions of math and physics throughout spins-first quantum mechanics |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | One of the purported benefits of teaching a spins-first approach to quantum mechanics is that it allows students to build up quantum mechanical ideas and learn postulates before moving to the more complicated mathematics used in the context of wave functions. In order to begin to explore this claim in a spins-first course, a survey was developed and administered as an extra credit activity at 3 different universities. All universities teach spins-first quantum mechanics but to different student populations. This work compares students' responses to identical questions about the relationship between and difficulty of math and physics from two administrations of the survey given at the ends of the spins and wavefunctions portions of the course. Results offer insight into students' perspectives about the nature and difficulty of mathematics in these two paradigms of quantum mechanics. This project is part of NSF-DUE 1626594, 1626280 and 1626482 |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Session Time: | Poster Session III |
| Poster Number: | C52 |
| Contributed Paper Record: | Contributed Paper Information |
| Contributed Paper Download: | Download Contributed Paper |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Benjamin Schermerhorn Cal Poly Pomona |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Armando Villasenor - Cal Poly Pomona Darwin Del Agunos - Cal Poly Pomona Homeyra Sadaghiani - Cal Poly Pomona |
