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Abstract Title: Semiotic resources and their relationship in physics and broadly in STEM Problem-solving
Abstract Type: Contributed Poster Presentation
Abstract: Introductory-level STEM courses aid in the creation of critical thinkers, increase science literacy and enable the next generation of innovators in their work because problem-solving is a crucial part of the STEM educational process. Typically, physics courses are a significant component of engineering principles and help understand the physical world. Research shows that effective problem solving of physics questions requires a combination of pre-existing knowledge and semiotic resources (i.e., essential tools for meaning-making such as diagrams, symbols, gestures, or other components involved in the problem-solving process). However, the way students engage with semiotic resources is complex and requires more study. In researching how students engage with or fail to engage with multiple semiotic resources in a problem-solving scenario, we can determine how to better aid students in utilizing these resources and developing their understanding of more complex physics concepts and mathematics. This study uses a semiotic resource-focused lens to look at how calculus based Physics II students tackle problems related to Kirchhoff's circuit laws. Students were handed problem sheets during individual think-aloud interviews and asked to verbally walk interviewers through each step of their respective problem-solving processes. These sessions were then processed into a moment-by-moment analysis of students' problem solving to investigate the types of semiotic resources students use and how students translate between said resources. This article presents case studies of how effective semiotic frameworks are built up and utilized for circuit analysis.
Session Time: Poster Session 2
Poster Number: II-21

Author/Organizer Information

Primary Contact: Chaudhry Nicolas Gibran Rasool
Department of Physics & Astronomy. The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
Phone: 6785490183
Co-Author(s)
and Co-Presenter(s)
Nandana Weliweriya (He/Him), Department of Physics & Astronomy. The University of Georgia