FCI post-test comparison: Cuesta College versus UC-Davis (fall semester 2014)

Students at both Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo, CA) and the University of California at Davis were administered the 30-question Force Concept Inventory (David Hestenes, et al.) during the last week of instruction.

	Cuesta College Physics 205A fall semester 2014	UC-Davis Physics 7B summer session II 2002
N	56 students*	76 students*
low	4	3
mean	14.0 ± 6.3	12.9 ± 5.5
high	29	26

*Excludes students with negative informed consent forms (*.pdf)

Student's t-test of the null hypothesis between Cuesta College FCI post-test scores and UC-Davis FCI post-test scores results in p = 0.28 (t = 1.08, sdev = 5.86, degrees of freedom = 130), thus there is no significant difference between Cuesta College and UC-Davis FCI post-test scores.

The pre- to post-test gain for this semester at Cuesta College is:

Physics 205A fall semester 2014 sections 70854, 70855, 73320
<initial%>	= 34% ± 18% (N = 75)
<final%>	= 47% ± 21% (N = 56)
<g>	= 0.21 ± 0.24 (matched-pairs); 0.20 (class-wise)

Student's t-test of the null hypothesis for Cuesta College FCI pre-test scores versus post-test scores results in p = 0.0002 (t = -3.88, sdev = 5.77, degrees of freedom = 129), thus there is a statistically significant difference between Cuesta College FCI pre-test and post-test scores.

This Hake gain is comparable to previous semesters' results for algebra-based introductory physics at Cuesta College (0.17-0.33), but also slightly higher than previous gains for algebra-based introductory physics at UC-Davis (0.16), and for calculus-based introductory physics at Cuesta College (0.14-0.16), as discussed in previous postings on this blog.

Notable about this Physics 205A class at Cuesta College during this fall 2014 semester is the requirement that students read and answer questions on the textbook and lecture slides before coming to lecture (in a "flipped classroom"), instructor discussion in-class based on answering student questions and concerns submitted online previous to lecture, in-class problem-solving sessions ("lecture-tutorials," including ranking tasks, and a brief written explanation of a selected question submitted by each student every lecture), open-ended labs, and the continuing use (since fall semester 2011) of flashcards rather than electronic response system "clickers" (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com), to engage in "think-pair-share" (peer-instruction).

D. Hestenes, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer, Arizona State University, "Force Concept Inventory," Phys. Teach. 30, 141-158 (1992).
Development of the FCI, a 30-question survey of basic Newtonian mechanics concepts.

Previous FCI results:

• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2014 pre-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2013 pre-tests, and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2012 pre-tests, and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2011 pre-tests and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2009 pre-tests and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, spring semester 2009 pre-tests and post-tests.
  
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2008 pre-tests and post-tests.
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, spring semester 2008 pre-tests and post-tests.
• Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, fall semester 2007 pre-tests and post-tests.