Education research: preliminary MPEX comparison (Cuesta College, Fall Semester 2007)

The Maryland Physics Expectations survey (MPEX) was administered to Cuesta College Physics 5A (college physics, algebra-based, mandatory adjunct laboratory) students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA. The MPEX was given during the first week of the semester, and then on the last week of the semester, to quantify student attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions about physics using six question categories, rating responses as either favorable or unfavorable towards:

1. Independence--beliefs about learning physics--whether it means receiving information or involves an active process of reconstructing one's own understanding;
   
2. Coherence--beliefs about the structure of physics knowledge--as a collection of isolated pieces or as a single coherent system;
   
3. Concepts--beliefs about the content of physics knowledge--as formulas or as concepts that underlie the formulas;
   
4. Reality Link--beliefs about the connection between physics and reality--whether physics is unrelated to experiences outside the classroom or whether it is useful to think about them together;
   
5. Math Link--beliefs about the role of mathematics in learning physics--whether the mathematical;
   formalism is used as a way of representing information about physical phenomena or mathematics is just used to calculate numbers;
   
6. Effort--beliefs about the kind of activities and work necessary to make sense out of physics--whether they expect to think carefully and evaluate what they are doing based on available materials and feedback or not.

Cuesta College
Physics 5A Fall Semester 2007 sections 0906, 0907
(N = 33)
Percentage of favorable:unfavorable responses
        Overall Indep.  Coher.  Concept Real.   Math    Effort
Initial 55:20   46:15   45:28   50:30   77:05   48:36   67:11
Final   46:31   39:25   44:39   40:37   66:13   40:29   52:26

In comparison the MPEX was given to Physics 8A (university physics, calculus-based, mandatory adjunct laboratory) students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA, during Spring semester 2007. Of note is that Physics 5A students used numerical keypad clickers (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) to enter homework and to engage in peer-interactive discussion questions during lecture, whereas Physics 8A students had only traditional lecture.

Cuesta College
Physics 8A Spring Semester 2007 sections 4909, 4910, 4911
(N = 26)
Percentage of favorable:unfavorable responses
        Overall Indep.  Coher.  Concept Real.   Math    Effort
Initial 54:25   44:25   39:34   52:26   67:10   53:21   65:12
Final   44:31   33:26   45:28   36:37   57:13   41:29   45:35

The results between these two Cuesta College physics classes have notable differences in three categories:

• Physics 8A students had lower favorable initial attitudes towards coherence (i.e., "believes physics needs to be considered as a connected consistent framework," as opposed to "believes physics can be treated as unrelated facts or 'pieces'"), but these increased to levels comparable to the Physics 5A students, whose coherence attitudes remained static.
  
• Physics 5A students have both higher initial and final attitudes towards reality link ("believes ideas learned in physics are relevant and useful in a wide variety of contexts," as opposed to "believes ideas learned in physics has little relation to experiences outside the classroom") than Physics 8A students, but experienced a similar negative initial-to-final shift in these attitudes.
  
• The third difference was the less favorable final attitudes of Physics 8A students towards effort (i.e., "makes the effort to use information available and tries to make sense of it" versus "does not attempt to use available information effectively") than Physics 5A students.

These results, while intriguing, do not by themselves validate or invalidate the use of clickers in introductory physics, as there is no direct traditional lecture versus clicker instruction Physics 5A comparison; these results may merely be due to the differences in student populations in Physics 5A (typically pre-medical or architectural technology majors) versus Physics 8A (engineering majors). Further studies at Cuesta College in future semesters should compare Physics 5A students with and without clicker instruction, as well as Physics 8A students with and without clicker instruction.

However, it is interesting to note the lower initial final attitudes of Physics 8A students compared to Physics 5A students towards coherence and reality link, compared to Physics 5A students--these lower attitudes for Physics 8A students would be opposite of what would be expected of engineering majors, compared to the pre-medical and architectural technology students in Physics 5A, before any instruction (traditional lecture or clicker peer-instruction) has taken place.

Previous post:
Education research: student expectations in physics
(Background on the MPEX by E. F. Redish, J. M. Saul, and R. N. Steinberg.)

Education research: feedback on clickers (Cuesta College, Fall Semester 2007)

During Fall semester 2007, Cuesta College students taking Physics 5A (college physics, algebra-based, mandatory adjunct laboratory) at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA used numerical keypad clickers (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) to enter homework and to engage in peer-interaction discussion questions during lecture.

During the last week of instruction, students were given the opportunity to evaluate the instructional components of the course, and the use of clickers in an online "Learning Resource Survey" hosted by SurveyMonkey.com. Questions from section II are adapted from the Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) survey (developed by Elaine Seymour, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison), and questions from section III (III.1, III.3, III.5, and III.7) were adapted from a "Clicker Attitude Survey" (N. W. Reay, Lei Bao, and Pengfei Li, Physics Education Research Group, Ohio State University).

These are the complete survey results, with some preliminary commentary. No statistical analysis was done (this was the first and only administration of this instrument), but will be forthcoming after more data has been compiled from future semesters. Values for the mean and standard deviations are given next to the modal response category for each question. Note that the order of questions within sections II and III were randomly scrambled for each student.

Learning Resource Survey
Cuesta College
Physics 5A Fall Semester 2007 sections 0906, 0907
(N = 35)

I. In order to receive credit for completing this survey, 
   first enter your four digit ID number below:
   ____


II. How much did each of the following aspects of the class help 
    your learning?

II.1 Lecture by instructor.
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               4 : ****
3. Neutral               11 : ***********
4. Agree                 15 : ***************   [3.6 +/- 0.9]
5. Strongly agree         5 : *****
     
II.2 Doing assigned homework, to be entered using clickers. 
1. Strongly disagree      1 : *
2. Disagree               2 : **
3. Neutral                7 : *******
4. Agree                 19 : *******************   [3.7 +/- 0.9]
5. Strongly agree         5 : *****

II.3 Doing unassigned homework.
1. Strongly disagree      1 : *
2. Disagree               6 : ******
3. Neutral               14 : **************
4. Agree                 11 : ***********   [3.3 +/- 1.0]
5. Strongly agree         3 : ***

II.4 Using clickers to participate in class. 
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               2 : **
3. Neutral                8 : ********
4. Agree                 12 : ************   [4.0 +/- 0.9]
5. Strongly agree        13 : *************

II.5 Reading the textbook.     
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               8 : ********
3. Neutral               10 : **********   [3.4 +/- 1.0]
4. Agree                 12 : ************
5. Strongly agree         5 : *****

II.6 Demonstrations/videos in class.      
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               1 : *
3. Neutral                7 : *******
4. Agree                 18 : ******************   [4.0 +/- 0.8]
5. Strongly agree         9 : *********

II.7 Interacting with other students during class.   
1. Strongly disagree      3 : ***
2. Disagree               7 : *******
3. Neutral                9 : *********   [3.2 +/- 1.2]
4. Agree                 12 : ************
5. Strongly agree         4 : ****

II.8 Interacting with other students outside of class.
1. Strongly disagree      7 : *******
2. Disagree               3 : ***
3. Neutral                7 : *******   [3.3 +/- 1.5]
4. Agree                  9 : *********
5. Strongly agree         9 : *********

Students rated the usefulness of learning by using clickers in class (II.4), more so than any other instructional mode except for demonstrations/videos in class (II.6). Students rated doing assigned homework that was entered using clickers third highest in terms of learning usefulness, more so than lecturing by the instructor (II.1), reading the textbook (II.5), doing unassigned (but suggested) homework (II.3), and interacting with students outside (II.8) and during (II.7) class.

III. Answer the following statements which may or may not describe your 
beliefs about the use of clickers in this class.

III.1 I like using clickers. 
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               1 : *
3. Neutral               12 : ************
4. Agree                 15 : ***************   [3.8 +/- 0.8]
5. Strongly agree         7 : *******

III.2 Clickers helped me understand lectures better.   
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               5 : *****
3. Neutral               11 : ***********
4. Agree                 11 : ***********   [3.6 +/- 1.0]
5. Strongly agree         8 : ********

III.3 I would recommend using clickers in future semesters of Physics 5A. 
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               3 : ***
3. Neutral                9 : *********
4. Agree                 14 : **************   [3.8 +/- 0.9]
5. Strongly agree         9 : *********

III.4 I will avoid other classes using clickers in future semesters. 
1. Strongly disagree     13 : *************
2. Disagree              15 : ***************   [1.9 +/- 0.8]
3. Neutral                6 : ******
4. Agree                  1 : *
5. Strongly agree         0 : 

III.5 Clickers were a positive experience.    
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               1 : *
3. Neutral               13 : *************
4. Agree                 15 : ***************   [3.7 +/- 0.8]
5. Strongly agree         5 : *****

III.6 Too much time in class was spent using clickers.   
1. Strongly disagree      5 : *****
2. Disagree              21 : *********************   [2.2 +/- 0.9]
3. Neutral                6 : ******
4. Agree                  2 : **
5. Strongly agree         1 : *

III.7 Too many clicker questions were asked. 
1. Strongly disagree     10 : **********
2. Disagree              16 : ****************   [2.0 +/- 0.7]
3. Neutral                9 : *********
4. Agree                  0 : 
5. Strongly agree         0 : 
     
III.8 Clickers should be used to collect assigned homework. 
1. Strongly disagree      3 : ***
2. Disagree               3 : ***
3. Neutral                8 : ********
4. Agree                 15 : ***************   [3.5 +/- 1.1]
5. Strongly agree         6 : ******
     
III.9 Using clickers was difficult. 
1. Strongly disagree     15 : ***************
2. Disagree              16 : ****************   [1.7 +/- 0.8]
3. Neutral                3 : ***
4. Agree                  1 : *
5. Strongly agree         0 :

Overall, the responses in section III are positive towards the use of clickers. Although students collectively approved of the use of clickers to collect homework, a vocal minority expressed their comments below.

IV. (Optional.) Please type in any comments you may have regarding the use 
of clickers in Physics 5A.

The following are all of the student responses to this question, verbatim and unedited.

"These are comments involving class overall: It would've been 
helpful if the problems done in class and assigned had keys to 
compare our answers to.. even if not turned in for points.. 
because when we're trying to grasp a concept and learn the 
correct way to solve a problem, it's nice to know if we're doin it 
the right way @ that moment, and not way later on. There's a 
lot of problems to learn so it's impossible to ask about every 
single one during class. The clickers made class feel kind of 
rushed when we were trying to learn something new right away, 
which is hard to learn if it's being rushed during class w/time 
limits and also while jotting down notes, listening to the 
instructor, and coming up w/our own analysis of how to 
approach a problem. Also, the quizzes were REally rushed and 
even if we all studied hard, it still felt like not enough time. 
A lot of the students and I went to the tutoring sessions all 
semester and still couldn't do as well on the quizzes. And WE 
TRIED to do what we could to be quicker and accurate!"

"At first, I was mostly deterred by the additional cost incurred. 
However, the ease of homework entry and the immediate 
assessment of it is truly of benefit, especially in such a 
calculation based class. The fact that the instructor could, 
during class, ask a clicker question and assess the class' general 
understanding level actually did benefit classroom experience 
and learning process. However, the explicit use of such an object 
would incline me to desire an additional half an hour be added 
per hour class. I feel that in such a subject as introductory 
physics (non-calculus), the relationship to real life experience is 
more than important, it is essential. When I sit at the bus stop 
and cars drive by, the Doppler Effect comes to mind. The more 
emphasis on experiential physics, the more the student lives the 
subject, rather than understands it. This is the ONLY subject when 
this is possible, and the experience is transcendent, rather than 
educational."

"It was a good idea."

"Overall, I liked using the clickers. Specifically I thought they 
were very useful and effective in class when we used them to
reinforce a new lesson. We would learn a new concept and then 
a few clicker questions would be presented to see if we understood 
that concept. That was by far the best use for the clickers. The were 
good for Homework as well, but at first I was little annoyed that i 
had to register them, pay extra for them, etc. But I would definitely 
recommend them for future Physics 5A class."

"there were a few times when time wasn't called so i missed some 
points.  Just remember to stop time and announce 5sec."

"Clickers were definitely helpful."

"I would say that for the clickers to be more effective in teaching 
this class, a longer class period would be needed. I could see the 
clickers being great tools to finding out what needs to be reviewed 
from homework or concepts that the majority of the class has 
missed but with the time in class was not long enough to allow the 
teacher to utilize this. In my opinion I believe that the clickers 
where unnecessary for such a short class."

"The fact that we just entered our answeres and were never told how 
to completly solve the problems that the greater part of class 
failed to answer was irritating. Also because we were entering 
answers not work we could never recieve the answer via solutions 
manual or the back of the book to figure out how to do the difficult
problems on our own."

"P dogg! good job this semester. thanks for making me laugh. you 
should use clickers again. They were motivating to come to class."

(N.b. "P-dog(g)" is the students' nickname for the instructor.)

"Didn't like them being used to answer homework questions. You 
either got them right or you got them wrong. I found myself getting 
little to no credit for homework I spent over a hour on. The effort 
you put in goes un-rewarded."

"The clickers worked well for in class participation, but they were 
a hassle for collecting homework in my opinion.  Have a great day!!"

"It would also be helpful to maybe go through the assigned homework 
briefly after the answer have been submitted.  I don't think it is 
necessiary to go through the whole problem just maybe what equation 
was used."

"Clickers should not be used to collect homework because a lot of 
the time I was able to complete the problem but because of a 
calculator error I received the final wrong number. So it was at 
times unfair. We the students spent the time doing the homework 
but some were never able to get the points they deserved. Also I 
found that the problems you did in class were usually much easier
than the homework. It can very discouraging when you feel totally 
overwhelmed when you sit down to do your homework. Besides that it 
was good to use clickers for participation points I thought that 
was very helpful."

"While the clickers were a new and engaging way to learn, I did 
not feel they were worth assigning even problems in the book that 
I could not check the answers to myself while doing the homework. 
This lead to a cycle of not knowing whether or not I'm doing the 
problems right and having to wait until the next class session to 
get the right answers. All in all, I'd say lecture clicker
questions are great, but the clicker homework questions for 
credit kind of made the course more difficult."

"Maybe an explanation of solution in detail for the homework 
questions that are due the same day after the clicker questions 
are answered for problems that the class thought were especially 
difficult."

"I really liked using clickers.  It made class fun, and it was 
helpful getting instant feedback about the class's progress and 
understanding of the material.  I really wish we could use 
clickers in my other science-based classes (like Chemistry.)"

The common threads in these student comments were (1) using clickers during lecture to discuss concepts and problem-solving strategies was received positively; and (2) that assigning even-numbered problems from the textbook (which have no solutions), to be entered using clickers was rated negatively, apparently due to the lack of feedback and guidance, and the arbitrary binary nature of having answers graded correctly or incorrectly. To address this concern, in subsequent semesters assigned homework problems could instead be made conceptual, proportional or ratio analysis extensions to the odd-numbered problems from the textbook (which would have solutions such that students can check to get some feedback before moving on).

Previous posts:

• Clicker question examples used in Physics 5A, Fall semester 2007.
• Force Concept Inventory (FCI) results for Physics 5A, Fall semester 2007.
• Maryland Physics Expectations Survey (MPEX) results for Physics 5A, Fall semester 2007.

Physics clicker question: significance of signficant figures

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Chapter 1.4

Invisible Measuring Tape, by rm
icanhascheezburger.com
March 27, 2007

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.3 points.] The number of significant figures measures:
(A) accuracy.
(B) precision.
(C) determinacy.
(D) significancy.

For many students "accuracy" and "precision" are synonymous, but there is an important distinction between them!

Correct answer: (B).

Student responses
Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 11 students
(B) : 15 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 2 students

N.B. This was the very first clicker question of the semester!

Physics clicker question: falling stick derby

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Comprehensive Problems 8.97, 8.98

"Falling Meter Sticks--Scaling," 1Q2060.mov
University of Minnesota, School of Physics & Astronomy
http://groups.physics.umn.edu/demo/mechanics/1Q2060.html

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the end of their learning cycle:

A 1-m stick and a 2-m stick are held vertically upright, and are released such that they begin to fall over at the same time. (This experiment is set-up, but not yet demonstrated yet for the students until after answers have been compiled.)

[0.6 participation points.] Which stick do you think will fall and hit the ground first?
(A) 1 m stick.
(B) 2 m stick.
(C) (They will hit the ground at approximately the same time.)
(D) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 10 students
(B) : 7 students
(C) : 17 students
(D) : 1 student

Correct answer: (A)

The energy conservation equation for a falling stick is:

0 = (1/2)*I*w_f^2 + M*g*(L/2),

where I = (1/3)*M*L^2, such that:

w_f = sqrt(3*g/L).

Thus the shorter stick will have the faster speed as it hits the ground, which can plausibly be reasoned to be the stick that will reach the ground first, before the longer stick does.

Physics clicker question: buoyancy comparison

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Conceptual Question 9.6 (extended)

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) at the beginning of their learning cycle:

Three objects (same volumes, but different densities) float (or do not float) in a tank of water.

[0.6 participation points.] Which object has the greatest weight?
(A) Object X.
(B) Object Y.
(C) Object Z.
(D) (More than one of the objects listed above has the greatest weight.)
(E) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 29 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 0 students

Correct answer: (C)

Most students appealed to their intuition to determine that Object Z was the heaviest. Weight force vectors are now drawn on the diagram, and the next question is asked.

[0.6 participation points.] Which object has the greatest bouyant force exerted on it?
(A) Object X.
(B) Object Y.
(C) Object Z.
(D) (More than one of the objects listed above has the greatest bouyant force exerted on it.)
(E) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 22 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 7 students
(E) : 0 students

Correct answer: (D)

The magnitude of the bouyant force is the weight of the volume of water displaced. Object X displaces only a portion of its volume, and thus has the least amount of bouyant force exerted on it. Both Objects Y and Z are completely submerged, and thus have the same amount of bouyant force exerted on it. (However, Object Z also has a normal force exerted on it, from the bottom of the tank.)

Physics clicker question: molecular rms speeds

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Conceptual Question 13.1 (extended)

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) at the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.6 participation points.] Which type of air molecule has the fastest rms speed at room temperature?
(A) CO2.
(B) H2O.
(C) N2.
(D) O2.
(E) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 9 students
(C) : 14 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 0 students

This question was asked again after displaying the tallied results with the lack of consensus, with the following results. No comments were made by the instructor, in order to see if students were going to be able to discuss and determine the correct answer among themselves.

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 14 students
(C) : 9 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 0 students

Correct answer: (B)

The rms speed of a particle is given by:

v_rms = sqrt(3*k*T/m),

where k is Boltzmann's constant, T is the absolute temperature (in Kelvin), and m is the particle mass (in kg). In unified atomic mass units, the masses of these molecules are 44 u, 18 u, 28 u, and 32 u, respectively, making H2O (the lightest molecular mass in this list) the molecule with the fastest rms speed.

Physics clicker question: empty can derby

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Conceptual Example 8.12

"All Disks Roll the Same," 1Q1035.mov
University of Minnesota, School of Physics & Astronomy
http://groups.physics.umn.edu/demo/mechanics/1Q1035.html

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the end of their learning cycle:

A V-8 can and a Diet Pepsi can (both empty) are placed at the top of an inclined plane, and are released such that they begin to roll down at the same time. (This experiment is set-up, but not yet demonstrated yet for the students until after answers have been compiled.)

[0.6 participation points.] Which empty can do you think will reach downhill first?
(A) V-8 can.
(B) Soda can.
(C) (They will reach the bottom of the slope at approximately the same time.)
(D) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 11 students
(B) : 21 students
(C) : 5 students
(D) : 0 students

Correct answer: (C)

The energy conservation equation for a rolling ring (which approximates an empty beverage can) is:

0 = (1/2)*m*v_f^2 + (1/2)*I*w_f^2 + M*g*h,

where I = m*R^2, such that:

v_f = sqrt(g*h).

Thus both cans will have the same speed as they reach the bottom of the inclined plane, which can plausibly be reasoned to mean that they reach the bottom at the same time.

Physics clicker question: molar mass

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Conceptual Question 13.11

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) at the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.6 participation points.] The mass of a single aluminum atom is 27.0 u. What is the mass of one mole of aluminum atoms?
(A) (27.0/N_A) g = 4.48*10^-23 g.
(B) 27.0 g.
(C) 27.0 kg.
(D) (N_A/27.0) g = 2.23*10^22 g.
(E) (27.0*N_A) g = 1.63*10^25 g.
(F) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 11 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 9 students
(F) : 2 students

Correct answer: (B)

The unified atomic mass unit, "u" is defined to be exactly 1/12th the mass of one mole of carbon-12 atoms (as opposed to the defunct "amu" atomic mass unit, which is either defined to be exactly 1/16th the mass of one mole of oxygen-16 atoms, or 1/16th the mass of one mole of all isotopes of oxygen as found in their naturally occurring proportions). Thus the mass of any particle, in unified atomic mass units, is exactly the mass of one mole of these particles.

Physics clicker question: significant figures

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Chapter 1.4

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.3 points.] Consider these five length measurements:

(A) 0.00409 m.
(B) 81.602 m.
(C) 1.970 × 10^3 cm.
(D) 80,000 km.
(E) 80,000.0 mm.

Which measurement has the most number of significant figures?

Student responses
Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 6 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 3 students
(E) : 10 students

This question was asked again after displaying the tallied results with the lack of consensus, with the following results. No comments were made by the instructor, as students were able to discuss and determine the correct answer among themselves.

[0.3 points.] Consider these five length measurements:

(A) 0.00409 m.
(B) 81.602 m.
(C) 1.970 × 10^3 cm.
(D) 80,000 km.
(E) 80,000.0 mm.

Which measurement has the most number of significant figures?

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 24 students

Physics clicker question: heat capacity during phase change

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Conceptual Question 13.11

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) at the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.6 participation points.] The heat capacity of a material undergoing a phase change (such as melting/freezing, or boiling/condensing) is typically:
(A) zero.
(B) infinity.
(C) a finite number.
(D) (Not enough information is given.)
(E) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 10 students
(B) : 12 students
(C) : 11 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 0 students

Correct answer: (B)

The heat capacity is defined as the ratio of the heat Q (put in) to the resulting temperature increase delta(T):

C = Q/delta(T).

But when heat is put into, or extracted from a system, its temperature remains constant, making delta(T) = 0, and thus its heat capacity will be undefined as it would approach infinity.

Physics clicker question: opening in heated metal plate

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Conceptual Question 13.4 (extended)

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) at the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.6 participation points.] A square opening is made in a metal plate. If the metal plate is heated up from room temperature by 100 degrees C, what happens to the size of the square opening?
(A) The square opening becomes smaller.
(B) The square opening becomes larger.
(C) The square opening remains the same size as before.
(D) (Not enough information is given.)
(E) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 19 students
(B) : 12 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 0 students

Correct answer: (B)

All dimensions, external as well as internal in the metal plate expand when it is heated, and this includes the dimensions of the square opening. However, the hole in the middle of a ring of donut batter will get smaller as the donut cooks in oil, but this is an entirely different phenonomenon--no "fluffy donuts!"

Physics clicker question, movie: Space Shuttle tile

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Conceptual Question 13.9 (extended)

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) at the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.6 participation points.] A 50 g Space Shuttle heat tile, and a 50 g iron sample each absorb an equal amount of heat from a bunsen burner. Which sample will have a greater increase in temperature?
(A) Space Shuttle tile.
(B) 50 g iron sample.
(C) (Both samples will have approximately the same increase in temperature.)
(D) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 0 students
(B) : 26 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 0 students

Correct answer: (B)

The heat capacity is defined as the ratio of the heat Q (put in) to the resulting temperature increase delta(T):

C = Q/delta(T).

The Space Shuttle TPS (thermal protection tile) has a larger heat capacity, as it experiences a small increase in temperature for a given amount of heat, while the iron sample has a smaller heat capacity, experiencing a large increase in temperature with the same amount of heat.


Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System (TPS) Tile
Posted by ntschke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuSlkEob-3w

Do not touch the tile immediately after heating!

Education research: feedback on clickers (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2008)

During Spring semester 2008, Cuesta College students taking Physics 5A (college physics, algebra-based, mandatory adjunct laboratory) at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA used numerical keypad clickers (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) to enter homework and to engage in peer-interaction discussion questions during lecture.

During the last week of instruction, students were given the opportunity to evaluate the instructional components of the course, and the use of clickers in an online "Learning Resource Survey" hosted by SurveyMonkey.com. Questions from section II are adapted from the Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) survey (developed by Elaine Seymour, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison), and questions from section III (III.1, III.3, III.5, and III.7) were adapted from a "Clicker Attitude Survey" (N. W. Reay, Lei Bao, and Pengfei Li, Physics Education Research Group, Ohio State University).

These are the complete survey results, with some preliminary commentary. No statistical analysis was done (this was the first and only administration of this instrument), but will be forthcoming after more data has been compiled from future semesters. Values for the mean and standard deviations are given next to the modal response category for each question. Note that the order of questions within sections II and III were randomly scrambled for each student.

Learning Resource Survey
Cuesta College
Physics 5A Spring Semester 2008 sections 4987, 4988
(N = 28)

I. In order to receive credit for completing this survey, 
   first enter your four digit ID number below:
   ____


II. How much did each of the following aspects of the class help 
    your learning?

II.1 Lecture by instructor.
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               5 : *****
3. Neutral                6 : ******
4. Agree                 16 : ****************  [4.0 +/- 0.7]
5. Strongly agree         6 : ******
     
II.2 Doing assigned homework, to be entered using clickers. 
1. Strongly disagree      1 : *
2. Disagree               2 : **
3. Neutral                2 : **
4. Agree                 14 : **************  [4.0 +/- 1.0]
5. Strongly agree         9 : *********

II.3 Doing unassigned homework.
1. Strongly disagree      3 : ***
2. Disagree               1 : *
3. Neutral                8 : ********
4. Agree                 11 : ***********  [3.5 +/- 1.2]
5. Strongly agree         5 : *****

II.4 Using clickers to participate in class. 
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               2 : **
3. Neutral                3 : ***
4. Agree                 15 : ***************  [4.0 +/- 0.9]
5. Strongly agree         8 : ********

II.5 Reading the textbook.     
1. Strongly disagree      2 : **
2. Disagree               5 : *****
3. Neutral                4 : ****  [3.4 +/- 1.2]
4. Agree                 13 : *************
5. Strongly agree         4 : ****

II.6 Demonstrations/videos in class.      
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               2 : **
3. Neutral                0 : 
4. Agree                 21 : *********************  [4.0 +/- 0.7]
5. Strongly agree         5 : *****

II.7 Interacting with other students during class.   
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               0 : 
3. Neutral                7 : ******* 
4. Agree                 16 : **********  [3.9 +/- 0.7]
5. Strongly agree         5 : *****

II.8 Interacting with other students outside of class.
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               3 : ***
3. Neutral                7 : ******* 
4. Agree                 11 : ***********  [3.9 +/- 0.9]
5. Strongly agree         7 : *******

Students rated the usefulness of learning by using clickers in class (II.4), more so than any other instructional mode except for demonstrations/videos in class (II.6). Students rated doing assigned homework that was entered using clickers third highest in terms of learning usefulness, more so than lecturing by the instructor (II.1), reading the textbook (II.5), doing unassigned (but suggested) homework (II.3), and interacting with students outside (II.8) and during (II.7) class.

III. Answer the following statements which may or may not describe 
     your beliefs about the use of clickers in this class.

III.1 I like using clickers. 
1. Strongly disagree      1 : *
2. Disagree               3 : ***
3. Neutral                2 : **
4. Agree                 18 : ******************  [3.7 +/- 1.0]
5. Strongly agree         4 : ****

III.2 Clickers helped me understand lectures better.   
1. Strongly disagree      1 : *
2. Disagree               3 : ***
3. Neutral                9 : *********
4. Agree                 12 : ************  [3.5 +/- 1.0]
5. Strongly agree         3 : ***

III.3 I would recommend using clickers in future semesters of Physics 5A. 
1. Strongly disagree      2 : **
2. Disagree               2 : **
3. Neutral                1 : *
4. Agree                 17 : *****************  [3.8 +/- 1.1]
5. Strongly agree         6 : ******

III.4 I will avoid other classes using clickers in future semesters. 
1. Strongly disagree      8 : ********
2. Disagree              14 : **************  [2.0 +/- 0.9]
3. Neutral                4 : ****
4. Agree                  2 : **
5. Strongly agree         0 : 

III.5 Clickers were a positive experience.    
1. Strongly disagree      0 : 
2. Disagree               2 : **
3. Neutral                6 : ******
4. Agree                 16 : ****************  [3.8 +/- 0.8]
5. Strongly agree         4 : ****

III.6 Too much time in class was spent using clickers.   
1. Strongly disagree      2 : **
2. Disagree              16 : ****************  [2.4 +/- 0.9]
3. Neutral                6 : ******
4. Agree                  3 : ***
5. Strongly agree         1 : *

III.7 Too many clicker questions were asked. 
1. Strongly disagree      4 : ****
2. Disagree              16 : ****************  [2.3 +/- 1.0]
3. Neutral                4 : ****
4. Agree                  3 : ***
5. Strongly agree         1 : *
     
III.8 Clickers should be used to collect assigned homework. 
1. Strongly disagree      2 : **
2. Disagree               3 : ***
3. Neutral                5 : *****
4. Agree                 12 : ************  [3.6 +/- 1.2]
5. Strongly agree         6 : ******
     
III.9 Using clickers was difficult. 
1. Strongly disagree     11 : ***********
2. Disagree              13 : *************  [1.8 +/- 0.9]
3. Neutral                2 : **
4. Agree                  2 : **
5. Strongly agree         0 :

Overall, the responses in section III are positive towards the use of clickers. Although students collectively approved of the use of clickers to collect homework, a vocal minority expressed their comments below.

IV. (Optional.) Please type in any comments you may have regarding 
    the use of clickers in Physics 5A.

The following are all of the student responses to this question, verbatim and unedited.

"the clikers were very useful and i really like how their was alot of participation clicker questions. it helped out understanding the material and becuase of the clikers i felt that i was involved in the class more than other classes."

"I think that the clickers helped me to stay on the same page as the lectures. The clicker question were a good way to keep the students paying attention to the lectures."

"at first, they seemed like a pain. But after a couple of weeks using them, i realized how nice they were. I sat in the back most of the time, and it saved a lot time not having to get up to turn stuff in. sometimes it was frustrating not being able to join in a session after it had started, but that is the only draw back i see with the product."

"I like how they require you to interact with the current discussions in class. However, there are sometimes when I feel we spent too much time with them... and would have been better off seeing another example worked out on the board."

"I feel like too much time was spent using the clickers. While they might have their place for entering homework, I think we could have done more example problems and gotten more material covered with better notes had the clickers not been used."

"it sucks that when we turn in homework we dont get any partial credit or we never find out where we went wrong."

"Have a great summer P-Dog, hope to run into you in the future. 'Enjoy using clickers in your future classes.' (<- To be relevent to clickers.)"

"i still think they cost more than they are worth..."

"Clickers worked well and kept the entire class concentrated on the lecture. Clickers are also a great way to earn some participation points;)"

"We just need to focus our time on the problems, and anwering questions more effieciently and doing problem after problem until we understand"

"The only thing I don't like about the Clickers is the fact that they souldn't be used to colletct homework. I did not like the fact of spending anywhere from a half an hour to an hour on the assigned homework and not getting the correct answer after entering it with the clickers. I believe homework should have been collected by hand for partial credit for showing work. On the contrary, I enjoyed using the clickers for participation credit."

"Thanks for a great class!"

Previous posts:

• Education research: feedback on clickers (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2008)
  Discussion of end-of-semester student opinions from the start of this past semester.
• Education research: feedback on clickers (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2008)
  Discussion of preliminary student opinions from the start of this past semester.
• Education research: feedback on clickers (Cuesta College, Fall Semester 2007)
  Discussion of end-of-semester student opinions from a previous semester.

Physics clicker question: what is not a vector?

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Chapter 2.2

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.3 participation points.] Consider the following list of quantities:
Position.
Displacement.
Distance traveled by an object.

How many of the above quantities are vectors? _____.

Correct answer: 2.

Student responses
Sections 0906, 0907
"1" : 16 students
"2" : 28 students
"3" : 2 students

Teachable moment! Students were then asked to identify the one quantity that was not a vector, eliciting various responses, most notably "position." Following discussion ensues:

• "Displacement" is a vector, pointing from the initial to the final location.
  
• "Distance traveled by an object" is not a vector but a scalar, and in one-dimensional travel may move back and forth along itself.
  
• "Position" is a vector, as it points from the origin to the location. Many students were thinking of a location as just a point, and thus not a vector. Or a few students had considered a special case that if an object starts from the origin, then its initial position is then a point and not a vector; but this brings up the special case of a null vector.

Physics clicker question: airbag effect

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Example 7.3

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) in the middle of their learning cycle:

[0.6 participation points.] An airbag (in conjunction with a seatbelt) will lessen the injuries caused by a car accident. How does the airbag do this, compared to wearing a seatbelt only?
(A) By decreasing the change in momentum.
(B) By decreasing the amount of impulse.
(C) By increasing the time duration of impact.
(D) (More than one of the above choices apply.)
(E) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 11 students
(D) : 14 students
(E) : 0 students

Correct answer: (C)
Assuming that the same type of accident is involved for the same mass occupant, the momentum change (m*(v_f - v_i) will be the same, as will be the impulse on the driver. The time duration (delta_t) for the impulse (F*delta_t) to be applied will be longer with the airbag, thus the force applied on the occupant will be lessened.

Physics clicker question: pendulum period miscalculation

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Problem 10.60

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the end of their learning cycle:

[0.6 participation points.] A mass of weight 10.0 N has a period of 1.0 s. The length of the pendulum string is _____ m.

Sections 0906, 0907
"0.25" : 20 students
"24" : 7 students
"10" : 3 students
"5": 2 students
(Other responses, 1 student each: "0.06," "1.02," "2," "3.2," "21.7")

Correct answer: 0.25 m

The period of a pendulum is given by:

T = 2*pi*sqrt(L/g).

Note that the weight, or mass of the pendulum bob does not matter. Solving for L:

L = g*(T/(2*pi))^2.

However, many students did not watch how the order of operations were performed on their graphing calculators. Typically they entered the following:

1/2*pi
ANS^2
ANS*9.8

Because of the factor of pi multiplying the 0.5 evaluated just before it, this results in the incorrect answer of 24 (m?!?), which dangerously resembles the correct answer, apparently only with a misplaced decimal error ("did we need to convert to centimeters?").

In order to force the pi to be evaluated in the denominator, parentheses could be used (or each step could be executed separately, step-by-step):

1/(2*pi)
ANS^2
ANS*9.8

This gives the correct answer of 0.25 m.

Physics clicker question: pressed-down book

Physics 205A, Fall Semester 2008
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Problem 4.51

Students were asked the following clicker questions (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the beginning of their learning cycle:

Mass of book = 0.50 kg.
Coefficient of static friction mu_s = 0.45.
Coefficient of kinetic friction mu_k = 0.40.

You push down on the book with a force of 1.0 N. The normal force of the table on the book has a magnitude of:
(A) 4.9 N.
(B) 1.0 N.
(C) 4.9 N – 1.0 N.
(D) 4.9 N + 1.0 N.
(E) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 70854, 70855
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 13 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 16 students
(E) : 4 students

This question was asked again after displaying the tallied results with the lack of consensus, with the following results. No comments were made by the instructor, in order to see if students were going to be able to discuss and determine the correct answer among themselves.

Sections 70854, 70855
(A) : 0 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 32 students
(E) : 1 student

Correct answer: (D)

The book has the weight force of the Earth pulling down on it (4.9 N), the applied force (1.0 N) pushing down on it, and since Newton's first law applies, the normal force of the table pushing up on the book is 5.9 N in magnitude.

Pre- to post- peer-interaction gains:
pre-interaction correct = 42%
post-interaction correct = 84%
Hake, or normalized gain <g> = 72%

This question was asked in a previous semester (Fall 2007), but with students who were not adequately coached on the think-(pair)-share methodology.

Physics clicker question: equal magnitude, opposite direction forces

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Problem 4.50

Students were asked the following clicker questions (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the beginning of their learning cycle:


[0.6 participation points.] Which Newton's law tells you that the force of the Earth pullling on the book is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force of the table pushing on the book?
(A) Newton's first law.
(B) Newton's second law.
(C) Newton's third law.
(D) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 25 students
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 10 students
(D) : 1 student

Correct answer: (A)
The force of the Earth pullling on the book and the force of the table pushing on the book sum to zero, as Newton's first law applies to the book.

After discussion, a related follow-up question was asked, with the following results.

[0.6 participation points.] Which Newton's law tells you that the force of the book pushing on the table is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force of the table pushing on the book?
(A) Newton's first law.
(B) Newton's second law.
(C) Newton's third law.
(D) (I'm lost, and don't know how to answer this.)

Sections 0906, 0907
(A) : 25 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 11 students
(D) : 1 student

Correct answer: (C)

The force of the book pushing on the table and the force of the table pushing on the book satisfy all three components of the POFOSTITO mnemonic (cf. Light and Matter by Benjamin Crowley, lightandmatter.com):

POF: Pair of Opposite Forces
OST: Of Same Type (in this case, normal forces)
ITO: Involving Two Objects (table and book)

Thus the force of the book pushing on the table and the force of the table pushing on the book are a third law pair, and are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction due to Newton's third law.

At this point in the learning cycle, students were already familiar with Newton's first law, but had trouble engaging their just-learned knowledge of Newton's third law in recognizing third law pairs.

Physic clicker question: one billion dinara note

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Chapter 1.4

Inflacija, by Goranka Matic
As posted on boingboing.net
May 4, 2006

Students were asked the following clicker question (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the beginning of their learning cycle:

[0.3 points.] Consider an old Yugoslavian billion dinara banknote.
Enter the number of significant figures: _____.

When a number is written in non-scientific notation with empty zeros, the number of significant figures is ambiguous. The rule of thumb here is to follow the "min 2" rule, where this would be expressed in scientific notation as 1.0 x 10^9 dinara. However, assuming that dinara can be exchanged into 100 cents (the practicalities of inflation notwithstanding), then currency would be significant to the hundredths decimal place, so this would be 1.00000000000 x 10^9 dinara.

The point is that there are different rules in science and in finance, so unless it is clear that money is being discussed, the "min 2" rule will apply to ambiguous zeros.

Correct answer: 2, or 12.

Student responses
Sections 0906, 0907
"1" : 3 students
"2" : 23 students
"10": 1 student

Physics clicker question: vector addition of forces

Physics 5A, Fall Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cf. Giambattista/Richardson/Richardson, Physics, 1/e, Chapter 4.1

Students were asked the following clicker questions (Classroom Performance System, einstruction.com) near the beginning of their learning cycle:

Two forces act on an object, as shown below.


[0.6 participation points.] The horizontal component of the net force acting on the object is _____ N.

[0.6 participation points.] The vertical component of the net force acting on the object is _____ N.

Correct answers: F_net,x = 5 N, F_net,y = -2 N.

Student responses (open-ended numerical responses, unpaired)
Sections 0906, 0907
F_net,x = 4 N: 2 students
F_net,x = 5 N: 37 students
F_net,x = 30 N: 1 student

F_net,y = -18 N: 1 student
F_net,y = -3 N: 2 students
F_net,y = -2 N: 35 students
F_net,y = 2 N: 1 student

Two forces act on an object, as shown below.


[0.6 participation points.] The horizontal component of the net force acting on the object is _____ N.

[0.6 participation points.] The vertical component of the net force acting on the object is _____ N.

Correct answers: F_net,x = 8 N, F_net,y = 3 N.

Student responses (open-ended numerical responses, unpaired)
Sections 0906, 0907
F_net,x = 4 N: 21 students
F_net,x = 6 N: 2 students
F_net,x = 8 N: 15 students

F_net,y = 0.03 N: 1 student
F_net,y = 0.75 N: 1 student
F_net,y = 1.5 N: 1 student
F_net,y = 2 N: 1 student
F_net,y = 3 N: 32 students
F_net,y = 4 N: 1 student
F_net,y = 8 N: 1 student

When orthogonal forces are drawn tail-to-tail, students are relatively successful in summing horizontal and vertical components of the net force. However, the second example demonstrates students having difficulty with vector addition, apparently because they are "completing the triangle" to find the resulting net force.