Astronomy clicker question: moonrise time

Astronomy 210, Fall Semester 2008
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

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

What time is it when the waxing crescent moon is rising?
(A) 12 PM (noon).
(B) 3 PM (afternoon).
(C) 6 PM (sunset).
(D) 9 PM (evening).
(E) 12 AM (midnight).
(F) 3 AM (wee hours).
(G) 6 AM (sunrise).
(H) 9 AM (morning).

Section 70160
(A) : 0 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 0 students
(F) : 4 students
(G) : 2 students
(H) : 11 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.

Section 70160
(A) : 0 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 0 students
(F) : 0 students
(G) : 0 students
(H) : 24 students

Correct answer: (H)

The waxing crescent moon is highest overhead at 3 PM. Doing the "+/- 6 hour trick" predicts that the moon with this phase will set at 9 PM, and rose at 9 AM.

Pre- to post- peer-interaction gains:
pre-interaction correct = 44%
post-interaction correct = 92%
Hake (normalized) gain <g> = 86%