20171212

FCI pre-test to post-test comparison

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

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

Physics 205A fall semester 2017 sections 70854, 70855 (matched-pairs only, N = 43)
<initial%>= 30% ± 15%
<final%>= 38% ± 19%
<g>= 0.10 ± 0.23 (matched-pairs); 0.11 (class-wise)

The paired Student's t-test of the null hypothesis for Cuesta College FCI pre-test scores versus post-test scores results in p = 0.000 (t = –4.80, degrees of freedom = 42), thus there is a strongly statistically significant difference between Cuesta College FCI pre-test and post-test scores.

This Hake gain is comparable to (but slightly lower than) previous semesters' results for algebra-based introductory physics at Cuesta College (0.17-0.33), but similarly comparable to (but slightly lower than) previous gains 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 since fall semester 2015 is the presence of an embedded tutor (student teaching assistant circulating in class along with the instructor during open discussion and problem-solving sessions); and from fall semester 2014 onwards 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 (note only unpaired Student t-tests were run prior to 2017):
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