This paper describes the results from an ongoing project where hands-on models and associated activities are integrated throughout an undergraduate statics course with the goal of deepening students’ conceptual understanding, scaffolding spatial skills, and therefore developing representational competence with foundational concepts such as vectors, forces, moments, and free-body diagrams. Representational competence refers to the fluency with which a subject expert can move between different representations of a concept (e.g. mathematical, symbolic, graphical, 2D vs. 3D, pictorial) as appropriate for communication, reasoning, and problem solving. This study sought to identify the characteristics of modeling activities that make them effective for all learners. Student volunteers engaged in individual interviews in which they solved problems that included 2D diagrams, 3D models, and worked calculations. Participating students had prior experience with the models and related activity sheets earlier in the course. Data was collected at the end of the quarter and the activities emphasized conceptual understanding. Thematic analysis was used to develop codes and identify themes in students’ use of the models as it relates to developing representational competence. Students used the models in a variety of ways. They wrote directly on the models, touched and gestured with the model, adjusted components, and observed the model from multiple orientations. They added new elements and deconstructed the models to feel the force or imagine how measurements would be impacted if one parameter was changed while all others held constant. In interviews students made connections to previous courses as well as previous activities and experiences with the models. In addition to using the 3D models, participants also used more than one representation (e.g. symbolic or 2D diagram) to solve problems and communicate thinking. While the use of models and manipulatives is commonplace in mechanics instruction, this work seeks to provide more nuanced information about how students use these learning aids to develop and reinforce their own understanding of key concepts. The authors hope these findings will be useful for others interested in designing and refining hands-on mechanics activities toward specific learning goals.
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Physical Physics – Getting students Active in Learning Materials Science
ABSTRACT Physics forms the core of any Materials Science Programme at undergraduate level. Knowing the properties of materials is fundamental to developing and designing new materials and new applications for known materials. “Physical Physics” is a physics education approach which is an innovative and promising instruction model that integrates physical activity with mechanics and material properties. It aims to significantly enhance the learning experience and to illustrate how physics works, while allowing students to be active participants and take ownership of the learning process. It has been successfully piloted with undergraduate students studying mechanics on a Games Development Programme. It is a structured guided learning approach which provides a scaffold for learners to develop their problem solving skills. The objective of having applied physics on a programme is to introduce students to the mathematical world. Today students view the world through smart devices. By incorporating student recorded videos into the laboratory experience the student can visualise the mathematical world. Sitting in a classroom learning about material properties does not easily facilitate an understanding of mathematical equations as mapping to a physical reality. In order to get the students motivated and immersed in the real mathematical and physical world, an approach which makes them think about the cause and effect of actions is used. Incorporating physical action with physics enables students to assimilate knowledge and adopt an action problem solving approach to the physics concept. This is an integrated approach that requires synthesis of information from various sources in order to accomplish the task. As a transferable skill, this will ensure that the material scientists will be visionary in their approach to real life problems.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1663296
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10028088
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- MRS Advances
- Volume:
- 2
- Issue:
- 31-32
- ISSN:
- 2059-8521
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1635 to 1641
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract This paper describes the results from an ongoing project where hands-on models and associated activities are integrated throughout an undergraduate statics course with the goal of deepening students’ conceptual understanding, scaffolding spatial skills, and therefore developing representational competence with foundational concepts such as vectors, forces, moments, and free-body diagrams. Representational competence refers to the fluency with which a subject expert can move between different representations of a concept (e.g. mathematical, symbolic, graphical, 2D vs. 3D, pictorial) as appropriate for communication, reasoning, and problem solving. This study sought to identify the characteristics of modeling activities that make them effective for all learners. Student volunteers engaged in individual interviews in which they solved problems that included 2D diagrams, 3D models, and worked calculations. Participating students had prior experience with the models and related activity sheets earlier in the course. Data was collected at the end of the quarter and the activities emphasized conceptual understanding. Thematic analysis was used to develop codes and identify themes in students’ use of the models as it relates to developing representational competence. Students used the models in a variety of ways. They wrote directly on the models, touched and gestured with the model, adjusted components, and observed the model from multiple orientations. They added new elements and deconstructed the models to feel the force or imagine how measurements would be impacted if one parameter was changed while all others held constant. In interviews students made connections to previous courses as well as previous activities and experiences with the models. In addition to using the 3D models, participants also used more than one representation (e.g. symbolic or 2D diagram) to solve problems and communicate thinking. While the use of models and manipulatives is commonplace in mechanics instruction, this work seeks to provide more nuanced information about how students use these learning aids to develop and reinforce their own understanding of key concepts. The authors hope these findings will be useful for others interested in designing and refining hands-on mechanics activities toward specific learning goals.more » « less
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2017.61
