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Results of a Multi-Year Assessment of Inquiry-Based Second Semester General Physics Laboratory Activities

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Conference

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Indianapolis, Indiana

Publication Date

June 15, 2014

Start Date

June 15, 2014

End Date

June 18, 2014

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 1

Tagged Division

Engineering Physics & Physics

Page Count

12

Page Numbers

24.1051.1 - 24.1051.12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--22984

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/22984

Download Count

354

Paper Authors

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Robert A. Ross University of Detroit Mercy

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E. Prasad Venugopal University of Detroit Mercy

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Gary P. Hillebrand University of Detroit Mercy

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Lecturer in Physics at the University of Detroit Mercy since 2008, following 30 years in automotive product development at Ford and GM.

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Meghann Norah Murray

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Matthew Gonderinger Wayne State University, University of Detroit Mercy

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Abstract

Results of a Multi-Year Assessment of Inquiry-Based Second Semester General Physics Laboratory ActivitiesFifteen years ago the second-semester general physics laboratory courses at the University of XXbegan to implement an inquiry-based, active-learning curriculum. This curriculum utilizes theresults of many years of physics education research, especially the pioneering work ofMcDermott’s group at the University of Washington. A brief description of the laboratoryactivities will be presented.In this paper we show the results of a nearly ten year assessment of student learning of dc circuitconcepts in second semester general physics laboratory courses. We have results for bothalgebra and calculus based classes and we compare our results to a national sample. Ourongoing assessment tool is the Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuit ConceptsTest (DIRECT).1 We relate the results of the assessment to the inquiry-based instructionalmethods and present some item response curves.21 P.V. Engelhardt and R. Beichner, “Students’ understanding of direct current resistive electricalcircuits,” Am. J. Phys. 72 (1) 98-115 (2004).2 G.A. Morris et.al., “Testing the test: Item response curves and test quality,” Am. J. Phys. 74(5) 449-453 (2006).

Ross, R. A., & Venugopal, E. P., & Hillebrand, G. P., & Murray, M. N., & Gonderinger, M. (2014, June), Results of a Multi-Year Assessment of Inquiry-Based Second Semester General Physics Laboratory Activities Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana. 10.18260/1-2--22984

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