TY - GEN
T1 - Observations of general learning patterns in an upper-level thermal physics course
AU - Meltzer, David
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - I discuss some observations from using interactive-engagement instructional methods in an upper-level thermal physics course over a two-year period. From the standpoint of the subject matter knowledge of the upper-level students, there was a striking persistence of common learning difficulties previously observed in students enrolled in the introductory course, accompanied, however, by some notable contrasts between the groups. More broadly, I comment on comparisons and contrasts regarding general pedagogical issues among different student sub-populations, for example: differences in the receptivity of lower- and upper-level students to diagrammatic representations; varying receptivity to tutorial-style instructional approach within the upper-level population; and contrasting approaches to learning among physics and engineering sub-populations in the upper-level course with regard to use of symbolic notation, mathematical equations, and readiness to employ verbal explanations.
AB - I discuss some observations from using interactive-engagement instructional methods in an upper-level thermal physics course over a two-year period. From the standpoint of the subject matter knowledge of the upper-level students, there was a striking persistence of common learning difficulties previously observed in students enrolled in the introductory course, accompanied, however, by some notable contrasts between the groups. More broadly, I comment on comparisons and contrasts regarding general pedagogical issues among different student sub-populations, for example: differences in the receptivity of lower- and upper-level students to diagrammatic representations; varying receptivity to tutorial-style instructional approach within the upper-level population; and contrasting approaches to learning among physics and engineering sub-populations in the upper-level course with regard to use of symbolic notation, mathematical equations, and readiness to employ verbal explanations.
KW - Physics education
KW - Thermodynamics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=71749114649&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1063/1.3266745
DO - 10.1063/1.3266745
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:71749114649
SN - 9780735407206
T3 - AIP Conference Proceedings
SP - 31
EP - 34
BT - 2009 Physics Education Research Conference, PER
T2 - 2009 Physics Education Research Conference, PER: Physics Education Research across Paradigms
Y2 - 29 July 2009 through 30 July 2009
ER -