Recent research has shown that serious misconceptions frequently survive high school and universi... more Recent research has shown that serious misconceptions frequently survive high school and university instruction in mechallics. It is interesting to inquire whether Newton himself encountered conceptual difficulties before he wrote the "Principia." This paper compares Newton's pre-"Principia" beliefs, based upon his writings, with those of contemporary students in the areas of mpetus force and centrifugal force. The paper emphasizes the retarding effect on Newton's development of inappropriate but deep-rooted models at a qualitative level, and the extent to which his experience suggests the necessity for students to struggle conceptually in order to construct the models employed by physicists. Lists 9 references.
We describe a computer tutor designed to help students understand physics concepts. The tutor use... more We describe a computer tutor designed to help students understand physics concepts. The tutor uses a teaching strategy called "bridging analogies" that previous research has demonstrated to be successful in one-on-one tutoring. The strategy is designed to remedy misconceptions by appealing to existing correct intuitions, and extending these intuitions by encouraging analogical thinking. Students were videotaped while using the program and were encouraged to think aloud. The strategy was successful in changing beliefs for some students. We outline suggestions for improving the tutor using artificial intelligence technolo-SY. 1 CONTEXT SPECIFIC TUTORING STRATEGIES We report on a computer simulation of a human tutoring strategy that previous studies have shown to be effective in one-on-one human tutoring. The purpose of the research has been to evaluate the strengths and limitations of an automated version of the strategy, which we envision 4 as ultimately being one of several strategies available to an intelligent computer tutor. b To date, most Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) research has focused on the design of semantically rich learning environments, or on the conceptual analysis of topic areas and tasks.
The clinical interview is a technique pioneered by Piaget (1975) to study the form of knowledge s... more The clinical interview is a technique pioneered by Piaget (1975) to study the form of knowledge structures and reasoning processes. In the last twenty-five years, it has evolved into a variety of methods, including open ended interviews and think-aloud problem-solving protocols. These techniques have played key roles in seminal studies in science and mathematics education as well as developmental psychology. Their strengths, in comparison to nonclinical, data-gathering techniques, include the ability to
The role of mental simulation in scientific learning processes is poorly understood. This paper e... more The role of mental simulation in scientific learning processes is poorly understood. This paper examines video taped model construction protocols from an expert and a student to generate initial hypotheses concerning: the relationship between "runnable" schemas and imagery during mental simulation; and how assembling a scientific model from simpler runnable schemas can "transfer runnability" to the model. By the end of their learning episodes both the expert and the student appear to have acquired something more than a new symbolic relationship. They appear to have an imageable, runnable model where the imagability and runnability have been transferred or "inherited" from a source analogue. One source of support for this finding comes from observing similar depictive hand motions as subjects thought about the analogue case and later about the developing target model. Understanding schema driven imagistic simulations may eventually help us resolve the apparent paradox involved in learning from "running a new thought experiment in one's head."
Abstract: Some central issues in discussions of creative processes in science are: (1) the mechan... more Abstract: Some central issues in discussions of creative processes in science are: (1) the mechanism(s) by which hypothesis formation takes place; ( 2) the sources of new knowledge during hypothesis formation; and (3) the Eureka vs. steady accumulation (accretion) issue concerning the pace of change during hypothesis formation. This chapter attempts to investigate the question of whether data from transcripts of scientists thinking aloud has the potential to speak to these issues. A case study is examined in which the subject generates a new explanatory model hypothesis--a predictive analogy which describes a hidden process axplalning a phenomenon. Observations from the case study indicate the following: (1) "Ahal* episodes are observed which lead to creative insights. It is argued that these can involve fairly sudden reorgsnlzations but do not necessarily involve extraordinary or unconscious reasoning. ( 2) A new hypothesis can be developed and evaluatsd by a scientist in the ...
In this study 34 spontaneous analogies produced by 16 college freshmen while solving qualitative ... more In this study 34 spontaneous analogies produced by 16 college freshmen while solving qualitative physics problems are analyzed. A number of the analogies were invalid in the sense that they led to an incorrect answer from the physicist's point of view. However, many were valid, and a few were powerful in the sense that they seemed not only to help the student solve the problem, but led to generalizations indicating that some conceptual change was taking place. Some of the effective analogies have also been observed in the solutions used by expert scientists and mathematicians. These findings support the position that many creative reasoning processes are ordinary thinking processes used with special purposes in mind, not unanalyzable acts of "genius." This suggests that analogies are an intuitive form of reasoning that could be tapped or taken advantage of in instruction to a greater extent than is currently done. (Author/TW)
Evidence is presented indicating that spontaneously generated analogies can play a significant ro... more Evidence is presented indicating that spontaneously generated analogies can play a significant role in expert problem solving. Since not all analogies are valid, it is important for the subject to have a way to evaluate their validity. Three methods for evaluating analogical validity are identified using observations from thinking aloud problem solving protocols as well as examples from Newton and Galileo. In particular, this paper focuses on an evaluation strategy called bridging that has been observed in solutions to both science and mathematics problems. In constructing a bridge, the subject finds an intermediate case that is seen as "in between" the analogous case and the problem situation because it shares important features of both. Many of the bridges observed appeared to be novel inventions created by the subject. These empirical studies have led to the construction of a more detailed theory for how analogies can be used effectively in instruction. Some of the stra...
Reasoning patterns found in Galileo's treatise on machines, On Mechanics, are compared with patte... more Reasoning patterns found in Galileo's treatise on machines, On Mechanics, are compared with patterns identified in case studies of scientifically trained experts thinking aloud, and many similarities are found. At one level the primary patterns identified are ordered analogy sequences and special diagrammatic techniques to support them. At a deeper level I develop constructs to describe patterns that can support embodied, imagistic, mental simulations as a central underlying process. Additionally, a larger hypothesized pattern of 'progressive imagistic generalization'-Galileo's development of a model or mechanism that becomes more and more general with each machine while still being imagistically projectable into many machines-provides a way to think about his progress toward a modern explanatory model of torque. By unpacking his arguments, we gain an appreciation of his skillful ability to foster imagistic processes underlying scientific thinking.
This study investigates student interactions with simulations, and teacher support of those inter... more This study investigates student interactions with simulations, and teacher support of those interactions, within naturalistic high school classroom settings. Two lesson sequences were conducted, one in 11 and one in 8 physics class sections, where roughly half the sections used the simulations in a small group format and matched sections used them in a whole class format. Unexpected pre/post results, previously reported, had raised questions about why whole class students, who had engaged in discussion about the simulations while observing them projected in front of the class, had performed just as well as small group students with hands-on keyboards. The present study addresses these earlier results with case studies (four matched sets of classes) of student and teacher activity during class discussions in one of the lesson sequences. Comparative analyses using classroom videotapes and student written work reveal little evidence for an advantage for the small group students for any of the conceptual and perceptual factors examined; in fact, if anything, there was a slight trend in favor of students in the whole class condition. We infer that the two formats have counterbalancing strengths and weaknesses. We recommend a mixture of the two and suggest several implications for design of instructional simulations.
We discuss evidence for the use of runnable imagery (imagistic simulation) in four types of stude... more We discuss evidence for the use of runnable imagery (imagistic simulation) in four types of student reasoning. In an in-depth case study of a high school physics class, we identified multiple instances of students running mental models, using analogies, using extreme cases, and using Gedanken experiments. Previous case studies of expert scientists have indicated that these processes can be central during scientific model construction; here we discuss their spontaneous use by students. We also discuss their association with spontaneous, depictive gestures, which we interpret as an indicator of the use of dynamic and kinesthetic imagery. Of the numerous instances of these forms of reasoning observed in the class, most were associated with depictive gestures and over half with gestures that depicted motion or force. This evidence suggests that runnable, dynamic mental imagery can be very important in student reasoning.
This study is a formative evaluation of analogies as one of multiple tools used to help middlesch... more This study is a formative evaluation of analogies as one of multiple tools used to help middleschool students understand cellular respiration and the body systems associated with it. In a curriculum trial that was conducted in three schools, analogies were used to help students develop understandings in areas that may be inaccessible through student reasoning, prior knowledge, or direct experience. We propose that students may process and understand analogies differently based on features of the analogy such as familiarity of the base, complexity (number of mappable elements) of the analogy, goal of the analogy (to illustrate structural or functional features), "nearness" or "farness" of the analogy, and position of the analogy in the instructional sequence. We explore evidence that there are different types of "pitfalls" in analogies based upon the criteria above using evidence from our trials, and suggest curriculum revisions and teaching methods that may help address these difficulties.
Since Polya, Wertheimer, and Hadamard's descriptions of qualitative reasoning strategies used by ... more Since Polya, Wertheimer, and Hadamard's descriptions of qualitative reasoning strategies used by scientists and mathematicians, very little data have been collected on whether these strategies are actually used by experts. This study used video-taped thinking-aloud interviews to examine the problem solving strategies of professors and advanced graduate students in technical fields. Evidence from these interviews documents the use of analogies, visual transformations, extreme cases, creative partitioning, and other plausible reasoning strategies used by experts. (Author)
Reviewed are findings on misconceptions in mechanics and their instructional implications. Many m... more Reviewed are findings on misconceptions in mechanics and their instructional implications. Many misconceptions are widespread and resistant to change but students have useful intuitions and reasoning processes that could be used more fully. One strategy for dealing with misconceptions is described. It stresses anchoring intuitions, analogical reasoning, thought experiments, and classroom discussion. Data showing significant gains in experimenta1 classes using this strategy. (Author/RH)
Proceedings of the International Conference from Misconceptions to Constructed Understanding, 1997
Various methods have been tried for fostering conceptual change in science including analogies, d... more Various methods have been tried for fostering conceptual change in science including analogies, discrepant events, model sequences, and student generated explanations and discussions. Yet the results are often not as encouraging as we would like. What may be needed is a framework that orchestrates the use of these different strategies at different times in order to facilitate different aspects or stages of the conceptual change process. In this paper we describe an approach to teaching electric circuits that takes a model construction cycle of generation, criticism, and modification as an organizing framework for thinking about when to use each of the above strategies. The approach uses all of the above methods as the students are led to criticize and revise their model many times in the course of the lessons. It is assumed that students need to pass through a series of more and more complex and refined intermediate models in order to make sense of the model targeted by instruction, rather than counting on a single "correct" model to carry all of the weight. We report on the case study of a student in a tutoring experiment using this approach, concentrating on the student's moments of surprise and disequilibrium. In this case, the teaching method appears to lead to the construction of an explanatory model that is fairly deeply understood in the sense that it can generate coherent explanations of a complex dynamic system.
Second International Handbook of Science Education, 2011
This chapter will (1) briefly review selected studies examining the nature of thought experiments... more This chapter will (1) briefly review selected studies examining the nature of thought experiments in science; (2) review previous studies on the role that thought experiments can play in science instruction; (3) give case study examples of thought experiments (TEs) proposed by both teachers and students and the ensuing classroom discussions. We discuss several definitions for the term thought experiment and examine methods that have the potential to illuminate issues such as the following: students can generate their own TEs as well as discuss ones proposed by the teacher; students give evidence of using imagery during TEs as indicated by certain imagery indicators; one can track how a TE spreads "contagiously" between students in a discussion and how it is modified and improved in the process. We will conclude that student TEs can be similar to expert TEs in many ways and raise possible factors that make teacher generated TEs foster student discussion and sense making.
This project had three major goals: (1) investigate the extent to which introductory physics stud... more This project had three major goals: (1) investigate the extent to which introductory physics students misuse or misunderstand formulas; (2) catalogue the typical ways in which they do this; and (3) begin the larger task of identifying key types of knowledge that successful problem solvers use to give formulas meaning. Exploratory interviews and group sampling studies were conducted. The inter,yiews were conducted with approximately 25 freshmen and sophomore engineering students. As a result, the project was able to discover new misconceptions about qualitative concepts in physics, develop and refine more simple and elegant problems which would expose and isolate those misconceptions with a minimum of distraction from other possible difficulties, and form hypotheses about four levels of knowledge being used in successful problem solving. A series of three different 45-minute diagnostic tests were conducted with entering freshman engineering' majors, using sample sizes of 150, 34, and 38 respectively. These each involved approximately 18 of the questions which had been pilot tested in interviews, including both algebra and physics questions. A parallel test was given to an older group of 24 engineering majors who had just completed a course in introductory mechanics. These tests allowed for the comparison of students before and after taking introductory physics to determine whether the students learning had been formula-centered. Findings and comments on the research methodology are presented in this final report. (Author) .
In the classical theory of analogical reasoning, mappings between discrete symbols are a central ... more In the classical theory of analogical reasoning, mappings between discrete symbols are a central mechanism in analogy evaluation and transfer. In this study several other analogy evaluation strategies are identified in expert think aloud protocols: bridging analogies, conserving transformations, dual simulations used to detect perceptual-motor similarity, and overlay simulations (Clement, 2004, 2008). These findings add to evidence for the hypothesis that analogical reasoning processes can be imagery based.
Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 2010
We describe a methodology for identifying evidence for the use of three types of scientific reaso... more We describe a methodology for identifying evidence for the use of three types of scientific reasoning. In two case studies of high school physics classes, we used this methodology to identify multiple instances of students using analogies, extreme cases, and Gedanken experiments. Previous case studies of expert scientists have indicated that these processes can be central during scientific model construction; here we code for their spontaneous use by students. We document evidence for numerous instances of these forms of reasoning in these classes. Most of these instances were associated with motion-and force-indicating depictive gestures, which we take as one kind of evidence for the use of animated mental imagery. Altogether, this methodology shows promise for use in highlighting the role of nonformal reasoning in student learning and for investigating the possible association of animated mental imagery with scientific reasoning processes.
Recent research has shown that serious misconceptions frequently survive high school and universi... more Recent research has shown that serious misconceptions frequently survive high school and university instruction in mechallics. It is interesting to inquire whether Newton himself encountered conceptual difficulties before he wrote the "Principia." This paper compares Newton's pre-"Principia" beliefs, based upon his writings, with those of contemporary students in the areas of mpetus force and centrifugal force. The paper emphasizes the retarding effect on Newton's development of inappropriate but deep-rooted models at a qualitative level, and the extent to which his experience suggests the necessity for students to struggle conceptually in order to construct the models employed by physicists. Lists 9 references.
We describe a computer tutor designed to help students understand physics concepts. The tutor use... more We describe a computer tutor designed to help students understand physics concepts. The tutor uses a teaching strategy called "bridging analogies" that previous research has demonstrated to be successful in one-on-one tutoring. The strategy is designed to remedy misconceptions by appealing to existing correct intuitions, and extending these intuitions by encouraging analogical thinking. Students were videotaped while using the program and were encouraged to think aloud. The strategy was successful in changing beliefs for some students. We outline suggestions for improving the tutor using artificial intelligence technolo-SY. 1 CONTEXT SPECIFIC TUTORING STRATEGIES We report on a computer simulation of a human tutoring strategy that previous studies have shown to be effective in one-on-one human tutoring. The purpose of the research has been to evaluate the strengths and limitations of an automated version of the strategy, which we envision 4 as ultimately being one of several strategies available to an intelligent computer tutor. b To date, most Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) research has focused on the design of semantically rich learning environments, or on the conceptual analysis of topic areas and tasks.
The clinical interview is a technique pioneered by Piaget (1975) to study the form of knowledge s... more The clinical interview is a technique pioneered by Piaget (1975) to study the form of knowledge structures and reasoning processes. In the last twenty-five years, it has evolved into a variety of methods, including open ended interviews and think-aloud problem-solving protocols. These techniques have played key roles in seminal studies in science and mathematics education as well as developmental psychology. Their strengths, in comparison to nonclinical, data-gathering techniques, include the ability to
The role of mental simulation in scientific learning processes is poorly understood. This paper e... more The role of mental simulation in scientific learning processes is poorly understood. This paper examines video taped model construction protocols from an expert and a student to generate initial hypotheses concerning: the relationship between "runnable" schemas and imagery during mental simulation; and how assembling a scientific model from simpler runnable schemas can "transfer runnability" to the model. By the end of their learning episodes both the expert and the student appear to have acquired something more than a new symbolic relationship. They appear to have an imageable, runnable model where the imagability and runnability have been transferred or "inherited" from a source analogue. One source of support for this finding comes from observing similar depictive hand motions as subjects thought about the analogue case and later about the developing target model. Understanding schema driven imagistic simulations may eventually help us resolve the apparent paradox involved in learning from "running a new thought experiment in one's head."
Abstract: Some central issues in discussions of creative processes in science are: (1) the mechan... more Abstract: Some central issues in discussions of creative processes in science are: (1) the mechanism(s) by which hypothesis formation takes place; ( 2) the sources of new knowledge during hypothesis formation; and (3) the Eureka vs. steady accumulation (accretion) issue concerning the pace of change during hypothesis formation. This chapter attempts to investigate the question of whether data from transcripts of scientists thinking aloud has the potential to speak to these issues. A case study is examined in which the subject generates a new explanatory model hypothesis--a predictive analogy which describes a hidden process axplalning a phenomenon. Observations from the case study indicate the following: (1) "Ahal* episodes are observed which lead to creative insights. It is argued that these can involve fairly sudden reorgsnlzations but do not necessarily involve extraordinary or unconscious reasoning. ( 2) A new hypothesis can be developed and evaluatsd by a scientist in the ...
In this study 34 spontaneous analogies produced by 16 college freshmen while solving qualitative ... more In this study 34 spontaneous analogies produced by 16 college freshmen while solving qualitative physics problems are analyzed. A number of the analogies were invalid in the sense that they led to an incorrect answer from the physicist's point of view. However, many were valid, and a few were powerful in the sense that they seemed not only to help the student solve the problem, but led to generalizations indicating that some conceptual change was taking place. Some of the effective analogies have also been observed in the solutions used by expert scientists and mathematicians. These findings support the position that many creative reasoning processes are ordinary thinking processes used with special purposes in mind, not unanalyzable acts of "genius." This suggests that analogies are an intuitive form of reasoning that could be tapped or taken advantage of in instruction to a greater extent than is currently done. (Author/TW)
Evidence is presented indicating that spontaneously generated analogies can play a significant ro... more Evidence is presented indicating that spontaneously generated analogies can play a significant role in expert problem solving. Since not all analogies are valid, it is important for the subject to have a way to evaluate their validity. Three methods for evaluating analogical validity are identified using observations from thinking aloud problem solving protocols as well as examples from Newton and Galileo. In particular, this paper focuses on an evaluation strategy called bridging that has been observed in solutions to both science and mathematics problems. In constructing a bridge, the subject finds an intermediate case that is seen as "in between" the analogous case and the problem situation because it shares important features of both. Many of the bridges observed appeared to be novel inventions created by the subject. These empirical studies have led to the construction of a more detailed theory for how analogies can be used effectively in instruction. Some of the stra...
Reasoning patterns found in Galileo's treatise on machines, On Mechanics, are compared with patte... more Reasoning patterns found in Galileo's treatise on machines, On Mechanics, are compared with patterns identified in case studies of scientifically trained experts thinking aloud, and many similarities are found. At one level the primary patterns identified are ordered analogy sequences and special diagrammatic techniques to support them. At a deeper level I develop constructs to describe patterns that can support embodied, imagistic, mental simulations as a central underlying process. Additionally, a larger hypothesized pattern of 'progressive imagistic generalization'-Galileo's development of a model or mechanism that becomes more and more general with each machine while still being imagistically projectable into many machines-provides a way to think about his progress toward a modern explanatory model of torque. By unpacking his arguments, we gain an appreciation of his skillful ability to foster imagistic processes underlying scientific thinking.
This study investigates student interactions with simulations, and teacher support of those inter... more This study investigates student interactions with simulations, and teacher support of those interactions, within naturalistic high school classroom settings. Two lesson sequences were conducted, one in 11 and one in 8 physics class sections, where roughly half the sections used the simulations in a small group format and matched sections used them in a whole class format. Unexpected pre/post results, previously reported, had raised questions about why whole class students, who had engaged in discussion about the simulations while observing them projected in front of the class, had performed just as well as small group students with hands-on keyboards. The present study addresses these earlier results with case studies (four matched sets of classes) of student and teacher activity during class discussions in one of the lesson sequences. Comparative analyses using classroom videotapes and student written work reveal little evidence for an advantage for the small group students for any of the conceptual and perceptual factors examined; in fact, if anything, there was a slight trend in favor of students in the whole class condition. We infer that the two formats have counterbalancing strengths and weaknesses. We recommend a mixture of the two and suggest several implications for design of instructional simulations.
We discuss evidence for the use of runnable imagery (imagistic simulation) in four types of stude... more We discuss evidence for the use of runnable imagery (imagistic simulation) in four types of student reasoning. In an in-depth case study of a high school physics class, we identified multiple instances of students running mental models, using analogies, using extreme cases, and using Gedanken experiments. Previous case studies of expert scientists have indicated that these processes can be central during scientific model construction; here we discuss their spontaneous use by students. We also discuss their association with spontaneous, depictive gestures, which we interpret as an indicator of the use of dynamic and kinesthetic imagery. Of the numerous instances of these forms of reasoning observed in the class, most were associated with depictive gestures and over half with gestures that depicted motion or force. This evidence suggests that runnable, dynamic mental imagery can be very important in student reasoning.
This study is a formative evaluation of analogies as one of multiple tools used to help middlesch... more This study is a formative evaluation of analogies as one of multiple tools used to help middleschool students understand cellular respiration and the body systems associated with it. In a curriculum trial that was conducted in three schools, analogies were used to help students develop understandings in areas that may be inaccessible through student reasoning, prior knowledge, or direct experience. We propose that students may process and understand analogies differently based on features of the analogy such as familiarity of the base, complexity (number of mappable elements) of the analogy, goal of the analogy (to illustrate structural or functional features), "nearness" or "farness" of the analogy, and position of the analogy in the instructional sequence. We explore evidence that there are different types of "pitfalls" in analogies based upon the criteria above using evidence from our trials, and suggest curriculum revisions and teaching methods that may help address these difficulties.
Since Polya, Wertheimer, and Hadamard's descriptions of qualitative reasoning strategies used by ... more Since Polya, Wertheimer, and Hadamard's descriptions of qualitative reasoning strategies used by scientists and mathematicians, very little data have been collected on whether these strategies are actually used by experts. This study used video-taped thinking-aloud interviews to examine the problem solving strategies of professors and advanced graduate students in technical fields. Evidence from these interviews documents the use of analogies, visual transformations, extreme cases, creative partitioning, and other plausible reasoning strategies used by experts. (Author)
Reviewed are findings on misconceptions in mechanics and their instructional implications. Many m... more Reviewed are findings on misconceptions in mechanics and their instructional implications. Many misconceptions are widespread and resistant to change but students have useful intuitions and reasoning processes that could be used more fully. One strategy for dealing with misconceptions is described. It stresses anchoring intuitions, analogical reasoning, thought experiments, and classroom discussion. Data showing significant gains in experimenta1 classes using this strategy. (Author/RH)
Proceedings of the International Conference from Misconceptions to Constructed Understanding, 1997
Various methods have been tried for fostering conceptual change in science including analogies, d... more Various methods have been tried for fostering conceptual change in science including analogies, discrepant events, model sequences, and student generated explanations and discussions. Yet the results are often not as encouraging as we would like. What may be needed is a framework that orchestrates the use of these different strategies at different times in order to facilitate different aspects or stages of the conceptual change process. In this paper we describe an approach to teaching electric circuits that takes a model construction cycle of generation, criticism, and modification as an organizing framework for thinking about when to use each of the above strategies. The approach uses all of the above methods as the students are led to criticize and revise their model many times in the course of the lessons. It is assumed that students need to pass through a series of more and more complex and refined intermediate models in order to make sense of the model targeted by instruction, rather than counting on a single "correct" model to carry all of the weight. We report on the case study of a student in a tutoring experiment using this approach, concentrating on the student's moments of surprise and disequilibrium. In this case, the teaching method appears to lead to the construction of an explanatory model that is fairly deeply understood in the sense that it can generate coherent explanations of a complex dynamic system.
Second International Handbook of Science Education, 2011
This chapter will (1) briefly review selected studies examining the nature of thought experiments... more This chapter will (1) briefly review selected studies examining the nature of thought experiments in science; (2) review previous studies on the role that thought experiments can play in science instruction; (3) give case study examples of thought experiments (TEs) proposed by both teachers and students and the ensuing classroom discussions. We discuss several definitions for the term thought experiment and examine methods that have the potential to illuminate issues such as the following: students can generate their own TEs as well as discuss ones proposed by the teacher; students give evidence of using imagery during TEs as indicated by certain imagery indicators; one can track how a TE spreads "contagiously" between students in a discussion and how it is modified and improved in the process. We will conclude that student TEs can be similar to expert TEs in many ways and raise possible factors that make teacher generated TEs foster student discussion and sense making.
This project had three major goals: (1) investigate the extent to which introductory physics stud... more This project had three major goals: (1) investigate the extent to which introductory physics students misuse or misunderstand formulas; (2) catalogue the typical ways in which they do this; and (3) begin the larger task of identifying key types of knowledge that successful problem solvers use to give formulas meaning. Exploratory interviews and group sampling studies were conducted. The inter,yiews were conducted with approximately 25 freshmen and sophomore engineering students. As a result, the project was able to discover new misconceptions about qualitative concepts in physics, develop and refine more simple and elegant problems which would expose and isolate those misconceptions with a minimum of distraction from other possible difficulties, and form hypotheses about four levels of knowledge being used in successful problem solving. A series of three different 45-minute diagnostic tests were conducted with entering freshman engineering' majors, using sample sizes of 150, 34, and 38 respectively. These each involved approximately 18 of the questions which had been pilot tested in interviews, including both algebra and physics questions. A parallel test was given to an older group of 24 engineering majors who had just completed a course in introductory mechanics. These tests allowed for the comparison of students before and after taking introductory physics to determine whether the students learning had been formula-centered. Findings and comments on the research methodology are presented in this final report. (Author) .
In the classical theory of analogical reasoning, mappings between discrete symbols are a central ... more In the classical theory of analogical reasoning, mappings between discrete symbols are a central mechanism in analogy evaluation and transfer. In this study several other analogy evaluation strategies are identified in expert think aloud protocols: bridging analogies, conserving transformations, dual simulations used to detect perceptual-motor similarity, and overlay simulations (Clement, 2004, 2008). These findings add to evidence for the hypothesis that analogical reasoning processes can be imagery based.
Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 2010
We describe a methodology for identifying evidence for the use of three types of scientific reaso... more We describe a methodology for identifying evidence for the use of three types of scientific reasoning. In two case studies of high school physics classes, we used this methodology to identify multiple instances of students using analogies, extreme cases, and Gedanken experiments. Previous case studies of expert scientists have indicated that these processes can be central during scientific model construction; here we code for their spontaneous use by students. We document evidence for numerous instances of these forms of reasoning in these classes. Most of these instances were associated with motion-and force-indicating depictive gestures, which we take as one kind of evidence for the use of animated mental imagery. Altogether, this methodology shows promise for use in highlighting the role of nonformal reasoning in student learning and for investigating the possible association of animated mental imagery with scientific reasoning processes.
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Papers by John Clement