Targeted Poster Session: TP-E

Determining Transfer of Learning with Longitudinal Studies Using Grade and Demographic Data on Individual Students

Organizer:
       Wendell Potter (potter@physics.ucdavis.edu), UC Davis, Physics Education Group

Where:  Forest Suite
When:  :  1:45 – 3:15 & 3:45 – 5:15, Thursday, August 5

Goal: Participants will see examples of research studies that make use of grade and demographic data on individual students that can easily be obtained, both for particular physics courses as well as data on performance in other courses. Although these kinds of data, as opposed to aggregated data, are available, studies using these data are not particularly common in PER. Participants will be able to explore with the presenters some of the research questions, particularly related to transfer of learning, that studies using these kinds of data can address, as well as more practical issues relating to obtaining these data.

Theme: Ultimately, we are all interested in student learning. There are a variety of ways to probe learning, but there is one universally used measure: grades. Although grades are more closely tied to student performance than to learning, they are a readily available source of useful data on student performance. The advantage of grades is that they are automatically kept and archived, as are demographic data on individual students. With the now complete computerization of registrars’ records, these data can be easily obtained by researchers. Also, with a little more effort, data on individual student performance within particular physics courses is available. The availability of these kinds of data makes it possible to track individual student performance over time, rather than simply observing aggregate performance by looking at class averages.

Many research questions having to do with transfer of learning can be addressed using data that tracks individual student performance. These questions include those that relate to the effects of pre-requisite knowledge and understanding on subsequent performance in physics courses. These questions might relate to transferability of skills and abilities developed in introductory physics courses to performance in courses that students take following their introductory physics. Or, these questions might relate to transferability of skill and abilities developed in one part of a physics course to performance in other parts of the course.

This targeted poster session will show examples of how data that tracks individual student performance can be used to address the kinds of questions mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Individual Poster Abstracts

TP-E1
Persistent Changes in Student Thinking Following a Reformed Physics Course
Wendell Potter (potter@physics.ucdavis.edu), UC Davis, Physics Education Group
Mark McKinnon , UC Davis, Physics Education Group
Gregory Potter , University of the Pacific
Abstract: We have continued to analyze the performance of >8000 biology majors in an upper-level physiology course at UC Davis as a function of graduation GPA, gender, ethnicity, kind of physics course previously taken, and grade in that physics course. We find that a student’s grade in the physiology course is significantly influenced by the kind of physics course previously taken (reformed or traditional at UC Davis or traditional elsewhere) when other factors are controlled for. Our results show that students who take the reformed physics course, Physics 7, at UC Davis, have a statistically significant grade advantage in the subsequent physiology course. Variations in the grade advantage as a function of the differences in particular physics and physiology course offerings and analysis of the abilities and knowledge probed by course exams and performance on the FCI provide insights into how the thinking patterns of some students are changed after taking Physics 7.

TP-E2
Student Performance in Math and Physics Following a Preparatory Physics Course
Edward Adelson (adelson@mps.ohio-state.edu), The Ohio State University
Abstract: Student success in physics courses following a preparatory course was originally tracked for nine years. The data showed that math course failures prevented many of these students from taking the next physics course within one or two quarters after the preparatory course. Data has now been obtained for students who have taken the preparatory course in recent years. With additional data it is possible to compare results for different teachers and a larger number of students. The results are consistent with studies tracking student performance on the basis of math preparation.

TP-E3
Relationship of Particular Physics Skills Acquisition to Pre and Post Performance Indicators
Austin Calder (calder@physics.ucdavis.edu), UC Davis, Physics Education Group
Emily Ashbaugh , UC Davis, Physics Education Group
Abstract: Utilizing an 8,000-student sample taken from Physics 7, our current research focuses on the trends in performance in specific areas and tasks in physics and other academic areas. This sample of students consists of mainly life-science majors and is approximately 70% female. We have all of the grades from quizzes and final questions over three quarters in Physics 7. In addition we have information on graduating GPA, number of UC units completed, grades from any UC course, gender, ethnicity, major, birth date, and SAT I scores. This longitudinal data gives us insights about which skills transfer to functional understanding in physics and which skills benefit from a good foundation of physics.