| Title: | Investigating Students' Understanding of Quantum Mechanics using Concept Maps* |
| Meeting: | 118th AAPT National Meeting: Anaheim, CA |
| Location: | N/A |
| Date: | Tue, Jan 12, 1999 |
| Time: | 9:30 a.m. |
| Author: |
N. Sanjay Rebello, Clarion
Univ. of Pennsylvania 814-226 2573, srebello@clarion.edu |
| Co-Author(s): | Kastro M. Hamed, Dean A. Zollman |
| Abstract: | We have used concept maps as a tool to investigate students' understanding of some topics in quantum mechanics. The concept maps were drawn by secondary education students after completing a one-semester course in contemporary physics. The course focused on using hands-on activites and computer visualization programs that were developed as a part of the Visual Quantum Mechanics project. Half of the students in the course were asked to first prepare a list of concepts that they considered important, and then draw a concept map relating these concepts. The other half of the students were asked to draw a concept map relating topics from a list that was provided. In each case, students were asked to verbally explain the reasoning behind the concept maps that they had drawn. We will describe the main features of the maps drawn by students in both groups, as well as comparisons of the students' maps with those of the experts. |