Laboratory-Tutorial Activities for Teaching Probability

Autor/inn/en	Wittmann, Michael C.; Morgan, Jeffrey T.; Feeley, Roger E.
Titel	Laboratory-Tutorial Activities for Teaching Probability
Quelle	In: Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 2 (2006) 2, S.020104-1 (8 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1554-9178
DOI	10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.2.020104
Schlagwörter	Mechanics (Physics); Science Laboratories; Probability; Science Instruction; College Science; College Students; Quantum Mechanics; Mathematics Skills; Mathematics Instruction; Scientific Concepts; Mathematical Concepts; Statistics; Teaching Methods; Maine + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mechanik; Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung; Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Collegestudent; Quantenmechanik; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematics ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Statistik; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode
Abstract	We report on the development of students' ideas of probability and probability density in a University of Maine laboratory-based general education physics course called "Intuitive Quantum Physics". Students in the course are generally math phobic with unfavorable expectations about the nature of physics and their ability to do it. We describe a set of activities used to teach concepts of probability and probability density. Rudimentary knowledge of mechanics is needed for one activity, but otherwise the material requires no additional preparation. Extensions of the activities include relating probability density to potential energy graphs for certain "touchstone" examples. Students have difficulties learning the target concepts, such as comparing the ratio of time in a region to total time in all regions. Instead, they often focus on edge effects, pattern match to previously studied situations, reason about necessary but incomplete macroscopic elements of the system, use the gambler's fallacy, and use expectations about ensemble results rather than expectation values to predict future events. We map the development of their thinking to provide examples of problems rather than evidence of a curriculum's success. (Contains 16 footnotes, 4 tables, and 8 figures.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Website: http://prst-per.aps.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10