For this project we used the advanced placement (AP) grading system to evaluate university student responses for an AP Physics problem on a common final exam given to six separate introductory course sections. The sections were grouped into Inquiry based (IQB), lecture/lab/recitation (LLR), and lecture/lab (LL) course formats. Via the AP grading rubric, we found that each of the course types scored statistically differently with IQB highest, lecture/lab second, and lecture/lab/recitation third. To extend the interpretation of these differences, student work was subjected to a secondary analysis using the framework of epistemic forms and epistemic games [1]. In this secondary analysis, we interpret written student responses as evidence of student moves in six types of knowledge-constructing games. We code differences between student problem solutions to identify different epistemic games being played. These data are interpreted in conjunction with scores on the AP problem to identify trends by course format.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/adrienne_traxler/20/
Presented at the American Association of Physic Teachers' Summer Meeting, Portland, OR, July 13-17, 2013.