Article
Showing the dynamics of student thinking as measured by the FMCE
2017 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings
(2018)
Abstract
Using data from over 14,000 student responses we create item response curves, fitted to the polytomous item response theory model for nominal responses, to evaluate the relative "correctness" of various incorrect responses to questions on the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). Based on this ranking of incorrect responses, we examine individual students' pairs of responses to FMCE questions, using transition matrices and consistency plots, to show how student ideas develop over the span of an introductory mechanics course. Using data from two different schools (N ~= 200 each), we explore how these representations can show student learning even when individuals do not choose the correct answer. Comparing response pairs provides a rich picture of student learning that is unavailable in many traditional analyses.
Disciplines
Publication Date
January 3, 2018
DOI
10.1119/perc.2017.pr.090
Citation Information
Trevor I. Smith, Kerry A. Gray, Kyle J. Louis, Bartholomew J. Ricci, et al.. "Showing the dynamics of student thinking as measured by the FMCE" 2017 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings (2018) p. 380 - 383 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/trevor-i-smith/8/
Creative Commons license
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC_BY International License.