Addressing student difficulties in applying a wave model to the interference and diffraction of light

American Journal of Physics

Volumn 67, Issue 7 SUPPL. 1, 1999, Pages

  Wosilait, Karen ^a   Heron, Paula R L ^a   Shaffer, Peter S ^a   McDermott, Lillian C ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0040039780     PISSN: 00029505     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1119/1.19083     Document Type: Article

References (30)

1. F. M. Goldberg and L. C. McDermott, "Student difficulties in understanding image formation by a plane mirror," Phys. Teach. 24, 472-480 (1986); "An investigation of student understanding of the real image formed by a converging lens or concave mirror," Am. J. Phys. 55, 108-119 (1987).
2. F. M. Goldberg and L. C. McDermott, "Student difficulties in understanding image formation by a plane mirror," Phys. Teach. 24, 472-480 (1986); "An investigation of student understanding of the real image formed by a converging lens or concave mirror," Am. J. Phys. 55, 108-119 (1987).
3. K. Wosilait, P. R. L. Heron, P. S. Shaffer, and L. C. McDermott, "Development and assessment of a research-based tutorial on light and shadow," Am. J. Phys. 66, 906-913 (1998); P. R. L. Heron and L. C. McDermott, "Bridging the gap between teaching and learning in geometrical optics: The role of research," Opt. Photonics News 9 (9), 30-36 (1998).
4. K. Wosilait, P. R. L. Heron, P. S. Shaffer, and L. C. McDermott, "Development and assessment of a research-based tutorial on light and shadow," Am. J. Phys. 66, 906-913 (1998); P. R. L. Heron and L. C. McDermott, "Bridging the gap between teaching and learning in geometrical optics: The role of research," Opt. Photonics News 9 (9), 30-36 (1998).
5. B. S. Ambrose, P. S. Shaffer, R. N. Steinberg, and L. C. McDermott, "An investigation of student understanding of two-source interference and single-slit diffraction," Am. J. Phys. 67, 146-155 (1999).
6. K. Wosilait, "Research as a guide for the development of tutorials to improve student understanding of geometrical and physical optics," Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Physics, University of Washington, 1996 (unpublished).
7. B. S. Ambrose, P. R. L. Heron, S. Vokos, and L. C. McDermott, "Student understanding of common representations of light as an electromagnetic wave," Am. J. Phys. (to be published).
8. R. N. Steinberg, G. E. Oberem, and L. C. McDermott, "Development of a computer-based tutorial on the photoelectric effect." Am. J. Phys. 64, 1370-1379 (1996).
9. The term functional understanding is used to connote the ability of students to apply concepts and reasoning in situations other than those explicitly studied. The degree of transfer to be expected depends on the population and the difficulty of the concepts.
10. L. C. McDermott, P. S. Shaffer, and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington, Tutorials in Introductory Physics, Preliminary Edition (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998).
11. For examples of how research can guide the design of curriculum, see Refs. 2, 5, and 6. See also L. C. McDermott and P. S. Shaffer, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. I. Investigation of student understanding," Am. J. Phys. 60, 994-1003 (1992), and erratum to Part I, 61, 81 (1993); P. S. Shaffer and L. C. McDermott, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. II. Design of instructional strategies," ibid. 60, 1003-1013 (1992); L. C. McDermott, P. S. Shaffer, and M. D. Somers, "Research as a guide for teaching introductory mechanics: An illustration in the context of the Atwood's machine," ibid. 62, 46-55 (1994); T. O'Brien Pride, S. Vokos, and L. C. McDermott, "The challenge of matching learning assessments to teaching goals: An example from the work-energy and impulse-momentum theorems," ibid. 68, 147-157 (1998).
12. For examples of how research can guide the design of curriculum, see Refs. 2, 5, and 6. See also L. C. McDermott and P. S. Shaffer, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. I. Investigation of student understanding," Am. J. Phys. 60, 994-1003 (1992), and erratum to Part I, 61, 81 (1993); P. S. Shaffer and L. C. McDermott, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. II. Design of instructional strategies," ibid. 60, 1003-1013 (1992); L. C. McDermott, P. S. Shaffer, and M. D. Somers, "Research as a guide for teaching introductory mechanics: An illustration in the context of the Atwood's machine," ibid. 62, 46-55 (1994); T. O'Brien Pride, S. Vokos, and L. C. McDermott, "The challenge of matching learning assessments to teaching goals: An example from the work-energy and impulse-momentum theorems," ibid. 68, 147-157 (1998).
13. For examples of how research can guide the design of curriculum, see Refs. 2, 5, and 6. See also L. C. McDermott and P. S. Shaffer, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. I. Investigation of student understanding," Am. J. Phys. 60, 994-1003 (1992), and erratum to Part I, 61, 81 (1993); P. S. Shaffer and L. C. McDermott, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. II. Design of instructional strategies," ibid. 60, 1003-1013 (1992); L. C. McDermott, P. S. Shaffer, and M. D. Somers, "Research as a guide for teaching introductory mechanics: An illustration in the context of the Atwood's machine," ibid. 62, 46-55 (1994); T. O'Brien Pride, S. Vokos, and L. C. McDermott, "The challenge of matching learning assessments to teaching goals: An example from the work-energy and impulse-momentum theorems," ibid. 68, 147-157 (1998).
14. For examples of how research can guide the design of curriculum, see Refs. 2, 5, and 6. See also L. C. McDermott and P. S. Shaffer, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. I. Investigation of student understanding," Am. J. Phys. 60, 994-1003 (1992), and erratum to Part I, 61, 81 (1993); P. S. Shaffer and L. C. McDermott, "Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity. II. Design of instructional strategies," ibid. 60, 1003-1013 (1992); L. C. McDermott, P. S. Shaffer, and M. D. Somers, "Research as a guide for teaching introductory mechanics: An illustration in the context of the Atwood's machine," ibid. 62, 46-55 (1994); T. O'Brien Pride, S. Vokos, and L. C. McDermott, "The challenge of matching learning assessments to teaching goals: An example from the work-energy and impulse-momentum theorems," ibid. 68, 147-157 (1998).
15. In addition to serving as a measure of initial conceptual understanding and setting a stage for the tutorial, the pretests serve other important purposes. For a more detailed discussion, see Refs. 2, 3, 5, and 9.
16. Pretests and post-tests are never identical. In some cases, the post-tests are similar to the pretests and permit us to assess how well students are able to apply a concept in the context in which it was learned. In other cases, the post-tests require a greater degree of transfer. In any case, the questions are such that students are not able to respond on the basis of a memorized answer. Post-test questions are given on midterm or final examinations. In general, we have found that results do not depend on whether a post-test is given within 2-3 weeks of the tutorial or at the end of the quarter.
17. For a discussion of research in support of this instructional approach, see L. C. McDermott, "Millikan Lecture 1990: What we teach and what is learned - Closing the gap," Am. J. Phys. 59, 301-315 (1991); "Guest Comment: How we teach and how students learn - A mismatch?" ibid. 61, 295-298 (1993). Experienced instructors have long recognized that lecturing is frequently ineffective at engaging students at a deep intellectual level. See, for example, A. B. Arons, A Guide to Introductory Physics Teaching (Wiley, New York, 1990).
18. For a discussion of research in support of this instructional approach, see L. C. McDermott, "Millikan Lecture 1990: What we teach and what is learned - Closing the gap," Am. J. Phys. 59, 301-315 (1991); "Guest Comment: How we teach and how students learn - A mismatch?" ibid. 61, 295-298 (1993). Experienced instructors have long recognized that lecturing is frequently ineffective at engaging students at a deep intellectual level. See, for example, A. B. Arons, A Guide to Introductory Physics Teaching (Wiley, New York, 1990).
19. For a discussion of research in support of this instructional approach, see L. C. McDermott, "Millikan Lecture 1990: What we teach and what is learned - Closing the gap," Am. J. Phys. 59, 301-315 (1991); "Guest Comment: How we teach and how students learn - A mismatch?" ibid. 61, 295-298 (1993). Experienced instructors have long recognized that lecturing is frequently ineffective at engaging students at a deep intellectual level. See, for example, A. B. Arons, A Guide to Introductory Physics Teaching (Wiley, New York, 1990).
20. In the development of the tutorials we have drawn upon our experience with other research-based instructional materials. See, for example, L. C. McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington, Physics by Inquiry (Wiley, New York, 1996), Vols. I and II.
21. For discussions of the effect of tutorials on student learning of other topics, see, Refs. 2, 5, and 9.
22. For more detailed descriptions of the methods of research used by the Physics Education Group to investigate student understanding, see Refs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9.
23. Additional evidence that student performance on certain types of questions is essentially the same before and after standard instruction can be found in Refs. 1, 2, 6, and 9. Other examples can be found in R. R. Hake, "Interactive engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses," Am. J. Phys. 66, 64-74 (1998).
24. In some textbook treatments of physical optics, a converging lens is placed between the slits and the screen. We have found that students have difficulty with such diagrams. Because of the limited time available, we have restricted the treatment in the tutorials to the approximation of a very distant screen.
25. In this article, a very narrow slit is one for which the intensity is essentially uniform on a semicircular screen centered on the slit. The width must be much less than the wavelength of the incident light for this approximation to hold. If only the central portion of a flat screen is considered, this condition may be relaxed somewhat. Also, since a slit has finite height, a very narrow slit does not act as a point source but can be modeled as a vertical line of point sources. This complication is not discussed in the tutorial.
26. adj.
27. Typically, we have found that students take the pretests seriously. Performance on specific questions has been essentially the same whether given as an ungraded pretest or on a course examination.
28. See, for example, B. Thacker, E. Kim, K. Trefz, and S. M. Lea, "Comparing problem-solving performance of physics students in inquiry-based and traditional introductory courses," Am. J. Phys. 62, 627-633 (1994); E. Mazur, Peer Instruction, A User's Manual (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1997). Similar results have been reported at AAPT meetings by R. Chabay and B. Sherwood.
29. See, for example, B. Thacker, E. Kim, K. Trefz, and S. M. Lea, "Comparing problem-solving performance of physics students in inquiry-based and traditional introductory courses," Am. J. Phys. 62, 627-633 (1994); E. Mazur, Peer Instruction, A User's Manual (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1997). Similar results have been reported at AAPT meetings by R. Chabay and B. Sherwood.
30. In addition to Refs. 2-5, see the last two articles in Ref. 9.