dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaInvestigating Student Understanding of Quantum Mechanics: Spontaneous Models of Conductivity
| Authors | Michael C. Wittmann, Richard N. Steinberg, Edward F. Redish |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0207029 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0207029 |
| DOI | 10.1119/1.1447542 |
| Journal | American Journal of Physics 70:3, 218-226 (2002) |
Abstract
Students are taught several models of conductivity, both at the introductory and the advanced level. From early macroscopic models of current flow in circuits, through the discussion of microscopic particle descriptions of electrons flowing in an atomic lattice, to the development of microscopic non-localized band diagram descriptions in advanced physics courses, they need to be able to distinguish between commonly used, though sometimes contradictory, physical models. In investigations of student reasoning about models of conduction, we find that students often are unable to account for the existence of free electrons in a conductor and create models that lead to incorrect predictions and responses contradictory to expert descriptions of the physics. We have used these findings as a guide to creating curriculum materials that we show can be effective helping students to apply the different conduction models more effectively.
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"abstract": "Students are taught several models of conductivity, both at the introductory\nand the advanced level. From early macroscopic models of current flow in\ncircuits, through the discussion of microscopic particle descriptions of\nelectrons flowing in an atomic lattice, to the development of microscopic\nnon-localized band diagram descriptions in advanced physics courses, they need\nto be able to distinguish between commonly used, though sometimes\ncontradictory, physical models. In investigations of student reasoning about\nmodels of conduction, we find that students often are unable to account for the\nexistence of free electrons in a conductor and create models that lead to\nincorrect predictions and responses contradictory to expert descriptions of the\nphysics. We have used these findings as a guide to creating curriculum\nmaterials that we show can be effective helping students to apply the different\nconduction models more effectively.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0207029",
"authors": [
"Michael C. Wittmann",
"Richard N. Steinberg",
"Edward F. Redish"
],
"categories": [
"physics.ed-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1119/1.1447542",
"journal_ref": "American Journal of Physics 70:3, 218-226 (2002)",
"title": "Investigating Student Understanding of Quantum Mechanics: Spontaneous Models of Conductivity",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0207029"
},
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