Implementing and assessing computational modeling in introductory mechanics

Abstract

Students taking introductory physics are rarely exposed to computational modeling. In a one-semester large lecture introductory calculus-based mechanics course at Georgia Tech, students learned to solve physics problems using the VPython programming environment. During the term 1357 students in this course solved a suite of fourteen computational modeling homework questions delivered using an online commercial course management system. Their proficiency with computational modeling was evaluated in a proctored environment using a novel central force problem. The majority of students (60.4%) successfully completed the evaluation. Analysis of erroneous student-submitted programs indicated that a small set of student errors explained why most programs failed. We discuss the design and implementation of the computational modeling homework and evaluation, the results from the evaluation and the implications for instruction in computational modeling in introductory STEM courses.

14 pages, 1 figure, 6 tables, submitted to PRST-PER

References in corpus (1)

• Black-hole binary simulations: the mass ratio 10:1

Cited by in corpus (9)

• An epistemology and expectations survey about experimental physics: Development and initial results
• ${\mathrm{P}}^3$: A Practice Focused Learning Environment
• On the Prevalence and Nature of Computational Instruction in Undergraduate Physics Programs across the United States
• Developing a project-based computational physics course grounded in expert practice
• Students' perspectives on computational challenges in physics class
• A Model for Incorporating Computation Without Changing the Course: An example from middle-division classical mechanics
• A Hybrid Approach for Using Programming Exercises in Introductory Physics
• Numerical simulation projects in micromagnetics with Jupyter
• Physics Computational Literacy: Programming, modeling and collaboration at the journeyman level