Do students benefit from drawing productive diagrams themselves while solving introductory physics problems? The case of two electrostatic problems

Abstract

An appropriate diagram is a required element of a solution building process in physics problem solving and it can transform a given problem into a representation that is easier to exploit for solving the problem. A major focus while helping introductory physics students learn problem solving is to help them appreciate that drawing diagrams facilitates problem solving. We conducted an investigation in which two different interventions were implemented during recitation quizzes throughout the semester in a large enrollment, algebra-based introductory physics course. Students were either (1) asked to solve problems in which the diagrams were drawn for them or (2) explicitly told to draw a diagram. A comparison group was not given any instruction regarding diagrams. We developed a rubric to score the problem solving performance of students in different intervention groups. We investigated two problems involving electric field and electric force and found that students who drew productive diagrams were more successful problem solvers and that a higher level of relevant detail in a student's diagram corresponded to a better score. We also conducted think-aloud interviews with nine students who were at the time taking an equivalent introductory algebra-based physics course in order to gain insight into how drawing diagrams affects the problem solving process. These interviews supported some of the interpretations of the quantitative results. We end by discussing instructional implications of the findings.

17 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (13)

• Students' Understanding of Direct Current Resistive Electrical Circuits
• Impact of peer interaction on conceptual test performance
• Helping students learn effective problem solving strategies by reflecting with peers
• Challenges in designing appropriate scaffolding to improve students' representational consistency: The case of a Gauss's law problem
• Categorization of problems to assess and improve proficiency as teachers and learners
• To use or no to use diagrams: The effect of drawing a diagram in solving introductory physics problems
• Students' Difficulties with Equations involving Circuit Elements
• Improving Students' Conceptual Understanding of Conductors and Insulators
• Developing a Magnetism Conceptual Survey and Assessing Gender Differences in Student Understanding of Magnetism
• Improving Student Understanding of Coulomb's Law and Gauss's Law
• Effectiveness of group interaction on conceptual standardized test performance
• A good diagram is valuable despite the choice of a mathematical approach to problem solving
• Coupling Conceptual and Quantitative Problems to Develop Expertise in Introductory Physics Students

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Helping students become proficient problem solvers Part I: A brief review
• Holistic framework to help students learn effectively from research-validated self-paced learning tools
• Case of two electrostatics problems: Can providing a diagram adversely impact introductory physics students' problem solving performance?
• Development and validation of a conceptual multiple-choice survey instrument to assess student understanding of introductory thermodynamics
• Using the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism to investigate progression in student understanding from introductory to advanced levels
• Using multiple representations to improve student understanding of quantum states
• Instructional Strategies that Foster Effective Problem-Solving
• Helping students become proficient problem solvers Part II: An example from waves