36 citations · 116 across the 8 of their papers we have counts for
8 papers
Student understanding of the Boltzmann factor
Trevor I. Smith, Donald B. Mountcastle, John R. Thompson
We present results of our investigation into student understanding of the physical significance and utility of the Boltzmann factor in several simple models. We identify various ju…
Identifying Student Difficulties with Entropy, Heat Engines, and the Carnot Cycle
Trevor I. Smith, Warren M. Christensen, Donald B. Mountcastle +1
We report on several specific student difficulties regarding the Second Law of Thermodynamics in the context of heat engines within upper-division undergraduates thermal physics co…
Student Understanding of Taylor Series Expansions in Statistical Mechanics
Trevor I. Smith, John R. Thompson, Donald B. Mountcastle
One goal of physics instruction is to have students learn to make physical meaning of specific mathematical ideas, concepts, and procedures in different physical settings. As part…
Probing Student Understanding With Alternative Questioning Strategies
Jeffrey M. Hawkins, Brian W. Frank, John R. Thompson +2
Common research tasks ask students to identify a correct answer and justify their answer choice. We propose expanding the array of research tasks to access different knowledge that…
Students' Consistency of Graphical Vector Addition Method on 2-D Vector Addition Tasks
Jeffrey M. Hawkins, John R. Thompson, Michael Wittmann
In a series of ten two-dimensional graphical vector addition questions with varying visual representations, most students stuck to a single solution method, be it correct or incorr…
Students' Responses To Different Representations Of A Vector Addition Question
Jeffrey M. Hawkins, John R. Thompson, Michael C. Wittmann +2
We investigate if the visual representation of vectors can affect which methods students use to add them. We gave students one of four questions with different graphical representa…
Effectiveness of Ninth-Grade Physics in Maine: Conceptual Understanding
Michael O'Brien, John Thompson
The Physics First movement - teaching a true physics course to ninth grade students - is gaining popularity in high schools. There are several different rhetorical arguments for an…
Integrated approaches in physics education: A graduate level course in physics, pedagogy, and education research
Michael C. Wittmann, John R. Thompson
We describe a course designed to help future educators build an integrated understanding of the different elements of physics education research (PER), including: research into stu…