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Seeking instructional specificity: An example from analogical instruction

Eric Kuo and Carl E. Wieman
Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 11, 020133 – Published 17 November 2015
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Abstract

Broad instructional methods like “interactive engagement” have been shown to be effective, but such general characterization provides little guidance on the details of how to structure instructional materials. In this study, we seek instructional specificity by comparing two ways of using an analogy to learn a target physical principle: (i) applying the analogy to the target physical domain on a case-by-case basis and (ii) using the analogy to create a general rule in the target physical domain. In the discussion sections of a large, introductory physics course (N=231), students who sought a general rule were better able to discover and apply a correct physics principle than students who analyzed the examples case by case. The difference persisted at a reduced level after subsequent direct instruction. We argue that students who performed case-by-case analyses were more likely to focus on idiosyncratic problem-specific features rather than the deep structural features. This study provides an example of investigations into how the specific structure of instructional materials can be consequential for what is learned.

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  • Received 24 April 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.020133

This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Eric Kuo and Carl E. Wieman

  • Department of Physics and Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA

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Issue

Vol. 11, Iss. 2 — July - December 2015

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