arXiv subjects

Ben Van Dusen

Publications and source records attributed to Ben Van Dusen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Performance differences for in-class and online administration of low-stakes research-based assessments

Research-based assessments (RBAs), such as the Force Concept Inventory, have played central roles in many course transformations from traditional lecture-based instruction to research-based teaching methods. In order to support instructors in assessing their courses, the online Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) platform simplifies administering, scoring, and interpreting RBAs. Reducing the barriers to using RBAs will support more instructors in objectively assessing the efficacy of their courses and, subsequently, transforming their courses to improve student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which RBAs administered online and outside of class with the LASSO platform provided equivalent data to traditional paper and pencil tests administered in class. Research indicates that these two modes of administering assessments provide equivalent data for graded exams that are administered in class. However, little research has focused on ungraded (low-stakes) exams that are administered outside of class. We used an experimental design to investigate the differences between these two test modes. Results indicated that the LASSO platform provided equivalent data to paper and pencil tests.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2017

Participation and Performance on Paper- and Computer-Based Low-Stakes Assessments

High-stakes assessments, such the Graduate Records Examination, have transitioned from paper to computer administration. Low-stakes Research-Based Assessments (RBAs), such as the Force Concept Inventory, have only recently begun this transition to computer administration with online services. These online services can simplify administering, scoring, and interpreting assessments, thereby reducing barriers to instructors' use of RBAs. By supporting instructors' objective assessment of the efficacy of their courses, these services can stimulate instructors to transform their courses to improve student outcomes. We investigate the extent to which RBAs administered outside of class with the online Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) platform provide equivalent data to tests administered on paper in class, in terms of both student participation and performance. We use an experimental design to investigate the differences between these two assessment conditions with 1,310 students in 25 sections of 3 college physics courses spanning 2 semesters. Analysis conducted using Hierarchical Linear Models indicates that student performance on low-stakes RBAs is equivalent for online (out-of-class) and paper-and-pencil (in-class) administrations. The models also show differences in participation rates across assessment conditions and student grades, but that instructors can achieve participation rates with online assessments equivalent to paper assessments by offering students credit for participating and by providing multiple reminders to complete the assessment. We conclude that online out-of-class administration of RBAs can save class and instructor time while providing participation rates and performance results equivalent to in-class paper-and-pencil tests.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2017

Longitudinal associations between learning assistants and instructor effectiveness

A central goal of the Learning Assistant (LA) model is to improve students' learning of science through the transformation of instructor practices. There is minimal existing research on the impact of college physics instructor experiences on their effectiveness. To investigate the association between college introductory physics instructors' experiences with and without LAs and student learning, we drew on data from the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) database. The LASSO database provided us with student-level data (concept inventory scores and demographic data) for 4,365 students and course-level data (instructor experience and course features) for the students' 93 mechanics courses. We performed Hierarchical Multiple Imputation to impute missing data and Hierarchical Linear Modeling to nest students within courses when modeling the associations between instructor experience and student learning. Our models predict that instructors' effectiveness decreases as they gain experience teaching without LAs. However, LA supported environments appear to remediate this decline in effectiveness as instructor effectiveness is maintained while they gain experience teaching with LAs.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2017

Systemic inequities in introductory physics courses: the impacts of learning assistants

Creating equitable performance outcomes among students is a focus of many instructors and researchers. One focus of this effort is examining disparities in physics student performance across genders, which is a well-established problem. Another less common focus is disparities across racial and ethnic groups, which may have received less attention due to low representation rates making it difficult to identify gaps in their performance. In this investigation we examined associations between Learning Assistant (LA) supported courses and improved equity in student performance. We built Hierarchical Linear Models of student performance to investigate how performance differed by gender and by race/ethnicity and how LAs may have moderated those differences. Data for the analysis came from pre-post concept inventories in introductory mechanics courses collected through the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) platform. Our models show that gaps in performance across genders and races/ethnicities were similar in size and increased from pre to post instruction. LA-support is meaningfully and reliably associated with improvement in overall student performance but not with shifts in within-course performance gaps.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2017

Participation rates of in-class vs. online administration of low-stakes research-based assessments

This study investigates differences in student participation rates between in-class and online administrations of research-based assessments. A sample of 1,310 students from 25 sections of 3 different introductory physics courses over two semesters were instructed to complete the CLASS attitudinal survey and the concept inventory relevant to their course, either the FCI or the CSEM. Each student was randomly assigned to take one of the surveys in class and the other survey online at home using the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) platform. Results indicate large variations in participation rates across both test conditions (online and in class). A hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) of the student data utilizing logistic regression indicates that student grades in the course and faculty assessment administration practices were both significant predictors of student participation. When the recommended online assessments administration practices were implemented, participation rates were similar across test conditions. Implications for student and course assessment methodologies will be discussed.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2017

In-class vs. online administration of concept inventories and attitudinal assessments

This study investigates differences in student responses to in-class and online administrations of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), and the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). Close to 700 physics students from 12 sections of three different courses were instructed to complete the concept inventory relevant to their course, either the FCI or CSEM, and the CLASS. Each student was randomly assigned to take one of the surveys in class and the other survey online using the LA Supported Student Outcomes (LASSO) system hosted by the Learning Assistant Alliance (LAA). We examine how testing environments and instructor practices affect participation rates and identify best practices for future use.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2017

The Impact of Learning Assistants on Inequities in Physics Student Outcomes

This study investigates how Learning Assistants (LAs) and related course features are associated with inequities in student learning in introductory university physics courses. 2,868 physics students' paired pre- and post-test scores on concept inventories from 67 classes in 16 LA Alliance member institutions are examined in this investigation. The concept inventories included the Force Concept Inventory, Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation, and the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism. Our analyses include a multiple linear regression model that examines the impact of student (e.g. gender and race) and course level variables (e.g. presence of LAs and Concept Inventory used) on student learning outcomes (Cohen's d effect size) across classroom contexts. The presence of LAs was found to either remove or invert the traditional learning gaps between students from dominant and non-dominant populations. Significant differences in student performance were also found across the concept inventories.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2016

The Impacts of Learning Assistants on Student Learning of Physics

This study investigated whether and how Learning Assistant (LA) support is linked to student outcomes in Physics courses nationwide. Paired student concept inventory scores were collected over three semesters from 3,753 students, representing 69 courses, and 40 instructors, from 17 LA Alliance member institutions. Each participating student completed an online concept inventory at the beginning (pre) and end (post) of each term. The physics concept inventories tested included the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), Force and Motion Concept Evaluation (FMCE) and the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA). Across instruments, Cohen's d effect sizes were 1.4 times higher, on average, for courses supported by LAs compared to courses without LA support. Preliminary findings indicate that physics students' outcomes may be most effective when LA support is utilized in laboratory settings (1.9 times higher than no LA support) in comparison to lecture (1.4 times higher), recitations (1.5 times higher), or unknown uses (1.3 times higher). Additional research will inform LA-implementation best practices across disciplines.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2016

iPad Screencasts as Evidence of Accountable Disciplinary Knowledge

We define knowledge as facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education. In turn, Disciplinary Knowledge is the knowledge related to a specific field or discipline, such as physics. Accountable Disciplinary Knowledge (ADK) is "what counts" as important to a community or discipline: the kinds of activities that participants engage in, the problems they value and solve, and methods for solving those problems. Because ADK is determined on a community basis, the details of "what counts" will vary with the norms and expectations of the community. In this paper, we use the ADK framework to investigate "what counts" as solving problems well in a high school physics classroom from the perspective of the students.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2015

Learning Assistant Supported Student Outcomes (LASSO) study initial findings

This study investigates how faculty, student, and course features are linked to student outcomes in Learning Assistant (LA) supported courses. Over 4,500 students and 17 instructors from 13 LA Alliance member institutions participated in the study. Each participating student completed an online concept inventory at the start (pre) and end (post) of their term. The physics concept inventories included Force and Motion Concept Evaluation (FMCE) and the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA). Concepts inventories from the fields of biology and chemistry were also included. Our analyses utilize hierarchical linear models that nest student level data (e.g. pre/post scores and gender) within course level data (e.g. discipline and course enrollment) to build models that examine student outcomes across institutions and disciplines. We report findings on the connections between students' outcomes and their gender, race, and time spent working with LAs as well as instructors' experiences with LAs.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2015

The roots of physics students' motivations: Fear and Integrity

Too often, physics students are beset by feelings of failure and isolation rather than experiencing the creative joys of discovery that physics has to offer. This dissertation research was founded on the desire of a teacher to make physics class exciting and motivating to his students. This work explores how various aspects of learning environments interact with student motivation. This work uses qualitative and quantitative methods to explore how students are motivated to engage in physics and how they feel about themselves while engaging in physics. The collection of four studies in this dissertation culminates in a sociocultural perspective on motivation and identity. This perspective uses two extremes of how students experience physics as a lens for understanding motivation: fear and self-preservation versus integrity and self-expression. Rather than viewing motivation as a property of the student, or viewing students as inherently interested or disinterested in physics, the theoretical perspective on motivation and identity helps examine features of the learning environments that determine how students experience themselves through physics class. This perspective highlights the importance of feeling a sense of belonging in the context of physics and the power that teachers have in shaping student motivations through the construction of their classroom learning environments. Findings demonstrate how different ways that students experience themselves in physics class impact their performance and interest in physics. This dissertation concludes with a set of design principles that can foster integration and integrity among students in physics learning environments.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2014

From Fear to Self-Expression: The Contextual Nature of Physics Student Motivations

This study utilizes a sociocultural interpretation of Self-Determination Theory to better understand the role that learning contexts play in generating student motivation, engagement, and identity. By drawing on previous motivation research we develop a model that describes how student senses of belonging in social settings can transform their goals and experiences. We use the extremes of fear and integrity to model student motivations to engage in activities. Student senses of connection and belonging (or not) in social settings drives whether they feel integrated with or alienated from their environments. Our model is based on three studies and suggests that a sense of belonging emerges through the alignment of goals and practices of the individual and an activity. This model is applied to two examples to illustrate how social connection or isolation can be exhibited in a physics classroom setting. We conclude by discussing the role of the teacher in designing classroom environments that support students engaging.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2014

Becoming Agents of Change through Participation in a Teacher-Driven Professional Research Community

This study involves a theory-based teacher professional development model that was created to address two problems. First, dominant modes of science teacher professional development have been inadequate in helping teachers create learning environments that engage students in the practices of science, as called for most recently by the NGSS. Second, there is a lack of teacher presence and voice in the national dialogue on education reform and assessment. In this study, teachers led and participated in a professional community focusing on STEM education research. In this community, teachers became increasingly responsible for designing and enacting learning experiences for themselves and their colleagues. We investigated the characteristics of the science teachers learning process. Findings suggest that teachers who participated in this model generated knowledge and practices about teaching and learning while simultaneously developing identities and practices as education reform advocates and agents of educational change.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2014

Educational trajectories of graduate students in physics education research

Physics education research (PER) is a rapidly growing area of PhD specialization. In this article we examine the trajectories that led respondents into a PER graduate program as well as their expected future trajectories. Data were collected in the form of an online survey sent to graduate students in PER. Our findings show a lack of visibility of PER as a field of study, a dominance of work at the undergraduate level, and a mismatch of future desires and expectations. We suggest that greater exposure is needed so PER is known as a field of inquiry for graduates, that more emphasis should be placed on research beyond the undergraduate level, and that there needs to be stronger communication to graduate students about potential careers.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2014

Teaching to Learn: iPads as Tools for Transforming Physics Student Roles

Students who serve as Learning Assistants (LAs) and have the opportunity to teach the content they are learning, while also studying effective teaching pedagogy, have demonstrated achievement gains in advanced content courses and positive shifts in attitudes about learning science [V. Otero, S. Pollock & N. Finkelstein, Amer J Physics 78, 11 (2010)]. Although the LA experience is also valuable for high school students, the tight schedule and credit requirements of advanced high school students limit opportunities for implementing traditional LA programs at the high school level. In order to provide high school physics students with an LA-like experience, iPads were used as tools for students to synthesize screencast video tutorials for students to access, review and evaluate. The iPads were utilized in a one-to-one tablet-to-student environment throughout the course of an entire school year. This research investigates the impact of a one-to-one iPad environment and the use of iPads to create teaching-to-learn (TtL) experiences on student agency and attitudes toward learning science. Project funded by NSF grant # DUE 934921.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

A Fractal Comparison of Escher and Koch Tessellations

M.C. Eschers tessellations have captured the imaginations of both artists and mathematicians. Circle Limit III is the most intricate of his tessellations, featuring patterns that repeat at increasingly fine scales. Although his patterns follow a scaling law determined by hyperbolic geometry, his work is often mistakenly described as following fractal geometry. Here, we perform a 'box counting' scaling analysis on Circle Limit III and an equivalent monofractal pattern based on a Koch Snowflake. Whereas our analysis highlights the expected visual differences between Eschers hyperbolic patterns and the simple monofractal, the analysis also identifies unexpected similarities between Eschers work and the bifractal poured paintings of Jackson Pollock.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2012

An Optical Demonstration of Fractal Geometry

We have built a Sinai cube to illustrate and investigate the scaling properties that result by iterating chaotic trajectories into a well ordered system. We allow red, green and blue light to reflect off a mirrored sphere, which is contained in an otherwise, closed mirrored cube. The resulting images are modeled by ray tracing procedures and both sets of images undergo fractal analysis. We offer this as a novel demonstration of fractal geometry, utilizing the aesthetic appeal of these images to motivate an intuitive understanding of the resulting scaling plots and associated fractal dimensions.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2012

Changing Identities and Evolving Conceptions of Inquiry through Teacher-Driven Professional Development

This STEM education study investigates the Streamline to Mastery professional development program, in which teachers work in partnership with university researchers to design professional development opportunities for themselves and for fellow teachers. Our research describes the process of teacher professional growth both through changes in agency and through a shared pursuit of an improved understanding of classroom scientific inquiry. Videos, emails, lesson reflections, survey responses, and interviews were analyzed to glean insight into changes in teacher discourse around inquiry and into their shifts in participation within the professional community they established. Implications for professional development in STEM education are discussed.

physics.ed-ph↗