Development and Use of a Conceptual Survey in Introductory Quantum Physics

Conceptual surveys have become increasingly popular at many levels to probe various aspects of science education research such as measuring student understanding of basic concepts and assessing the effectiveness of pedagogical material. The aim of this study was to construct a valid and reliable multiple‐choice conceptual survey to investigate students’ understanding of introductory quantum physics concepts. We examined course syllabi to establish content coverage, consulted with experts to extract fundamental content areas, and trialled open‐ended questions to determine how the selected content areas align with students’ difficulties. The questions were generated and trialled with different groups of students. Each version of the survey was critiqued by a group of discipline and teaching experts to establish its validity. The survey was administered to 312 students at the University of Sydney. Using the data from this sample, we performed five statistical tests (item difficulty index, item discrimination index, item point biserial coefficient, KR‐21 reliability test, and Ferguson’s delta) to evaluate the test’s reliability and discriminatory power. The result indicates that our survey is a reliable test. This study also provided data from which preliminary findings were drawn on students’ understandings of introductory quantum physics concepts. The main point is that questions which require an understanding of the standard interpretations of quantum physics are more challenging for students than those grouped as non‐interpretative. The division of conceptual questions into interpretive and non‐interpretive needs further exploration.     

Classroom materials

Your Energy World Published by U.S. Department of Energy

Blue Wings Flying by Elizabeth DeHuff Pictures by Dorothea Sierra Addison‐Wesley Publishing Co. Readding, Mass. 01867

Early Childhood Filmstrips Series Part I: About Myself Myself and Other People — Alike and Different My Family and Other Families—Alike and Different Everyone Needs Many Things by Ruth Jaynes, Beatrice Woodbrldge & Nancy Curry Bowmar/Noble Publishers, Inc. 4563 Colorado Los Angeles, CA 90039

“Man and His Gods: An Inquiry Into The Nature of Religions” Published by The Center for Humanities, Inc. 2 Holland Ave. White Plains, NY 10603

Alcohol: Facts, Myths and Decisions Published by Science and Mankind, Inc. Communications Park, Box 200 White Plains, New York 10601     

As we may think: Information literacy as a discipline for the information age

The aim of this paper is to propose information literacy as a soft applied discipline, of key importance in the information society. This is contrasted with the characterization of information literacy as a personal attribute in the U.S. and Australian Information Literacy standards. Vannevar Bush's vision of the technologically connected and enabled scientist is used to introduce a discussion of citizen's information needs and responsibilities in an age of “cheap complex devices.” The authors emphasize the key role of information literacy in this information society. Information literacy is identified as a soft applied discipline, with reference to disciplinary indicators that have been identified in the literature. Building on this concept of an information literacy discipline, the authors propose a mission for information literacy education focused around three elements: information literacy for citizenship, information literacy for economic growth, and information literacy for employability. The paper concludes by identifying that in terms of preparing citizens for managing and taking action in society, information literacy has much to contribute, and that it is vital to nurture this emergent discipline.     

The special magic of the eighties: Shaping words and shape-shifting words

She has a Master's degree in children's literature and a Ph.D. in Australian literature. One of her particular research interests is in teaching literature to ESL students.     

Quality Assessment, Student Need, and Pastoral Care at the University of Strathclyde

For young people moving from school to higher education, the continued provision of high quality pastoral care should be an important consideration. However, though all institutions provide some sort of service, its quality can vary significantly. Even where provision has been good, it has normally been seen as a 'bolt‐on' extra, rather than something central to the student's experience. At the University of Strathclyde, a key element in the creation of a more effective and integrated approach has been the development of the personal tutor role into that of the more clearly defined and structured one of Academic Counsellor.     

#Handsupdontshoot: connective images and ethical witnessing

In the years since Michael Brown’s death, the hashtag #HandsUpDontShoot has been criticized for supposedly misrepresenting forensic evidence as framed by the Department of Justice. However, an expressive pull has kept alive both the hashtag and the sentiment behind it. The images of #HandsUpDontShoot are compelling in that they offer a glimpse into lived experiences that are often dismissed, ignored, or refuted. In this essay, I trace the aesthetic features of the #HandsUpDontShoot images, which foreground shocking juxtapositions between nonviolent protesters and militarized police forces, to the hashtag’s historical analogue: antilynching photography. Antilynching photography often utilized the aesthetic techniques of remediation, recontextualization, and juxtaposition—aesthetic features used prominently in today’s digital and remix cultures. By noting #HandsUpDontShoot’s use of these same techniques, I illuminate the ways in which Twitter’s connective affordances shape the viewer’s encounter with the images to engender ethical witnessing by affectively linking Brown’s death to shared material experiences of racial minorities. Such encounters propel witnesses beyond distanced objectification and toward an embodied reckoning of those experiences.     

Researching female professors: the difficulties of representation,positionality and power in feminist research

This article draws on findings from my doctoral research to exemplify some of the difficulties I encountered when interviewing 20 female professors¹1. In the UK context, the title of ‘professor’ is reserved for full professors only – that is, those with either an established or personal chair. and subsequently writing about their life histories. In this article, I discuss how I addressed the issues of representing and positioning my participants, and I reflect on the power dynamics present in the research process. The article contends that by drawing on Bourdieu and Wacquant's [An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press] understanding of reflexivity and feminist interpretations of their work including McNay [“Gender, Habitus and the Field: Pierre Bourdieu and the Limits of Reflexivity.” Theory Culture Society 16: 95] and Adkins [“Reflexivity Freedom or Habit of Gender?” Theory Culture Society 20: 21], valuable research can be produced, despite the difficulties. A related aim of this paper is to reflect back after four years in an academic post on my position as a novice researcher, and some of the associated issues facing doctoral students, particularly the problems with researching upwards [Walford, G. 2011 Walford, G. 2011. “Researching the Powerful.” British Educational Research Association on-line resource. Accessed March 17, 2014. www.bera.ac.uk/system/files/Researching%20the%20Powerful.pdf [Google Scholar]. “Researching the Powerful. British Educational Research Association On-line Resource.” Accessed March 17, 2014. www.bera.ac.uk/system/files/Researching%20the%20Powerful.pdfWalford 2011].