Dr. John R. Thompson
University of Maine
Research on the Learning and Teaching of Upper-level Thermal
and Statistical Physics
Within the last decade, physics education researchers have
begun to extend the tools and methods used at the introductory level to conduct
systematic investigations of student learning of thermal and statistical
physics in the upper division. Most research in thermodynamics has focused on
student ideas about the first and second laws and the associated concepts
(e.g., work, heat, entropy). Several studies yield insights about broader
ideas, such as state functions. Research in statistical physics has focused on
the concepts underlying multiplicity and related ideas in probability. Research
has identified a number of conceptual difficulties with varied degrees of
persistence, some of which are consistent with findings at the introductory
level. Some investigations further probe connections between physics and
relevant mathematics concepts in these areas, including student interpretation
of canonical representations such as pressure-volume (P-V) diagrams and Taylor
series expansions. Results from research are guiding the development of
curricular materials in order to address several known difficulties.
Contact: Pat
Korosec 3-1543
No comments:
Post a Comment