Quantifying the Effectiveness of an Interactive Physics Problem Library

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Proposal #: DUE-0231268 Title: Quantifying the Effectiveness of an Interactive Physics Problem Library Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology PI: David E Pritchard This project builds on previous National Science Foundation funding of a web-based interactive problem library. The project library has been developed over the past several years and has amassed a library of nearly 1000 interactive, pedagogically sound, introductory physics problems. These problems have been tested in several settings, and recently Addison-Wesley licensed the entire system under the name "Mastering Physics" for inclusion with several of its introductory physics texts. Despite these successes, the library has not been more widely adopted. This project demonstrates, to a wider audience, the effectiveness of their interactive tutoring concept. In this project the interactive tutoring system is being tested at a number of institutions around the country using rigorous educational research techniques to determine the effective learning gains enjoyed by users of this system over traditional written homework or other homework systems. The results of these studies are being prepared for publication in peer reviewed journals and presentations for physics instructors as well as the Physics Education Research community. We will publish several journal articles within the first year of the project demonstrating the results.