Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representations
Previous studies have demonstrated that analogies can promote student learning in physics and can be productively taught to students to support their learning, under certain conditions. We build on these studies to explore the use of analogy by students in a large introductory college physics course...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Physical Society
2006-07-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRSTPER/v2/e020101 |
| _version_ | 1818691540400209920 |
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| author | Noah D. Finkelstein Noah S. Podolefsky |
| author_facet | Noah D. Finkelstein Noah S. Podolefsky |
| author_sort | Noah D. Finkelstein |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous studies have demonstrated that analogies can promote student learning in physics and can be productively taught to students to support their learning, under certain conditions. We build on these studies to explore the use of analogy by students in a large introductory college physics course. In the first large-scale study of its kind, we demonstrate that different analogies can lead to varied student reasoning. When different analogies were used to teach electromagnetic (EM) waves, we found that students explicitly mapped characteristics either of waves on strings or sound waves to EM waves, depending upon which analogy students were taught. We extend these results by investigating how students use analogies. Our findings suggest that representational format plays a key role in the use of analogy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T12:43:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4259ca2f688f41cf9664bdff02b295f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1554-9178 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T12:43:31Z |
| publishDate | 2006-07-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-4259ca2f688f41cf9664bdff02b295f62022-12-21T21:47:50ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research1554-91782006-07-0122Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representationsNoah D. FinkelsteinNoah S. PodolefskyPrevious studies have demonstrated that analogies can promote student learning in physics and can be productively taught to students to support their learning, under certain conditions. We build on these studies to explore the use of analogy by students in a large introductory college physics course. In the first large-scale study of its kind, we demonstrate that different analogies can lead to varied student reasoning. When different analogies were used to teach electromagnetic (EM) waves, we found that students explicitly mapped characteristics either of waves on strings or sound waves to EM waves, depending upon which analogy students were taught. We extend these results by investigating how students use analogies. Our findings suggest that representational format plays a key role in the use of analogy.http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRSTPER/v2/e020101Different analogiesLarge-scale studyRepresentational format |
| spellingShingle | Noah D. Finkelstein Noah S. Podolefsky Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representations Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research Different analogies Large-scale study Representational format |
| title | Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representations |
| title_full | Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representations |
| title_fullStr | Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representations |
| title_short | Use of analogy in learning physics: The role of representations |
| title_sort | use of analogy in learning physics the role of representations |
| topic | Different analogies Large-scale study Representational format |
| url | http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRSTPER/v2/e020101 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT noahdfinkelstein useofanalogyinlearningphysicstheroleofrepresentations AT noahspodolefsky useofanalogyinlearningphysicstheroleofrepresentations |