Supporting physics teaching with research-based resources

The multiple-choice questions on the RCI were developed based on a list of concepts informed by the learning goals for a relevant course, textbooks and the research literature. This list of topics was reviewed by 30 international experts and revised. Questions were drafted for each concept and, when possible, answer choices were based on student ideas from the literature. These questions were reviewed by experts and given to students who either participated in think aloud interviews or gave written feedback on their reasoning to each question. Questions were revised and given to over 60 students in a physics 2 course. Appropriate statistical analyses of reliability, difficulty and discrimination were conducted and reasonable values found (the mean discrimination index was a little low, but this is partly due to the test being easy for the advanced population it was tested with). There is a statistically significant gender gap in scores between males (n=38) and females (n=15), with males outscoring females. The RCI has been given to over 60 students at one university, and the results published in one peer-reviewed publication.