Developed by: Chandralekha Singh and PER team at the University of Pittsburgh
middle schoolhigh schoolintro collegeinter-mediateupper levelgrad school other
Overview
What? A collection of multiple-choice and short answer questions for discussion and reflection in an upper-level undergraduate quantum mechanics course. Designed for use with clickers or other polling methods. Based on research on cognition and student difficulties in quantum mechanics.
Why? They use visualization tools to help students build physical intuition about quantum processes. They keep students actively engaged in the learning process. They bridge the gap between abstract quantitative formalism and qualitative understanding. They can supplement your existing materials.
Why not? You might prefer to use different research-based materials designed for quantum mechanics courses, such as Paradigms in Physics or CU upper-division QM curriculum.
Student skills developed
- Conceptual understanding
- Making real-world connections
- Metacognition
Instructor effort required
- Low
Resources required
- Projector
Resources
Overview: Peer Instruction for Quantum Mechanics
Teaching Materials
You can access the resource materials for free, which include the "ConcepTests" for assessment with continuous feedback to the students, standardized assessment tools, reflective questions and the material for Just-In-Time Teaching (JITT) for quantum mechanics courses, from the PhysPort QuILTS curriculum page. Please look at the first two links here for the ConcepTests (Quantum Mechanics 1 and Quantum Mechanics 2) and the last four links on the page for standardized assessment tools, reflective questions and the material for Just-In-Time Teaching (JITT) for quantum mechanics courses.
Research
Bronze ValidationThis is the third highest level of research validation, corresponding to:
- at least 1 of the "based on" categories
- at least 1 of the "demonstrated to improve" categories
- at least 1 of the "studied using" categories
Research Validation Summary
Based on Research Into:
- theories of how students learn
- student ideas about specific topics
Demonstrated to Improve:
- conceptual understanding
- problem-solving skills
- lab skills
- beliefs and attitudes
- attendance
- retention of students
- success of underrepresented groups
- performance in subsequent classes
Studied using:
- cycle of research and redevelopment
- student interviews
- classroom observations
- analysis of written work
- research at multiple institutions
- research by multiple groups
- peer-reviewed publication
References
- C. Singh, Student understanding of quantum mechanics, Am. J. Phys. 69 (8), 885 (2001).
- C. Singh, Student understanding of quantum mechanics at the beginning of graduate instruction, Am. J. Phys. 76 (3), 277 (2008).
- C. Singh, M. Belloni, and W. Christian, Improving Students' Understanding of Quantum Mechanics, Phys. Today 59 (8), 43 (2006).
