Graphical representations of vector functions in upper-division E&amp;M

Gire, Elizabeth; Price, Edward

doi:10.1063/1.3679985

Cited by 25 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…4). His drawing is consistent with the (unconventional) idea that the electric field represented by the arrow exists along the entire length of the arrow, not just at the end of the tail [23]. As a result, the sheets artificially confine the lengths of the electric field arrows.…”

Section: Some Ways That the Electric Field Vector Map Supports Physupporting

confidence: 66%

Arrows as anchors: An analysis of the material features of electric field vector arrows

Gire

Price

2014

Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res.

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Representations in physics possess both physical and conceptual aspects that are fundamentally intertwined and can interact to support or hinder sense making and computation. We use distributed cognition and the theory of conceptual blending with material anchors to interpret the roles of conceptual and material features of representations in students' use of representations for computation. We focus on the vector-arrows representation of electric fields and describe this representation as a conceptual blend of electric field concepts, physical space, and the material features of the representation (i.e., the physical writing and the surface upon which it is drawn). In this representation, spatial extent (e.g., distance on paper) is used to represent both distances in coordinate space and magnitudes of electric field vectors. In conceptual blending theory, this conflation is described as a clash between the input spaces in the blend. We explore the benefits and drawbacks of this clash, as well as other features of this representation. This analysis is illustrated with examples from clinical problem-solving interviews with upper-division physics majors. We see that while these intermediate physics students make a variety of errors using this representation, they also use the geometric features of the representation to add electric field contributions and to organize the problem situation productively.

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Section: Some Ways That the Electric Field Vector Map Supports Physupporting

confidence: 66%

Arrows as anchors: An analysis of the material features of electric field vector arrows

Gire

Price

2014

Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res.

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“…Among the work has been done about students' use of multiple representations across the STEM courses, research [2,3] shows that the use of multiple representations plays a critical role in the effectiveness of the interactive engagement between the students and instructors in the teaching-learning environment. [2][3][4][5]. On the other hand, the ability to translate between different representations tends to enhance students' sense-making abilities [5].…”

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[2][3][4][5]. On the other hand, the ability to translate between different representations tends to enhance students' sense-making abilities [5].…”

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Case study: coordinating among multiple semiotic resources to solve complex physics problems

2019

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This work examines student meaning-making in undergraduate physics problem-solving. We use a social semiotic perspective to sketch a theoretical framework. The social semiotic approach focuses on all types of meaning-making practices that are accomplished through different semiotic modes that include visual, verbal (or aural), written and gestural modes and language, text, algebra, diagrams, sketches, graphs, body movements, signs, and gestures are examples for semiotic resources. We use the developed theoretical framework to investigate how semiotic resources might be combined to solve physics problems. Data for this study are drawn from an upper-division Electromagnetism I course and a student ("Larry") who is engaged in an individual oral exam. We identify the semiotic and conceptual resources that Larry uses. We use a resource graph representation to show Larry's coordination of resources in his problem solving activity. Larry's case exemplifies coordination between multiple semiotic resources with different disciplinary affordances to build up compound representations. Our analysis of this case illustrates a novel way of thinking about what it means to solve physics problems using semiotic resources.

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“…Most of the prior research in student understanding and use of multiple representations (e.g. [1][2][3]) takes up this categorization scheme, either implicitly or explicitly. Using multiple representations plays a critical role in the effectiveness of the interactive engagement between students and instructors in learning environments [1,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Standing fast: Translation among durable representations using evanescent representations in upper-division problem solving

Weliweriya¹,

Huỳnh²,

Sayre³

2018

2017 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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Mastering problem solving requires students to not only understand and apply physics concepts but also employ mathematics and mathematical representations (sketches, diagrams, graphs, gestures, equations and spoken language) skillfully. As part of a larger project to investigate problem solving processes among upper division physics students, we investigate how students coordinate among multiple representations while solving problems. Data for this study is drawn from an upper-division Electromagnetism I course, where students engage in individual oral exams. We do moment-by-moment analysis of students' problem solving to see how they translate between durable representations (diagrams, written mathematical equations) with the help of evanescent representations (gestures, words); and how they build up durable representations where they can "stand fast" later. In this paper, we present the case of Larry as an exemplary case for problem solving. Larry starts from a durable representation (diagram) and builds up from there using evanescent representations (gestures and words), standing fast on the diagram. He later translates to a different kind of durable representation (mathematics), where he reasons and answers the original problem.

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Graphical representations of vector functions in upper-division E&M

Cited by 25 publications

References 4 publications

Arrows as anchors: An analysis of the material features of electric field vector arrows

Arrows as anchors: An analysis of the material features of electric field vector arrows

Case study: coordinating among multiple semiotic resources to solve complex physics problems

Standing fast: Translation among durable representations using evanescent representations in upper-division problem solving

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