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Enhancing Student Ability To Transfer Energy Concepts In Postsecondary Science Education Through Explicit Instruction Of Concepts, Student Self-Reflection, And Guided Practice In Knowledge Transfer, Jim Harmon, Lauren Gray

Scholars Week

While concepts of energy and matter apply across science disciplines, students have difficulty transferring their knowledge of energy concepts from one science discipline to another. Traditionally, instruction of physical sciences, chemistry, and life sciences are presented independently of one another; with energy concepts introduced in isolated contexts and with differing emphases. Two instructional strategies have been shown to improve student transfer of knowledge: metacognitive student reflection, and explicit framing of concepts. This study integrates these instructional strategies into an introductory physics course for non-science majors as a series of instructional interventions, measuring student ability to transfer knowledge of energy concepts …