Education Commons^™

Gravity & Einstein: Assessing The Rubber Sheet Analogy In Undergraduate Conceptual Physics, Tiffany Rae Watkins

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The rubber sheet analogy for Einstein’s General Relativity model of gravity is a popular way to visualize the effect mass has on the curvature of spacetime. My single group, quasi-experimental study with repeated measures was designed to assess the effectiveness of the rubber sheet analogy in teaching gravitational fields. I developed instructional materials, including a hands-on lab, to engage university students in thinking about gravity using the rubber sheet analogy. Previous research on students’ ideas about gravity informed the development of the pre/post-test. My work is an important first step in establishing a standard assessment on gravity.

Approximately 97 students …

Conceptual Development About Motion And Force In Elementary And Middle School Students, Dewey I. Dykstra, Dale R. Sweet

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Methods of physics education research were applied to find what kinds of changes in 4th, 6th, and 8th grade student understanding of motion can occur and at what age. Such findings are necessary for the physics community to effectively discharge its role in advising and assisting pre-college physics education. Prior to and after instruction the students were asked to carefully describe several demonstrated accelerated motions. Most pre-instruction descriptions were of the direction of motion only. After instruction, many more of the students gave descriptions of the motion as continuously changing. Student responses to the diagnostic and to the activity materials …