University of Maine
Physics Education Research Laboratory
Home | Research | Funding | Outreach | Classroom Materials | Opportunities | PERLblog
Research and Evaluation | All Publications and Presentations (complete, most up-to-date)
Research into Student Learning:
Mechanical Waves
Investigations of student understanding of mechanical waves have focused on their content understanding and the model of learning that best describes how students make sense of the physics. This work has been funded in part by the Department of Education Fund for Improvement of Post-Secondary Education.
The links below cover a broad range of topics. These include:
- wave propagation
- wave superposition
- sound waves (for more information on sound, click here)
- mathematical modeling of waves
- models of learning that organize research results
Links to Research Topics arranged by research topic and author
Papers |
||
| M.C. Wittmann, E.F. Redish, and R.N. Steinberg | Understanding and Addressing Student Reasoning about Sound | International Journal of Science Education 25:8, 991-1013 (2003) |
| M.C. Wittmann | The Object Coordiantion Class Applied to Wavepulses: Analysing Student Reasonging in Wave Phyiscs | International Journal of Science Education, 24:1, 97-118 (2002) |
| R.N. Steinberg, M.C. Wittmann, Lei Bao, and E.F. Redish | The influence of student understanding of classical physics when learning quantum mechanics | Research on the Teaching and Learning of Quantum Sciences, NARST Annual Meeting, Boston (March, 1999) |
| M.C. Wittmann, R.N. Steinberg, E.F. Redish | Making Sense of How Students Make Sense of Mechanical Waves | The Physics Teacher 37, 15-21 (1999) |
| R.N. Steinberg, M.C. Wittmann, E.F. Redish, | Mathematical Tutorials In Introductory Physics | Sample class, in The Changing Role Of Physics Departments In Modern University, AIP Conference Proceedings 399 (AIP, 1997) 1075-1092. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Student Difficulties in Understanding Mechanical Waves: An Overview of Research Results | White paper written for the University of Maryland, College Park Physics Education Research Group, (22 May 1996). |
Invited Talks |
||
| M.C. Wittmann | Intuition and Inquiry in the Investigation of Conceptual and Meta-cognitive Reasoning | seminar held at The University of Maryland, College Park MD, 2002 Sep 5 |
| M.C. Wittmann | Making Sense of Student Reasoning in the Classroom: Lessons from Mechanical Waves in a Larger Context | The Ohio State University, March 2000. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Making Sense of Student Reasoning in the Classroom: Lessons from Mechanical Waves in a Larger Context | University of Maine, February 2000. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Issues in Implementing a New Curriculum in Quantum Mechanics | The Ohio State University, November 1999. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Student use of multiple models in physics: Examples from wave and quantum physics | M.C. Wittmann, North Carolina State University, July 20, 1999. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Student use of multiple models in wave and quantum physics | Bremen University, Germany, June 1999. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Research and Curriculum Development to Address Student Understanding of Wave Physics | AAPT Winter Meeting, Anaheim CA, January 11, 1999 |
| M.C. Wittmann | Student Use of Multiple Models When Making Sense of Physics: An Example From Mechanical Waves | Summer School of the European Science Education Research Association, Marly-le-Roi, France, August 1998. To see an on-line version of a more complete version of this talk, see Wittmann's defense talk. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Investigation and Addressing Student Difficulties with Physics: An Example from Mechanical Waves | Two-Year College Introductory Physics Conference III, Joliet IL, Joliet Junior College, June, 1998. To see an on-line version of a more complete version of this talk, see Wittmann's defense talk. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Making sense of student models of physics: An example from mechanical waves | University of Maryland, October 1998. To see an on-line version of a more complete version of this talk, see Wittmann's defense talk. |
| M.C. Wittmann | Student Difficulties with Wave Concepts | University of Maryland, September 1997. |
Contributed Talks |
||
| M.C. Wittmann | A Diagnostic Test to Investigate Student Use of Multiple Models of Mechanical Waves | American Association of Physics Teachers, Lincoln NE, August 1998. To see an on-line version of a more complete version of this talk, see Wittmann's defense talk. |
| Michael C. Wittmann, Richard N. Steinberg, Edward F. Redish | Investigation of Student Difficulties with Mechanical Waves with a Specially Designed Diagnostic Test | Regional meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Chesapeake Section, May 1998, University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, Baltimore MD. To see an on-line version of a more complete version of this talk, see Wittmann's defense talk. |
| M.C. Wittmann, M. Sabella, R.N. Steinberg, E.F. Redish | Identifying and Addressing Student Difficulties with Sound Waves | Summer meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Denver CO, August 1997. |
| M.C. Wittmann, E.F. Redish, and R.N. Steinberg | Identifying and Addressing Student Difficulties with Mechanical Waves (propagation) | AAPT Summer Meeting, College Park MD, August 1996. |
| R.N. Steinberg, J.M. Saul, M.C. Wittmann, and E.F. Redish | Student Difficulties Understanding the role of Mathematics in Introductory Physics | Joint APS/AAPT Meeting, Indianapolis IN, May 1996. |
| Michael C. Wittmann, E.F. Redish, and R.N. Steinberg | Identifying and Addressing Student Difficulties with Mechanical Waves (superposition) | Regional meeting of the AAPT, York PA, March 1996. |
In addition, the following diagnostic test was created as part of Michael C. Wittmann's dissertation. More information on the dissertation can be found here.
- Wave Diagnostic Test (PDF) to investigate student understanding of waves.
Department of Physics and Astronomy
|
Contact Information
|
