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This resource book for physics educators contains approximately 200 Ranking Task Exercises which cover all classical physics topics with the exception of optics. Ranking Tasks are in an innovative type of conceptual exercise that asks students to make comparative judgments about a set of variations on a particular physical situation. These exercises were developed by participants in the Two-Year College (TYC) Physics Workshop Project sponsored by Joliet Junior College, Lee College, and a series of grants from the Division of Undergraduate Education of the National Science Foundation and were edited by Thomas L. O'Kuma (Lee College), David P. Maloney (Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne), and Curtis J. Hieggelke (Joliet Junior College).
Those who have used Ranking Tasks have found that they frequently elicit students' natural ideas, rather than a memorized response, about the behavior of a given physical system. In addition, asking students to consider the same situations in a variety of ways often helps them begin to correct any misconceptions they may have. When students realize that they have given different answers to variations of the same question, they begin to think about why they responded as they did in each case. This, in turn, prompts them to consider which responses they believe in more strongly, and why.
The basic atructure of a Ranking Task comprise four elements:
- a description of the physical situation including any constraints and the basis for ranking different arrangements
- a set of figures showing the different arrangements of the situation to be compared
- a place to record the ranking of each variation
- a place to explain the reason for each ranking choice
A CD-ROM in the back of the book provides each Ranking Task in a pdf file for ease of use in printing and copying for non-commercial classroom needs.
Summary
A supplement for courses in Algebra-Based Physics and Calculus-Based Physics.
- A unique resource for physics instructors who are looking for tools to incorporate more conceptual analysis in their courses. This supplement contains approximately 200 Ranking Task Exercises which cover all classical physics topics (with the exception of optics). Ranking Tasks are an innovative type of conceptual exercise that asks students to make comparative judgments about a set of variations on a particular physical situation. Those who have used Ranking Tasks have found that they frequently elicit students' natural ideas, rather than a memorized response, about the behavior of a given physical system. In addition, asking students to consider the same situation in a variety of ways often helps them begin to correct any misconceptions they may have: When students realize that they have given different answers to variations of the same question, they begin to think about why they responded as they did in each case. This, in turn, prompts them to consider which responses they believe in more strongly, and why.
- In the Prentice Hall Series in Educational Innovation.
