Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


osu1158689605.pdf (2.61 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Toward understanding writing to learn in physics: investigating student writing

Demaree, Dedra Nicole
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1158689605

Abstract Details

2006, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Physics.
It is received wisdom that writing in a discipline helps students learn the discipline. We show that evidence for effectiveness is anecdotal, and that little data-based material informs these prejudices. This thesis begins the process of scientific study of writing in the discipline, in specific, in physics, and creates means to judge whether such writing is effective. The studies culminating in this thesis are an aggressive start to addressing these complex questions. This thesis presents several studies aimed at understanding the correlation of writing and content, and tracking and characterizing student writing behaviors to see how they are impacted by writing in physics courses. It consists of four parts: summer and autumn 2005 focus on writing in introductory physics labs with and without explicit instruction, while winter and spring 2006 focus on tracking and analyzing student writing and revising behavior in Physics by Inquiry (PbI). In Summer and autumn we found little connection between writing activities and displayed content knowledge, though writing instruction seemed to positively impact students’ ability to explain the physics concepts. In winter and spring we found some writing behaviors exhibited by students were consistent with the literature, but the behaviors were not consistent through the quarter and there was no evidence that practice in writing impacted these behaviors. In spring quarter we used a novel tracking program developed at the Ohio State University allowing us to obtain much more data in a more ideal fashion than existing programs. With these related projects, we establish three main results. First, there is a need for quantitative studies of Writing to Learn, and in specific of Writing to Learn within physics. Second, we have also made progress in characterizing student behaviors in an effort to quantify the study of writing: the link between writing and learning content is not obvious, and we have shown that students may not even be learning to write through practice in the context of physics. Third, we have developed a valuable new tool, a novel program to track and analyze student writing, that supplies quantitative information about student writing.
Gordon Aubrecht (Advisor)
315 p.
Physics, General
physics education; physics education research; writing to learn; writing across the curriculum

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Demaree, D. N. (2006). Toward understanding writing to learn in physics: investigating student writing [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1158689605

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Demaree, Dedra. Toward understanding writing to learn in physics: investigating student writing. 2006. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1158689605.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Demaree, Dedra. "Toward understanding writing to learn in physics: investigating student writing." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1158689605

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1158689605
2,108
© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.