Relativity Concept Inventory: Development, Analysis, and Results

We report on a concept inventory for special relativity: the development process, data analysis methods, and results from an introductory relativity class. The Relativity Concept Inventory tests understanding of relativistic concepts. An unusual feature is confidence testing for each question. This...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review special topics. Physics education research 2013-05, Vol.9 (1), p.010118, Article 010118
Main Authors: Aslanides, J. S, Savage, C. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Australia
College Science
Confidence intervals
Confidence Testing
Correlation
Data analysis
Foreign Countries
Gender Differences
Human bias
Misconceptions
Monte Carlo Methods
Physics
Relativity
Science Tests
Scientific Concepts
Test Bias
Test Construction
Test Theory
Test Validity
Theory of relativity
Undergraduate Students
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Summary:We report on a concept inventory for special relativity: the development process, data analysis methods, and results from an introductory relativity class. The Relativity Concept Inventory tests understanding of relativistic concepts. An unusual feature is confidence testing for each question. This can provide additional information; for example, high confidence correlated with incorrect answers suggests a misconception. A novel aspect of our data analysis is the use of Monte Carlo simulations to determine the significance of correlations. This approach is particularly useful for small sample sizes, such as ours. Our results show a gender bias that was not present in course assessment, similar to that reported for the Force Concept Inventory. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)
ISSN:1554-9178
1554-9178
2469-9896
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.9.010118