physics online homework help

physics online homework help

Enhancing Student Learning: A Comprehensive Guide to Physics Online Homework Help

1. Introduction to Online Homework Help in Physics

Students realize good net outcomes when they are actively engaged in the learning process. Many benefits, both academically and emotionally, accrue when students are engaged in effectively implementing newly acquired knowledge. However, to become effective independent learners, students need to move past difficulties, clear up common pitfalls, and acquire trusted and adaptable learning strategies. To help students take these steps, we expect to involve them more effectively using online homework in physics. This book is intended to help instructors do that, and in several different ways.

In general, use of the term “online homework” for physics problems suggests a situation in which software on a server is set up to receive and grade responses to various types of questions that can be handled online. The terms “automated homework,” “homework servers,” and “Web-based homework” convey similar notions. Most general physics and calculus-based physics courses in the United States use online homework already, and in many other countries, as well. Few have used all that they might from what the most attractive versions of this tool can offer. The major goal of the background chapters, pedagogical and research chapters, and problem structure chapters throughout this book is to guide you through successful implementation of online physics homework.

2. Benefits and Challenges of Physics Online Homework Help

In this chapter, we turn our attention to the use of the internet for providing physics homework help to students. In particular, we describe the design and use of two homework help sites: one for a basic physics class and another for a physics learning center. These sites provide much more than just answers to 1D kinematics problems. Rather, the sites are designed to ensure that students will prepare for and learn from the problems. The learning process is promoted with in-depth hints, which guide the students through the solution, and by questions, which force the students to confront and more deeply understand important issues. Student enthusiasm for the sites was high, class exam averages were substantially increased, and students credited the sites as providing a valuable source of help.

Our analysis of students’ written discussions has shown that, although students are very good at noting the small differences, the difference between decreasing at a steady rate and increasing at an increasing rate confuses many. In addition, many students confuse the description of an x(t) vs. t graph with an x vs. t graph, and that a description of the motion of a projectile must include an x=10 m portion. Furthermore, 2/3 of the incorrect responses still contain useful information, and very often, it is specific to the value of one or more of the four kinematic variables. Results that guide the design of a free online homework-help site are also presented.

3. Effective Strategies and Resources for Physics Online Homework Help

In fall 2002, when I began using online homework in large lecture sections of algebra-based introductory physics at the University of Illinois, using WebAssign, both the students and I benefited from the move because I began requiring regular paper homework for the first time. It is worth noting that while many physics instructors currently use online systems for required homework, that has been, and still is, rare in the context of comparative approaches because they require that all students be registered in the computer-based educational system, which is expensive. It is also worth noting that while advances in technology continue to provide new capabilities and benefits in the teaching of physics (and to other fields), they often have hidden costs or potential concerns.

Guided by personal experiences, physics pedagogy, and faulty acceptance of validity in physics, it is not unusual for instructors, particularly for beginning and some introductory general education classes, to require that their students complete written problems or other assignments without any guidance on where to look for assistance, what resources are relatively easy to find and use, where they are likely to run into problems, or where they are likely to fail to recognize one or more hidden assumptions: if the problems were simple, the students would not be at the beginning level of the course. Helping students, particularly beginning students, meet their educational goals using validated strategies can support individual success while enhancing motivation and interest. This article discusses specific enhanced student learning and individual achievement benefits provided by resources, particularly those that are freely available under a Creative Commons, GNU General Public License, Physics Commons, or similar non-restricting license, and developed and released for widespread availability, that we have compiled in our guide.

4. Case Studies and Success Stories in Physics Online Homework Help

In a recent study, homework assignments were made on Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorials (QuILTs). Pretests and post-tests of student understanding were given before and after the QuILT homework was turned in. Students completing the QuILTs alone had a moderate improvement in understanding of the QuILT material, and students completing the preassigned homework problems and performing the QuILT had a significantly greater improvement in understanding. This work will discuss the implications of the study and some future directions.

In a recent paper, studies looked at the effectiveness of different homework assignment methods. Preassigned written WCPI homework, compared to intended QuILT online homework, assesses the ability of the students to be responsible for their own work. Preliminary results showed that students who delayed their homework until the last minute and then were required to complete the QuILT were at a severe time disadvantage compared to their peers who had submitted QuILTs during the previous weeks. The students who had done the QuILTs during the week demonstrated a significantly better understanding of the class material based on QuILT post-test grades and made significantly better use of the intermediate-paced peer grade and review sessions than students from the delayed peer grade and review sections.