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We have developed an assessment of students' ability to solve standard textbook style problems and are currently engaged in the validation and revision process. The assessment covers the topics of force and motion, conservation of momentum and conservation of energy at a level consistent with most calculus-based, introductory physics courses. This tool is discussed in more detail in an accompanying paper by Marx and Cummings. [1] Here we present preliminary beta-test data collected at four schools during the 2009/2010 academic year. Data include both pre- and post-instruction results for introductory physics courses as well as results for physics majors in later years. In addition, we present evidence that right/wrong grading may well be a perfectly acceptable grading procedure for a course-level assessment of this type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we discuss the early stages of development of a survey instrument to assess students' problem-solving abilities in a first-term, undergraduate, calculus-based physics course. Specifically, we present our motivation for the development of such a survey, details of a preliminary version of the survey, and some sample items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To gauge the impact of instruction on students’ general expectations about physics and their attitudes about problem solving, we administered two different, but related, survey instruments to students in the first semester of introductory, calculus-based physics at McDaniel College. The surveys we used were the Maryland Physics Expectation Survey (MPEX) and the Attitudes about Problem Solving Survey (APSS). We found that the McDaniel College students’ overall responses were more “expert-like” post-instruction: on the MPEX, the students’ Overall agree/disagree score started at 59/18 and ended at 63/17, and on the APSS, the students’ agreement-score went from 63 to 79. (All scores are out of 100%.) All of the students to whom we administered the MPEX and a significant sub-group to whom we administered the APSS realized these improvements without experiencing any explicit instructional intervention in this course aimed toward improving attitudes and expectations. These results contrast much of the previously reported findings in this area. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survey of attitudes towards, and views of, problem solving that is presented here is still under development. It is part of a larger project to develop an assessment of student problem solving ability in introductory physics. The survey is intended for use in a manner similar to the Maryland Physics Expectation Survey (MPEX).[1] That is, it is given to students pre- and post-instruction. Student responses are evaluated in comparison to the answers given by ‘experts’. Post-instruction movement of student responses toward those given by the ‘experts’ is considered to be improvement. This paper presents the survey questions, expert responses and discusses responses of several hundred students at three different institutions. Correlations between student survey results and grades, conceptual survey scores and instructor evaluation of student problem solving ability are presented. The goal is to begin to probe whether student attitudes toward problem solving are correlated to success on other metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]