Steve Kanim
Department of Physics
New Mexico State University

Population differences and PER-based modifications to physics instruction

Physics education research has primarily been conducted in the contexts of 
the calculus-based introductory course, of more advanced courses for 
physics majors, and in courses intended for pre- and in-service teachers. 
When adopting research-based curricula, we often make assumptions about 
how similar our intended audience is to the research subjects. For 
example, for students in an algebra-based course, we might adopt materials 
designed on the basis of research in the calculus-based course, making 
minor modifications and perhaps extending the allotted time. As I attempt 
to develop labs for use in both the introductory algebra- and 
calculus-based courses, I have been worrying about differences in these 
student populations. Are research-based modifications to the curriculum of 
the introductory course of benefit to all students? Are the same 
modifications appropriate for both populations? In this talk I will 
describe my initial attempts to characterize population differences 
(particularly with respect to proportional reasoning skills) and the 
implications for instruction of these differences.