Piaget-style interviews conducted both face-to-face and electronically DJ Wagner 1,2, JJ Rivera 1, Fran Mateycik 1, and Sybillyn Jennings 3 1 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2 Grove City College, 3 Russell Sage College Context: The Science of Information Technology (ScIT) introduces students of all majors to the physical principles behind the operation of information systems. NSF is supporting current efforts to make ScIT materials useful to a large audience. As part of that effort, we are designing diagnostic questions addressing the topics covered in ScIT. Diagnostic questions are most useful when they address student preconceptions and distinguish between different cognitive models [1]. Clinical Interviews have long been regarded as an effective means of eliciting students’ conceptual frameworks [1-3]. Piaget [3] developed the method of critical exploration to see what thoughts lay behind a child’s initial answer to a question, and the PER community has used this method extensively [1-2]. We used Piaget-style interviews to study students’ understanding of total internal reflection (TIR) and how TIR relates to the operation of optical fibers. RPI work supported in part by NSF CCLI Program under grant DUE Thanks to Leo Schowalter for access to ScIT students, and to the rest of the ScIT advisory committee: Karen Cummings, Toh-Ming Lu, Saroj Nayak, Jim Napolitano, Peter Persans, and Wayne Roberge. Comparing E-Interviews with Traditional Face-to-Face Interviews E-Interviews (22 interviewees)Face-To-Face Interviews (12 interviewees)  Can be conducted from wherever, whenever, and however is convenient (at home, listening to music, eating ice cream, in jammies, etc.).  Can hold 2 or 3 interviews simultaneously, typing questions for student 3 while students 1 and 2 are typing their responses. (4 at a time is a bit much.)  Typed thoughts often come across more coherently than spoken thoughts.  Interviewer does not need to worry about their gestures giving away their thoughts about the students answers.  Apparent anonymity lets students express their lack of knowledge with less embarrassment.  Interviewees generally created work-arounds to constraints they experienced. (drew pictures, used keyboard symbols, etc)  Language used to convey interviewees confidence in their answer or description. (umm, I don’t reall know, I guess…, iirc, I could take a wild stab, etc)  Minimal transcription needed!!! (WebCT records conversations in Chat Rooms 1-4.)  E-interviews somewhat appropriate with electronic based materials  Utilize multiple communication channels. (words, gestures, tone of voice, etc)  Substantial transcription time  Transcription difficult to convey gestures, tone of voice.  Scratch Pad (Draw figures, write equations, etc)  Demonstration equipment (optical fiber)  1 interview at a time  Participants do not need a familiarity with internet technology  The accepted traditional standard E-interviews can provide valuable information about cognitive models. They provide some advantages over face-to-face interviews but have their own set of limitations. Instructor time is smaller in e-interviews, due to decrease in transcription time; student time is greater in e-interviews. Several students called the e-interview “fun” or “interesting” Study: “What is an optical fiber and what does it do?” Follow-up questions included “How does the fiber keep the light from escaping?” and “What can you tell me about refraction?” Demographics of Interviewees 5 In-Service Teachers 2 Physics Faculty 22 ScIT Pre- Instruction 5 Physics Students (REU) 8 ScIT Post- Instruction Faculty, REU students, and in-service (non-physics) teachers were interviewed in a traditional (face-to-face) form in the Summer of ScIT students (both pre- and post-instruction) were interviewed via WebCT’s Chat Room in the Spring of Optical Fiber next to sewing needle. The core of the fiber is 62 microns in diameter; the cladding is 125 microns. Laser light trapped in a plastic fiber. Air serves as the cladding. [1] Lillian C. McDermott, “Bridging the Gap Between Teaching and Learning: The Role of Research,” The Changing Role of Physics Departments in Modern Universities: Proceedings of ICUPE, ed. by E. F. Redish and J.S. Rigden. [2] E. Hunt and J. Minstrell, “A Cognitive Approach to the Teaching of Physics,” Classroom Lessons: Integrating Cognitive Theory and Classroom Practice, ed. by McGilly (MIT Press, 1994). [3] J. Piaget, The child’s conception of the world, trans. by J. & A. Tomlinson. (Littlefield, NJ, 1926/1972). Fiber Optic Network Face-to-Face Interviews E- Interviews Abstract: E-interviews somewhat appropriate with electronic based materials More placeholders, choppy rhythm Can be conducted from wherever, whenever, and however is convenient (at home, listening to music, eating ice cream, in jammies, etc.). Interviewer>>What does the fiber look like? (How is it made?) S302>>I don't know how they make it, but it is made of glass. Interviewer>>OK. What prevents the light from escaping and keeps it traveling down the wire? S302>>I am not sure, possibly an electric current. Interviewer>>How would that work? S302>>I do not know how it would work. Interviewer>>OK. Can you just explain what you have in mind when you say an electric current prevents the light from escaping? Interviewer>>i.e., where is this current? In the glass? Somewere else? S302>>The current would be in a parallel wire, changing the conductivity of the glass causing the light to travel down the fiber. Interviewer>>OK. Can hold 2 or 3 interviews simultaneously, typing questions for student 3 while students 1 and 2 are typing their responses. (4 at a time is a bit much.) Typed thoughts often come across more coherently than spoken thoughts. Interviewer does not need to worry about their gestures giving away their thoughts about the students answers. Apparent anonymity lets students express their lack of knowledge with less embarrassment. Interviewees generally created work-arounds to constraints they experienced. (drew pictures, used keyboard symbols, etc) Language used to convey interviewees confidence in their answer or description. (umm, I don’t reall know, I guess…, iirc, I could take a wild stab, etc) Minimal transcription needed!!! (WebCT records conversations in Chat Rooms 1-4.) Demonstration equipment (optical fiber) Scratch Pad (Draw figures, write equations, etc) Transcription difficult to convey gestures, tone of voice. Substantial transcription time Utilize multiple communication channels. (words, gestures, tone of voice, etc) Participants do not need a familiarity with internet technology 1 interview at a time The accepted traditional standard This poster reports on methods used to probe student understandings of optical fibers and total internal reflection (TIR). The study was conducted as part of the expansion and improvement of web-based materials for an innovative introductory physics course. Development of these materials includes the refining of multiple-choice diagnostic questions by examining preconceptions and misconceptions commonly held by students. Initially, we conducted face-to-face Piaget-style interviews with a convenience sample. Our next step was to interview students taking the course at Rensselaer. Physical limitations necessitated that this be done from a distance, so we conducted “e-interviews” using a Chat Room. In this paper we focus on the e-interview experience, discussing similarities to and differences from the traditional face-to-face approach. In the process, we address how each method informs us about students’ activation of prior experiences in making sense of unfamiliar phenomena (e.g., “transfer of learning”). Electronic Interviews 22 ScIT students (Group B) Face-to-Face Interviews Convenience sample of 12 volunteers (Group A) TABLE 1. Physics Background of Interviewees. Highest Physics CourseGroup AGroup B High School Physics19 College Physics I010 College Physics II41 Upper-Level Coll. Phys.51 Physics Faculty20