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Cornell University

BEEAR Research Group

Cornell Biomedical Engineering Education, Assessment, and Research (BEEAR) Group

Publications

Chord diagram representing changes in student reasoning between the pre- and postsurvey on the RD probe.

Check out our new publication on student reasoning about measurement uncertainty!

November 1, 2023

Exciting News! I'm thrilled to share our new study out of work done at CU Boulder published in PRPER: "Investigating changes in student views of measurement uncertainty in an...

Odds ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals as Holm-Bonferonni adjusted p-values. An odds ratio greater than 1 (indicated by the vertical dashed line) signifies a higher likelihood of students in the CURE group having a more expertlike postresponse for the respective E-CLASS item compared to students in other first-year labs. Here are the descriptions for all 30 items presented in the Figure: Item 1: When doing an experiment, I try to understand how the experimental setup works. OR: 1.35, CI low: 1.05, CI high: 1.77, p-value: 0.022, p′-value: 0.30. Item 2: I don’t need to understand how the measurement tools and sensors work in order to carry out an experiment. OR: 1.00, CI low: 0.87, CI high: 1.15, p-value: 0.96, p′-value: 1. Item 3: When doing a physics experiment, I don’t think much about sources of systematic error. OR: 1.26, CI low: 1.09, CI high: 1.45, p-value: 0.0016, p′-value: 0.027. Item 4: It is helpful to understand the assumptions that go into making predictions. OR: 1.86, CI low: 1.38, CI high: 2.58, p-value: 9.54e-5, p′-value: 0.0020. Item 5: Whenever I use a new measurement tool, I try to understand its performance limitations. OR: 1.37, CI low: 1.18, CI high: 1.59, p-value: 4.45e-5, p′-value: 0.0010. Item 6: Calculating uncertainties usually helps me understand my results better. OR: 1.71, CI low: 1.46, CI high: 2.02, p-value: 6.70e-11, p′-value: 1.67e-9. Item 7: If I don’t have clear directions for analyzing data, I am not sure how to choose an appropriate analysis method. OR: 0.89, CI low: 0.79, CI high: 1.00, p-value: 0.053, p′-value: 0.58. Item 8: I am usually able to complete an experiment without understanding the equations and physics ideas that describe the system I am investigating. OR: 1.03, CI low: 0.92, CI high: 1.17, p-value: 0.59, p′-value: 1. Item 9: When doing an experiment, I try to understand the relevant equations. OR: 1.28, CI low: 1.04, CI high: 1.60, p-value: 0.026, p′-value: 0.31. Item 10: Computers are helpful for plotting and analyzing data. OR: 2.40, CI low: 1.41, CI high: 4.53, p-value: 0.0030, p′-value: 0.049. Item 11: When I am doing an experiment, I try to make predictions to see if my results are reasonable. OR: 1.43, CI low: 1.17, CI high: 1.78, p-value: 0.00069, p′-value: 0.013. Item 12: When doing an experiment, I usually think up my own questions to investigate. OR: 1.44, CI low: 1.27, CI high: 1.63, p-value: 8.09e-9, p′-value: 1.94e-7. Item 13: When doing an experiment, I just follow the instructions without thinking about their purpose. OR: 1.27, CI low: 1.12, CI high: 1.46, p-value: 0.00040, p′-value: 0.0080. Item 14: Designing and building things is an important part of doing physics experiments. OR: 0.94, CI low: 0.82, CI high: 1.09, p-value: 0.43, p′-value: 1. Item 15: When I encounter difficulties in the lab, my first step is to ask an expert, like the instructor. OR: 1.09, CI low: 0.96, CI high: 1.25, p-value: 0.19, p′-value: 1. Item 16: A common approach for fixing an experiment is to randomly change things until the problem goes away. OR: 1.00, CI low: 0.87, CI high: 1.15, p-value: 0.98, p′-value: 1. Item 17: Communicating scientific results to peers is a valuable part of doing physics experiments. OR: 4.29, CI low: 3.05, CI high: 6.26, p-value: 1.68e-15, p′-value: 4.55e-14. Item 18: Scientific journal articles are helpful for answering my own questions and designing experiments. OR: 2.33, CI low: 2.00, CI high: 2.72, p-value: 5.59e-27, p′-value: 1.68e-25. Item 19: Working in a group is an important part of doing physics experiments. OR: 2.24, CI low: 1.81, CI high: 2.79, p-value: 4.29e-13, p′-value: 1.12e-11. Item 20: If I am communicating results from an experiment, my main goal is to make conclusions based on my data using scientific reasoning. OR: 1.20, CI low: 0.98, CI high: 1.48, p-value: 0.082, p′-value: 0.82. Item 21: If I am communicating results from an experiment, my main goal is to have the correct sections and formatting. OR: 1.06, CI low: 0.94, CI high: 1.20, p-value: 0.35, p′-value: 1. Item 22: I enjoy building things and working with my hands. OR: 1.14, CI low: 0.93, CI high: 1.40, p-value: 0.20, p′-value: 1. Item 23: I don’t enjoy doing physics experiments. OR: 1.21, CI low: 1.06, CI high: 1.38, p-value: 0.0053, p′-value: 0.079. Item 24: Nearly all students are capable of doing a physics experiment if they work at it. OR: 1.00, CI low: 0.83, CI high: 1.22, p-value: 0.99, p′-value: 1. Item 25: If I try hard enough, I can succeed at doing physics experiments. OR: 1.52 , CI low: 1.19, CI high: 1.98, p-value: 0.0011, p′-value: 0.020. Item 26: If I wanted to, I think I could be good at doing research. OR: 2.43, CI low: 1.96, CI high: 3.03, p-value: 1.38e-15, p′-value: 3.87e-14. Item 27: When I approach a new piece of lab equipment, I feel confident I can learn how to use it well enough for my purposes. OR: 0.84, CI low: 0.73, CI high: 0.98, p-value: 0.023, p′-value: 0.30. Item 28: I do not expect doing an experiment to help my understanding of physics. OR: 1.11, CI low: 0.95, CI high: 1.30, p-value: 0.21, p′-value: 1. Item 29: The primary purpose of doing physics experiments is to confirm previously known results. OR: 1.79, CI low: 1.59, CI high: 2.02, p-value: 3.25e-21, p′-value: 9.44e-20. Item 30: Physics experiments contribute to the growth of scientific knowledge. OR: 2.53, CI low: 1.79, CI high: 3.73, p-value: 7.19e-7, p′-value: 1.65e-5.

Check out our new publication on CUREs!

November 1, 2023

Check out our new publication out of work done at CU Boulder! Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are revolutionizing STEM education, providing students...