Friday, February 6 – Mila Kryjevskaia

Joint Colloquium

Sponsored by

Department of Physics & Astronomy
and the RiSE Center

University of Maine, Orono

Mila Kryjevskaia

Assistant Professor of Physics
North Dakota State University

will speak on

The role of Dual Process Theory in probing student reasoning in physics

Abstract: It is a common expectation that, after instruction, students will consciously and systematically construct chains of reasoning that start from established scientific principles and lead to well-justified predictions. When student performance on course exams does not reveal such patterns, it is often assumed that students either do not possess a suitable understanding of the relevant physics or are unable to construct such inferential reasoning chains due to deficiencies in reasoning abilities. Psychological research on thinking and reasoning, however, seems to suggest that, in many cases, thinking processes follow paths that are strikingly different from those outlined above. A set of theoretical ideas, referred to broadly as dual process theory, asserts that human cognition relies on two largely independent thinking systems. The first of these systems is fast and intuitive, while the second is slow, logically deliberate, and effortful. In an ongoing project focusing on student reasoning in physics, we have developed a paired-question methodology that allows us to disentangle reasoning approaches from conceptual understanding. We then use the dual process theory to account for the observed patterns in student reasoning. Data from introductory physics courses will be presented and implications for instruction will be discussed.

Friday, February 6, 2015
3:15 pm
Bennett Hall, Rm. 141

Refreshments will be served at 3:00 pm