Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Math Skills
- Creators: Department of Physics
Introductory physics is one of the most difficult course sequences one can take as an undergraduate, due in no small part to the prerequisite knowledge of mathematics. Over the past six years, David Meltzer and his research group have developed a diagnostic meant to test students’ abilities in core mathematical concepts believed to be crucial foundations for learning physics. Concepts tested include the ability to solve systems of equations, work with trigonometric functions, manipulate fractions, and interpret information from graphs among others. With over 7000 students having taken the diagnostic, some patterns have begun to emerge, confirming work from other studies that suggest there is in fact a link between prerequisite math knowledge and success in an introductory physics course. However, most students take the diagnostic either in a classroom setting or online, so student responses are largely limited to being categorized as simply correct or incorrect. Even when students’ work is present it is impossible to assess their mindset when working through a problem without making inferences and logical leaps. In an attempt to better understand the nature of students’ misconceptions in mathematics I have conducted seven semi-formal interviews with introductory physics students just after they have completed the diagnostic where they walked me through their solutions and thought processes.