Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 627 – 632
5th World Conference on Educational Sciences - WCES 2013
Effectiveness of Multiple Representations for Learning Energy Concepts: Case of Turkey Mehmet Altan KURNAZa*, Ayşegül SAĞLAM ARSLANb a
a Assist. Prof., Kastamonu University, Faculty of Education, Kastamonu-Turkey Assoc. Prof., Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Education, Trabzon-Turkey
Abstract The aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of multiple representations for students to learn the energy concepts. To this end, a learning environment for the energy concept of introductory physics course was designed. The learning environment was constructed by means of multiple representations embedded within MOMBI model. The process was carried out with the participation of 68 freshmen and this paper highlights some half-constructive-interview results conducted with 11 of the participants. The interviewers were volunteers, and they were asked four questions. Findings indicated that although majority of the students come to university with non-scientific ideas for the energy concept, the learning environment based on multiple representations have positive effects to remedy non-scientific student ideas. Analyses of student answers especially put forth that the learning environment encourages students to explain characteristics of the energy concept. Baked by the results, it was suggested to use multiple representations such as tables, data-meaning tables, conceptual change texts, concept maps and analogies to improve students’ conceptual understanding about the energy concept. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Education and Research Center.
Key words: Multiple representations; energy concept; freshmen 1. Introduction Even though the existence and quantitative measurability of different forms are known, the energy concept remains a mystery (URL–1, 2009). This mystery of the energy concept is related with its usability in different disciplines, as well as its abstract and theoretic identity (Diakidoy et al., 2003; Lemmer & Lemmer, 2006). By the nature of the energy concept, as well as different disciplines, its difference of usage in current life and abstract and theoretic identity make it hard to understand its conceptual content (Elkana, 1974; Sefton, 2004). This
* Corresponding Author: Mehmet Altan KURNAZ. Tel.: +90-366-214-2312 E-mail address:
[email protected]
1877-0428 © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Education and Research Center. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.269
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condition is actually originated from the fact that energy has a potential of usability in explaining a number of natural events and enables the individuals to understand this in different ways (Martinas, 2005; Crowell, 2006; Lemmer & Lemmer, 2006). Considering the energy as a school concept, similar situations come into question, as well. Energy is approached within the context of different courses, especially the core courses such as physics, chemistry and biology. Students are able to develop alternative ideas about energy, by courtesy of its large content, abstractness and associability with a number of concepts. A number of studies regarding the alternative ideas of students (e.g. Watts, 1983; Duit, 1984; Papadouris et al., 2004; Küçük et al., 2005; Yuenyong et al., 2008) and different studies of removing these alternative ideas (e.g. Heuvelen & Zou, 2001; Papadouris & Constantinou, 2006; Trumper, 1990) attract attention. Nevertheless, a review study being performed states that (Kurnaz & Sağlam Arslan, 2011), students still have alternative ideas in all classes. The subject of this study focused on the usability and efficiency of multiple representations, which has been suggested for teaching the energy concept in recent years and whose efficiency was not studied adequately at the university level. 1.1. Multiple Representations In the process of learning, it could be stated that addressing to students with richer representations by increasing the variety of external representations that affect the cognitive configuration gives more effective results. Because it is evident that there is a need for consciously-structured external supporting within the process of the concept instruction (Lappi, 2007) and (well-designed) two representations are better than one representation (Bransford & Schwartz, 1999; Ainsworth, 2006). The representation of any system or process with representations such as diagrams, tables, equations, texts, graphics, animations, sounds and videos as two or more is expressed as multiple representations (Ainsworth, 2006; Rosengrant et al., 2007). Here the term representation connotes enabling the configuration of information. Multiple representations provide important advantages for the realization of meaningful learning (White, 1993), as they contribute to the cognitive configuration and enable the mapping of information (Schnotz, 2002; Schnotz & Bannert, 2003). Moreover, they are effective not only upon enabling/increasing students’ comprehensions, but also their performances (Scaife & Rogers, 1996; Ainsworth, 2006). Since physics requires the transformation of information from one form to another (for example, from equation to graphic or table), it is perceived as a difficult course by students (Redish, 1994). It could be stated that multiple representations will smooth the transform of information from one form to another for students. In this sense, attention could also be paid to the common finding of different studies (Zou, 2000; Mutimucuio, 2003; van der Meij, 2007) regarding the fact that multiple representations is an effective strategy for students’ learning and drawing their attention. Within the scope of this study, it is aimed to discuss the efficiency of learning environments, which highlighted with the multiple representations for the energy subject of the introductory physics course. 2. Methods During the effectuation process of the designed learning environment embedded within MOMBI teaching model (see for details, Hanke, 2008), some applications were performed in line with the acceptances of didactical engineering, which was adopted as the research method. During the process of applications which takes ten hours in two weeks; deep explanations and discussions, which are performed with images, tables, graphics, diagrams, conceptual change texts, concept maps, concept networks, data-meaning tables, energy bar charts etc., were used for the purpose of enabling students to have acquisitions on the subject and removing their alternative ideas (if available). A total of 68 undergraduate students participated in these applications. However, only a part of
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findings, which were obtained from semi-structured pre and post interviews, were involved within the scope of this study. 11 volunteer students participated in the interviews and the findings of the study were related with four questions they were asked. The questions are respectively as follows; (I) What do you think when you hear the energy concept? (II) Is the energy only special to living creatures? (III) Is the energy concrete? Is it visible? (IV) What is the ability to do work? Can you explain it? In conclusion, the study reflects a part of a study being conducted. The analysis of the obtained data was performed as the categorization of students’ answers according to their similarity. The attained findings were presented in tables. Besides, direct quotations from students’ answers were involved. 3. Findings From the point of the data, categories being formed for questions and student distributions are presented in Table 1. As seen in Table 1, it is observed that students had various alternative ideas about the energy concept before the applications. For example, while some students confused the energy with force, some confused it with the power concept. While some students stated that everything has energy, some stated that energy is either abstract or visible. Some students stated that energy is a motivation that is required to do work, a raw material being owned or a physics subject that is unreal. It is observed that while some students perceive the energy as a phenomenon related with the practicability of something, some students perceive it as the ability to do work and some perceive it as what is consumed to do work. An interview record of one of these students is as follows, “It could be asserted that energy is the raw material or power that we have for materializing a certain work, procession”. The ideas of another person are as follows, “Well, it is the most-frequently used stuff today… It is something like a motivation that is required to do work. It is the total of powers being used to do work”. It was determined that two students stated that energy could only be special to living creatures, one student gave no answer on this subject and others gave correct answers before the applications. Students could not make a common explanation regarding the statement of the ability to do work and majority of them gave no answer. For example, one student expressed that she/he perceived it as a whole method being used to materialize an event, another student perceived as a method of doing work and another perceived as a method of using resources in the nature. A statement of one of these students is as follows, “It is the materizalition of an event. Then, is everything we do energy? Well, I don’t know. There is probably energy in everything we do. Then, energy is what we own or consume to materialize an event… I don’t know. It must be something like that”. As seen in Table 1, the results of the interviews that were conducted after the applications show that perceptions of students have changed positively. The fact that all of the students especially focus on the energy properties is a point that draws the first attention. Some of the findings that draw attention in the table are as follows. All of the students stated that energy is abstract and everything has energy. While 9 students perceive the energy as something that is inexplicit in reality, 7 students perceive it as something that changes, mobilizes the substance and whose quantitative values are protected in this process. While 3 students use the energy as a theoretic concept that is suggested to explain the events in the universe, 2 students use it for the purpose of explaining the transformations in the nature. The statement of ability to do work became meaningful by 3 students as the definition of energy and by 7 students as the consumption and transfer of energy. The statements of one of the students are as follows, “At first, I could not imagine what energy was, but now… Energy is actually a concept that is defined with properties, which cannot precisely be represented… Since energy is an abstract concept, we will define it with its properties… Actually, as I cannot precisely define it myself, it was better to define it with its properties. It seemed quite logical to me. Because it was difficult for me to directly define the energy, since it is not something concrete… In my opinion, energy is something that mobilizes,
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changes the substance but is protected in terms of its quantity. It is an abstract notion. It is transformable. It cannot be created out of nothing”. Table 1. Categories being formed for each question and student distributions Question
Categories
Pre-I (f)
Post-I (f)
I
Energy is force that is required to do something
2
-
A phenomenon that is related with practicability, movability of something
2
2
Motivation that is required to do something
2
-
Energy is power being owned
2
-
Raw material being owned
1
-
Subject that is taught in physics, the unsubstantial
1
-
Ability to do work
2
-
Expenditures for work
3
-
II
III
IV
Something that cannot be defined in reality
-
9
Something that changes, mobilizes the substance
-
7
Something whose quantitative values are protected
-
7
A concept that is suggested to explain the events in the universe
-
3
Something that is not created out of nothing
-
3
Something that is used for explaining the transformations in the nature
-
2
Things that transform into one another
-
1
Something that is owned due to existence
-
1
Maybe/I am not sure.
2
-
It is in everything.
6
11
No answer (silence)
1
-
Visible.
1
-
It is not visible, it is abstract.
9
11
Energy is a component of the substance like atom.
1
-
Materializing an event
1
-
Doing work
1
-
All of the methods being used for the purpose of benefiting from resources in the nature
1
-
Energy consumption
1
-
Definition of energy
1
3
Consumption and transfer of energy
-
7
No answer (Silence / I don’t know/ I don’t remember)
5
3
4. Conclusion and Discussions
As is indicated above, this study was a part of a research being conducted. Although the research has various parameters to increase the student success, efficiency and usability of multiple representations were highlighted
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in this paper. Examining the findings being presented above in general, it was determined that students have alternative ideas that correspond to the alternative ideas, which are indicated in some studies (e.g. Watts, 1983; Duit, 1984; Papadouris et al., 2004; Küçük et al., 2005; Yuenyong et al., 2008) in the literature, before the applications. Even though information is given regarding the energy concept in primary and secondary levels, this condition shows that students might come to the university with some alternative ideas. This result corresponds to the results of some studies (Konuk & Kılıç, 1998; Thorton, 1999; Köse et al., 2006; Kurnaz & Sağlam Arslan, 2011), as well. It could be asserted that alternative ideas of students generally become scientific after the applications. Besides, it was determined that students try to make a direct definition of the energy concept and identify it with some concepts (for example power and force) with which it is associated before the applications, however they try to understand the energy concept usually by considering its properties after the applications and they are successful at this. At this point, regarding the process of teaching the energy concept, it is thought that the instruction would be more effective by emphasizing its properties such as the transfer, protection, abstractness, instead of explaining the energy directly. For this reason, it is suggested to use concept network, data-meaning tables, conceptual change texts, analogies and pictorial representations, which are used within the scope of this study and are thought to contribute to the meaningful learning of students, during the teaching processes. In general, it is suggested to use multiple representations during the teaching process of the energy concept. Examining the literature regarding multiple representations, it is observed that multiple representations are used in some studies (Zou, 2000; Mutimucuio, 2003), especially in problem solving. Regarding the instruction of energy, it is thought and suggested that multiple representations could be used in the process of problem solving and lecturing at the university level. As a matter of fact, it is emphasized in some studies that such applications give efficient results (e.g. Kurnaz & Sağlam Arslan, 2011; Zou, 2000).
5. Implication for Future The literature supports the fact that the use of multiple representations gives efficient results. This study examined whether the use of multiple representations is beneficial in order to understand the conceptual content of the energy concept in an accurate and qualified way, within the scope of the introductory physics course. It is thought that the attained results will form a useful basis for available applications and further studies.
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