"What's the Point?" Student Perspectives on Computation in Physics Class

• In Event: Data, Computation, and Science Education

Abstract

High school science classrooms across the United States are answering calls to make computation a part of science learning. The problem is that there is little known about the barriers to learning that computation may bring to a science classroom or about how to help students overcome these challenges. This case study explores these challenges from the perspectives of students in a high school physics classroom with a newly revamped, computation-integrated curriculum. Through interviews, classroom recordings, and observational field notes, we found that computation is a double-edged sword: It can make science learning more authentic for students who are familiar with it, but it can also generate frustration and an aversion towards physics for students who are not.

Authors

• Patti Hamerski, Michigan State University

• Daryl McPadden, Michigan State University

• Marcos Caballero, Michigan State University

• Paul W Irving, Michigan State University and CREATE for STEM Institute (MSU)