What’s a Light Curve? Unexpected Reasoning Difficulties Learners Have Using Light Curves Tim Slater University of Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Professor Stephanie Slater C enter for A stronomy & P hysics E ducation R esearch http:// www.caperteam.com
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Whats a Light Curve? Unexpected Reasoning Difficulties Learners Have Using Light Curves Tim Slater University of Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education.
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What’s a Light Curve?Unexpected Reasoning Difficulties Learners
Have Using Light Curves
Tim SlaterUniversity of Wyoming
Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Professor
Stephanie SlaterCenter for Astronomy & Physics Education Research
The Light Curves of Different Types of Supernovae(adapted from Qing Zhang's "Introduction to Supernovae")
Imagine you have four bottles half filled with water. Draw a line across each bottle showing
where the water level would be.
graphJam.com
Key Take Away Messages• Science often communicates using the
mathematics of graphs (often on napkins)• A graph is a visual representation exhibiting a
relationship between two sets of numbers (written as vertical axis versus the horizontal axis)
• Astronomers often look at light curves (how brightness changes with respect to time)
• Learners struggle with (i) iconic representations, (ii) slope/height confusion, and (iii) point/interval confusion
• And public opinion about Pluto is still evolving
For More Reading• Richwine, Pebble (2007). The impact of authentic science inquiry
experiences studying variable stars on high school students' knowledge and attitudes about science and astronomy and beliefs regarding the nature of science. Ph.D. dissertation: The University of Arizona, AAT 3254711. Source: DAI-A 68/02
• Leinhardt, G, Zaslavsky, O, and Stein M. (Spring 1990) Functions, Graphs and Graphing: Tasks, Learning and Teaching. Review of Educational Research , 60(1), 37-42.
• Bell, A and Janvier, C. (1981). The interpretation of graphs representing situations. For the Learning of Mathematics. 2(1), 34-42.
• Fagan, E.R., A summary of research on student graphing misconceptions and their roots, EDC: http://www2.edc.org/edc-research/curriki/ROLE/lc/sessions/session6/MisconOnGraphs.pdf
• Clement, J. (1989). The concept of variation and misconceptions in Cartesian graphing. Focus on Learning Problems in Mathematics, 11(1-2), 77-87.
What’s a Light Curve?Unexpected Reasoning Difficulties Learners
Have Using Light Curves
Tim SlaterUniversity of Wyoming
Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Professor
Stephanie SlaterCenter for Astronomy & Physics Education Research