Improving Conceptual Understanding of Electricity and Magnetism with the Solenoid Invention Kit

James RutterUniversity of Virginia

United Statesjr2ge@virginia.edu

Nigel StandishUniversity of Virginia 

United Statesnrs5sa@virginia.edu

David SlykhuisJames Madison University

United Statesslykhuda@jmu.edu

Glen BullUniversity of Virginia

United Statesgbull@virginia.edu

Introduction

Science has no shortage of abstract concepts. Middle school students often find these scientific concepts difficult to understand, and have alternative ideas that deviate from the norm (Chi, 2005). Research has shown that electricity and magnetism is an especially difficult concept for middle school students to understand, and because they interact with electricity on a daily basis, they already have preconceptions about this particular phenomena (Başer & Geban, 2007; Fredette & Lockhead, 1980). Therefore, students often do not have a clear understanding of fundamental concepts in electricity, such as voltage, current, and resistance, nor do students understand how these concepts relate to magnetism. These abstract and complex concepts are not well represented through traditional instructional methods, and do not address some of the alternative ideas that students may already have about electricity and magnetism (E&M). With more schools focusing more on STEM education, it is important to develop sound pedagogical methods to teach complex concepts in science, and understand the alternate ideas that students have on these concepts.

When working with abstract concepts, concrete and authentic experiences can help ground a student’s understanding, allowing them to construct their own knowledge about the concept (Hayer & Papert, 1991). Research has demonstrated that technology-based and hands-on instruction designed with constructivist teaching methods improves learning science concepts, and can be more effective than traditional methods (Ekmekci & Gulacar, 2014). Allowing a student to learn through a hands-on project makes the concept tangible, and engages the student in a way that direct instruction or simply reading out of a textbook does not. These methods are more conducive to diverse groups of students with a range of learning preferences, where they can find their own way to engage with the content (Hayer & Papert, 1991).

The focus of this study is on hands-on learning environments, where a student builds a tangible representation of a particular concept, allowing the student to construct their own knowledge around it. This paper explores the use of a hands-on project in a middle school engineering class to teach fundamental concepts of E&M. The project required students to build a solenoid, also referred to as an electromagnet, and then use it in several different applications, including one designed and created by the student. An assessment was then used to determine the students’ understanding, and to categorize alternative ideas students have about E&M. The results of the study show that a hands-on instructional approach can increase the number of normative conceptions among student that align with the scientific community, as well as address the alternate ideas that do not align. Traditional methods of instruction are not widely successful when dealing these concepts, however it is essential for students to feel

confident, engaged, and excited about E&M and other subjects if they are to pursue a successful career in the STEM field. This study explores the alternative ideas that students have about E&M and how these ideas change when a concrete experience done through a hands-on approach is used. The guiding research question is:

What, if any, are the conceptual changes in students who experience project-based learning through the use of the Smithsonian Invention Kits?

Theoretical Framework

Jean Piaget’s constructivist perspective on development and learning have been largely embraced by and influential on pedagogical methods. Its focus on the individual and their construction of knowledge aligns with the methods developed in this study. Moreover, constructivist approaches to instruction have shown promising resulting with respect to science instruction (Ekmekci & Gulacar, 2014).

Seymour Papert, a protégé of Piaget, developed a “learn-by-making” approach, constructionism, inspired by the constructivist perspective. Constructionism is based on constructivist theory, but emphasizes that learning happens when the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a concrete entity, working with a tangible object (Hayer & Papert, 1991). Papert was inspired by a soap-sculpture project in an art class he stumbled upon, noticing how students found a way to construct their own sculpture using the soap. He felt that the same idea could be applied to other subjects, such as math, and students could use math as a tool to construct their own creation, such as a computer-based game. Essentially, everything must be understood by being constructed. Papert jokes in his writing that constructionism cannot be defined since it would contradict its foundational construct (Hayer & Papert, 1991).

The research conducted draws upon constructionism as a framework for approaching difficult concepts in science, in particular, E&M. By providing a concrete experience, students not only build something, but use it as a tool to construct an electromechanical device. This enables students to develop their own understanding of the material in an authentic way that differs from direct instruction. In this study, students construct a solenoid and use to it to deflect a compass needle to learn about elementary concepts in electricity and magnetism.

Methods

This study provides a categorical analysis of student responses to an elementary question in E&M. Alternative ideas are categorized and compared to normative ideas. Likewise, pre and post assessment responses are categorized and compared to determine the impact of the hands-on instruction, and to what extent it addresses the challenging topic in E&M. The assessment consisted of seven long-answer response questions; however, this study looks at only one of the questions, which asks students to explain why a compass needle is deflected in the presence of a wire connected to a battery.

The American Innovations in an Age of Discovery initiative is a collaborative effort among the Smithsonian Institution, the Joseph Henry Center for Historical Reconstruction at Princeton, and the Laboratory School for Advanced Manufacturing. The goal of the initiative is to provide scaffolding that will allow students to reconstruct and fabricate key inventions that shaped the world, while teaching underlying scientific and engineering concepts. The main goals of this initiative are to: 1) foster the spirit of invention in American youth, 2) provide historically situated projects, and 3) support students in building a foundation of STEM principles (Bull, 2015).

Laboratory SchoolsJohn Dewey established the first laboratory school in 1896, founded in a collaboration between faculty at

the University of Chicago and local educators, students, and parents. Since then, approximately two dozen laboratory schools have been established in the United States. They are designed to serve as testing grounds for the development of effective educational practices.

In 2013, the Laboratory School for Advanced Manufacturing (Lab School) was established as a joint venture by the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education and School of Engineering and Applied Science in collaboration with the Charlottesville City Schools and the Albemarle County Public Schools (Bull, Haj-Hariri & Nelson, 2014). Model facilities for integration of emergent technologies into the K-12 curriculum were established

at Buford Middle School and Sutherland Middle School. In addition, a K-12 Design Laboratory was established to support this effort in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia. The goal of the Lab School is to identify and develop effective educational practices for use of advanced manufacturing technologies in K-12 schools (Bull, Haj-Hariri, Atkins, & Moran, 2015).

The Lab School explores integration of project-based learning and advanced manufacturing technologies into the curricula. Advanced manufacturing technologies offer students the opportunity to learn about curricula content through the experience of seeing their ideas realized in form of physical artifacts (Bull & Groves, 2009; Chiu, Bull, Berry, & Kjellstrom, 2012).Invention Kits

The Lab School is currently collaborating with the Smithsonian Institution of American History to tell the story of America’s history through the lens of invention. Twelve transformational inventions span the nation’s history from 1800 through 1960. These inventions include the electric motor, the telegraph, the telephone, the radio, and other key inventions that were inflection points in the nation’s history.

The Smithsonian Invention Kits are open source, digital resource packages which include 3D models of the inventions from the Smithsonian collections, instructional guides, historical primary and secondary sources, and support materials for teachers and students. The goal for the students is not to create an exact physical replica of inventions, but to reinterpret and reinvent a fully-functioning device using low-tech and advanced manufacturing technology. The ultimate objective is to inspire and inform a new generation of problem solvers and to underscore the power that fundamental science and engineering principles can bring to executing new ideas.

The materials are currently being developed on maketolearn.org. Once complete, they will be transferred onto the Smithsonian’s X 3D website (si.3d.edu). Each successive invention kit provides scaffolding and progressively builds from the others. The first unit, Solenoid Unit, allows students to rediscover electricity and magnetism, in the way in which Joseph Henry first discovered the concepts, and provides authentic activity.

SettingThe setting for this research will be two middle schools in a mid-Atlantic state. Buford Middle School

includes students in grades seven and eight and is the only middle school available in a small city. In 2015 the school enrolled 507 students and employed 45 classroom teachers. Just under 40% of the students are Caucasian, 37% are African American, 11% are Hispanic, 6% are Asian, and the remainder are of other ethnicities. Approximately 53% of Buford’s middle school students are eligible for free or reduced lunch (National Center for Education Statistics, 2014).

ParticipantsThe students selected to participate in this research were chosen through purposeful sampling (Patton,

2002). Students were chosen from a school which is implementing a project-based learning environment through the use of the Smithsonian Invention Kits. Data was collected from 95 students participating in an 8 th grade engineering class at Buford Middle School in the Charlottesville City Public School district. The Lab School worked closely with the engineering teacher, Brendan Martin, for 6 months on developing these hands-on projects that were piloted over the 2016 Spring semester.

Content AreaThe content area is 8th grade engineering, with a focus on electricity and magnetism. The data collected is

from a unit on learning how electricity generates a magnetic field through building a solenoid, a basic electromagnetic device used in everyday items. The scientific concept is Faraday’s law of induction, which states an electrical current flowing through a conductive wire will generate a magnetic field, and similarly, a moving magnetic field in the presence of a conductive wire will generate an electrical current. Elementary E&M properties are introduced: conductive, non-conductive (insulator), magnetic (ferrous), non-magnetic materials, current, and voltage.

Learning Faraday’s law of induction can easily turn into a college-level physics course. In order to not overload 8th grade students, the unit scaffolds this concept and addresses only elementary properties of Faraday’s law. The key concepts we are looking for students to learn about are:

1. An electrical current flowing through a conductive wire generates a magnetic field around the wire (electromagnet).

2. The direction of the electrical current determines the direction of the magnetic field (right-hand rule).3. Magnetic (Ferrous) materials are attracted to a magnetic field, and non-magnetic (non-ferrous) are not

attracted to a magnetic field.4. Permanent magnets repel matching poles and attract opposite poles of electromagnets (and other permanent

magnets).

TechnologyThe American Innovations in an Age of Discovery initiative uses a combination of platforms for delivering

instructional content and assessments. Currently, all the instructional content is delivered via the maketolearn.org/invention website. This website uses the modern HTML5 blend of technologies – HTML, CSS, JavaScript – to create the learning modules. A screenshot of the website is shown below in Figure 1.

Figure 1. An example of the online learning module.

Pre and post unit data is collected through an online assessment tool developed using Google’s form engine. Questions were developed as formative assessment items to provide insight on how effective the modules were, and so are specific to the solenoid unit. Below is a screenshot of the assessment form used in the study.

Figure 2 Google Form Assessment Question

Data SourcesThe data was collected from a pre and posttest assessment administered on Unit 1 (Solenoid) of the

invention kits. The complete assessment is located in Appendix B. The pre assessment was administered the day before the students started the solenoid unit, and the post assessment was administered immediately after the students completed the entire unit, about a span of two weeks. Both assessments were identical in their content and questions. Data was collected through Google’s form engine and stored in a google sheet. The data has been converted into an anonymous format that assigned a 4-digit code (e.g. 1201) to each student to avoid any bias and to maintain privacy for the students that participated in the study. Student responses that did not complete both pre and post assessments were removed. In total, there were 29 student responses left to analyze.

Data Analysis For analysis of the data, a panel of experts developed a rubric and code. The panel consisted of a math

professor, science professor, math teacher, a doctoral student studying Curriculum and Instruction with a bachelors in engineering, and a former math and science teacher. Each member of the panel coded the results individually and convened as a group to discuss their decisions. Consensus was reached between all members and in the rare instances where it could not be reached a note is added explaining why.

Results

Question 1. What is the best explanation of why the compass needle moved? Answer and Rubric.A1 - Current flowing through a wire creates a magnetic field that causes the compass needle to deflect.0 – Blank answer or does not demonstrate any conceptual understanding.1 – Answer incorporates concept of current or magnetic field in partiality2 – Answer appropriately incorporates concept of magnetic field3 – Good conceptual understanding with no incorrect ideas

PRE POST

27

11

2

18

No Understanding Conceptual Understanding

Question 2. How does reversing the positive and negative connections to the battery affect the deflection of the compass?Answer and Rubric.A2 - Reversing the battery terminal reverses the direction the current flows through the wire. This reverses the poles of the magnetic field created and deflects the compass needle in the opposite direction.0 – Blank answer or does not demonstrate any conceptual understanding.1 – Answer incorporates concept of reversing direction.

2 – Answer incorporates concept of reversing direction, and provides appropriate scientific reason.

PRE POST

18

7

11

22

No Understanding Conceptual Understanding

Question 3. Explain why coiling the wire results in a greater deflection of the compass needle.Answer and Rubric.A3 - Coiling the wire concentrates the magnetic field, creating a stronger magnetic force.0 – Blank answer or does not demonstrate any conceptual understanding.1 – Answer incorporates concept of coiled wire increasing strength. 2 – Answer appropriately incorporates concept of increased magnetic force.

PRE POST

25

8

4

21

No Understanding Conceptual Understanding

Question 4. What will happen to the iron rod when the circuit is switched on? Explain why.

Answer and Rubric.A4 - The iron rod will be attracted to the coil of wire when the circuit switched is turned on. This is because the coil of wire becomes an electromagnet when the circuit is switched on.0 – Blank answer or does not demonstrate any conceptual understanding.1 – Answer refers to the iron rod being attracted to the solenoid. 2 – Answer refers to the coil of wire becoming an electromagnet when the circuit is switched on.

PRE POST

26

8

3

21

No Understanding Conceptual Understanding

Question 5. What will happen in this scenario when the circuit is turned on?Answer and Rubric.A6 - The permanent magnet will be attracted to the coil of wire when the circuit is switched on. This is because the coil of wire becomes an electromagnet when the circuit is switched on and the north pole of the electromagnet attracts the south pole of the permanent magnet.0 – Blank answer or does not demonstrate any conceptual understanding.1 – Answer refers to the permanent magnet being attracted to the coil of wire when the circuit is switched on. 2 – Answer refers to the coil of wire becoming an electromagnet when the circuit is switched on and the north pole of the electromagnet attracts the south pole of the permanent magnet.

PRE POST

20

3

9

26

No Understanding Conceptual Understanding

Question 6. What will happen in this scenario when the circuit is turned on?Answer and Rubric.The permanent magnet will be repelled from the coil of wire when the circuit is switched on. This is because the coil of wire becomes an electromagnet when the circuit is switched on and the north pole of the electromagnet repels the north pole of the permanent magnet.0 – Blank answer or does not demonstrate any conceptual understanding.1 – Answer refers to the permanent magnet being repelled from the coil of wire when the circuit is switched on. 2 – Answer refers to the coil of wire becoming an electromagnet when the circuit is switched on and the north pole of the electromagnet repels the north pole of the permanent magnet.

PRE POST

22

4

7

25

No Understanding Conceptual Understanding

Discussion

Table 6 shows the results of the solenoid invention kit unit on E&M concepts. In general, among all concepts tested in the assessment, there was substantial improvement in demonstrating conceptual understanding. Seven percent of student did not have a conceptual understanding of the underlying concepts in question one on the pretest, this improved to 62%. In addition, 14% of students did not understand the concepts in question three (coiling the wire concentrates the magnetic field) in the pretest, however, this increased to 73% students demonstrating understanding in the posttest. After participating in the hands-on learning modules, and building the solenoid invention kit, students increased their conceptual understanding of E&M. This supports the constructionism framework, and provides insight to the research question in this paper.

Question IDEA PRE POST

1 Current flowing through a wire creates a magnetic field 2 18

2 Electromagnetic fields have poles that can be reversed by reversing the current 11 22

3 Coiling the wire concentrates the magnetic field 4 21

4 An electromagnetic will attract ferrous materials when switched on 3 29

5 An electromagnet interacts with a permanent magnet the same way two permanent magnets interact

9 26

6 7 25

Table 1. Conceptual Understanding

Limitations

There were several limitations in this study, some imposed by time limitations and the scope of this paper. This study used a small sample group of 38 students, all from the same city school. Future work should be conducted on a larger sample size, including students from various settings: rural, suburban, and urban school districts. A follow up study could compare the results from this particular study to a rural school in Pennsylvania that is collaborating with the Lab School. Furthermore, 7th grade student data was omitted from this study to simplify the analysis process. A follow up study could compare alternative ideas between 7 th and 8th grade students. Because of the limited sample size, it is difficult to conclude to what extent the hands-on intervention affected learning outcomes and addressed alternative ideas.

Finally, other variables such as classroom environment and student interactions with the activity should be considered to assess the hands-on nature of the project, and how they affect the results seen in this paper. For example, how students interacted with the battery could provide insight as to why so many students identified it as the source of the magnetic field. If the battery’s metal contacts were held above the compass needle, it is possible the magnetic field of the battery itself was perceived as deflecting the compass needle.

Implications

This study has provided valuable insight for the Lab School and Smithsonian invention kit initiative. The results of this study have shown value of hands-on learning modules to address electricity and magnetism, as well as shown where improvements to the curriculum need to be made. Based on the results, the diagrams and layout of the experiments have the battery close in proximity to the compass, which may have influenced students to identify it as the primary reason for the magnetic field. It is clear that more analysis is required to identify student understanding of the battery and the role that it plays in E&M. Pre to post assessment results indicated a 10% increase in responses attributing compass deflections to the battery, and was the most common explanation students had for the magnetic

field. Other parameters of the invention kit may also be changed based on these results, ultimately improving the quality of the invention kits.

A broader implication of this study is the design of hands-on instruction to scaffold challenging concepts in science and engineering. The results of this study show that student responses moved towards the normative after completing the solenoid unit. This authentic activity not only provides a more tangible way to address abstract concepts but engages students and facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of the concept. Student response became much more sophisticated after completion of the solenoid unit, usually consisting of several sentences in response to the question. This aligns with the theoretical framework that has guided this study. This study has also provided insight on how middle school students think about E&M concepts, by identifying a total of nine categories of responses. Most students understand that a magnetic field or force is acting upon the compass needle; however, there is not as much consensus when it comes to identifying how the magnetic field is created. It seems many students believe the battery is an important part of the process, but did not expand further on the fact that the battery generates electricity when connected to the wire.

Finally, the work of the Lab School is excited to be able to provide instructional kits that show promising results and are accessible to various classroom environments. Unlike some of the other Lab School invention kits, the solenoid unit requires very few resources to implement. Further assessment is required to determine how replicable this unit is across various teachers and classroom environments.

References

Başer, M., & Geban, Ö. (2007). Effect of instruction based on conceptual change activities on students’ understanding of static electricity concepts. Research in Science & Technological Education, 25(2), 243–267.

Bull, G. (2015). American Innovations in an Age of Discovery: The Story of a Nation through the Lens of Invention.

Chi, M. T. H. (2005). Commonsense conceptions of emergent processes: Why some misconceptions are robust. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 14(2), 161–199.

Ekmekci, A., & Gulacar, O. (2015). A case study for comparing the effectiveness of a computer simulation and a hands-on activity on learning electric circuits. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 11(5).

Fredette, N., & Lockhead, J. (1980). Student conceptions of simple circuits. The Physics Teacher, 18, 194-198.

Hayer, I., & Papert, S. (1991). Constructionism: Research Reports and Essays, 1985-1990. Ablex Publishing.

Piaget, J. (1964). Development and Learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2, 176-186.

Appendix A

Access complete solenoid unit: http://maketolearn.org/inventions/solenoid-lab1.html

Appendix B

Access complete assessment: http://goo.gl/forms/lmLfyxljsc

Appendix C

Coding Rubric A. Student identifies the reason why the compass needle moved as:

0. No reason or response provided, or does not know. 1. Magnetic field (magnetic force, electromagnet, magnet).2. Battery (energy from battery) 3. Electricity (current, circuit)4. Wire5. Energy (some other force)

B. Student identifies the source of the magnetic field (or force) as:0. No source or response provided, or does not know. 1. Electricity (current, circuit)2. Battery (energy from battery)3. Wire (solenoid, coil) 4. Compass Needle5. Energy (some other source)

C. Student demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between electricity and magnetism. 0. No relationship or response provided, or does not know. 1. Electricity (current, circuit) generates a magnetic field (magnetic force, electromagnet, magnet).