FCI and Matter and Interactions

The July 2012 issue of the American Journal of Physics has an article that compares Force Concept Inventory (FCI) scores between a traditional section of introductory mechanics and one taught using the Matter and Interactions (M&I) textbook. The finding was that the post-test scores were higher for the traditional curriculum than for the M&I textbook, even though both were taught using similar interactive methods.

That finding mirrors what we have seen in our department. Three separate instructors have used the M&I text (1st edition once, 3rd edition twice), and all have had lower normalized gains than other sections taught that semester.

There is a lot of data there, but one instructor in particular has taught the introductory mechanics out of three different textbooks, using generally the same interactive techniques ("clicker" questions, group problem solving) with each text, and the results on the FCI with the M&I text were significantly lower.

As a department we made the change to M&I two years ago because we were seeing students coming in with more and more physics background. M&I provides the students with a different approach than they would have seen in high school, so it seemed less repetitious to our best prepared students. We also appreciated the introduction to computer modeling with VPython that is easily associated with M&I. In two more years, when the first batch of M&I students have made it through our entire curriculum, we will have to decide whether the seeming reduction in conceptual understanding (at least as measured by the FCI - and the CSEM for the E&M semester) is appropriately balanced by other M&I benefits (computer modeling, best prepared students remaining more engaged, etc.)