Briefly describes the first Astronomy Olympiad in Israel. Presents an example of deliberately planting errors in a scientific article in order to assess contestants' knowledge and their ability to confront familiar material presented in a nontraditional format. (JRH)

Compared is the mass of a dozen eggs with the mass of air in an empty refrigerator. An answer and reasons for the answer are provided. (YP)

Discusses strategies to construct multiple-choice exams such that they can offer insight into the thought processes of the physics student. Discusses test evaluation basics and some writing hints. (JRH)

Presents the Vector Knowledge Test that was designed to see if beginning physics students possess the minimal basic knowledge of vectors that will allow them to proceed with a study of Newtonian mechanics. Concludes that only one-third of the students in a calculus-based introductory course at California Polytechnic had sufficient vector…

Describes the rationale, benefits, drawbacks, logistics, and student opinions regarding the idea of giving a two-minute quiz every lecture as a teaching reform that makes incremental changes, within the framework of the traditional lecture, in the direction of active learning. (JRH)

Discusses issues related to examination questions which begin by asking students to "Describe an experiment to..." Indicates that this strategy is useful when focusing on important quantities/phenomena or "celebrated" experiments and that examining boards should not request students to describe experiments which verify or…

Derives the current in the wire joining two points when n points are joined two by two by wires of equal resistance, and two of them are connected to the electrodes of a battery of electromotive force E and resistance R. (YP)

The misconceptions related to the concepts of force and acceleration among college students are explored. Misconceptions are identified and their occurrence among a large percentage of students are observed. Provided are some implications for physics teaching and an eight-item test. (Author/YP)

Describes the use of a laboratory-based exam in mechanics that makes students use metersticks, stopwatches, and spring scales to examine physical situations, make some calculations to predict what will happen, and then test their predictions. Includes a description of the lab stations for the actual exam. (JRH)

Describes a group-based mastery learning program emphasizing mandatory passing of an examination at the end of each unit. A student has four chances to earn a grade of 85 percent on each examination. Reports results for three semesters and includes evaluations from students and the instructor. Eight references are listed. (YP)

Four questions related to rain concerning aerodynamic drag force, pressure from the impact of raindrops, impact of wind on the pressure, and stopping force extended on the car by the water are proposed. (YP)

This document outlines the use of machine-scorable open-ended questions for the evaluation of Physics 30 in Alberta. Contents included are: (1) an introduction to the questions; (2) sample instruction sheet; (3) thirty sample items from the complete course; (4) item information including an answer key, difficulty, and source of each item; (5)…

Discusses: (1) the place of physics in the 11-16 curriculum; (2) the content of physics courses; (3) physics examinations; (4) Manpower Services Commission (MSC) involvement; and (5) resources and staffing concerns. Indicates that there are difficulties in recruiting/retaining adequate physics teachers and that there are inadequate physics…

Presents a collection of suggestions, ideas, and reminiscences relating the first-day classroom activities of 13 different teachers at high schools and colleges. (YP)

Describes a performance assessment protocol that rates six goals: (1) methodology of research, (2) use of equipment, (3) accuracy in measurement, (4) application of concepts and formulas, (5) use of mathematics, and (6) completeness and clarity. Provides an example performance task evaluation sheet. (MVL)