Development of computational skills using computer trainers in physics

The paper is devoted to the problem of developing computational skills necessary for solving computational problems in physics. The problem is especially relevant for participants in the state final certification in physics, balancing on the verge of the minimum score. The source of the problem leading to insufficient development of computational skills in students is identified: starting from the 7th grade, little attention is paid to computational work. The results of testing computer simulators created by the author are presented. The testing took place on students of preparatory courses for the state certification in physics. The simulator “Formulas in Physics” develops the skill of finding unknown physical quantities. Its substantive basis is physics formulas that must be remembered for successful passing of the state final certification. 92 such formulas were selected. There are formulas for the solution of which one action is required. For example, Newton’s Second Law. There are formulas for the solution of which three or more actions are required. For example, the formula of a thin lens. The student sequentially finds each physical quantity included in the formula, based on the known others. In case of an error, it is recommended to repeat the exercise. The problem of computational errors remains when solving equations in three or more steps for students with insufficient working memory, while the probability of errors decreases to 10 %. There are about 6–13 % of such students. The “Rounding Numbers” trainer develops the skill of rounding the obtained result to the required digit. During testing, the trainer was changed: a reminder of the rounding rules was added for each error, which increased its effectiveness: students began to master this computational skill faster.

computational skills, solving physics problems, computer trainers, working memory