Generating Coupled Multiple Response Questions to Assess Student Understanding of Newton’s Second Law

It is difficult to get at the root of a student's misunderstanding with a multiple-choice question, but more effective free response questions take significantly longer to process. In coupled multiple response questions (CMRs), students select an answer they believe to be correct to a multiple-choice question; then, in a follow-up question paired to their initial response, students select a reason why they believe that to be the correct answer. In this way, students can then be directed to interventions that are aimed at their specific misconceptions. It is important that the choices in the follow-up question are authentic distractors such that they pin-point particular student alternate conceptions. In this paper, we describe our efforts to create CMR tests to prepare for the pulley inquiry-based learning activity (IBLA) to assess student understanding of Newton's Second Law. We will be analyzing answers provided by undergraduate Dynamics students to free response questions given prior to participating in this IBLA. We plan to identify reasoning patterns through an in vivo coding process using the qualitative research software Dedoose. These reasoning patterns result in the development of answers for the pulley activity's CMR that connotate varying level of understanding such that the instructor can identify the source of the misconception and plan their classroom activities accordingly. Developed answers can then be vetted through other experts and professionals based on their current understanding of student misconceptions. This process can be used by instructors for the development of further online activities and adaptive learning modules. The CMRs will be formed in winter and tested on students in an undergraduate Dynamic class.