A microcomputer‐based diagnostic system for identifying students’ conception of heat and temperature

This paper presents a microcomputer‐based diagnostic system (MBDS), designed for identifying students’ conceptions in the domain of heat and temperature. The MBDS consists of three major parts: the input unit, the rule‐base and the students’ knowledge profile. These parts are described and illustrated. In addition, the four phases of developing the MBDS‐‐the preliminary empirical study, the construction of the rule‐base, the production of the system, and its evaluation‐‐are briefly described.