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A six-week noncalculus-based introductory course was designed and taught with the intention of promoting students’ conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Primary emphasis was placed on (1) laboratories structured to induce Socratic dialogue; (2) lectures stressing a qualitative approach to problem solving, and contrasting Newtonian and students’ non-Newtonian concepts of motion; (3) videotapes from The Mechanical Universe series. That the course was effective in promoting student crossover to the Newtonian world was suggested by student performance on pre- and post-course mechanics exams.
R. R. Hake (Thu,) studied this question.