Modeling theory applied: Modeling Instruction in introductory physics

Abstract

Modeling Instruction is a pedagogical approach which has been widely and successfully employed in high school physics instruction but is not commonly used at the university level. The goal of this paper is to describe the nature of Modeling Instruction at the university level and to clarify the role of models in physics instruction. A university physics class is described as it progresses through a typical modeling cycle, Introduction and Representation, Coordination of Representations, Abstraction and Generalization, and Application and Refinement. The benefits of modeling instruction are discussed.