PE-CAP: Redesigning Legacy Conceptual Inventories: Partnering with Introductory Physics Instructors to Develop Equitable and Flexible Assessments for Kinematics and Dynamics

Commonly used instruments like the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) have significant advanced Physics Education Research (PER). However, these assessments have revealed flaws, including psychometric issues that undermine their reliability and validity, as well as demographic biases affecting underrepresented student populations. To better align with modern teaching practices and the diverse backgrounds of students, it is crucial to redesign these tools. This collaborative effort aims to create a library of validated items organized into subscales, allowing instructors to customize assessments to meet their classroom needs.

In this talk, we will present the goals and progress of our NSF-funded project, which focuses on creating a new assessment tool, the Kinematics and Dynamics Assessment (KDA), through a community-based approach. We will share preliminary data from instructors across the country, highlighting current assessment practices and emphasizing the importance of community feedback. Our data provides insights into developing formal assessment tools in addition to individual strategies to gauge real-time class understanding. Additionally, there’s a focus on using these introductory classes to build professional skills through assessments and course design. We invite introductory physics instructors to actively participate in this study, sharing their insights and experiences to ensure the development of an equitable and flexible assessment tool. Engaging a diverse group of educators will be essential in enhancing physics education for all students.

Acknowledgement- This work is supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-2235518, DUE-2235595, and DUE-2235681).