Active learning exercises in introductory mechanics: results of a two-year study

This paper reports the results of an assessment of an in-class active learning exercise in introductory physics courses. The assessment was conducted to explore conceptual issues in student understanding of Newton's Laws. The goal of this paper is to explore common misconceptions and student difficulties in mechanics across a wide range of student abilities and backgrounds. Students were made to work, individually and in groups, on an in-class assignment that was specifically designed for this purpose. A preliminary study was published earlier. The in-class active learning exercise was modified, based on the results from this study. We present a comparison of the results from both years. We found that the method students used to solve the assignment differed depending on the version of the exercise provided