The Physics Measurement Questionnaire (PMQ) is a survey that measures student reasoning about measurement uncertainty at the intro physics level. It was developed over a decade ago by Prof. Saalih Allie et al. at the University of Cape Town, ZA. The survey concerns an experiment in which a ball rolls down a ramp and then flies through the air in free-fall before landing some horizontal distance away from where it started.
We are currently developing a new research-based assessment instrument called the Survey of Physics Reasoning on Uncertainty Concepts in Experiments (SPRUCE). We are doing this in partnership with Prof. Rachel Henderson and Prof. Marcos D. Caballero at Michigan State University (see here). SPRUCE will measure student learning connected to measurement uncertainty at the intro undergraduate level in the context of experimental physics.
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Measurement uncertainty is a common learning goal in physics lab courses, especially at the introductory level. It acts as a fundamental aspect of many important laboratory skills, including designing and making measurements, analyzing and visualizing data, and experimental modeling.
Physics Frontiers Centers (PFCs)
The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) program supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group of individuals can enable transformational advances in the most promising research areas. The program is designed to foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics by providing needed resources such as combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups, in an environment in which the collective efforts of the larger group can be shown to be seminal to promoting significant progress in the science and the education of students. PFCs also include creative, substantive activities aimed at enhancing education, broadening participation of traditionally underrepresented groups, and outreach to the scientific community and general public. Read more about this program at the NSF website.
