Related Experiment Videos
Development and evaluation of a biomechanics concept inventory
Duane Knudson1, Guillermo Noffal, Jeff Bauer
1California State University-Chico, USA.
Sports Biomechanics
|January 24, 2004
Summary
A new Biomechanics Concept Inventory (BCI) effectively measures student learning in introductory biomechanics. The standardized test demonstrated reliability and identified significant learning gains after instruction.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics Education
- Pedagogical Assessment
- STEM Learning
Background:
- Evaluating innovations in biomechanics instruction requires standardized assessment tools.
- Existing methods may not adequately capture student understanding of core biomechanics concepts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Biomechanics Concept Inventory (BCI) for assessing student comprehension of introductory biomechanics.
- To provide instructors with a reliable tool for evaluating pedagogical strategies.
Main Methods:
- Developed the Biomechanics Concept Inventory (BCI) with 24 questions covering prerequisite and biomechanics competencies.
- Administered the BCI to 367 students across ten U.S. universities at the beginning and end of an introductory biomechanics course.
- Analyzed test-retest reliability and internal consistency on a sub-sample.
Main Results:
- The BCI demonstrated good reliability (typical errors of 1.4-2.0 questions).
- Student scores significantly improved from pre-test (8.5 +/- 2.0) to post-test (10.5 +/- 3.2, p < 0.0001).
- A mean normalized gain of 13.0% was observed, comparable to traditional physics instruction.
Conclusions:
- The Biomechanics Concept Inventory (BCI) is a reliable and effective tool for evaluating student learning in introductory biomechanics.
- The BCI can assess the impact of pedagogical strategies on student mastery of biomechanical concepts.