To use or no to use diagrams: The effect of drawing a diagram in solving introductory physics problems

TL;DR

This study investigates how drawing diagrams influences problem-solving success in introductory physics, showing that students who draw detailed, expert-like diagrams perform better on electric field and force problems.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence that explicit instruction to draw detailed diagrams improves problem-solving performance in physics students.

Findings

Students who draw expert-like diagrams perform better.

More detailed diagrams correlate with higher scores.

Explicit diagram instruction enhances problem-solving success.

Abstract

Drawing appropriate diagrams is a useful problem solving heuristic that can transform a give problem into a representation that is easier to exploit for solving it. A major focus while helping introductory physics students learn problem solving is to help them appreciate that drawing a diagram facilitates problem solution. We conducted an investigation in which 111 students in an algebra-based introductory physics course were subjected to two different interventions during recitation quizzes throughout the semester. They were either (1) asked to solve problems in which the diagrams were drawn for them or (2) explicitly told to draw a diagram. A comparison group was not given any instruction regarding diagrams. We developed a rubric to score the problem-solving performance of students in different intervention groups. We investigated two problems involving electric field and electric force and found that students who draw expert-like diagrams are more successful problem solvers and that a higher level of detail in a student's diagram corresponds to a better score.