What Energy Ideas Matter for Future Learning?

Marcus Kubsch, Knut Neumann, Jeffrey Nordine, David Fortus, Joseph Krajcik

Abstract: In a rapidly changing world, the ability to transfer one’s knowledge is critical. Using the conceptualization of transfer as preparation for future learning, we investigated how students from two approaches to teaching energy that conceptualize energy differently, perform in a transfer task. We present first results that suggest that emphasizing energy ideas that are relevant across disciplines prepares students better for future learning than emphasizing those valued by the disciplinary tradition of physics.