Design guidelines for adapting scientific research articles: An example from an introductory level, interdisciplinary program on soft matter

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Abstract

We present design guidelines for using Adapted Primary Literature (APL) as part of current interdisciplinary topics to introductory physics students. APL is a text genre that allows students to comprehend a scientific article, while maintaining the core features of the communication among scientists, thus representing an authentic scientific discourse. We describe the adaptation of a research paper by Nobel Laureate Paul Flory on phase equilibrium in polymer-solvent mixtures that was presented to high school students in a project-based unit on soft matter. The adaptation followed two design strategies: A) Making explicit the interplay between the theory and experiment. b) Re-structuring the text to map the theory onto the students' prior knowledge. Specifically, we map the theory of polymer-solvent systems onto a model for binary mixtures of small molecules of equal size that was already studied in class.

Original languageAmerican English
Title of host publication2012 Physics Education Research Conference
EditorsN. Sanjay Rebello, Paula V. Engelhardt, Alice D. Churukian
Pages23-26
Number of pages4
ISBN (Electronic)9780735411340
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2013
Externally publishedYes
Event2012 Physics Education Research Conference, PERC 2012 - Philadelphia, United States
Duration: 1 Aug 20122 Aug 2012

Publication series

NameAIP Conference Proceedings
Volume1513

Conference

Conference2012 Physics Education Research Conference, PERC 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPhiladelphia
Period1/08/122/08/12

Keywords

  • APL
  • NOS.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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