Preliminary findings in computer supported collaborative learning in physics

The `computer supported collaborative learning in physics´ study is a joint project. The main aim is to develop computer software which supports collaborative learning between pairs of students solving physics problems. However, it is not feasible at such an early stage in the project to tackle collaborative learning, software development and physics learning in the same depth simultaneously. Therefore, a pilot project was undertaken to obtain some baseline data about physics learners in school to ascertain what age group is most appropriate. This pilot study was designed to collect some basic information about the level of physics knowledge of kinematics and was conducted with lower-sixth form pupils at a large campus-based comprehensive school. In particular, the authors wanted to establish how familiar pupils were with the formal equations governing the conservation of momentum and energy in elastic collisions. They present preliminary observations from this pilot study, and emphasise that this is work in progress