Physics (13). The proposal addresses a specific problem at two-year colleges through the use of an innovative technological solution created by a Physics Education Research (PER) team at a major research university. It implements a technologically advanced on-line tutoring system while simultaneously documenting its effects on two-year college engineering and science students. It has three objectives: (1) improve students' conceptual understanding of physics by providing them with an online tutoring system, TYCHO, (2) increase the knowledge base of the physics education research community by documenting the effect of the TYCHO system on students at a two year college, and (3) provide additional organization and structure to the TYCHO system for use by other colleges and universities. TYCHO's success has been documented in use at the four-year university, but its use at a two-year college allows for testing a significantly different student population both in terms of academic preparation for post-secondary education and economic status. An external group will evaluate both quantitative student results from a standardized conceptual examination and qualitative student feedback on the course evaluation form. The outcomes are to increase student test scores, disseminate results via publications and presentations at professional meetings, and create a user-friendly system for other institutions.
