Instructors of the large introductory calculus-level physics course, used in the first survey of student attitudes (Ginsberg & Panasuk, 1998), restricted student access to solutions to textbo ok problems according to standard practice. That is, solutions to specific problems, assigned weekly for homework and classroom discussion, were placed on library reserve after student's papers were collected for grading. However, during the final two wee ks of classes, instructors felt there was insufficient lead time to introduce the material in the last three chapters covered, while allowing for subsequent homework and classroom discussion, so this practice was abandoned. Instead, copies of the solution s to all of the textbook problems for these chapters were placed on library reserve. The only significant restriction on the use of the solutions was the demand on student time necessary for a library trip and check-out of reserve material. A follow-up su rvey was conducted to assess student reaction to the altered circumstances for access to problem solutions. We report the results in this paper. As stated in our previous paper, these student reactions relate to various aspects of college-level education for adult learners, such as learner control (Hiemstra & Sisco, 1990), self-direction (Candy, 1991), participation (Galbraith, 1990), and self-confidence (Usher, 1986).

The short follow-up survey instrument contained two multiple-choice, one open-ended, and three Likert-scale questions specifically related to student use of the solutions to problems in the three chapters covered during the last two weeks of the course. T wo additional Likert-scale questions, one related to the standard access allowed earlier in the course, and one to unrestricted access in general, were included to verify attitudes sampled by the first survey instrument (Ginsberg & Panasuk, 1998). The com plete questionnaire is reproduced in the Appendix.

The follow-up survey was administered at the last scheduled lecture of the semester. We collected 128 questionnaires, representing the surviving class attendance of roughly a third of the total enrollment of approximately 375. Of the number surveyed, 35 r espondents, or 27%, reported (in Question 1) never using the available solutions. Therefore, their answers to the questions specifically related to usage during the final two weeks (Questions 2, 3, 5 - 7) are probably not significant. In passing, it may b e noted that this percentage is lower than the 38% who reported never using the solutions on the first survey earlier in the course (Ginsberg & Panasuk, 1998). Data was tabulated both with and without this subset of non-users. In addition, about 82 respon dents participated in both the first and follow-up surveys, as indicated by the truncated student ID numbers written on the questionnaires (there were a few duplicate ID numbers on each survey), so that a comparison of data between surveys is possible for this subset. For example, 21 students, identifiable on the first survey as non-users of the available solutions, had become users by the time of the follow-up survey.

The number of responses to the multiple-choice answers in Questions 1 and 2, and the number of responses to Question 3, are indicated in curly brackets on the survey instrument in the Appendix. The number following the slash, for Questions 2 and 3, is the number of responses excluding the never-used subset from Question 1. The results from Questions 1 show that 73% of the respondent sample made the effort to check-out the solutions from library reserve at least occasionally during the final two weeks of t he course, when access to all the solutions for problems in three chapters was otherwise unrestricted. Nearly 44% used the solutions, in one way or another, for half or more of the problems studied. These percentages may be compared to the 62% at least oc casional users, and 30% half or more users recorded in the first survey (Ginsberg & Panasuk, 1998), when access to solutions to only the assigned problems was restricted until after the collection of the homework and quizzes. Another way to characterize t he frequency of usage data is to report the percentage in the occaisional and never categories. This is 56% during the final two weeks compared to 70% earlier in the course. Results from Question 2 show that among the user subset, 71% consulted the soluti ons to get help when stuck doing a problem, 68% to check work afterwards, 24% to get started, and 11% to explore problems beyond those assigned. There were too many uncontrolled variables in this survey to permit drawing any definitive conclusions from th ese percentages, but an increased level of student engagement with homework problems, attendant upon the freer mode of access to solutions, is indicated.

The high percentage of respondents in the user subset who circled the second multiple-choice response in Question 2 (71%) is consistent with the written responses to Question 3, an open-ended question specifically addressing student's attitude towards the relative freedom of access to problem solutions for the last three chapters covered in the course. Slightly more than two thirds of respondents in the user subset answered this question, and a few of those who didn't, included equivalent information in c omments elsewhere on the instrument. Also, some of the non-user subset of respondents wrote answers to this question, which we treated as general comments, suggesting why they chose not to utilize the problem solutions. A clear majority of the written res ponses (48 out of 63) indicated some degree of positive attitude derived from freer access to the solutions to the last three homework assignments. The remaining 15 out of 63 responses were not contrary, but dealt with other aspects variously related to t he question.

Student responses mentioned one or more of the following perceived benefits: having the solutions available while actively working on a problem helped them to learn more, to better understand the concepts involved, to work more thoroughly and productively on a greater number of assigned problems, with less wasted time and frustration, and to feel more confident, self-reliant, and better prepared for classes and quizzes. These responses reflect several aspects of learner self-direction, such as: a willingn ess and capacity to manage one's own learning in an environment allowing some effective control and personal autonomy by the learner (Tennant & Pogson, 1995); an occasion for students to think about their own learning, and to discover how they learn best (Usher, 1986); the opportunity for students to select an effective learning strategy from among alternatives (Candy, 1991). The following paragraph of excerpts illustrates these student sentiments.

(Authors note: Numbers in brackets locate the source of a quotation in the database used in this research).

Table 1 displays the number of responses to the Likert-scale questions, for each point on the scale, from the entire sample of questionnaires, and from just the subset of users of the solutions during the last two weeks of the course. The average Likert-s cale variable is also shown. The percent response distributions are plotted in Figure 1, using the entire sample for Questions 4 and 8, but just the user subset for Questions 5 - 7. Inclusion of the non-user subset in the distributions for Questions 4 and 8 makes little difference in the percentages, since these questions address attitudes which changed little from those probed by the first survey (Ginsberg & Panasuk, 1998). (Compare response distributions for Questions 4 and 8 from this follow-up survey with Questions 5 and 9 from the first survey.) Inclusion of the non-user subset in the analysis of Questions 5 - 7 does not affect our qualitative interpretations, but does lessen the impact of the numerical differences in the response distributions, sinc e the varied access to solutions available at different times during the course was irrelevant for non-users.

Questions 4 and 5 directly compare student attitudes toward the standard practice of restricting problem solutions, in effect throughout most of the semester, with their attitudes toward the final two weeks of relatively free access to the solutions for p roblems in three chapters. The preference for freer over restricted access is unmistakable. Among the user subset, for example, there was 67% agreement to 9% disagreement for Question 5, whereas only 24% to 45% for Question 4. The reasons students give fo r this preference are probably the same as the perceived benefits mentioned above in the summary of their responses to Question 3. Those comments indicate that the availability of solutions, while students are actively engaged in learning through problem solving, provides them with immediate guidance or confirmation for understanding the concepts and methods involved. Students also believe that they have more control and flexibility in scheduling time for learning, are able to use their time more efficien tly, experience less frustration, feel more self-confident, and are better prepared for classes and exams.

Questions 6 and 7 queried the effect of access to solutions on the number of problems students studied. Among the user subset, there was 44% agreement to 18% disagreement for Question 6. Evidently, having solutions available allowed students to contemplat e a greater number of their assigned problems. This is consistent with responses to Question 3, which suggested that freer access to solutions promoted more productive use of study time. For Question 7, however, there was 21% agreement to 55% disagreement , that is, only a minority of students took the time to explore additional problems which were not assigned. (The size of this minority, compared to the number of students who circled the fourth multiple-choice response in Question 2, which gives similar information, may only reflect the difference in the type of question.) We hesitate to speculate on the full significance of these figures, without knowing the corresponding data for the time period when access to solutions to unassigned problems was denie d, but 10 to 20% of active students doing extra work isn't bad.

Question 8, essentially the same as Question 9 on the first survey instrument (Ginsberg & Panasuk, 1998), addressed students' attitude toward totally unrestricted access to problem solutions. The result was the same, an overwhelming majority in favor of u nrestricted access, 80% agreement to 10% disagreement, in either the entire sample or the user subset. Evidently, the desire of students to exercise freedom and responsibility themselves, in managing their own learning processes, did not change.

About 30% of the respondent sample used the space provided in the survey instrument for general comments, and as noted above, a few general comments were included in answers to some of the questions. Most of these remarks reinforce attitudes already menti oned in connection with specific questions, but some raised other interesting issues. Thus, the largest fraction of comments (over 60%) reiterate the majority response to Question 8. Some (about 20%), particularly among the non-user subset, noted that the time expenditure required for trips to and from the Science and Engineering library was a hardship, or didn't fit into busy schedules. A few (less than 10%) expressed attitudes like those reported on our survey of physics instructors (Ginsberg et al., 1 997).

For example:

We thank William Skocpol and his colleagues at Boston University for the opportunity to conduct this survey, and, of course, the Physics 211 students who participated. We are also grateful to Brian Clarridge, from the Center for Survey Research at UMass B oston, for advice on formulating the survey instrument.

BU SOLUTION MANUAL FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONNAIRE - SPR.'96
( (XX) include number of student responses)

Please Read: This questionnaire is designed to gather information about how best to provide you with access to the solutions to problems in your textbook. Your answers and comments are important for this project. Thanks for responding.

Enter the last four digits of your student number: __ __ __ __
(This questionnaire is strictly confidential and will not affect course grades in any way. Some identification is necessary only for correlation of results with other statistical data.)

Instructions: Please answer the following questions both by circling the most appropriate numbered response, and by writing answers and comments in the spaces provided.

1. During the last two weeks, how frequently did you consult the solution to a problem in chapters 15, 16, and 9 (or a xerox copy thereof) on reserve in the library?

a. for almost every problem you studied  (15)
b. for a majority of those problems  (21)
c. for about half of the problems  (20)
d. for an occasional problem  (37)
d. never  (35)

2. During the last two weeks, how have you used these solutions?

a. to get started in doing a problem  (23/22)
b. to get help when stuck doing a problem  (67/66)
c. to check method or answer after doing a problem  (65/63)
d. to explore a problem that was not assigned  (10/10)
e. Other __________________________________________

3. Please describe any change in your approach to, or the outcome from, studying problems in chapters 15, 16, and 9 during the last two weeks, compared to earlier in the course (for example, as a result of the change in scope and availability of the solut ions).

{Please answer the questions on the other side of this page)

Instructions continued: Please indicate disagreement or agreement with the statements below, on a scale where
1 = completely disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree, and 5 = completely agree.

4. The way the solutions to only the assigned problems were made available earlier in the semester is about right for my way of learning the concepts behind the problems.

1 2 3 4 5

5. The way the solutions to all the problems in chapters 15, 16, and 9 were made available during the last two weeks is about right for my way of learning the concepts behind the problems.

1 2 3 4 5

6. During the last two weeks, I studied a relatively greater number of the assigned homework problems from chapters 15, 16, and 9, than from chapters covered earlier.

1 2 3 4 5

7. During the last two weeks, I studied a relatively greater number of problems from chapters 15, 16, and 9, which were not assigned than from chapters covered earlier.

1 2 3 4 5

8. I could learn better if I owned my own copy of the complete solution manual to all the problems in the textbook, which I could use whenever and however I wished.

1 2 3 4 5

Comments:(Use the space below to record further thoughts about the subject of this questionnaire.)









Did you follow the instructions and complete all of the questions on both sides of this page? Thanks for your cooperation.

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