Hands-on and minds-on modeling activities to improve students' conceptions of microscopic friction

In this paper we discuss the development and validation of hands-on and minds-on modeling activities geared towards improving students' understanding of microscopic friction. We will also present our investigation on the relative effectiveness of the use of the developed instructional material with two lecture formats - traditional and videotaped lectures. Results imply that through a series of carefully designed hands-on and minds-on modeling activities, it is possible to facilitate the refinement of students' ideas of microscopic friction.