A Multi-level Diffusion Unit: Connecting Submicro- and Macro-levels with Computational, Graphical, and Mathematical Representations

This paper describes an undergraduate unit for teaching diffusion as an emergent phenomenon using computational models. Previous research has shown that students have difficulties in understanding the role of randomness in diffusion and the connection between the micro- and macro- level properties. Analysis of learning outcomes from the first version of this curriculum showed that the computational representations helped students understand the random-walk behavior underlying diffusion, but students still struggled to connect this understanding to the macro-level relationships encoded in Fick's laws. This paper describes the revised curriculum that was developed to address this conceptual gap. Future work will analyze learning outcomes of students using this revised curriculum.