How much have students learned? Research-based teaching on electrical capacitance

We examine the pedagogical suitability of introducing a teaching sequence for the concept of electrical capacitance within the context of charging a body. This short sequence targets first year university students and was designed following students’ common conceptions on this topic. The evaluation is made by comparing the results with a control group using written questionnaires. The results show that the elements within the sequence help students to establish a connection between the movement of charges (microframe) and the energetic analysis of the system (macroframe).