  We discuss the development and validation of a conceptual multiple-choice
survey instrument called the Survey of Thermodynamic Processes and First and
Second Laws (STPFaSL) suitable for introductory physics courses. The survey
instrument uses common student difficulties with these concepts as resources in
that the incorrect answers to the multiple-choice questions were guided by
them. After the development and validation of the survey instrument, the final
version was administered at six different institutions. It was administered to
introductory physics students in various traditionally taught calculus-based
and algebra-based classes in paper-pencil format before and after traditional
lecture-based instruction in relevant concepts. We also administered the survey
instrument to upper-level undergraduates majoring in physics and Ph.D. students
for bench marking and for content validity and compared their performance with
those of introductory students for whom the survey is intended. We find that
although the survey instrument focuses on thermodynamics concepts covered in
introductory courses, it is challenging even for advanced students. A
comparison with the base line data on the validated survey instrument presented
here can help instructors evaluate the effectiveness of innovative pedagogies
designed to help students develop a solid grasp of these concepts.
