Conveners
W4-6 Lab Revitalization (DPE) | Revitalisation de laboratoires (DEP)
- Darla Ahrensmeier (Simon Fraser University)
As part of a larger goal in revamping the physics undergraduate laboratory curriculum at Queen’s University, we have started implementing small changes to some lab courses and are measuring their effects to guide further transformation. For our second-year physics lab course, we have transformed an experiment previously given with a set procedure into an activity where students design the lab....
In a multi-year study at the University of British Columbia, first year physics labs are used primarily to teach students about the tools used to analyze and interpret data. Within this context, we have developed a simple form of scaffolding that dramatically enhances the quality of student reasoning. Students are asked to make comparisons after completing some measurements, to reflect on the...
Designing and improving laboratories, particularly at the advanced level, is critical for preparing physics major students for professional work or graduate school. Planning a laboratory curriculum has to follow a vision for the new generation of graduates that establishes a set of learning outcomes for deeper understanding and student engagement. Selecting effective experiments that create...
The talk is devoted to one of the most challenging parts of the physics laboratory curriculum: data analysis and uncertainty calculation. We expect students to know a lot about their experiment data analysis starting their first lab session in their 1st-year physics course, while the students have zero background in this area. Recommended readings are very little helpful. Instead of evaluating...
