Abstract:

This paper builds on our previous study of the use of LEGO Technic and computer simulations in physics education by introducing a new learning activity in which students design and construct their own experimental models. While in earlier implementations we relied on pre-assembled mechanisms, in the present approach, we focus on problem tasks that guide students from hypothesis formulation to model construction and validation. In the proposed tasks, students first formulate a simple physical hypothesis - for example, how wheel size affects the motion of a toy car on an inclined plane - and design a corresponding LEGO-based model to test it. They observe or measure the system’s behavior and compare their findings with results obtained from mathematical models or computer simulations. This process supports the transition from intuitive reasoning to formal physical explanation. We implemented the approach with approximately 20 undergraduate students. Data sources include student-designed models, measurement results, and written reflections. Initial findings suggest that students are better able to articulate relationships between physical variables and to compare experimental and theoretical models critically. In this paper, we present several task designs based on the proposed approach and discuss their potential for supporting model-based learning and conceptual understanding in introductory physics courses for non-physics majors.

Keywords:

Physics education, conceptual understanding, LEGO Technic, model-based learning, inquiry-based learning.