TEACHING LABORATORY-BASED PHYSICS CLASSES

We would like to share our experience in low-tech lab based physics teaching in introductory level, calculus and algebra based physics courses. All introductory level physics courses have required lab components that go parallel with the lecture. However, the experiments in the labs are performed using high-tech lab equipment and the data collection is done by computers. Students quickly complete these labs, analyze and report data, however, they don’t necessarily connect the labs to lecture or seem to understand underlying physics concepts.

We use less expensive raw materials to design experiments to help our students understand difficult physics principals. We encourage them to think “outside the box” and connect physics concepts and principals with experimental outcomes. We have designed our weekly quiz problems in such a way so that students design simple experiments using the raw materials, collect and report data manually. Quiz sessions are limited only for 30 minutes. Students are working in groups of five or six. Members in the group has a specific role and which changes weekly. With this exercise, students would learn to think independently; connect data with class material and successfully complete their labs. Beyond technical abilities, low-tech and reformed laboratory based lectures improve teamwork and communication skills. Most importantly, students turned into active participants in the classroom rather than passive listeners.