Abstract:

The role of physics lab courses in undergraduate curricula of science and engineering is extensively discussed. Specifically, the literature emphasizes the importance of enabling students to make decisions and truly experience the essence of experimental physics.
Experimental Physics 1 is an introductory lab course designed for students pursuing various engineering profiles consisting of seven sessions, each lasting three hours where students acquire knowledge and practical skills in data processing and analysis of results while actively engaging in physics experimental activities.
Over the past decade, this course has undergone a series of modifications aimed at optimizing class time and enhancing the utilization of the Moodle platform. As a part of these efforts, a collection of instructional videos was developed to provide students a comprehensive understanding of fundamental concepts in data analysis. These videos, accompanied by supplementary written materials, are intended for pre-class study. This is complemented with self-assessment questionnaires to support the preparation prior to the experimental activity to be carried out in each class, aligning with the flipped classroom methodology. However, the allocated class time was insufficient to encourage critical analysis and meaningful discussion, both before and after the practical activity, often resulting in a rigid adherence to cookbook-like procedure.
In the pandemic, the teaching team was faced with the challenge of reformulating the course so that it could be conducted at a distance, and it was decided to take advantage of all available resources and not to neglect the focus on the experiential activity. Hence, the experimental proposals were reformulated so that each student could carry them out with the materials available at home. Throughout this period the problem was no longer the limited time in class, but to support the students in the process of analysis of the physical model and its hypotheses as well as the experimental design and its limitations. In that way, important goals of the course such as creativity, decision making and critical thinking became more relevant.
In this work is detailed the instructional design of the course on Moodle and the experience developed during the first edition starting with pandemic blockout and the improved version the following year. Adaptations of the activities that allowed students to carry them out at home encouraging creativity and decision-making in the design of experimental set-up are also presented. Results of this new approach will be analyzed together with the students' opinions. Finally, the work also focuses on the pedagogical insight regarding the importance of generating spaces for analysis and discussion in the laboratory environment.

Keywords:

Experimental physics, critical thinking, pandemic.