Re: Computer Interfaces in the Physics Lab

[Ludwik Kowalski <KowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>]

John Gastineau, and those he quoted (Sokoloff, Thornton,
Laws, and Beichner) do the best they can to demonstrate
how good computer-based labs can be. But what is needed
now is a comparison of new methods of teaching with the
old methods. A dedicated good teacher will outperform
bad teachers by any method.

Is there a convincing evidence (from our Physics Education
Research groups, or from anybody else) that under identical
and realistic conditions computer-based labs are more effective
than traditional labs in physics? I never saw one.
Ludwik Kowalski

John Gastineau wrote:

> It seems we have collectively addressed this topic every six or eight months
> for as long as I've been a part of phys-l--and that means 12 or 14 years.
>
> I want to raise some larger issues before this discussion goes too far.
>
> 1. This topic is well covered in the literature. There is very strong
> evidence for the effectiveness of computer data collection; consult most
> anything written in the last ten years by Sokoloff, Thornton, Laws, or
> Beichner. Without considering educational experiments, we are only
> throwing around opinions that are often not well founded.
>
> 1a. We must guard against what I like to call the
> "My-opinion-is-better-than-your-research" dismissal of educational
> experiments. This is a popular technique of both extreme conservatives
> and extreme liberals. ....