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Re: Computer Interfaces in the Physics Lab



-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators
[mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu]On Behalf Of Ludwik Kowalski
Sent: Saturday, September 02, 2000 3:06 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Computer Interfaces in the Physics Lab

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.

Sure. Bob Beichner of NCSU has given a number of talks about his work with
the SCALE-UP class there. At one point he was in a position of teaching one
section of traditional physics, doing the best he could in that format, and
also another section where he was free to use all the new teaching tools he
could, including MBL. The students in his traditional class didn't do nearly
as well as his research-based class by multiple measures. Was it the MBL
that made the difference? In his case there were other differences. But in
the original Thornton/Sokoloff studies, the computer was the only
difference.

I think that really all of the papers on the effectiveness of MBL, or
interactive engagement classes in general, answer your question. Yes, a
gifted teacher will do better regardless of the situation, but the research
studies compare students doing (insert method here) to traditional classes
with traditional labs.

Hmm. I just wrote something that is just flat out wrong. I wrote "a gifted
teacher will do better... " That isn't true, as shown by the Hestenes papers
of March 92 in TPT. Even teachers who get rave reviews and win teaching
awards don't do very well at all if all they do is lecture. (And one
presumes that those students also had traditional labs as a part of the
course.)

Computer based labs all by themselves are not the answer. They are just one
part of a good mixture of interactive teaching methods that, when combined,
make up an excellent course. Note that you can also have badly-designed
computer based, as I implied in my last message. The key is the engagement
of the student. A computer is not the only way to engage students in what
they are doing, but it is one possible way that has been shown to work well.

--
John E. Gastineau john@gastineau.org
140 Tenderfoot Road (301) 387-8494
Oakland, MD 21550 (301) 387-8495 fax
USA http://gastineau.org