Re: Laboratory Experiments in the Lecture Hall

[Jerry Hester <jhester@MTU.EDU>]

Hi Karl,
I use Pasco's Science Workshop hardware and software in lecture classes.  I am
less than enthusiastic about the way students respond but we are generally in a
500 seat lecture hall.  These students don't seem to respond enthusiastically
to anything that doesn't go boom real loud or involve injury to me.

Karl Trappe wrote:

> I would appreciate comments from this list (pro and con) concerning your
> experiences in using data logging demonstrations in the classroom.  An
> example which seems to work with adequate preparation is the demonstration:
> 1D15.10,
> Velocity, Position, and Acceleration: Ultrasonic Detector and Students.
>
> Which have worked, an which have not worked and why?

Velocity and position work well.  In general, acceleration does not because of
noise in the data.  We can however, get around that with uniform acceleration
by curve fitting to the velocity data.  The drawback here is that most students
really don't make the connection between the curve fit and acceleration even
after it has been drummed into them.
I use data logging for:
momentum
rotational motion
circuits
magnetism
light and optics
thermodynamics.

> How much time can be committed in a given lecture?

The actual data taking and analysis must not take more than one or two
minutes.  This is not because of time pressure to cover material, but is rather
because any delay in which students are not engaged leaves them time to drift
away and requires 10 minutes to bring them back.

> How much of the course can be addressed via this mechanism?

Mechanics - 20%
E&M - 30%
Thermo - 30%

> Where do you draw the line between the laboratory, which the students
> perform, and the laboratory/lecture, which you perform?

We often repeat what was done in laboratory in theory discussion with
references to what was observed in lab.

> How much faculty preparation time is involved (a) initially, (b)
> immediately prior to the classroom presentation?

a. 5 minutes
b. 5 minutes.

> Do students respond favorably to laboratory data taking in the classroom?
> Is their reaction over-ridden by policy?

All too often, the student responses are, I don't remember what we did in lab,
or know what to expect.
The responses are most favorable though when students are asked to predict
outcomes.

> At what level of students/courses does this technique work?

All introductory courses and some upper level undergraduate courses.

> What are the pedagogical strengths/weaknesses of such an approach?

If we manage it correctly, we can reinforce concepts discovered in labs and
discussed in lecture.  However, these demonstrations must be setup and debugged
well ahead which is often difficult with only 10 minutes between classes.  I
tend to like using data logging in the class because it:
gives the opportunity to discuss real phenomena (i.e. there is friction).
students can be actively engaged in describing/predicting outcomes.

> I APOLOGIZE FOR THE MULTIPLE LIST POSTING.
>
> Thank you, Karl

--
Jerry Hester
Jhester@mtu.edu
Laboratory/Lecture Demonstrations Coordinator
Department of Physics
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI 49931-1295
Phone: (906) 487-2273
Fax: (906) 487-2933