Re: Online labs

["Robert J. Beichner" <beichner@NCSU.EDU>]

It is true that the traditional intro physics courses at MIT do not have a
lab component. But from what I understand, they have plans for all their
intro physics courses to switch to the SCALE-UP approach by 2004. They have
had great success with pilot versions of the pedagogy. I can assure you that
the students are getting plenty of hands-on experience with physics in those
sections.

Bob Beichner
NC State Physics

> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Wed, 22 May 2002 15:56:01 -0300
> From:    Chris Horton <ChrisAHorton2@HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: Online Labs
>
> From: Chuck Britton <britton@NCSSM.EDU>
> > [ At MIT]  Freshman Physics HAS NO
> > LAB COMPONENT!!!!!
> > The lab 'requirement' is met by each student electing a separate lab
> > course - electronics, optics etc.
> >
> > Sounds immanently sensible to me.
>
> Something similar with regard to first-year labs pertained at MIT 20 years
> ago when I was considering returning to school to study physics.
>
> The advice I received at that time from people in a position to know was in
> the Boston area consider Brandeis or the (then) University of Lowell first.
> Many students who went to MIT as undergraduates to study physics left
> feeling bitterly disappoineted.  Virtually none left Lowell or Brandeis
> feeling that way.  A veteran community college teacher who had sent many
> students to area colleges as Junior majors reported the same finding about
> MIT; many third and fourth-year students returned to him complaining
> bitterly, but none from Lowell or Brandeis.
>
> I suspect this may still be true at MIT.  I suspect very strongly that one
> of the reasons many MIT freshmen got lost was the lack of labs.
>
> In any case beware of thinking that what MIT does must be right because it
> is MIT.  (With apologies to any readers from that August institution.)
>
> Chris Horton