Re: lab final exam...

[Robert Cohen <Robert.Cohen@PO-BOX.ESU.EDU>]

On Saturday, November 29, 2003 11:04 AM, Jeffrey Alaimo wrote:

>     1. Robert, your average score is about 190 out of 300.  
> Do you find teaching more labs improves scores, or less labs 
> but more in-depth labs with numerous parts?  I've tried BOTH 
> types, some of them with little success.

We haven't tested that.  However, we've found that focusing on error
analysis (as opposed to physics concepts) helps.  For example, we title
the activities according to the type of uncertainty we are investigating
or the type of skill we are exploring rather than the physics concept
underlying the experiment.  The labs are the same we had before.  For
example, our first couple of labs look at velocity and acceleration but
now the focus is on what kind of uncertainties crop up in a measurement
and how we go about identifying them, estimating their magnitude, and
addressing them.  This is introduced over a series of nine labs.  We
then have them practice the techniques via labs in which they need to
identify "unknowns" (via density and specific heat), again with contexts
that match the topics covered in the lecture portion.

Each lab takes about 3 hours.

Our set-up is not traditional.  We have students work in groups of two
and, rather than a lab report, they complete worksheets.  Periodically,
the worksheets require them to get an instructor's signature.  It is the
instructor's responsibility to make sure they understand the material
sufficiently (via questioning).  Consequently, a lot depends on the
instructor (and how much time is available for questioning).

____________________________________________________
Robert Cohen; 570-422-3428; www.esu.edu/~bbq
East Stroudsburg University; E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301