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Re: major-nonmajor

I'm not sure that I'm convinced that one approach (lab reports) is really better than the other (worksheets). I have gradually transformed my labs to the worksheet format. I embed questions in the worksheet that require the students to answer conceptual questions about the procedure they are following before they can continue. I find this enhances their understanding of the labs. Writing formal lab reports is a useful skill, but they're taking the course to learn physics. No science major leaves the college without writing formal reports - but I'm not convinced that freshman physics is the place to emphasize that skill.

Bob at PC

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 2/16/2004 at 2:41 PM Edmiston, Mike wrote:


A much larger difference is the labs. My students do more (weekly) a=
nd
more sophisticated labs. My students write formal lab reports wherea=
s
the high school class complete worksheets.