Re: [Phys-l] FW: universal gravitation lab

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

> I have nothing against computer activities (see below!) but as a
While simulations are not in the strict sense lab work, they can still
engage students in the same types of activities that are done in the lab.
There is some evidence that judiciously used simulations can actually work
better than physical labs, and that students who are exposed to "lab"
simulations can then transfer this to actual lab work.  It was found that
students who used simulations of circuits were a bit faster at wiring actual
circuits than students who had performed physical labs.

It may be that removing some of the distractions of physical labs may allow
students to concentrate on the concepts.  Then of course there is the type
of lab where the students analyze videos of physical situations.  This has
elements of both simulations and physical labs.

After all measurement is measurement.  In one case, the simulation can
actually be a lab, namely the exploration of the primary colors of light,
and color mixing.

So perhaps we should call them virtual labs.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> point of terminology, I'm not sure they ought to be called "lab"
> work in physics.