Re: [Phys-l] unbiased experiments +- index of refraction

["Rick Tarara" <rtarara@saintmarys.edu>]

Bob,

There is 'discovery', 'inquiry', 'guided inquiry', 'modeling, 
'collaborative', 'cooperative', and that good ol' boy 'traditional 
instruction', all of which are different but none of which are well 
understood (by outsiders).  If I actually understand any of this (doubtful), 
the real key is 'engagement', and any way (even traditionally) that you get 
the students 'engaged' will supposedly prove (more) successful.  That all 
probably will be met with a 'well DUH' from most.

As to 'verification' labs--some lab work is about experimental design and 
technique.  Hard to know if the techniques have been learned with out 
something to calibrate against--like measuring a few knowns.  Sort of like 
trying to do some of the above techniques with no background knowledge--it 
becomes difficult.  [There really are good reason for learning the alphabet 
and multiplication tables.  ;-) ]

We can now see the 'new' government course for education (I kind of think it 
is the same old one) blaming the teachers and administrators for all the 
failures.  (CLOSE 5000 schools--replace teachers and administrators and 
start over--good luck on that one (certainly 200-300,000 teachers and over 
5000 administrators to be moved/replaced?  Wonder how the teacher's unions 
feel about their guy right now?)  When will that 'pendulum' return to the 
responsibility of parents and students to be willing and active players in 
the education process?

Rick

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "LaMontagne, Bob" <RLAMONT@providence.edu>


> I hope there's more to "discovery labs" than this. I do an identical 
> exercise with springs - one group studies the effect of mass on period, 
> another studies the effect of amplitude, etc. The only difference between 
> what I have described and what you have described is the point at which 
> they encounter the equation for the period - at the begining of the 
> exercise or at the end. I hope someone who has a strong definition of what 
> a discovery lab actually is will chime in.
>
> Bob at PC