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Re: what are the labs for?



The thread about calculus physics showed that laboratories are often
disconnected from physics and offered as a course that must be taken
at the same time. Presumably a different person is in charge of the
laboratoty course. This is very different from what was advocated by
Jack Uretsky (see his message below). Too bad that this thread started
at the time when so many of us were busy with grading. The issues
"what are the labs for" and "how to conduct them" are worth discussing.

In my opinion, the guided activity approach of Jack may be the best
first step toward acheaving the objectives (see below) outlined by Kifer.
And it would be the only approach for those who never go beyond a single
introductory physics course. I think that the goals outlined by Kifer
are too ambitious for what can be done in a course for non-scientists,
especially when the amount of time is limited.
Ludwik Kowalski

P.S. Introductory Physics Laboratory goals (recently defined by an AAPT
committee) were discussed in the December-1997 issue of The Physics
Teacher (pages 546 to 548).
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Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 11:04:55 -0500
From: Fred Bucheit <fbucheit@oak.kcsd.k12.pa.us>
Subject: Re: What are the labs for?

I have always told my students that experimentation is the backbone of
Physics and measuerment is the backbone of experimentation. On the
high school level it would be appropriate, and considerably less expensive,
to use fewer black boxes and more common devices. All too often a student
will use an expensive device to make an extremely precise measurement only
to use another device which introduces an error of 20% or more.
I believe the role of labs on the highschool level should be to teach
students HOW to measure and HOW to estimate the error in their measurement,
and HOW to estimate the overall validity of their lab exercise.
One example of this sort of occurrence is when students do a specific
heat lab. They measure the mass of water to + or - .1% then measure a delta
T of 2.5 degrees + or - .5 degrees.
I do not believe in cookbook labs. I instruct students to redesign
their lab if they make a measurement that introduces a possible error of
more than 2 or 3 percent.
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Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 13:42:07 +0000
From: kifer/belk <gsanda@tfs.net>
Subject: Re: What are the labs for?

I believe labs are for many purposes
1). To teach students how to measure physical quantities and how to use
the tools available in a lab.
2). To give students practice at evaluating whether they have indeed
measured what they set out to measure. (How do we know we know?)
3). To illustrate the concepts discussed in the course. To give
students a hands-on example of an idea rather than just an equation.
To show them what some of the terms "mean" and not just have them
provide rote definitions.
4). To see if students can "do" the physics they calculate.
5). To practice making the decisions that come from performing an
open-ended lab, the how do I measure this idea? How do I know if
I really have measured it? Is there a better way to do this?
6). To formulate their own hypotheses and experimental design (the
classic "discovery" approach that is so effective at creating
long-term learning, but so disruptive to the syllabus.
7). To make learning fun. (I realize that this idea has already sent a
firestorm through this site).
8). To provide an additional avenue of learning in an attempt to provide
meaningful experiences for all students in hopes of presenting the
material in their preferred learning style.

I realize there are many more reasons for doing labs, but my particular
server will kick me off here in a few minutes if I don't do something
active. So I guess I will stop there.
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From: IN%"phys-l@mailer.uwf.edu" 15-DEC-1997 21:34:45.58
To: IN%"phys-l@atlantis.UWF.edu"
CC: IN%"JLU@HEP.ANL.GOV"
Subj: RE: What are the labs for?

.... My ideas about labs in the introductory physics course are contained
in my Nov. '93 article in TPT [vol 31, pages 478 to 481], and the ANL report
that was referenced therein. In summary: in the limited time available in
such a course, the time should be spent in activities that promote dialogues
on fundamental concepts, as in Hake's SDI labs. The three labs that involve
students walking back and forth in front of a sonic ranger, duplicating,
respectively, preset patterns of displacement, velocity, and acceleration
are, in my mind, among the greatest ever invented. I have much more to say,
but then I already said it in my article.
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