Re: [Phys-l] BYU Virtual labs

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

I am not familiar with them, but if they are verification labs where the
students are given the theory at the beginning, they are fairly worthless.
The Real Time Physics labs are excellent as are the Modeling labs because
the students have to wrestle with the ideas.  The Pasco labs are typical
verification labs which produce very little change in student thinking.

As to virtual labs, the PHET simulations which are free have some great
design features which make them very suitable for labs.  Indeed the web has
many good simulations which can be used as virtual labs.  One can also roll
your own by using PHYSLETS.  I have created quite a few that I use.

Eric Mazur did an interesting experiment quite by accident.  He gave his
usual test when half of the students had the lab, and the other half had
not.  It seems that the lab made no difference.  He had reformed the lecture
part, but had not tackled the labs.

Actually the Modeling labs have not writeups, and the students are prompted
to figure out the variables, and then generate the equations for the system.

Just a quick look at the BYU labs make references to unnamed experts having
reviewed them, and I did not see any references to PER.  Looking at a few
samples it seems the students already have the theory before the labs.  I
would like to see the NTNs laws labs before making any firm conclusions.
The users manual for mechanics was no help.  I suspect that all of the
reviewers were random PhDs not in PER or even in science education, but I
can not verify that.  There do not seem to be any references to data showing
that these labs are more effective than other conventional labs, which is
also not a good indicator.  When clicking on research the list of papers is
not encouraging, and they do not bring up actual copies of the papers.  They
may be good, but one can not easily get at the necessary information.  By
contrast the materials published by McDermott, Laws, Thornton, and Sokoloff,
and the UMPERG group often have the necessary papers included with
instructor materials, and give references to the experiments showing
effectiveness.  Of course you can always use virtual labs with research
based lab writeups.

I see the usual stonewalling done by most textbook publishers, but I could
be wrong.  I need to see the data, and "the plural of anecdote is not data".

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> Dear Colleagues:  Our school has purchased the BYU virtual labs. Have any
> of you had experience with these? ANy good or bad pts that you could share
> would be appreciated. Frank Cange