Can Microcomputer Based Laboratories combined with hands-on experiments be used to promote student learning? (original) (raw)
Related papers
2000
An introductory physics course for prospective high school teachers is described, in which modern technology tools for data gathering (MBL) and use of model building systems (MBS) are used together with real world problems and a constructivist teaching strategy ("contrastive teaching"). The idea is to foster the comparison of experimental and theoretical results by using powerful tools for both. Moreover,
NATO ASI SERIES F COMPUTER AND SYSTEMS …, 1993
Learner-controlled explorations in the physics laboratory with easy-to-use realtime measurement tools give students immediate feedback by presenting data graphically in a manner that can be understood. Using Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (MBL) sensors and software students can simultaneously measure and graph such physical quantities as position, velocity, acceleration, force, temperature, light intensity, sound pressure, current and potential difference. Using these MBL tools provides a mechanism for more easily altering physics pedagogy to include methods found to be effective by educational research. The ease of data collection and presentation encourage even badly prepared students to become active participants in a scientific process which often leads them to ask and answer their own questions. The general nature of the tools enable exploration to begin with the students' direct experience of the familiar physical world rather than with specialized laboratory equipment. The real-time graphical display of actual physical measurements of dynamic systems directly couples the symbolic representation with the actual physical phenomena. Such MBL tools and carefully designed curricula based on educational research have been used to teach physics concepts to a wide range of students in universities and high schools. Data show substantial and persistent learning of basic physical concepts, not often learned in lectures, by students who use MBL tools with carefully designed curricular materials.
Microcomputer Based Laboratory – An effective instructional tool: A review
2020
Accurate measurement of physical variables is very important in many applications. In modern physics laboratories sensors have more prominence than manual measurements. MBL methodology enables accurate measurements in real time. Programmed computers are interfaced with sensors and actuators that measure physical quantities like position, velocity, force, light intensity, voltage, current, pressure, pH etc. and graph them in real time. The sensor – computer interface enables immediate presentation of collected data in real time.. The MBL methodology with advantages of large volume of accurate measurements in real time and has gained wide acceptance as a medium of interactive classroom learning. This paper attempts to review learning sin this field and suggests practical methods of instruction an effective learning.
Learning in the Science Lab: a New Approach
Irish Journal of Academic Practice, 2012
This project aimed to improve the laboratory learning experience for undergraduate science students, focusing initially on first and third year cohorts, through specific objectives. Firstly, to incorporate novel teaching and assessment methods, including student led laboratories, in-house produced instructional videos, "Clickers" audience response devices, and pre-practical on-line MCQ assessments. Secondly, to develop timely feedback mechanisms, including peer review, tutor face to face and audio feedback, online automatic feedback, and report checklists. Finally, to imbed transferable skills into the laboratory including group work, communication skills (written and oral), organisation & project planning, health & safety, and preparedness for laboratories, final year projects & placement. Pedagogical evaluation was through anonymous multiple choice questionnaires and independent academic facilitated discussion forums. The main benefits are students who are better prepared, both for basic undergraduate laboratories and for independent research-based final year projects; continuity in the development of transferable skills; improved assessment quality though constructive alignment and appropriate feedback; and improved student satisfaction through engagement and feedback. The key recommendations arising from this study are; to encourage preparedness for practical sessions, harnessing technology to engage students through interesting pre-practical activities; to encourage an improved culture of feedback, including mechanisms such as podcasts, which also "feedforward"; and to encourage a culture where value is added to modules by actively incorporating transferable skills into all student activities and assessments, rather than a "bolt on" approach.
Interactive physics laboratory: A place for hands-on experimenting
DIDFYZ 2019: Formation of the Natural Science Image of the World in the 21st Century
Interactive Physics Laboratory (IPL) is an educational laboratory intended mostly for upper secondary students. Its goal is to provide the students a place where they can conduct physics experiments in the form of structured inquiry. Students visit the laboratory with their teacher in groups of up to 16 and spend 120 minutes there under the supervision of two lecturers. The students are led to maximal autonomy-they perform all of the activities independently, including preparing measurements, recording and evaluating data. Nowadays, the IPL offers nine experimental sets, each of which consists of four to six experimental units. Every unit has its own worksheet, which is given to the students to record their results. The units and the worksheets are prepared in various forms to focus not only on development of conceptual understanding, but also on gaining specific experimental and scientific skills. Among other things, students meet video analysis and analysis of a photo, they use applets to simulate different physics phenomena, learn how to formulate a hypothesis, predict results of experiments and explain and verify these predictions. Furthermore, at the end of each IPL visit, each workgroup describes one of the experimental units in a presentation lasting a few minutes, including major findings and results. In the contribution, the concept of the laboratory will be presented in greater detail as well as concrete activities, techniques and materials used in the IPL.
European Journal of Engineering Education, 2010
I describe a series of projects following work which began in 1994/95, on the design and implementation of "conceptual labs", which are aimed at developing insightful learning. The main focus has been on courses in mechanics and electric circuit theory. The approach taken in designing these innovative curricula is closely allied to the emergent paradigm described as "design-based research". In line with this paradigm, I describe how our designs have functioned in authentic settings, focusing on interactions that have refined our understanding of the learning issues involved. A common feature in these learning environments is the use of technology as a tool to aid students' inquiry. In addition, systematic variation, based on the theory of variation, has been introduced into the design of the assigned tasks. Results from conceptual inventories have demonstrated the success of conceptual labs. However, it has also been shown that learning is not so much determined by the technology used in a task, as by the design of the tasks. In the later projects we used video recording to study students' courses of action in labs. I describe how these studies have provided insights into conditions that are critical for learning and how these insights have helped us to make further improvements to the learning environments.