Give Students a Compass – Inquiry based and Active Learning in the Physics Freshman Lab
CSU Campus: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Claudia Pinter-Lucke, Peter Siegel, Nina Abramzon
Norco College (Riverside Community College District): Phu Tran
Background
This is a networking partnership between Cal Poly
Pomona and Norco College.
Focusing on undergraduate physics laboratory courses,
the project introduces assignments that involve the
foundations of undergraduate research into the GE
physics sequences at both CPP and Norco College.
The Big Idea
Can’t provide one on one experience to everybody
Physics freshman level laboratory course. a Laboratory course to
accompany General Physics lecture series. This is a required course
for all engineering and Science and Math majors.
understanding the essence of what makes undergraduate
research such a valuable experience
Cal Poly Pomona: 131 L
Norco College: 4A
applying these principles across the curriculum,
LEAP Essential Learning
Outcomes to be Assessed
Knowledge of the Physical and Natural World
Intellectual and Practical Skills, including
• Inquiry and analysis
• Critical and creative thinking
• Written and oral communication
• Quantitative literacy
• Information literacy
• Teamwork and problem solving
High Impact Practice:
High-Impact Practice with the lower-division GE
curriculum that was explored:
Undergraduate Research.
The Project
Focusing on undergraduate physics laboratory courses, the
project introduce assignments that involve the foundations
of undergraduate research into the GE physics sequences
at both CPP and Norco College. Instructors introduce new
inquiry-based elements, such as open-ended experiments
and capstone projects, as well as scientific writing
assignments into pilot laboratory courses. The evaluation
of these new elements and the analysis of student learning
and attitudes is performed in collaboration between the
CPP and Norco faculty involved.
The Existing Course
we can provide opportunities for more undergraduates to
experience similar benefits.
The existing 131L/ 4A labs have a strong emphasize on verifying
formulas in cookbook fashion with a large quantity of labs that have stepby-step instructions. Although it is important in science for students to
learn how to follow directions, offering only cookbook labs limits students'
access to exploration and connection to the steps researches in the field
take while preforming scientific experiment.
Re- designed The Course In the spirit of
Inquiry based
Undergraduate researchers:
• Gain skills in using literature, formulating research hypotheses,
interpreting data, and communicating
• Gain independence, self-confidence, and career preparation
• Have a higher rate of persistence in their pursuit of a degree
• Pursue graduate education at a higher rate
• As alumni report higher gains in skills such as carrying out research,
acquiring information, and speaking effectively
How Undergraduate Research Accelerates
this Cognitive Development
Undergraduate research:
• directly involves students in the process of discovery- Active learning
• limits what students must accept on suspended judgment Requires
students to build upon their current knowledge
Goals
• meeting the GE Area B physical science requirement
•meeting a CPP GE Program outcome
• introducing lower division STEM students to
undergraduate research
References
Lopatto, D. (2003). The essential features of undergraduate research. Council on Undergraduate
Research Quarterly, 24 , 139-142.
Seymour, E., Hunter, A-B., Laursen, S.L., & DeAntoni, T. (2004). Establishing the benefits of research
experiences for undergraduates in the sciences: first findings from a three-year study. Science
Education,.
During active learning, students are actively (rather than passively)
engaged in their learning by discovering, processing, and applying
information. They engage in higher-order thinking tasks such as
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation .
The Modified Course
Follow The active learning and Inquiry based approach
The experiments preformed are: Uncertainties in Measurement,
analysis of motion, vectors, the relationship between force and motion,
uniform circular motion, conserved quantities, static equilibrium and
rotational dynamics. All the labs were designed in the spirit of inquiry
based with very short handouts and minimal instructors’ lecturing. In fact
we also modified the name of some of the labs, for example” the
relationship between force and motion” lab was called “constant
acceleration” the name of the lab contained the conclusions form that
lab. We were carful to make sure the students discover the laws of
physics where possible and are not told what they are and given the
assignment to verify them.
On Going Work and Future Plans:
We are in the process of assessing the effectiveness of the modified
labs using assessment materials developed by the Physics education
group at the University of Colorado.
In addition we are looking for methods to investigate whether this
experience increased students’ interest in STEM disciplines and
improved preparation for research opportunities.
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