An Investigative Laboratory Program in Introductory Physics with Electronic Media Modules

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This project involves development of 24 new or revised experiments to inject significant elements of investigation and discovery into introductory physics laboratories. The project is using automatic data acquisition and analysis. Students are being guided through a series of explorations of the applicability of simple models for describing the phenomena under study. Computer-assisted data collection is allowing students to quickly alter initial and boundary conditions to get a broad overview of the validity of a model. The accuracy and precision of the data is allowing students to observe systematic departures of the observations from the predictions of a simple model. The students are encouraged to develop more sophisticated models to account for the observed discrepancies and to create a plan for subjecting those models to a test. The exercises are being packaged in electronic format using a Computer-based Instructional Development (CID) tool. This format is designed to allow students to find within the CID shell text, video, audio, and graphics materials that will serve as resources for how their equipment and programs function, and as a collection of queries and hints that will help in synthesis and discovery activities.