Enhancing Physics Laboratories with Microcomputers

经过几年的规划，数学、计算机科学和物理系正在进行一项用微型计算机加强物理实验室的项目。该项目可以极大地改变该学院物理实验室的教学方式。目前，学生们仔细遵循一套详细的程序，完成一系列的实验作业。学生们发现作业有时很单调乏味，结果，他们经常因为专注于程序而忘记了目标。数据的收集速度很慢，结果往往不准确。有了用于数据收集和数据分析的微型计算机站，学生们就可以用更类似于科学家在实验室工作的方式来完成实验任务。每项作业都有明确的书面目标，没有明确的程序。向学生展示新设备如何工作以及如何在软件中导航，但他们有责任找到实现书面目标的方法。数据收集速度快，测量准确。许多试验可以在一个实验室周期内进行。一旦了解并掌握了基本设备和软件，学生就可以充分准备好开始一系列实验作业，而不需要教师的持续指导。这一变化适用于生物、化学和工程专业的普通物理I和II入门专业；运动医学专业的基础物理；以及实验室计算机专业的工程和计算机科学专业。

After several years of planning, the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics Department is conducting a project for enhancing physics laboratories with microcomputers. The project can dramatically change the way physics laboratories are taught at the college. Currently, the students work through a series of lab assignments by carefully following detailed sets of procedures. The students find the assignments to be tedious at times and, as a result, they often lose track of the objective by focusing on the procedure. The collection of data is slow, and the results are often inaccurate. With the acquisition of microcomputer stations for data collection and data analysis, students can work on lab assignments in ways that are more similar to how scientists work in their laboratories. Each assignment has an explicit written objective without an explicit procedure. Students are shown how the new equipment works and how to navigate through the software, but it is incumbent on them to find ways to attain the written objective. The collection of data is fast, and measurements are accurate. Many trials can be performed in one lab period. Once the basic equipment and software are understood and mastered, students are adequately prepared to begin a slew of lab assignments without the need for continual guidance from an instructor. The change is intended for the biology, chemistry, and engineering majors in Introductory General Physics I and II; the sports medicine majors in Basic Physics; and the engineering and computer science majors in Computers in the Laboratory.