Using a Research-based Approach to Reform Upper-division Laboratory Courses

课堂科学和独立实验室研究之间的飞跃是巨大的，先进的物理实验室课程往往代表了一个最终的经验，在物理课程中帮助弥合这一具有挑战性的过渡。这些课程影响的态度和期望是什么样的职业生涯在科学将是什么样的，并寻求发展的科学推理和实验室技能，使学生能够在研究生院，工业和其他专业的努力取得成功。这个先进的光学/现代物理实验室正在通过以研究为基础的转型进行改革，以符合这一理想，他们正在与更广泛的物理界分享发展和发现。广泛的改革实验室材料正在为这门形成课程开发，此外，他们正在汇集一个高水平的先进实验室实验和其他机构正在开发的项目库。这两年的努力的课程成果包括：这一形成先进的实验室课程，评估工具，以评估上层教育改革的影响，沿着建立教学资源，以协助教师不参与这门课程的改造，继续这些最佳的实验室实践的课程材料套件。本研究的研究成果包括：业务的定义和学生的能力，导致成功的职业生涯在科学，先进的实验室经验在影响学生的职业目标的相关性的研究评估，学生学习的初步研究在上师实验室课程，以及教师使用这些新的研究为基础的课程和实践的评估。一个广泛的全国性的影响，预计正在制作的材料是免费提供在线和这些工作者积极参与会议和出版物解决本科物理教学的这一关键时刻。

ABSTRACTThe leap between classroom science and independent laboratory research is large, and advanced physics lab courses often represent a culminating experience in helping bridge this challenging transition within the physics curriculum. These courses impact attitudes and expectations about what a career in science will be like and seek to develop the scientific reasoning and laboratory skills that enable students to succeed in graduate school, industry, and other professional endeavors. This advanced optics/modern physics lab is being reformed through a research-based transformation to match this ideal, and they are sharing developments and findings with the broader physics community. Extensive reformed lab materials are under development for this formative course, and in addition they are bringing together a library of high-level advanced laboratory experiments and programs being developed at other institutions. The curricular outcomes of this two-year effort include: a suite of curricular materials for this formative advanced lab course, assessment instruments to evaluate the impact of upper level educational reforms, along with establishing instructional resources to assist faculty members not involved in this course transformation to continue these best lab practices. The research outcomes of this study include: operational definitions and assessments of student abilities that lead to successful careers in science, a study of the relevance of the advanced lab experience in impacting a student's career goals, preliminary studies of student learning in upper-division lab courses, and an evaluation of faculty use of these new research-based curricula and practices. A broad national impact is anticipated as materials being produced are made freely available online and as these workers participate actively in conferences and publications addressing this critical juncture of undergraduate physics teaching.