Redesign of the General Physics Laboratory Utilizing Computer Technology

格林内尔学院物理系正在重新设计 介绍物理实验室，以纳入新的 教学方法和新技术。 最显眼的 变化是引入了微型计算机来处理数据 采集和分析。 计算机配备有 通用数据采集硬件和软件，以及 与绘图软件，以允许相同的仪器 配置容易适应各种各样的 最少软件开发的实验环境 努力 计算机执行更多的重复性和非- 教育任务，离开决策和智力 处理给学生。 在实验室中使用计算机 有几个教育的好处：1）实验， 数据必须迅速获取成为可能; 2）实验 这涉及大量的重复分析， 从做实验到看到结果之间的时间， 3）对学生的影响; 3）学生能够 看到自己的成绩和班级平均成绩， 观察实验不确定性的影响; 4） 实验可以设计得更加灵活， 更好地适应不同的能力和兴趣 5）可以进行新的或修改的实验 更容易获得;和6）学生正在获得一些 具有使用计算机进行数据采集的经验， 分析. 这些变化导致实验室的经验 更适合我们学生的需求， 然后能够更专注于理解物理学， 更少地依赖于数据的机械处理。

The Grinnell College Physics Department is redesigning the introductory physics laboratory in order to incorporate new teaching methods and new technology. The most conspicuous change is the introduction of microcomputers for data acquisition and analysis. The computers are equipped with versatile data acquisition hardware and software, as well as with graphing software, to permit the same instrumental configuration to be easily adapted to a wide variety of experimental situations with minimal software development effort. The computers perform the more repetitive and non- educational tasks, leaving the decisionmaking and intellectual processing to the students. The use of computers in the lab has several educational benefits: 1) experiments for which data must be taken rapidly become possible; 2) experiments which involve a great deal of repetitive analysis require less time between performing the experiment and seeing the result, increasing the impact on the student; 3) students are able to see both their own results and the class average, allowing them to see the effects of experimental uncertainties; 4) experiments can be designed to be more flexible, allowing greater accommodation to the different abilities and interests of the students; 5) new or revised experiments can be made available more easily; and 6) students are gaining some experience with the use of computers for data acquisition and analysis. These changes result in a laboratory experience which is better suited to the needs of our students, who are then able to concentrate more on understanding the physics and less on the mechanical handling of the data.