Discovery-Based Laboratory for Calculus-Based Introductory Physics

物理（13）介绍物理实验室的目标是帮助学生学习实验技术，使学生能够创造性地思考物理测量，并增加学生对物理概念和过程的理解。学生工作的评估表明，介绍物理实验室序列只完成这三个目标的第一个。大多数学生学习如何获取和正确分析数据，但许多人并不完全理解他们在做什么，很少有人通过实验室经验增加他们对物理的理解。为了解决传统的入门物理实验课程的这一有据可查的特点，桑顿、索科洛夫和劳斯创建了一系列基于发现的实验室。这些课程产品-物理研讨会（WP），科学思维工具（TST）和实时物理（RTP）-已被证明大大提高学生的概念理解的入门物理。该项目正在使用RTP作为一个模型，以开发一个基于发现的实验室序列，适合于基于微积分的介绍性讲座序列。 RTP方法正在修改，增加计算机模拟，增加微积分应用程序，并减少在高中处理的主题的覆盖面。此外，这些材料还将补充与物理学在天文学中的应用有关的练习。即使有这些变化，该项目将坚持以发现为基础的哲学：学生必须通过预测和测试预测来构建自己的概念理解。该项目有效地将技术融入本科教育，培养教师使用基于发现的教育技术的能力，并作为以学生为中心的教育的一个例子，从而成为Trinity大学教育变革的催化剂。

Physics (13) The objectives of the introductory physics laboratory are to help students learn experimental techniques, to enable students to think creatively about physical measurements, and to increase students' understanding of physical concepts and processes. Evaluation of student work indicates that the introductory physics laboratory sequence only accomplishes the first of these three objectives. Most students learn how to acquire and analyze data correctly, but many do not fully understand what they are doing and few increase their understanding of physics through the laboratory experience. In order to deal with this well-documented characteristic of the traditional introductory physics laboratory course, Thornton, Sokoloff, and Laws created a series of discovery-based laboratories. These curricular products - Workshop Physics (WP), Tools for Scientific Thinking (TST), and RealTime Physics (RTP) - have been shown to increase greatly students' conceptual understanding of introductory physics. The project is using RTP as a model to develop a discovery-based laboratory sequence that is appropriate for the calculus-based introductory lecture sequence. The RTP approach is being modified by adding computer simulations, adding calculus applications, and reducing coverage of topics treated in high school. Also, these materials will be supplemented with exercises related to the application of physics to astronomy. Even with these changes, the project will adhere to the discovery-based philosophy: students must construct their own conceptual understanding through making predictions and testing predictions. The project is effectively integrating technology into undergraduate education, developing the faculty's ability to use discovery-based educational techniques, and serving as an example of student-centered education and thus serving as a catalyst for educational change at Trinity University.