The process of transforming an advanced lab course: Goals, curriculum, and assessments

Zwickl, Benjamin M.; Finkelstein, Noah D.; Lewandowski, H. J.

doi:10.1119/1.4768890

Cited by 104 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This holistic view should include a deep understanding of the principles of physics underlying the entire apparatus, including the measurement tools. In a recent survey about laboratory learning goals, faculty frequently mentioned the importance of understanding the "black boxes" in the laboratory through an understanding of the principles and limitations of operation [16]. Modeling the full apparatus affords an important professional development opportunity for students pursuing careers in physical science or engineering.…”

Section: A Review Of Prior Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Model-based reasoning in the physics laboratory: Framework and initial results

Zwickl

Finkelstein

et al. 2015

Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res.

Self Cite

109

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Upper Division Physics Courses.] We review and extend existing frameworks on modeling to develop a new framework that describes model-based reasoning in introductory and upper-division physics laboratories. Constructing and using models are core scientific practices that have gained significant attention within K-12 and higher education. Although modeling is a broadly applicable process, within physics education, it has been preferentially applied to the iterative development of broadly applicable principles (e.g., Newton's laws of motion in introductory mechanics). A significant feature of the new framework is that measurement tools (in addition to the physical system being studied) are subjected to the process of modeling. Think-aloud interviews were used to refine the framework and demonstrate its utility by documenting examples of model-based reasoning in the laboratory. When applied to the think-aloud interviews, the framework captures and differentiates students' model-based reasoning and helps identify areas of future research. The interviews showed how students productively applied similar facets of modeling to the physical system and measurement tools: construction, prediction, interpretation of data, identification of model limitations, and revision. Finally, we document students' challenges in explicitly articulating assumptions when constructing models of experimental systems and further challenges in model construction due to students' insufficient prior conceptual understanding. A modeling perspective reframes many of the seemingly arbitrary technical details of measurement tools and apparatus as an opportunity for authentic and engaging scientific sense making.

show abstract

Section: A Review Of Prior Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Model-based reasoning in the physics laboratory: Framework and initial results

Zwickl

Finkelstein

et al. 2015

Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res.

Self Cite

109

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Additionally, multiple course transformation efforts have been documented [23][24][25]. Some of these efforts incorporated final projects [24,25]; however, the project portions of the transformed courses have been neither described nor studied in detail.…”

Section: A Teaching and Learning In Optics Coursesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Activity topics include laser physics [19], interference of correlated photons [20], single-photon experiments [21], ultrafast optics [22], and spectroscopy [23]. Additionally, multiple course transformation efforts have been documented [23][24][25]. Some of these efforts incorporated final projects [24,25]; however, the project portions of the transformed courses have been neither described nor studied in detail.…”

Section: A Teaching and Learning In Optics Coursesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student ownership of projects in an upper-division optics laboratory course: A multiple case study of successful experiences

Dounas-Frazer

Stanley

Lewandowski

2017

Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We investigate students' sense of ownership of multiweek final projects in an upper-division optics lab course. Using a multiple case study approach, we describe three student projects in detail. Within-case analyses focused on identifying key issues in each project, and constructing chronological descriptions of those events. Cross-case analysis focused on identifying emergent themes with respect to five dimensions of project ownership: student agency, instructor mentorship, peer collaboration, interest and value, and affective responses. Our within-and cross-case analyses yielded three major findings. First, coupling division of labor with collective brainstorming can help balance student agency, instructor mentorship, and peer collaboration. Second, students' interest in the project and perceptions of its value can increase over time; initial student interest in the project topic is not a necessary condition for student ownership of the project. Third, student ownership is characterized by a wide range of emotions that fluctuate as students alternate between extended periods of struggle and moments of success while working on their projects. These findings not only extend the literature on student ownership into a new educational domainnamely, upper-division physics labs-they also have concrete implications for the design of experimental physics projects in courses for which student ownership is a desired learning outcome. We describe the course and projects in sufficient detail that others can adapt our results to their particular contexts.

show abstract

“…[15]. E-CLASS was developed to support upper-division laboratory course transformation efforts at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) [16] as well as similar efforts nation-wide. This work is part of ongoing research into the overall validity and reliability of the E-CLASS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlating students' beliefs about experimental physics with lab course success

Wilcox¹,

Lewandowski²

2015

2015 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Student learning in instructional physics labs is a growing area of research that includes studies exploring students' beliefs and expectations about experimental physics. To directly probe students' epistemologies about experimental physics and support broader lab transformation efforts both at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) and nationally, we developed the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS). Previous work focused on establishing the accuracy and clarity of the instrument through student interviews and preliminary testing. Ongoing validation efforts include establishing the extent to which student epistemologies as measured by E-CLASS align with other measures of student learning outcomes (e.g., course grades). Here, we report on correlations between final course grades and E-CLASS scores from two semesters of introductory and upper-division lab courses at CU and discuss implications of our findings for the validity of the E-CLASS instrument.

show abstract

The process of transforming an advanced lab course: Goals, curriculum, and assessments

Cited by 104 publications

References 23 publications

Model-based reasoning in the physics laboratory: Framework and initial results

Model-based reasoning in the physics laboratory: Framework and initial results

Student ownership of projects in an upper-division optics laboratory course: A multiple case study of successful experiences

Correlating students' beliefs about experimental physics with lab course success

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About