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An Innovative Laboratory Physics Course Using Specialized Software and Digital Media: Students' and Instructors' Perspectives

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Using Computation and Modeling, Engineering Physics and Physics Division (EP2D) Technical Session 3

Tagged Division

Engineering Physics and Physics Division (EP2D)

Page Count

19

DOI

10.18260/1-2--42625

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/42625

Download Count

243

Paper Authors

biography

Carlos Pineida Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-8396-9711

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I am a physics professor at UNAB, I have more than 20 years of experience teaching physics to engineering students among other careers.

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biography

Angeles Dominguez Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico; Universidad Andres Bello, Chile Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-6066-355X

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Angeles Dominguez is a researcher at the Institute for the Future of Education, a Professor at the School of Humanities and Education, and the Associate Dean of Faculty Development at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. Also, she is currently collaborating with the School of Engineering at the Universidad Andres Bello in Santiago, Chile. Angeles holds a bachelor's degree in Physics Engineering from Tecnologico de Monterrey and a doctoral degree in Mathematics Education from Syracuse University, NY. Dr. Dominguez is a member of the Researchers’ National System in Mexico (SNI-2) and has been a visiting researcher at Syracuse University, UT-Austin, and Universidad Andres Bello. Her main research areas are interdisciplinary education, teaching methods, faculty development, and gender issues in STEM education. She actively participates in several national and international projects, in mathematics, engineering, and science education.

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Abstract

At a private Latin American university in the southern hemisphere, efforts were made to move away from traditional physics lab teaching practice during a recent innovation in its academic program. As a result, a physics course was created to be held in the classroom rather than in the physics laboratory, using specialized software and digital media. The laboratory course allows students to collect and analyze data through PhET simulations or videos rather than in a traditional laboratory setting. The aim is to promote agency and participation in all students, make the experimentation process more agile and dynamic, enhance student engagement, and make the experimentation process more flexible. This study aims to examine student perceptions of their learning experience in a physics laboratory course taught using digital tools instead of traditional laboratory facilities. The central research question being addressed is: How do students perceive active learning in a physics laboratory course prepared using technology? The is a quantitative research study in which participated over 500 first-year engineering and science major students in a laboratory course. The students completed a pre-and-post survey before and after an 8-week intervention period. The survey collected their perceptions regarding an innovative teaching method used for the laboratory course. The pre-and-post comparison allows for contrasting student opinions in three main areas: type of instruction, teaching strategies, and student response to the instruction. The study presents some of the laboratory activities' outcomes and limitations. One specific activity, the capacitor discharge experiment, will be thoroughly discussed to compare the traditional physical setup with the technology-based version. Findings highlight the pros and cons of the teaching method used and reflect on what has been learned. It also suggests potential next steps for further improvement.

Pineida, C., & Dominguez, A. (2023, June), An Innovative Laboratory Physics Course Using Specialized Software and Digital Media: Students' and Instructors' Perspectives Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42625

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