Assessment of experiential learning in online introductory physics labs during COVID-19

Vazgen Shekoyan; sunil Dehipawala; Dimitrios S. Kokkinos; Rex Taibu; George Tremberger; Tak Cheung

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Conference: 2020 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Meeting
Location: Virtual (hosted by Stevens Institute of Technology)
Publication Date: November 7, 2020
Start Date: November 7, 2020
End Date: November 7, 2020
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--36041
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/36041
Download Count: 606

Paper Authors

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Vazgen Shekoyan

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Dr. Vazgen Shekoyan is a professor of physics and his experiences include pedagogy, CubeSat, etc.

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sunil Dehipawala City University of New York, Queensborough Community College

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Sunil Dehipawala received his B.S. degree from University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka and Ph.D from City University of New York. Currently, he is working as a faculty member at Queensborough Community College of CUNY.

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Dimitrios S. Kokkinos City University of New York, Queensborough Community College

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Dr. Dimitrios Kokkinos is an Associate Professor of Physics at Queensborough Community College of CUNY since 2017. He Completed his Electrical Engineering degrees (BE, ME, PhD) at CUNY and undergraduate in Physics in Europe. He worked in industry for AT&T Bell Labs and Verizon Communications for 23 years as a telecommunications engineer specialized in fiber optical system research and development. He is teaching pre-Engineering Physics courses, conducts research in fiber sensors and mentors student research projects.

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Rex Taibu

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Dr. Rex Taibu has taught studio physics classes for several years. His teaching experience has shaped his research focus. Currently, Dr. Taibu is actively engaged in

1) promoting scientific inquiry attitudes in students through designing, implementing, and assessing innovative inquiry based physics labs.

2) conducting research regarding the role of language in conceptual understanding.

3) exploring cosmic rays (detection, data collection, and analysis).

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George Tremberger Jr

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George Tremberger serves as Lecturer in City University of New York Queensborough Community College Physics Department and his interests include pedagogy and astronomy.

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Tak Cheung

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Tak Cheung, Ph.D., professor of physics, teaches in CUNY Queensborough Community College. He also conducts research and mentors student research projects.

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Abstract

The online delivery of experiential learning in physics lab classes in a New York City community college during COVID-19 has been a challenge in terms of preparation time, restricted mobility, and limited resources. On one hand, the standard in-person lab learning outcomes in the understanding of uncertainty resulted from massless pulley or spring assumption, floor tilting, model difference y = ax versus y = x + b, graphical intercept method to show systematic error , weighting error null offset, etc. can be adapted to an online setting when given preparation time. On the other hand, the essence of online lab must include the delivery of some level of experiential experience with justification from the literature on pedagogy. Simon Fraser University posts a definition of experiential learning, which states "The strategic, active engagement of students in opportunities to learn through doing, and reflection on those activities, which empowers them to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical endeavours in a multitude of settings inside and outside of the classroom". There have been numerous lab videos on Youtube created in the pre-lockdown era and the level of experiential learning in terms of “doing a lab” can be delivered by limiting a tactile measurement to a visual-audio only measurement on an real or simulated image of an instrument reading. The experiential learning of simulation experience would broaden lateral thinking but the real life transference to “doing a lab” would not be easy to assess, during lockdown condition in New York City when in-person final practical exams are excluded, without using a metacognition approach. The construction of an assessment rubric for online experiential learning, based on the McGill University in-person experiential learning assessment principle in content-process mixture, big picture perspective, and reflection, is presented. The advances in artificial intelligence software in the extension of online experiential learning are discussed.

Citation
Format

Shekoyan, V., & Dehipawala, S., & Kokkinos, D. S., & Taibu, R., & Tremberger, G., & Cheung, T. (2020, November), Assessment of experiential learning in online introductory physics labs during COVID-19 Paper presented at 2020 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Meeting, Virtual (hosted by Stevens Institute of Technology). 10.18260/1-2--36041

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The online delivery of experiential learning in physics lab classes in a New York City community college during COVID-19 has been a challenge in terms of preparation time, restricted mobility, and limited resources.  On one hand, the standard in-person lab learning outcomes in the understanding of uncertainty resulted from massless pulley or spring assumption, floor tilting, model difference y = ax versus y = x + b, graphical intercept method to show systematic error , weighting error null offset,  etc. can be adapted to an online setting when given preparation time.   On the other hand, the essence of online lab must include the delivery of some level of experiential experience with justification from the literature on pedagogy.  Simon Fraser University posts a definition of experiential learning, which states &quot;The strategic, active engagement of students in opportunities to learn through doing, and reflection on those activities, which empowers them to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical endeavours in a multitude of settings inside and outside of the classroom&quot;.  There have been numerous lab videos on Youtube created in the pre-lockdown era and the level of experiential learning in terms of “doing a lab” can be delivered by limiting a tactile measurement to a visual-audio only measurement on an real or simulated image of an instrument reading.  The experiential learning of simulation experience would broaden lateral thinking but the real life transference to “doing a lab” would not be easy to assess, during lockdown condition in New York City when in-person final practical exams are excluded, without using a metacognition approach.   The construction of an assessment rubric for online experiential learning, based on the McGill University in-person experiential learning assessment principle in content-process mixture, big picture perspective, and reflection, is presented.  The advances in artificial intelligence software in the extension of online experiential learning are discussed.    
AU  - Vazgen Shekoyan
AU  - sunil Dehipawala
AU  - Dimitrios S. Kokkinos
AU  - Rex Taibu
AU  - George Tremberger Jr
AU  - Tak Cheung
CY  - Virtual (hosted by Stevens Institute of Technology)
DA  - 2020/11/07
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Assessment of experiential learning in online introductory physics labs during COVID-19
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/36041
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--36041
ER  -