| Peer-Reviewed

Workshop Physics: An Activity-Based Curriculum Enhanced by Computer Tools

Received: 1 June 2021     Accepted: 22 June 2021     Published: 29 June 2021
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Workshop Physics, initiated by P. W. Laws and her colleagues at Dickinson College, is an activity-based collaborative-learning curriculum enhanced by using computer tools for data acquisition, display and analysis, during which students experience various learning activities including predictions, qualitative observations, quantitative experiments, mathematical modeling and problem solving, etc. The curriculum was formally established when the Workshop Physics team was awarded a two-year grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Science Education. As a more flexible and comprehensive set of activity-based curricular materials were needed, the Activity-Based Physics Suite, which included Workshop Physics, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations, Real-Time Physics, was integrated to reduce implementation barriers for instructors. With the philosophy of reducing content, abandoning formal lectures, emphasizing the process of scientific inquiry and using computer tools flexibly, Workshop Physics centers around Workshop Physics Activity Guide, a series of workbooks covering selected content about Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Electromagnetics, along with diverse computer tools, customized apparatus and other supplemental learning materials such as the Interactive Video Vignettes. Over years of development, although in need of a few more adjustments and modifications, Workshop Physics has won prestigious reputation among students and instructors for its cooperative learning environment, diverse activities, efficient tools and remarkable teaching effectiveness.

Published in Science Journal of Education (Volume 9, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17
Page(s) 115-123
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Workshop Physics, Activity-Based, Computer Tools

References
[1] Mazur, E. (1997). Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual. Prentice Hall.
[2] McDermott, L. C., Shaffer, P. S., & Rosenquist, M. L. (1996). Physics by Inquiry. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
[3] McDermott, L. C., & Shaffer, P. S. (2001). Tutorials in Introductory Physics and Homework Package. Pearson.
[4] Beichner, R. J., Saul, J. M., Allain, R. J., Deardorff, D. L., & Abbott, D. S. (2000). The Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) Project. In Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Engineering Education.
[5] Sokoloff, D. R., & Thornton, R. K. (2004). Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Active Learning in Introductory Physics. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
[6] Laws, P. W. (2004). Workshop Physics Activity Guide. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
[7] Laws, P. W., & Carlisle, P. A. (2004). Promoting the Diffusion of Undergraduate Science Curriculum Reform: The Activity-Based Physics Suite as an Example. In Proceedings from the Symposium: Invention and Impact: Building Excellence in Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. American Association for the Advancement of Science.
[8] Stith, J. H., Campbell, D., Laws, P., Mazur, E., Buck, W., & Kirk, D. (2002). Importance of Physics Education Research. American Journal of Physics, 70 (1), 11-11.
[9] Laws, P., Sokoloff, D., & Thornton, R. (1999). Promoting Active Learning Using the Results of Physics Education Research. UniServe Science News, 13, 14-19.
[10] Laws, P. W., Willis, M. C., & Sokoloff, D. R. (2015). Workshop Physics and Related Curricula: A 25-year History of Collaborative Learning Enhanced by Computer Tools for Observation and Analysis. The Physics Teacher, 53 (7), 401-406.
[11] Thornton, R. K., & Sokoloff, D. R. (1998). Assessing Student Learning of Newton’s Laws: The Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation and the Evaluation of Active Learning Laboratory and Lecture Curricula. American Journal of Physics, 66 (4), 338-352.
[12] Logger Pro. (n.d.). Vernier. Retrieved February 4, 2021, from https://www.vernier.com/product/logger-pro-3/
[13] Capstone. (n.d.). PASCO scientific. Retrieved February 4, 2021, from https://www.pasco.com/products/software/capstone
[14] Sokoloff, D. R., & Thornton, R. K. (1997). Using Interactive Lecture Demonstrations to Create an Active Learning Environment. The Physics Teacher, 35 (6), 340-347.
[15] Sokoloff, D. R., Laws, P. W., & Thornton, R. K. (2007). RealTime Physics: Active Learning Labs Transforming the Introductory Laboratory. European Journal of Physics, 28 (3), S83.
[16] Redish, E. F. (2004). Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite.
[17] Sharma, M. D., Millar, R., & Seth, S. (1999). Workshop Tutorials: Accommodating Student-Centered Learning in Large First Year University Physics Courses. International Journal of Science Education, 21 (8), 839-853.
[18] Laws, P. W. (1997). Using Technology in Teaching: Using Integrated Computer Tools for Data Acquisition, Data Analysis and Modeling in Introductory Physics Courses. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 14 (4), 117-119.
[19] Laws, P. W. (1991). Calculus-Based Physics Without Lectures. Physics Today, 44 (12), 24-31.
[20] Laws, P. (1991). Workshop Physics: Learning Introductory Physics by Doing It. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 23 (4), 20-27.
[21] Laws, P. W., & Cooney, P. J. (1997). Workshop Physics: A Sample Class on Oscillations, Determinism and Chaos. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 399, No. 1, pp. 959-972). American Institute of Physics.
[22] Laws, P. W. (2004). A Unit on Oscillations, Determinism and Chaos for Introductory Physics Students. American Journal of Physics, 72 (4), 446-452.
[23] Laws, P. W. (1997). Millikan Lecture 1996: Promoting Active Learning Based on Physics Education Research in Introductory Physics Courses. American Journal of Physics, 65 (1), 14-21.
[24] Laws, P., & Pfister, H. (1998). Using Digital Video Analysis in Introductory Mechanics Projects. The Physics Teacher, 36 (5), 282-287.
[25] SPARKvue. (n.d.). PASCO scientific. Retrieved March 4, 2021, from https://www.pasco.com/products/software/sparkvue
[26] Tracker. (n.d.). Open Source Physics. Retrieved March 4, 2021, from https://www.compadre.org/osp/
[27] Simulations. (n.d.). The Physics Classroom. Retrieved March 4, 2021, from https://www.physicsclassroom.com
[28] Sonogram simulation. (n.d.). [Picture]. Physics Academic Software. https://www.webassign.net/pasnew/
[29] Laws, P. W., Willis, M. C., Jackson, D. P., Koenig, K., & Teese, R. (2015). Using Research-Based Interactive Video Vignettes to Enhance Out-of-Class Learning in Introductory Physics. The Physics Teacher, 53 (2), 114-117.
[30] Interactive Video Vignettes (IVV). (n.d.). LivePhoto Physics. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.compadre.org/ivv
[31] Workshop Physics Assessment: Action Research Kit. (n.d.). Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from http://web.archive.org/web/20101111082728/http://physics.dickinson.edu/~wp_web/wp_resources/wp_assessment.html
[32] Avison, D. E., Lau, F., Myers, M. D., & Nielsen, P. A. (1999). Action Research. Communications of the ACM, 42 (1), 94-97.
[33] Thornton, R. K. (2006). Measuring and Improving Student Mathematical Skills for Modeling. In Proceedings GIREP Conference.
[34] Tanahoung, C., Sharma, M. D., Johnston, I. D., Chitaree, R., & Soankwan, C. (2006). Surveying Sydney Introductory Physics Students’ Understandings of Heat and Temperature. In Australian Institute of Physics 17th National Congress 2006 (pp. 1-4).
[35] Sokoloff, D. R. (1996). Teaching Electric Circuit Concepts Using Microcomputer-Based Current/Voltage Probes. In Microcomputer–Based Labs: Educational Research and Standards (pp. 129-146). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
[36] Redish, E. F., Saul, J. M., & Steinberg, R. N. (1998). Student Expectations in Introductory Physics. American Journal of Physics, 66 (3), 212-224.
[37] Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-Engagement Versus Traditional Methods: A Six-Thousand-Student Survey of Mechanics Test Data for Introductory Physics Courses. American Journal of Physics, 66 (1), 64-74.
[38] Hestenes, D., Wells, M., & Swackhamer, G. (1992). Force Concept Inventory. The Physics Teacher, 30 (3), 141-158.
[39] Redish, E., & Steinberg, R. (1999). Teaching Physics: Figuring Out What Works. ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED439012
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Chao Fu, Xiumei Feng. (2021). Workshop Physics: An Activity-Based Curriculum Enhanced by Computer Tools. Science Journal of Education, 9(3), 115-123. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Chao Fu; Xiumei Feng. Workshop Physics: An Activity-Based Curriculum Enhanced by Computer Tools. Sci. J. Educ. 2021, 9(3), 115-123. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Chao Fu, Xiumei Feng. Workshop Physics: An Activity-Based Curriculum Enhanced by Computer Tools. Sci J Educ. 2021;9(3):115-123. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17,
      author = {Chao Fu and Xiumei Feng},
      title = {Workshop Physics: An Activity-Based Curriculum Enhanced by Computer Tools},
      journal = {Science Journal of Education},
      volume = {9},
      number = {3},
      pages = {115-123},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20210903.17},
      abstract = {Workshop Physics, initiated by P. W. Laws and her colleagues at Dickinson College, is an activity-based collaborative-learning curriculum enhanced by using computer tools for data acquisition, display and analysis, during which students experience various learning activities including predictions, qualitative observations, quantitative experiments, mathematical modeling and problem solving, etc. The curriculum was formally established when the Workshop Physics team was awarded a two-year grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Science Education. As a more flexible and comprehensive set of activity-based curricular materials were needed, the Activity-Based Physics Suite, which included Workshop Physics, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations, Real-Time Physics, was integrated to reduce implementation barriers for instructors. With the philosophy of reducing content, abandoning formal lectures, emphasizing the process of scientific inquiry and using computer tools flexibly, Workshop Physics centers around Workshop Physics Activity Guide, a series of workbooks covering selected content about Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Electromagnetics, along with diverse computer tools, customized apparatus and other supplemental learning materials such as the Interactive Video Vignettes. Over years of development, although in need of a few more adjustments and modifications, Workshop Physics has won prestigious reputation among students and instructors for its cooperative learning environment, diverse activities, efficient tools and remarkable teaching effectiveness.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Workshop Physics: An Activity-Based Curriculum Enhanced by Computer Tools
    AU  - Chao Fu
    AU  - Xiumei Feng
    Y1  - 2021/06/29
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17
    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17
    T2  - Science Journal of Education
    JF  - Science Journal of Education
    JO  - Science Journal of Education
    SP  - 115
    EP  - 123
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2329-0897
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20210903.17
    AB  - Workshop Physics, initiated by P. W. Laws and her colleagues at Dickinson College, is an activity-based collaborative-learning curriculum enhanced by using computer tools for data acquisition, display and analysis, during which students experience various learning activities including predictions, qualitative observations, quantitative experiments, mathematical modeling and problem solving, etc. The curriculum was formally established when the Workshop Physics team was awarded a two-year grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Science Education. As a more flexible and comprehensive set of activity-based curricular materials were needed, the Activity-Based Physics Suite, which included Workshop Physics, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations, Real-Time Physics, was integrated to reduce implementation barriers for instructors. With the philosophy of reducing content, abandoning formal lectures, emphasizing the process of scientific inquiry and using computer tools flexibly, Workshop Physics centers around Workshop Physics Activity Guide, a series of workbooks covering selected content about Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Electromagnetics, along with diverse computer tools, customized apparatus and other supplemental learning materials such as the Interactive Video Vignettes. Over years of development, although in need of a few more adjustments and modifications, Workshop Physics has won prestigious reputation among students and instructors for its cooperative learning environment, diverse activities, efficient tools and remarkable teaching effectiveness.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • College of Physical Science and Technology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China

  • College of Physical Science and Technology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China

  • Sections