Understanding measurement uncertainty is crucial in experimental physics, as it enables accurate and reliable measurements, facilitates comparison between measurements, and aids in designing experiments. Consequently, measurement uncertainty has emerged as a critical learning goal for many introductory physics labs. Here, we explore the impact of…

Quantum computing is a growing field at the intersection of physics and computer science. The goal of this article is to highlight a successfully trialled quantum computing course for high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. This course was designed to bridge the gap between popular science articles and advanced undergraduate…

Physics lab instruction is evolving in response to changing technology, a desire to better prepare students for diverse careers, and renewed focus from physics education researchers. To prepare researchers to evaluate progress in instructional labs in the future, this study set out to understand the current state of instructional physics labs in…

Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic rise in online delivery of higher education in the United States. Recent developments in web technology and access to the internet have led to a vast increase in online courses. For people who work during the day and whose complicated lives prevent them from taking courses on campus, online courses…

Reports the instructor's experiences with open-end introductory physics laboratories. Students' reactions to the course are summarized. Organizational details and changes in the organization made for 1969-70 are also included. Bibliography. (LC)

Describes a new "discovery-oriented" laboratory course in physics for college freshmen. The subject matter was Newtonian mechanics with calculus. The aim was to teach experimental methods from design of the experiment, testing hypotheses and presentation of final report. The laboratory was successful in most of its objectives and got moderately…

Describes a pre-calculus, freshman-level modern physics course for prospective physics majors. The problems and goals which led to the course are discussed. Course objectives, content, laboratory projects, text and reference materials and evaluaton procedures used are reported. (LC)

Describes the objectives and content of a freshman physics laboratory course designed to eliminate the cook-book type of experiments. Instead, students are encouraged to devise their own experimental designs, execute the experiments, and interpret the results in their own way. The authors report that student reaction to the course is generally…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the new Zambian high school physics syllabus and practical examinations for levels of inquiry and inquiry skills. Several inquiry skills are explicitly emphasized in the introduction, aims, content objectives and assessment sections in the national high school physics syllabus. However, the syllabus is less…

Describes a physics laboratory course which operates without written instructions and with no required experiments. Course is based upon one- or two-week topics in mechanics, heat, electromagnetism and optics with a student-designed experiment in modern physics as an extended project. (DF)

Brief descriptions of several of the laboratory experiments which have been incorporated into an acoustics course for music majors. Includes vibratory motion and sound generation, nature, speed, and pitch of sound, spectrum analysis and electronic synthesis of musical sound and some conventional sound experiments. (Author/TS)