This paper, presented at the conference on the role of the laboratory in physics education which was held in Oxford, England in July 1978, discusses whether physics laboratories are essential or merely desirable for secondary schools and universities. (HM)

Described is a multidisciplinary group project for undergraduate students in astronomy and physics. The students design and build a simple radiotelescope subject to a number of realistic constraints such as fixed cost, use of a standard communications receiver, and buying of supplementary building materials off the shelf. (BT)

These activities focus on the unifying concept of faster-moving fluids lowering fluid pressure. Students are able to visualize and measure the dynamics of fluid pressure with the hands-on approach of these activities, which helps to develop conceptual understanding. Activities are organized to show many examples of the same concept to reveal…

Presents examples of experiments designed for high school students with the help of a microcomputer-based laboratory called Explorer. Argues that these tools enable students to investigate many principles of physics that were not feasible in the past. (DDR)

Describes CAPA, a software tool to implement a computer-assisted personalized approach for homework assignments and examinations in a large introductory physics class at Michigan State University. Highlights include increased individual attention for students; correlation between homework performance and results of the final exam; feedback for…

Adapted a high school physics program to make physics less elite and more accessible to all students. Students surveys evaluated their attitudes regarding the effectiveness of the new conceptual approach. Results indicated that the approach opened the door to physics for many traditionally underrepresented groups. Students considered the revised…

Compares collaborative problem solving by learners sitting side-by-side with computer-mediated learning at a distance. Three aspects are studied: high school students' problem- solving strategies and interpretation of the teaching situation; their use of components of the situation; and the cognitive processes involved in understanding domain…

Described are engineering programs that have used automated data acquisition systems to implement data collection and analyze experiments. Applications include a biochemical engineering laboratory, heat transfer performance, engineering materials testing, mechanical system reliability, statistical control laboratory, thermo-fluid laboratory, and a…

Described is a simple circuit with which students can observe the effect of common dielectric materials in a capacitor and measure the dielectric constant of a piece of paper. Discussed are the theory, apparatus construction, and experimental procedures for this activity. (CW)

Suggestions for the design and production of power supplies and meters for use in school physics laboratories and classrooms are provided. Details of these apparatus are given including circuit diagrams. (CW)

Outlines the stages of a research-development cycle based on experiences with a Dutch physics curriculum development project (PLON). Discusses two topics: the legitimation of specific contents of the curricula and the attention to lay ideas on scientific concepts. (Author/YP)

Presented is a study designed to describe the characteristics, goals, and instructional strategies of high school science teachers in Israel. The study also attempted to identify factors which explain differences between teachers of different science content and provide explanations for the differential implementation of curricula in biology,…

Reviewed are six programs at different colleges and universities which provide research opportunities for undergraduate students in physics, astronomy, marine biology, meteorology, and anthropology. Background, features, and accomplishments of the programs are discussed. (CW)

Discussed are some of the reasons for and arguments against teaching the history of physics to physics majors. The course goals, philosophy, and content are described. Sources of material are listed. An outline of the course content, and a bibliography used to develop the course are included. (CW)

Described is a two-year course for non-college-bound high school students called Principles of Technology. The goals, design, and units of the course are discussed. Criticism of the course is reviewed. (CW)