• Open Access

Working together or alone, near, or far: Social connections and communities of practice in in-person and remote physics laboratories

Drew J. Rosen and Angela M. Kelly
Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18, 010105 – Published 12 January 2022

Abstract

The proliferation of remote laboratory instruction increased substantially during the recent global pandemic. Many physics departments implemented this rapid transition without the previous experience, time, and deliberation to optimize learning experiences for students. The present quasi-experimental, nonequivalent group design study examined social connections and communities of practice in both in-person and remote undergraduate physics laboratories during the Fall 2020 academic semester. A social networking and communities of practice theoretical framework guided the study design and methodology. Study participants (N=697) included in-person and remote undergraduate students in introductory physics laboratories at a research university in the Northeastern United States. A survey instrument was designed to measure students’ perspectives relating to their social connectedness with peers and instructors as well as their physics laboratory self-efficacy. Survey factor analysis identified subdimensions related to student-student social learning perspectives, student-instructor social learning perspectives, and physics laboratory self-efficacy. Analysis of variance indicated remote students experienced weaker levels of engagement with instructors and peers than in-person students, and remote students who connected with one another experienced more social engagement than remote students who did not. Remote students who connected with one another reported having a lower physics laboratory self-efficacy than their in-person counterparts. Isolated remote students did not show a statistical difference in their physics laboratory self-efficacy from their remote-connecting nor their in-person counterparts. Correlations between factors were tested, with instructor interactions most closely related to self-efficacy formation. Results suggest that remote laboratories, which have proliferated extensively during the recent pandemic, may need formalized mechanisms and incentives to promote social interactions and foster communities of practice among peers. This is also the case for student-instructor interactions, which are often diminished in the online platform and may not be socially situated within the larger class community. Sources of self-efficacy, such as creating opportunities for vicarious learning, may also inform ways these changes can be made. Implications for policy and practice of remote physics laboratory instruction are discussed.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 17 May 2021
  • Accepted 3 November 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.010105

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Physics Education Research

Authors & Affiliations

Drew J. Rosen*

  • Stony Brook University, Institute for STEM Education, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5233, USA

Angela M. Kelly

  • Stony Brook University, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for STEM Education, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5233, USA

  • *drew.rosen@stonybrook.edu

Article Text

Click to Expand

References

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 18, Iss. 1 — January - June 2022

Reuse & Permissions
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Physics Education Research

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

×

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×