• Open Access

Impact of a conventional introductory laboratory course on the understanding of measurement

Trevor S. Volkwyn, Saalih Allie, Andy Buffler, and Fred Lubben
Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 4, 010108 – Published 1 May 2008
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Abstract

Conventional physics laboratory courses generally include an emphasis on increasing students’ ability to carry out data analysis according to scientific practice, in particular, those aspects that relate to measurement uncertainty. This study evaluates the efficacy of the conventional approach by analyzing the understanding of measurement of freshmen following the physics major sequence, i.e., top achievers, with regard to data collection, data processing, and data comparison, through pre- and postinstruction tests by using an established instrument. The findings show that the laboratory course improved the performance of the majority of students insofar as the more mechanical aspects of data collection and data processing were concerned. However, only about 20% of the cohort of physics majors exhibited a deeper understanding of measurement uncertainty required for data comparison.

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  • Received 29 March 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.4.010108

This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Authors & Affiliations

Trevor S. Volkwyn, Saalih Allie*, and Andy Buffler

  • Department of Physics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa

Fred Lubben

  • Department of Educational Studies, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom

  • *saalih.allie@uct.ac.za

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Issue

Vol. 4, Iss. 1 — January - June 2008

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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 3.0 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.

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