Evaluation of Students’ Understanding the Uncertainties after A New Course “Search for Physics Laws”

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to present a new introductory laboratory course “Search for physics laws” and results of its evaluation. It is known that a laboratory course is traditionally one of the most important components of university physics course. And it is supposed that after such course first-year engineering students learn what to do with experimental data. However, authors discovered that most students do not acquire the necessary skills. The presented laboratory physics course is based on the algorithm of systematic construction of skills for conducting an experimental research. The basic method used in the course is the graphical method of error analysis. This method could give students an intuitive understanding of an experimental situation, so it goes through all sessions. The evaluation of the first part of the course is based on responses to a written questionnaire administered to three groups of students: an experimental group (85 students) and two control groups (61 and 23 students). The results suggest that the organized in the new way laboratory sessions has been more successful in improving students’ basic skills of error analysis.