(2115) PUT THEORY INTO PRACTISE: MEASUREMENT ASSIGNMENTS IN PHYSICS THEORY COURSES

摘要

Online materials and flipped classroom methodology have freed classroom time from one directionalsharing of information, i.e. lecturing, to more activating teaching methods. In Tampere University ofApplied Sciences, this has meant that physics theory courses nowadays include measurementassignments in many topics. These assignments have approximately 25 % weight in final grade. Themeasurement assignments have both similarities and differences with laboratory work, which is alsoincluded in the curriculum of all engineering degree programs. In this paper, the course model ispresented together with examples of measurement assignments.The basic idea is the same in measurement assignments and laboratory works: to deepen theunderstanding of laws of physics by actually seeing and measuring different phenomena. However,there are differences as well. The biggest dissimilarities are in time scale and teacher guidance. Themeasurement assignments are supposed to be accomplished within three hours from briefing toreporting without teacher interference and help, whereas in laboratory works students usually havetwo weeks to finish their reporting and the teacher guides and helps students in the laboratory toaccomplish their task. The measurement assignments are usually one-topic relatively simple tasks,which doesn't need very complicated equipment.In a measurement assignment, the student group itself need to find the best way to collect thenecessary data, find the relevant laws of physics and the correct ways to implement them with thegiven equipment. This they can only achieve by discussing, reasoning and considering differentarguments and counter arguments together in the group. The emphasis is on the phenomenon andphysics, not on the measurements themselves. Measurement assignments have learning objectivesbeyond the topic itself: the students learn to argument their opinion, evaluate peers' opinions, evaluateif they themselves really know ,based on laws of physics, or just have a certain “feeling” . Moreover,an engineer needs to know (and admit it) when he/she doesn't know. Not to pretend knowing. Andseek for support from colleagues. If the student group ends up to a wrong answer in measurementassignment, they then have opportunity to find where their own cognitive model was incorrect andrebuild it. These aspects make measurement assignments in theory courses a beneficial way toactivate students.