The conclusion is part of the lab that laboratory instructors have struggled with for some time. Since the actual data collection and numerical analysis of the laboratory has been so time consuming, the student is left with little or no time to 'think' about the conclusion. With the use of the spreadsheet or database for data collection and calculations, this section will be expanded to include guided questions that will help the student see patterns and make connections beyond the specific task. This is an introductory physics course that satisfies the natural science general education requirement. Approximately 100 students take the course each fall.
Students attend three lectures hours a week and two hours of laboratory.
In the laboratory they perform a variety of physics experiments in the areas of mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, light and modern physics. All of these experiments are quantitative, so they produce a data that must be analyzed numerically. At present we are planning only laboratory related TAC activities. This has been done quickly without sufficient attention to optimizing the learning experiences of students. For example, we continue to do the same type of analysis that in the past students did on a calculator, except now they use spreadsheet .