{"title":"The process of constructing new knowledge: an undergraduate laboratory exercise facilitated by a vacuum capacitor-resistor circuit","authors":"Frank V Kowalski","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb4","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The process of constructing knowledge is typically taught to students by having them reproduce established results (e.g. homework problems). An alternative pedagogical strategy is to illustrate this process using an open problem, such as voltage decay in an <italic toggle=\"yes\">RC</italic> circuit as described below. Analyzing data from this circuit in an undergraduate physics laboratory course reveals a discrepancy between the data and the exponential decay model found in textbooks. As students attempt to reconcile this discrepancy, the instructor can provide guidance in the process of validating data, modeling, and experimental design. This undergraduate laboratory exercise also provides an engaging transition from classroom learning to real world experience.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Physics","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb4","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The process of constructing knowledge is typically taught to students by having them reproduce established results (e.g. homework problems). An alternative pedagogical strategy is to illustrate this process using an open problem, such as voltage decay in an RC circuit as described below. Analyzing data from this circuit in an undergraduate physics laboratory course reveals a discrepancy between the data and the exponential decay model found in textbooks. As students attempt to reconcile this discrepancy, the instructor can provide guidance in the process of validating data, modeling, and experimental design. This undergraduate laboratory exercise also provides an engaging transition from classroom learning to real world experience.
期刊介绍：
European Journal of Physics is a journal of the European Physical Society and its primary mission is to assist in maintaining and improving the standard of taught physics in universities and other institutes of higher education.
Authors submitting articles must indicate the usefulness of their material to physics education and make clear the level of readership (undergraduate or graduate) for which the article is intended. Submissions that omit this information or which, in the publisher''s opinion, do not contribute to the above mission will not be considered for publication.
To this end, we welcome articles that provide original insights and aim to enhance learning in one or more areas of physics. They should normally include at least one of the following:
Explanations of how contemporary research can inform the understanding of physics at university level: for example, a survey of a research field at a level accessible to students, explaining how it illustrates some general principles.
Original insights into the derivation of results. These should be of some general interest, consisting of more than corrections to textbooks.
Descriptions of novel laboratory exercises illustrating new techniques of general interest. Those based on relatively inexpensive equipment are especially welcome.
Articles of a scholarly or reflective nature that are aimed to be of interest to, and at a level appropriate for, physics students or recent graduates.
Descriptions of successful and original student projects, experimental, theoretical or computational.
Discussions of the history, philosophy and epistemology of physics, at a level accessible to physics students and teachers.
Reports of new developments in physics curricula and the techniques for teaching physics.
Physics Education Research reports: articles that provide original experimental and/or theoretical research contributions that directly relate to the teaching and learning of university-level physics.
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