Collaborative online assignments for an introductory course in musical acoustics

Abstract

Hands-on activities are a valuable component of any introductory course in physical science, especially a course in musical acoustics that attracts students who are not majoring in a physical science. Tasks that require active engagement, both physical and cognitive, have been shown to improve retention of new concepts [Am. J. Phys. 80, 478 (2012)]. Such tasks also provide an opportunity for students to improve collaboration skills and to learn from each other. The development of a well-vetted library of interactive online physics simulations, such as PhET (https://phet.colorado.edu), and recent improvements in online collaboration platforms have enabled collaborative active learning to occur in a structured way outside the classroom. This presentation will describe three collaborative tasks for a general education course in musical acoustics at Central Washington University that were adapted for online and hybrid versions of thecourse. Each task makes use of freely available software. Examples of how the collaboration can be structured using Zoom and Gather.town will be provided.