Implementing Investigative Labs and Writing Intensive Reports in Large University Physics Courses

Abstract

Undergraduate physics programs are increasingly facing pressure from university and college administration, industry, and funding agencies to improve training of our undergraduates. Increasingly, tertiary institutions have redefined their graduate profiles and mission statements to encompass more than just content knowledge, including skills that will help students succeed in today’s fast-paced world. Many physics departments have started to incorporate the results of physics education research and cognitive science, by adopting more active pedagogies. Student Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies (SCALE-UP) is one such educational innovation that has spread widely around the United States and abroad. While initially developed for large-enrollment university physics courses, the approach is being used in a variety of disciplines and class sizes so the acronym has evolved to reflect this. SCALE-UP integrates the lab, “lecture,” and tutorial sections of the course in a reformed classroom to allow large-enrollment university courses to benefit from interactive instruction. This article explains how the University of Auckland developed more open-ended, resourceful lab activities to be completed by large classes that enhance understanding of physics while developing transferable writing-related and critical thinking skills.