The restructured “advanced laboratory” at Hope College—A step toward independence

Abstract

The advanced physics laboratory at Hope College is a majors course focusing on experimental physics. This course teaches not only experimental techniques, but also experimental design, implementation and analysis. The students are asked to design experiments using existing equipment (such as the Hope College 2MV Van de Graaff accelerator) to address a physical question posed by the instructors. Their experimental plan is reviewed by a program advisory committee (the instructors for the course). Students learn that the planning state can be as important as the actual experiment. They learn how to write a report about an unexpected or less than perfect result. The challenge for the instructors has been finding a way to help the students to become “independent” without frustrating them in their early attempts. This paper will discuss the structure of the course and give examples of the accelerator-based experiments used to help build independent research skills.