PERC 2016 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | "Nothing works the first time": An experimental physics epistemology |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | The ability to troubleshoot is an important learning outcome for undergraduate physics laboratory courses. To better understand the role of troubleshooting in Electronics laboratory courses, we interviewed 20 Electronics instructors from multiple institution types about their beliefs and teaching practices related to troubleshooting. In these interviews, instructors articulated the idea that "nothing works the first" in multiple contexts pertaining to troubleshooting. We show how this idea informs instructors' perceptions of (1) the importance of developing students' ability to troubleshoot, (2) what it means for students to be proficient troubleshooters, and (3) the need (or lack thereof) to specifically design laboratory activities that engage students in the troubleshooting process. Moreover, we argue that this idea is connected to an experimental physics epistemology: newly built experimental systems do not initially function as expected, i.e., "nothing works the first time." We discuss implications for instruction and assessment of troubleshooting in Electronics courses. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder Department of Physics UCB 390 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO 80304-0390 Phone: 303-862-0337 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
H. J. Lewandowski Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder |
