General information

Overview of Students Laboratories at the Vrije Universiteit.

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In the undergraduate laboratories at the VUA physics major students are being prepared for their master research work through 8 laboratory courses during 6 semesters, see table 1.

Course no.		Year	Main skill	Duration No.exps.x hrs/exp	| | V | | V guidance more in a remote manner | | V | | V
1	(Investigative practical)	1	Comparing different experimental methods Translating a problem into measurable quantities (the problem is given)	5 x 20 hrs
2	(Academic skills)		Writing a report; oral presentation	40 hrs
3	(Experiment-automation)		Measuring by computer.	80 hrs
4	(Data-analysis)	2	Analysing data	40 hrs
5	(Electronics)		Designing electric circuits	120 hrs
6	(Investigative practical)		Formulating an experimental problem.	5 x 24 hrs
7	(Investigative practical)	3	All research skills	2 x 60 hrs
8	(Investigative practical)		All research skills	1 x 160 hrs

Table 1: Overview practical courses at the VUA.

The central teaching goal of courses 1, 6, 7 and 8 is to develop students' research skills. The aims of these courses are: a) To acquire insight into setting up performing and interpreting an experiment, so that students are able to follow a methodical approach to solve an experimental problem. b) To obtain knowledge about apparatus and measuring methods. c) To observe a number of physical phenomena and their relationships. The emphasis in these courses lies on aim a). Therefore the students are being trained to follow the steps of the research cycle: 1. To translate the experimental problem into measurable quantities 2. To justify the choice of an experimental method 3. To execute measurements 4. To handle and analyse the experimental results 5. To draw conclusions   Educational approach Students' development of research skills is gradually built up following two lines: 1- The practical instructions are not cook-book like. The practical courses have a more or less open character. The focus will be on more objectives in each following course. In course 1 the emphasis is on steps 1 and 2 of the research cycle. The experimental problem to be solved is given. Students have to compare different experimental methods. Students are familiar with the required theory (of secondary school level). The experimental techniques are easy. In course 6 students have also to formulate their own experimental problem. Students are familiar with the theory (of undergraduate level), but they are not used to apply this knowledge. The experimental techniques are more advanced than in course 1. 2- To develop students' independence in doing research, the guidance will be more in a remote manner in higher courses (courses 7 and 8). In courses 1 and 6 the guidance is still close. Courses 1 and 6 are preceded by introductory courses aimed to develop some manipulative skills (to handle apparatus, to use the optical bench properly, etc.). In courses 7 and 8 the experiments are advanced, students should choose a sub-problem e.g. a problem raised in the previous experiment. The guidance focuses on the 'scientific discourse' to develop the higher intellectual skills to do research. Each experiment has three formal moments of guidance: Exploratory discussion. Emphasis lies on guidance of the students. Tutor gives feedback. In this discussion the assistant takes the initiative. He or she asks questions, provides small tasks and guides the thinking of the students. Work plan discussion. In this discussion halfway through the experiment the student takes the initiative. The student shows how (s)he will set up the experiment, which choices are made. The student has to convince the assistant how he or she will solve the experimental problem. Especially the two first steps of the research cycle are under discussion. Report discussion. In the report students shows how (s)he masters also steps 4 and 5 of the research cycle. The discussion is an evaluation of the whole experiment by student and assistant together. An important point of discussion is the quality of the research activities of the student and which implications this will have for the next experiment. In order to stimulate discussions and exchange of arguments, students have to work in pairs. In course 1 the instructions in the laboratory manual are short: one sentence on the problem to be solved, some theory about the phenomena to be investigated (to students well-known theory, e.g. copies from a secondary schoolbook in course 1), and some assignments about the apparatus. Teaching assistants get a training course before the series of labs start. Also during the labs, assistants are coached on the need to discuss and identify key situations where a research skill is at issue. Way of assessment. In course 1 the assessment takes place on the basis of a specifically designed 'test-experiment'. In course 6 the formal assessment is based on the last two experiments. In courses 7 and 8 each experiment will be assessed.

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