A Holistic Approach for the Enhancement of Student Learning in Applied Physics Laboratory Courses Under the OBTL Framework

Description

Laboratory work has always been an integral part of science and engineering. The primary objective of laboratory work is for student to integrate theories, concepts to experiments and practical applications. On completion of the training, students will be expected to be able to (1) carry out experimental works safely, (2) use all-around measurement equipments and carry out complicated procedures, (3) take scientific data with proper error estimation, (4) analyze data to arrive to a scientific result, (5) interpret the result to critically review the theory behind, and if possible, to generalize the result to a wider situation, (6) present the experiment logically, and (7) design further experiments in a new situation.This project aims to reinforce these attributes in applied physics experiments under the OBTL framework. In particular, semester A is to train first year students on equipment handling, safety in laboratory and data analysis. Focus in semester B will shift to second year students with problem-based learning laboratory works. Instead of providing them with theories and procedures, real practical problems will be assigned with a small budget to enable students to design and run experiments with existing equipment. To facilitate active learning, a team of laboratory helpers will be deployed to create an enquiring environment with lab exercises designed to sequentially develop ILO based on Bloom's taxonomy.