Seminar with Prof. Heather J. Lewandowski - ''Engaging students in authentic scientific practices in physics lab courses''

Modeling, which includes developing, testing, and refining models, is a central activity in physics. Modeling is most fully represented in the laboratory where measurements of real phenomena intersect with theoretical models, leading to refinement of models and experimental apparatus. However, experimental physicists use models in complex ways and the process is often not made explicit in physics laboratory courses. Lewandowski’s group at Colorado Boulder have developed a framework to describe the modeling process in physics laboratory activities. The framework has guided lab course transformations, research into student leaning, and assessment of student outcomes. Prof. Lewandowski will present the framework, the way they used it to transform their lab courses, and a new scalable assessment used to measure students’ modeling ability.