Mixing knowledge, attitude and experience–teamwork approach in the 1st year undergraduate physics laboratory

Abstract

We report on a new laboratory program implemented in the first year, lower-level service physics course at the University of Newcastle in 2005. It is shown that the new laboratory environment has resulted in very high overall students’ satisfaction for the new program and positively influenced the way they look at their laboratory-based learning experience. In particular it is shown that their study approaches have been influenced in a positive manner, with students acknowledging that the new laboratory structure has developed their teamwork skills and helped them to better understand the lecture material and the underlying physical principles.