Lewandowski Group

We are currently developing a new research-based assessment instrument called the Survey of Physics Reasoning on Uncertainty Concepts in Experiments (SPRUCE). We are doing this in partnership with Prof. Rachel Henderson and Prof. Marcos D. Caballero at Michigan State University (see here). SPRUCE will measure student learning connected to measurement uncertainty at the intro undergraduate level in the context of experimental physics.   

Promoting students' sense of ownership over their work is an important aspect of learning, both in instructional and research settings. The importance of ownership is recognized by many instructors and advisors to be an important outcome of their students' efforts. However, for many instructors and researchers, what it means to have a sense of ownership may be understood only in broad and surface-level terms. In physics, one promising venue for engaging students in projects over which they feel ownership is the instructional lab course.

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS) was developed as a broadly applicable assessment tool for undergraduate physics lab courses. At the beginning and end of the semester, the E-CLASS assesses students' views about their strategies, habits of mind, and attitudes when doing experiments in lab classes. Students also reflect on how those same strategies, habits of mind, and attitudes are practiced by professional researchers.

The term troubleshooting often refers to the process of repairing a malfunctioning apparatus. In this sense, troubleshooting can be thought of as a type of modeling: the physical apparatus is refined in order to bring its performance into better alignment with expectations that are informed by a model for how the apparatus should perform. Troubleshooting is also a type of problem-solving where the solution state is known but the solution path is unknown: "What’s wrong and how do I fix it?"

The Modeling Assessment for Physics Laboratory Experiments (MAPLE) is an assessment that has been developed to measure students' processes of modeling in advanced-level lab classes focusing on either electronics or optics. The assessment consists of two surveys: a pre-test on mechanics (measuring the acceleration due to gravity using a pendulum) and a post-test on either an inverting amplifier circuit or a polarizer setup.

The Experimental Modeling Framework (EMF) is one way to describe the nonlinear, recursive process through which experimental physicists develop, use, and refine models and apparatus. In the context of upper-division physics lab courses, we developed the EMF to characterize students' model-based reasoning and to inform the development of instructional lab environments that engage students in the practice of modeling.  A diagram of the EMF is shown at left, and a pdf is available for download below. 

We are working on several quantum education projects looking at various ways to teach students the knowledge and skills needed to work with quantum experiments. Here at CU Boulder, there is a new senior capstone course where students partner with a company in the quantum industry for a year-long authentic project. We are investigating how students’ perceptions about, and interest in, the quantum industry change throughout this year-long course.

During the Fall 2020 term, when faced with the challenge of instructing a large (400+ student), introductory physics lab virtually, we redesigned the entire course to create a unique experience for the students in this very unique situation--a CURE. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) involve students in authentic research by engaging students in inquiries where neither the students nor the instructor know the answer.

In the spring of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities across the world rapidly transitioned classes and activities to be conducted remotely. This transition presented particular challenges for laboratory courses. We are currently conducting research to document the variety of creative approaches employed by physics lab instructors, measure the impact of the transition to remote teaching on student learning and students' beliefs about experimental physics, and to assess the effectiveness of remote lab teaching strategies.