Insightful learning in the laboratory: Some experiences from 10 years of designing and using conceptual labs

Abstract

I describe a series of projects on the design and implementation of "conceptual labs" aimed at developing insightful learning, following work that began in 1994/95. The main focus has been on courses in mechanics and electric circuit theory. The approach taken in designing these innovative curricula can be described as "design-based research". A common feature in these learning environments is the use of technology as a tool to aid students' inquiry. In addition, systematic variation, based on the theory of variation, has been introduced into the design of the assigned tasks. Results from conceptual inventories have demonstrated the success of conceptual labs. In the later projects we used video recording to study students' courses of action in labs. I describe how these studies have provided insights into conditions that are critical for learning and how these insights have helped me and co-workers to make further improvements to learning environments.

Long term stability of learning outcomes in undergraduates after an open-inquiry instruction on thermal science

“…4) shows a definite improvement in their similarity towards the explicative typology. A second group (with learners labeled 2,5,7,9,10,14,16,21,23,25,26,29), characterized by an initial (postinstruction) similarity index lower than 0.6 with respect to the ex-type, has further lowered these values by increasing the similarity towards the de-type profile. A final group (with students labeled 3, 4,8,18,20,27,28), all starting with ex-type similarities higher than 0.6, after four years, essentially remained with the same similarities with respect to the three typologies.…”

“…An inquiry-based science education is becoming a common teaching paradigm all over the world at both primary and secondary school. Unfortunately, except for some notable experiences of inquiry-based instruction, such as the Workshop Physics [16,17], Real-Time Physics [18][19][20], Interactive Lecture Demonstrations [19], and Conceptual Labs [21], this is generally hardly happening at university, where most scientific disciplines are still taught by following a lecture-based method of instruction. In some cases, this might be due to greater numbers of students attending a university course, limiting the possibility to engage them within an inquiry-based learning environment in real laboratories.…”

International Perspectives on Engineering Education

“…Bernhard 1999Bernhard , 2000Bernhard , 2003Bernhard , 2005Bernhard , 2010Bernhard , 2011aBernhard and Carstensen 2002 ;Bernhard et al 2007 ;Carstensen and Bernhard 2004 has, for example, contributed to the design of environments that foster learning, the development of theories regarding the role of technologies in labs (e.g. Bernhard 2007Bernhard , 2008Bernhard , 2012Bernhard , 2013, critical factors for learning in labs (e.g.…”

“…Bernhard 2007Bernhard , 2008Bernhard , 2012Bernhard , 2013, critical factors for learning in labs (e.g. Bernhard 2003Bernhard , 2010Bernhard , 2011aBernhard et al 2005 ;Carstensen 2013 ;Carstensen and Bernhard 2009 ), threshold concepts theory (e.g. Bernhard et al 2011 ;Carstensen andBernhard 2008 , 2013 ;Carstensen 2013 ) and a model of the learning of complex concepts (e.g.…”

Kinaesthetic activities in physics instruction: Image schematic justification and design based on didactic situations

“…Utilizing the human body as an object in physics learning is not new (e.g. Bernhard, 2010;Pendrill & Williams, 2005), but the kind of activity proposed here does not necessarily involve digital sensors.…”