Online Physics laboratory for University courses

• Main Authors: Daniela Amendola, Cristina Miceli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italian e-Learning Association 2016-06-01
• Series: Je-LKS : Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society
• Subjects: Video-laboratories; peer assessment; scientific e-learning; collaborative work; online experiments
• Online Access: https://www.je-lks.org/ojs/index.php/Je-LKS_EN/article/view/1165
• ISSN: 1826-6223; 1971-8829

E-learning and video technologies provide new tools to learn the laws and phenomena of experimental sciences. This novel approach complements the theoretical classes not having practical sessions. The on-line Physics laboratory is our first project. It consists in video-mediated experiments on the elastic force and harmonic oscillations. The online video experiments allow the students to investigate the elastic phenomena by extracting, collecting and elaborating experimental data. The aim is to give to the students a practical example on how a real physics experiment is conducted. High-resolution videos permit to record a physical phenomenon in a digital form and the video elaboration allows to collect the data. This kind of experiments are "real": videos become a real scientific instrument of measure. Finally, to reproduce the collaborative environment of a laboratory, we organize an online collaborative experience, by a peer assessment of a work-task done by the students at the end of their work. At the same time, we intend to analyse the learning process of the student through their behaviour and their perception in using the online tools of the platform and during the peer assessment experience. This is to identify the optimal tools and the most effective e-learning for the on-line laboratories. Our results are quantified by the data extracted from the Moodle platform, by analysing the reports of the students, and by a survey done on the collaborative activities.