Research Projects In Introductory Physics: Impacts On Student Learning

Over the last two years UBC has completely revamped their introductory course for non‐physics majors to present physics in terms of everyday situations and to reinforce connections between classroom physics and real‐world phenomena throughout the course. One of the key changes was the incorporation of a final project where groups of students research and present on a topic of their choice related to the course. Students were asked to quantitatively model a real‐world situation to make a choice or settle a dispute. At the midpoint and end of the 2008 course students were surveyed with a single transfer problem that tested students’ ability to apply physics concepts in real‐world contexts. The post‐test showed students were more likely to engage in simple (rate)*(time) estimates rather than applying more sophisticated physics principles. Implications for instruction and future work are discussed.