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We describe an extracurricular learning path on waves focused on energy
transfer. The advantages of introducing mechanical waves by using the Shive
wave machine and laboratory activities are presented. Laboratories are realized
by inquiry, i.e. students explore waves behavior in qualitative way, guess what
can happen and suddenly test their hypothe...
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The spring-mass system studied in undergraduate physics laboratories may
exhibit complex dynamics due to the simultaneous action of gravitational and
elastic forces in addition to air friction. In the first part of this paper, we
describe a laboratory experiment aimed at beginner students which also gives
those with a more advanced background an op...
Citations
... Students must be intellectually engaged and actively involved in their learning, and traditional instruction is usually failing to provide this engagement. On the contrary, a well-designed laboratory can achieve active learning through exploring and inquiry-based activities (Montalbano 2014a). In the laboratory context, multimedia tools can play a relevant role by enhancing the comprehension of some topics (e.g. ...
... A very effective activity for understanding resonance (Montalbano 2014b) is the study of Chladni figures showed in figure 1. By using a speaker connected to a function generator, a resonant system can be obtained by placing a metal plate over it. ...
A learning path is proposed starting from the characterization of a sound
wave, showing how human beings emit articulate sounds in the language,
introducing psychoacoustics, i.e. how the sound interacts with ears and it is
transduced into an electrical signal for transmission to the brain. What is
perceived as noise is presented and the concept is extended to physical
measurements. The interdisciplinary teaching process is focused on active
learning through activities at school and outside performed with an open source
software which allows to record sounds and analyze spectral components.
... Which activities are useful in classroom practice? Some attempt of investigating these issues have been realized within the National Plan for Science Degree (Montalbano, 2012;Sassi, Chiefari, Lombardi & Testa, 2012) in a summer school of physics (Benedetti, Mariotti, Montalbano, & Porri, 2011;Montalbano & Mariotti, 2013) and with deepening laboratory with few interested students (Montalbano & Di Renzone, 2012). The pilot study was qualitative and involved small groups of students from high school (15 -18 years) in different times and situations. ...
... On the right, the end of the machine is fixed so it behaves as a wall that reflects the wave that overlapping to the incident one creating a standing wave. Shive machine is very effective for encouraging students in active learning (Montalbano & Di Renzone, 2012). ...
... On the left, a pulse from the left (top) and transmitted and reflected pulses (below); on the right a pulse from the right (top) and transmitted and reflected pulses. (Montalbano & Di Renzone, 2012). ...
In order to describe natural phenomena, science develops sophisticated models
that use mathematical and formal languages which seem, and often are, very far
from common experience. When a phenomenon is not accessible to our senses, its
description is indirect and understanding can be difficult for those who are
not trained to understand the consequences of formal languages used by
scientists. When one succeed to obtain a direct visualization of a phenomenon
inaccessible to senses, it is possible to get a deeper understanding since a
very effective channel of learning is involved. A wider and more profound
result in learning process can be obtained if the physical system utilized for
visualization enables direct interaction with the phenomenon. From the infrared
vision to cosmic rays, from the magnetic field to the flow of energy, many
phenomena can be suitable for building systems that allow capturing a greater
awareness of the physical world. Some examples of such systems are given for
relevant topics in physics and for mathematical tools. They were designed for a
summer school for students in the last years of high school or for deepening
laboratories addressed to talented students in secondary school, but with some
attention it is possible to adapt them to other cases like high school classes
or undergraduate students.
... The more relevant feature of the summer school was the implementation of active and cooperative learning paths (Benedetti, Mariotti, Montalbano, & Porri, 2011). Other activities were designed in order to be proposed to small groups of talented students from high school (age 15-18) in optional deepining laboratories perfomed in Physics Department (Montalbano & Di Renzone, 2012). ...
Since 2006, forty students from high school are selected to attend a full
immersion summer school of physics in the Pigelleto Natural Reserve, on the
south east side of Mount Amiata in the province of Siena. Topics are chosen so
that students are involved in activities rarely pursued in high school, aspects
and relationship with society are underlined and discussed. Our purpose is
offering to really motivated students an opportunity of testing the scientific
method, the laboratory experience in a stimulating context, by deepening an
interesting and relevant topic in order to orienting them towards physics.
Students are encouraged in cooperating in small groups in order to present and
share the achieved results. Starting from the third edition of the school, the
school became a training opportunity for younger teachers which are involved in
programming and realization of selected activities. The laboratory activities
with students are usually supervised by a young and an expert teacher in order
to fix the correct methodology. Recently, young teachers enrolled in a master
in Physics Education tested in the summer school some activity designed in
their courses.
The use of visualisation in physics has been analysed. The focus is put on the use of
visualisation in modelling of complex phenomena and three different levels have been
identified in physics research.
Is it possible to improve the effectiveness of physics education by using the more unusual
of them? Which activities are useful in classroom practice?
Some attempt of investigating these issues have been realized within the PLS [4] in a
summer school of physics [5] and with deepening laboratory with few interested
students. The pilot study is qualitative and involved small groups of students from high
school (15 - 18 years) in different times and situations. Examples in the following topics
have been examined: magnetic field and mechanical systems, energy transport and
transformations. (Poster presented at ESERA )