Research on introductory physics lab courses shows that traditional “cookbook-style verification” labs often fail to achieve their intended learning outcomes. To address this, various alternative approaches have been developed. In this talk, I’ll discuss how we implemented the Structured Quantitative Inquiry (SQI) framework at UT Austin in the context of lab courses which serve a large and diverse student population. I will highlight both successes and areas needing improvement. I’ll also share our ongoing research on how best to scaffold equitable group dynamics in inquiry-based and active learning environments. This is particularly relevant for UT’s lab courses, since prior work suggests that while the SQI framework is more effective than traditional labs for student’s overall learning, it can inadvertently open the door to new inequities absent proactive efforts by instructors to anticipate and remediate them.
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Speaker Bio:
Andrew Loveridge received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 2018. While at UW, in addition to his dissertation on aspects of Gauge/Gravity Duality, he was involved in a variety of efforts to redesign high enrollment courses to incorporate active learning (the REACH program). Now he is an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin, where he has led a major redesign of the introductory lab courses to incorporate evidence based teaching practices and is actively involved in Physics Education Research.