Interactive (reformed) instruction helps students develop a deeper understanding of physics,1 a component of which is letting students explore physical phenomena first and then building upon their experience. However, the time required for a single group to collect sufficient data and the likelihood of measurement errors are often obstacles to this. This paper describes an approach that overcomes those obstacles by using Google Docs to easily collect data during class from all student groups to use for class discussion. Each group takes three to five measurements and submits their data through a web form that goes straight into a Google spreadsheet. The instructor then uses this for plots or calculations and leads a class discussion.
Topics
Education
REFERENCES
1.
Dan
MacIsaac
and Kathleen
Falconer
, “Reforming physics instruction via RTOP
,” Phys. Teach.
40
, 479
–485
(Nov. 2002
).
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© 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2011
American Association of Physics Teachers
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