PHY 183: Physics Laboratory
Prior to her participation in the ACT project, Dr. Blue conducted an assessment of students' critical thinking in PHY 183, an introductory laboratory course. The previous assessment indicated that students' lab reports did not show much evidence of critical thinking. Dr. Blue's goal in the ACT project was to write an improved assignment for the formal laboratory reports in Physics 183.

In addition to rewriting the assignment for the formal laboratory reports, Dr. Blue also adapted the Washington State University rubric in an effort to reflect a 100-level course.

Students wrote three formal laboratory reports during the spring of 2007. They received the old instructions for the first two lab reports and the new instructions for their third report. As students often do poorly on the first report of the semester, Dr. Blue analyzed the second and third reports to see if the new assignment made a difference.

The results in two out of three rubric categories are higher in the reports written with the new assignment, though they are still lower than Dr. Blue would prefer. In future semesters, Dr. Blue will incorporate more direct instruction in how to complete certain requirements of the assignment into the class.

Assignments

Lab Report Assignment

Rubrics

Lab Rubric