Physics project laboratory

Solving a practical open ended problem and preparing a web-page report. All the work is performed in groups of 5 to 7 students.
Every group is assigned a project task but with no hints how to solve it. Groups receive project tasks two weeks before starting the organized practical work. Project work includes practical part (in the workshop) and preparing the web-report (in students' free time). Students can request limited help from mechanical and electronic workshops.

Iskanje primernih virov je del projektnega dela. Priporočen vir so naslednje štiri revije, ki so dosegljive v Fizikalni knjižnici FMF in na navedenih spletnih straneh omogočajo tudi elektronsko iskanje/Searching for the relevant literature is part of the course assignment. Some suggested sources that are availbale also in the Physics dept. library:
Physics Education (http://www.iop.org/EJ/S/0/30619/journal/0031-9120)
European Journal of Physics (http://www.iop.org/EJ/search/0143-0807/1)
American Journal of Physics (http://scitation.aip.org/ajp/)
The Physics Teacher (http://scitation.aip.org/tpt/)

solving practical open ended problems in small group (team), expected knowledge is at the level of the high school science subjects
apply acquired knowledge in new situaton
ability to use basic measuring devices and computer for data acquisition and analysis
ability to use time and resources economically
ability to prepare and present the report of project work in the form of webpage

Knowledge: students will learn how to handle basic measuring devices in order to perform measurements, they will also learn how to present scientific data
Understanding, Deepening of understanding the basic physics concepts through solving concrete problems

Project work, learning by inquiry, research work in science

Requirements for completing the course: - full participation during the practical work and during the preparation of the report - on-time submittion of the report - co-authoring the web report.
Grades: passed – not passed

PLANINŠIČ, Gorazd. IYPT problems as an efficient source of ideas for first-year project laboratory tasks. European journal of physics, ISSN 0143-0807, 2010, vol. 30, no. 6, str. S133-S140. [COBISS-SI-ID 2275428]
PONIKVAR, Dušan, PLANINŠIČ, Gorazd. Conservation of mechanical and electric energy : simple experimental verification. European journal of physics, ISSN 0143-0807, 2009, vol. 30, no. 1, str. 47-56. [COBISS-SI-ID 2153316]
PLANINŠIČ, Gorazd. Color mixer for every student. The Physics teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, 2004, 42, str. 138-142. [COBISS-SI-ID 1728868]