E-LEARNING AND PHYSICS LABORATORY

The main objective of this work is to propose a model of physics experiments that involves the main characteristics and develops the more fundamental skills of a physics practice, as well as introduce e-learning tools, in order to improve this practice. We intend to define a course program that attends to two undergraduate programs, namely an e-learning undergraduate program (BA in Sciences) and the classic face-to-face undergraduate program (BSc in Medical Physics). The laboratory practices will be similar for both programs, but in the former case e-learning will be more emphasized, whereas in the second case the classic face-to-face learning will be highlighted. First of all, it is important to define which skills are the most important in a classic laboratory practice, and the selected skills should then be transferred to a blended learning (b-learning) undergraduate program that does not involve only e-learning, since a face-to-face interaction between students and teacher is necessary. We have singled out that the following are important skills for a laboratory practice: 1) Observation of a physical phenomenon as it is, and not observation of idealized models only; e.g., motion with or without idealized friction; 2) Adequate equipment handling and correct application to a physical phenomenon, making necessary for one to "touch" and "see" the experiment; 3) Measurement of a physical variable with all the difficulties that nature can pose to an experiment; e. g., high signal/noise ratio, darkness, equipment restriction, and other difficulties inherent to a real scientific measurement; 4) In situ interaction with other students that have witnessed the same phenomenon and knowledge. In our model, all these skills will be present in the physics laboratory program course. To this end, we have also identified which Information Technology (IT) tools offer good features and can thus be transferred from e-learning programs to classic laboratory programs, thus bringing b-learning physical practice into being. Briefly, the IT tools selected for this work are: 1) Web pages for theory, practice guide, and other informational texts; 2) Wiki pages to report experiments, publish a results databank, and share experimental data with other students; 3) Remotely Controlled Laboratory (RCL) for long-distance data acquisition for some complementary experiments; 4) Simulations for visualization of abstract physical phenomena; 5) Video-teaching for execution or construction of the physical experiment and delivery of general instructions for laboratory practice; 6) Students' timeline and knowledge management, allowing pupils to learn at their own pace. The proposed b-learning program is based on literature evaluating the pedagogical characteristics of e-learning programs, teacher's necessity regarding a laboratory lesson, student's perception, and benefits of the physics laboratory program goals. To conclude this work, we point out the importance of interconnecting knowledge about technology, pedagogy, and content, whit a view to continuously and deeply changing our teaching culture. An aphorism can summarize the challenge that teachers have to face, "There is no technological progress without cultural progress".