Integrating interactive digital video techniques in an introductory physics course for non-science majors

This study was conducted to incorporate interactive digital video techniques (IDV) into the laboratory portion of an introductory course for nonscience majors at American University in Washington, DC. A total of 68 students in four sections of laboratory participated in the study. Two kinematics experiments were designed. Students in two lab sections performed the experiments using IDV techniques. One aspect of the study involved the assessment of student learning styles in an attempt to determine if students with particular learning preferences had higher learning gains when instruction involved IDV techniques versus when it involved more traditional techniques. Student learning gains were assessed, in part, using the Test of Understanding Graphs-Kinematics (TUG-K). The IDV techniques developed for use in the laboratory will be discussed. Quantitative and qualitative results from this study are summarized. Finally, implications for integration of these techniques into the undergraduate curriculum are presented.