Rethinking laboratory activities with digital technologies and developments in physics education

This thesis explores the integration of digital technologies and active learning methodologies in physics education, focusing on both high school and introductory undergraduate laboratory courses. The research is motivated by the need to move away from traditional, teacher-centered approaches and embrace methods that actively engage students in the learning process. The first part of the thesis details the implementation of the E-CLASS (Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics) survey in Italian undergraduate courses. This survey provided insights into students' attitudes towards experimental physics, guiding curriculum refinement to enhance learning outcomes. By analysing pre- and post-course data, we identified areas for improvement and adjusted teaching practices accordingly. The second part of the research focuses on the introduction of Jupyter Notebooks with Python in laboratory courses. We defined and introduced a set of laboratory computational learning goals that were incorporated into the course to foster students' abilities to write Python codes for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization, as well as to effectively communicate their work using Jupyter Notebooks. This approach aimed to lower the entry barrier to programming, enhancing students' computational skills, which are fundamental for modern scientific methodologies, and self-efficacy in a manner more aligned with professional physics practices. The effectiveness of the approach is described on the basis of multi-step assessments aligned with the defined learning goals. The third part of this research focuses on the implementation of the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach in high school physics courses using iOLab devices. ISLE is an inquiry-based methodology where students learn physics by practicing it, mirroring the activities of professional physicists. This approach involves students working in groups in generating and testing their own explanations for observed phenomena through hands-on experimentation. The ISLE methodology fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration, essential for learning scientific practices. Initial results from the implementation show that students were highly engaged and appreciated the use of technology and group work in their learning process, although longer interventions are needed to significantly impact students' habits. In addition, a teaching module on introducing the FFT spectrum as a graphical representation to explore sound phenomena was presented using Jupyter Notebooks and smartphone sensors, further integrating computational elements into the curriculum. In conclusion, this thesis shows the potential of digital technologies and active learning methodologies in improving student learning. By fostering critical thinking, data analysis skills and scientific inquiry, these approaches significantly enhance the educational experience and prepare students for the complexities of 21st- century world.