Enhancing collaboration and learning in physics lab courses through the POE-D framework

Physics lab courses are an integral part of undergraduate education, where students learn to set up lab equipment, collect data, interpret results, draw conclusions, and perceive science as a structured discipline rather than mere magic. However, despite working in small groups for lab experiments, we noticed that students often do not collaborate effectively, limiting learning outcomes and professional development. To address this, we introduced an additional lab component, 'Discussion', within our existing Predict, Observe, and Explain (POE) framework, creating POE-D. After completing the lab work and individually filling out worksheets/lab reports, students discuss their findings with their lab partners at the end of the session, clarify misconceptions, and revise their responses accordingly. To help foster the discussions, students submit worksheets/lab reports in two separate stacks, with the TA randomly grading one per group and assigning the same score to all group members. This talk will present measures of the effectiveness of this new approach in strengthening collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills while fostering a more effective and engaging lab learning experience.