Assessing iOLab-based Laboratories in Online Instruction

We implement an online introductory mechanical physics laboratory course that features the Interactive Online Lab (iOLab) device and a class structure that encourages student engagement and collaboration. The students in the online class achieved a learning gain of g = 0.55 on the FCI. The end of class survey showed that the students overwhelmingly (93%) valued the lab portion of the course. However, we can only infer their mastery of the lab learning objectives from lab related questions on exams and lab reports. We present an ongoing study that seeks to understand student attitudes towards the labs, and the processes students use to complete them. We observe student help-seeking strategies, the amount of time they spend performing the lab, and student motivation. Student attitudes towards online physics labs will be accessed through the use of in-person interviews and a pre and post Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS). The overall goal is to form a more detailed picture of how students complete online physics labs to improve the quality of online physics instruction.