Inquiry-Based Human-Centered Activities for Introductory Physics

We present the design, implementation, and assessment of 24 inquiry-based human-centered physics activities, originally implemented as a 3-quarter sequence of IPLS laboratories at UCLA. Assessment results indicate inquiry-based success, whereby students across all laboratory sections show pre/post quarter improvements in identifying with the statement “In experiments, I investigate my own scientific question.” However, while many students found enjoyment from activities with more real world connections, other students felt frustrated in taking time to learn content that was not directly connected to their lecture and exam materials. We now open up these materials to the general public through the Living Physics Portal, which contains all instructor and student resources (including pre-lab, student manuals, worksheets, and instructor guides) to support implementation and improvement in diverse academic settings. Currently, we seek to integrate this complete laboratory curriculum into worksheet-guided demonstrations that encourage students to value real world connections in their lectures as well as labs, and we welcome collaboration on how to build upon this inquiry-based human-centered framework.