ABSTRACT

This chapter reports a succession of experiments to transform an introductory physics course which had increases in student numbers and the problem of enrolling students from a wider variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The increased number of laboratory sessions and reports to mark was proving an overwhelming problem for the lecturer. The case study shows how the use of student workbooks, a compulsory textbook, computer and video packages has given students a variety of options to design their own way through the course. Also, by focussing the laboratory sessions on key objectives and being more selective in what and how we assessed, marking time has been cut. A significant feature of this case study is the careful costing of the changes in staff workloads.