Evaluating the Open Lab Format in Supporting Student Learning

Abstract

This project investigates whether the open-lab workshop format used in the course FYSN35, Electronics for Physicists, supports student learning more effectively than traditional one-day laboratory sessions. Using constructive alignment and the SOLO taxonomy as analysis frameworks, we examine how students perceive their learning during workshops and which types of learning activities they associate with the two laboratory formats. Data were collected through a mid-course Mentimeter poll and a questionnaire performed during two workshop sessions. The results indicate that students rate the workshops substantially higher in supporting their learning and that they to a higher degree associate workshop activities with higher cognitive processes, such as reflecting, hypothesizing, and creating their own investigative strategies. These results suggest that the workshop format fosters greater independence and deeper learning, although our conclusions are limited by the small sample size and the self-selected nature of participation in the workshops.