Experimental learning activities and examinations in the field of physics
The project involves modernising equipment, design, and examination methods for undergraduate physics laboratory tasks. The lab tasks will be so modular and flexible that they can be adapted to different programmes and course designs, more accessible, easier to maintain, and easier to teach.
Project context
The physics lab tasks for first cycle courses are a central part of first cycle education and are included in many different programmes, but both laboratory equipment and lab tasks need to be modernised. The need has increased for modular lab exercises that can be adapted to the course objectives. At the same time, the situation for recruiting lab supervisors has changed, firstly with more students per supervisor. Secondly, the number of doctoral students who can teach the laboratory work has decreased, which is why students are being recruited as lab supervisors. Overall, the situation places higher demands on usability, clarity and training of lab supervisors, and an easy-to-use and flexible system is needed.
Purpose (outcome)
The aim of this project is to upgrade laboratory equipment and lab tasks in the Departments of Physics and Applied Physics to ensure that they are relevant to today's students and technologies, to enable:
- strengthening students' engagement and understanding of light, acoustics, optics, electromagnetism, as well as different types of ionizing radiation and of physical measurement instruments
- improving students' skills in dealing with measurement uncertainties
- making laboratory exercises more accessible and easier to maintain and easier to teach with older students as supervisors
- investigation and development of examination forms for laboratory elements to ensure fair and effective assessment.
Project results (output)
- Modernised equipment for laboratory work at the first cycle
- Flexible and modular lab tasks at the first cycle that can be adapted to different programmes and course layouts
- Examination forms for lab tasks at the first cycle, adapted to course size and modern AI tools
- Inventory of physics laboratory work at the second cycle (as time permits).
Time plan
Start date: 2025-05-15
End date: 2026-06-30
Project documentation
If you have a KTH ID, you can read the latest project documents on OneDrive when logged in:
- Poster: The project’s first poster (in Swedish) will be available at the ”Storträffen” meetup on 2025-12-01
- Project initation document: Projektdirektiv_FrU25_2521-SCI_ExpMiljöer_Labprojekt_250909.pdf (Swedish)