Going beyond cookbook labs : computer-based laboratory tools in the high school physics classroom

Physics education is currently undergoing a face lift. The lecture should no longer be the primary mode of instruction because students are not actively participating. For effective learning to occur, the students need to be engaged, not passive listeners (Knight, 2005). Student-centered classrooms are becoming more common, but there is still work to be done. For a student-centered classroom to be effective, the students must construct their own understanding with the teacher acting as a \u27guide. Physics instructors are responsible .for .making the classroom a user friendly environment for students to explore the basic concepts of physics and to develop .a conceptual understanding of physics