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  Session: Lab Guidelines Focus Area 1: Constructing Knowledge
  Paper Type: Contributed
  Title: Letters Home as an Alternative to Lab Reports
  Meeting: 2015 Summer Meeting: College Park, Maryland
  Location: N/A
  Date:
  Time: 2:40PM
  Author: W. Brian Lane, Jacksonville University
9045158098, wlane@ju.edu
  Co-Author(s): None
  Abstract: The traditional lab report is known to create several pedagogical shortcomings in the introductory physics course, particularly in regards to promoting student engagement, helping students develop their own understanding, and encouraging quality writing. We have found that replacing the traditional lab report with a Letter Home [1] written to a non-physicist creates a more authentic post-lab writing experience, promoting a deeper “unlearning” process for students during and after the lab activity. We discuss the structure of this assignment and how it can be bridged to the traditional technical paper genre.
  Footnotes: [1] W. Brian Lane, The Physics Teacher 52, 397 (2014).
  Presentation: LsH - AAPT Summer 2015 meeting.pptx

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