Instructor and Student Interactions in Remote and Traditional Undergraduate Physics Laboratories

The overarching goal of this study is to explore how undergraduate physics learning experiences and affective domains differ when comparing in-person and remote laboratory instruction. The recent ubiquity of online learning, particularly in physics laboratory settings, provides a unique context for exploring how to optimize physics laboratory instruction. The research was conducted at public research university in the Northeastern U.S. In-person, collaborative, introductory undergraduate physics laboratory courses enrolled approximately 720 students each semester, and the remote laboratories (performed individually with iOLab devices) served roughly 360 students. Interviews were conducted with a stratified sample of N=23 undergraduate physics students in both instructional modes. Coded interviews indicated several overarching themes: (1) Students in both types of classes preferred collaboration in performing data collection and analyses; (2) Many students were not well informed of instructional options when registering as first-year students; (3) The quality and frequency of teaching assistant interactions were more positive in face-to-face laboratory classes, which influenced students’ self-efficacy, agency, and comprehension. Findings indicated remote and traditional in-person laboratory instruction should promote peer-to-peer collaboration and instructor-student interactions to promote equity, rigor, and responsiveness to students’ individual learning needs.