Interactive Lecture Demonstrations

Book excerpt: Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) are designed to enhance conceptual learning in physics lectures through active engagement of students in the learning process. Students observe real physics demonstrations, make predictions about the outcomes on a prediction sheet, and collaborate with fellow students by discussing their predictions in small groups. Students then examine the results of the live demonstration (often displayed as real-time graphs using computer data acquisition tools), compare these results with their predictions, and attempt to explain the observed phenomena. ILDs are available for all of the major topics in the introductory physics course and can be used within the traditional structure of an introductory physics course. All of the printed materials needed to implement them are included in this book.