| Unit name | Practical Physics I: Laboratory skills, Computing and Team Discovery |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYS10013 |
| Credit points | 40 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Springell |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Standard UoB Entry criteria |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
PHYS10012 - Core Physics I: Classical, Quantum and Thermal Physics |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
PHYS10014 - Practical Physics I: Laboratory skills, Computing and Team Discovery PHYS10015 - Practical Physics I: Laboratory Skills and Team Discovery |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
This is an exciting and challenging unit that introduces you to a wide range of topics spanning the history of physics. This is one of the most important units in your physics degree. It forms the foundation of your understanding of practical skills and analysis, and it introduces you to computational techniques to solve complex problems.
This unit will develop your practical and computational skills and apply them to interesting scientific investigations, developing your creative approach to solving physics problems. The group project element of this unit allows you the freedom to explore exciting current physics topics in more depth, aligned to research teams in the school. These research practices are extremely important transferrable skills that you will rely on increasingly throughout your degree, culminating in your final year research project, and will be among the most useful tools that you take with you in your future careers.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is the core practical unit for your first year; it forms the basis of your experimental career and introduces you to principles of measurement and uncertainty analysis which underpin the entirety of physics. These skills are a key part of your training and are a requirement for the accreditation of our physics programmes by the Institute of Physics.
An overview of content
In this unit, we will build your experimental, computational and team-work skills and give you experience of undertaking investigations in the laboratory and of the wider scientific landscape. You will carry out a range of experiments which will give you:
Alongside this you will undertake a team discovery project. This will coach you in team-building, developing your skills of group work, as well as developing your communication skills through presentation of your findings.
This unit is the first major stepping-stone to becoming a scientific researcher. By the end of this unit you will approach physics problems in a more methodical, measured, and analytical way. You will have the confidence to explore new topics independently and as part of a group, developing your communication skills through informal discussion and formal reporting. You will benefit from developing a solid foundation in practical skills, of constant use through your physics degree, as well as implementing principles of academic integrity.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
You will learn through a range of learning and teaching activities:
Laboratory
You will learn through performing a variety of experiments, which will introduce you to standard experimental equipment and basic applied physics techniques, and teach you key analysis methods. Prior to coming to the laboratory you will have access to supporting materials including a laboratory handbook, interactive online resources, narrated presentations and worked examples. In the lab, you will learn through hands-on experience, supported by staff guidance. You will build a feedback portfolio on your work in the laboratory; this will be compiled using feedback from teaching and support staff (verbal and written), as well as discussions with peers and your own reflections on your work. Through appropriate reflections on these various sources of feedback, you will be able to improve your work. The best way to develop these skills is through continued practice, feedback and reflection.
Computing
In the computing exercises, you will learn through directed programmed-learning activities. Material is delivered in bite-sized chunks so that you can immediately work through the learning point and test it on the computer. The feedback is immediate, and if errors are received you will be guided through the process of interpreting the error messages to correct your code. An important element of learning code is commenting your code; this is a personal interpretation of the code you are writing, detailing its purpose and any ‘warning notes’ as to how it is used. These strategies will help you develop skills as an effective coder and to learn how to make the computer ‘do the work’!
Team discovery project
In the team discovery project, you will develop your skills in group work. You will learn about task management and delegation of those tasks to team members, keeping records of group discussions and recognising the achievements of group members. You will be introduced to scientific literature searches, identifying appropriate sources for inclusion in your project and will gain experience in applying principles of academic integrity to this inquiry-based activity. Finally, you will be supported as you prepare your presentation and guided on presentation skills and in giving constructive feedback and assessment to peers.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Throughout your experimentation you will have the opportunity for discussions and feedback from the teaching staff in the laboratory to challenge and develop your understanding of the experiment and the apparatus.
There are several formative experiments in the first weeks of labs where groups of students are assigned a demonstrator. Each formative experiment is chosen to teach particular analytical and experimental skills which are required for later summative work. You will maintain a reflective lab-book on these early experiments to self-evaluate your skills, and will receive feedback on this to help you gauge your progress. You will then write and submit a report on one of these experiments and will receive verbal and written feedback, together with indicative marks.
In computing, you will be able to submit tasks regularly for formative feedback, and you will have the opportunity to revise the tasks in preparation for the summative portfolio assessment.
As part of the investigative component of the laboratory you will have the opportunity of discussions with teaching staff to help you develop your ideas and further your exploration of the material. You will also be supported through your development of your teamwork skills, and to develop effective peer-to-peer feedback skills.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
- Laboratory (50%, TB4)You will be required to submit lab book write-ups of a number of summative experiments that span a wide range of basic physics concepts. The assessment for these include a pre-lab test and a mark that represents your progress in key transferable laboratory skills. This is accompanied by written and verbal feedback, provided soon after the completion of each experiment. The rationale behind the continual feedback approach is that research skills are vocational competencies that need to be practiced, built upon and honed over time. Once you have completed a number of summative experiments you will be required to submit two formal report for summative assessment.
In the computing component you will submit your completed portfolio having revised the tasks in light of the received feedback.
In the team discovery investigation you will assemble and prepare a group portfolio and make a presentation on your assigned topic to your peers and academic assessors. It is expected that you demonstrate the group's achievements and the contributions of every member of your group. The presentation of your team's work in the form of a poster / infographic will take place at the First Year Conference at the end of Teaching Block 2.
When assessment does not go to plan
This unit is 100% coursework and does not have a resit opportunity except in a supplementary year; it is therefore expected that you engage with the content throughout and submit your work in a timely manner. If you are unable to engage it is important you discuss with your tutor early so that appropriate mitigation strategies may be identified and implemented quickly.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHYS10013).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
