Socratic Dialog-Inducing (SDI) Labs

SDI Labs [123 4] are "guided construction" labs featuring hands-and-heads-on experiments in introductory mechanics. Their effectiveness in promoting student crossover to the the Newtonian World has been demonstrated by rigorous pre-post testing [ 125 a-d]. For more information, including course materials, Mechanics Test Data Survey Form, the article Diagnostic Student Computerized Evaluation of Multicomponent Courses, and Research, Development, and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Web Guide for Non-Biologists [REDCUBE] see the page on the research of Richard Hake.

Detailed information on SDI labs, a list of users, forums for communication, Teacher's guides, and sample lab exams are now available at the Harvard Galileo Server under "Hands On Methods."

SDI Labs #1 - 3 constitute the essential core of the present material and selected sections could suffice for initial testing of the SDI method at your location. Early versions of these three, along with ref. 3 are also available on the Physics Teacher's CD ROM Toolkit, available from The Learning Team.

Lab manuals

The labs are indicated below. They are all in Adobe Acrobat (AA) portable document file (pdf) form, readable using the free AA "Reader" Version 3.0 or later [6]. The asterisk "*" after the title indicates that a "Teacher's Guide" is available on request to R.R. Hake; see [7] for an introduction to the guides. Some guides are now available (password protected) at the Harvard Galileo Server fo llowing the menus "Hands On Methods => SDI Labs => Resources => Teacher's Guides" (Note: registration on the Galileo Web Server is required).
  • #0.1: Vectors, Position, and Frames of Reference (includes "Ground Rules").
  • #0.2: Introduction to Kinematics*
  • #1: Newton's First and Third Laws*
  • #2: Prelab Assignment*
  • #2: Newton's Second Law*
  • #3: Circular Motion and Frictional Forces*
  • #4: Rotational Dynamics*
  • #5: Angular Momentum
  • #6: Newton's Second Law Revisited*
  • #7 Newton's Laws Revisited
  • References

    1. R.R. Hake, "Promoting student crossover to the Newtonian world," Am J. Phys. 55, 878 (1987).

    2. S. Tobias and R.R. Hake, "Professors as physics students: What can they teach us?" Am. J. Phys. 56, 786 (1988).

    3. R.R. Hake, "Socratic Pedagogy in the Introductory Physics Lab," Phys. Teach. 30, 546 (1992). Updated reprint available in pdf format.

    4. Copyright Richard R. Hake. (You may change, modify, copy, and distribute at will for use in your own institution, but please contact R.R. Hake before distributing your version beyond your own institution.)

    5. R.R. Hake,
    a. Available in pdf format (84K): "Interactive-engagement vs traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses," Am. J. Phys. 66, 64- 74 (1998)."
     

    b. Preprint available in pdf format (108K): "Interactive-engagement methods in introductory mechanics courses," submitted on 6/19/98 to the "Physics Education Research Supplement to AJP"(PERS).
     

    c. Available in pdf format (16K) : "Interactive-engagementvs traditional methods in mechanics instruction," APS Forum on Education Newsletter, Summer 1998, p. 5-7. Some criticisms of ref. 5 a,b and of physics- education reform generally are countered.
     

    d. Unpublished but available in pdf format (16K): "Analyzing change/gain scores," An analysis of the data of ref. 5a,b in terms of "effect sizes," so commonly considered in the educational literature."

    6. Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 is downloadable from Adobe's Web site.

    7. R. R. Hake, Introduction to SDI Lab Teacher's Guides [PDF 29 K]


    Richard R. Hake

    Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University;
    24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, USA
    phone: 818-992-0632
    e-mail: rrhake@earthlink.net