The Development of an Inquiry-based Curriculum Specifically for the Introductory Algebra-based Physics Course

TL;DR

This paper presents a newly developed inquiry-based curriculum tailored specifically for the introductory algebra-based physics course, designed to enhance laboratory learning and accommodate students' backgrounds and goals.

Contribution

It introduces a customized inquiry-based curriculum for algebra-based physics, integrating existing materials with new units to better serve student needs.

Findings

Curriculum tailored to student backgrounds and goals.

Materials adaptable to various teaching settings.

Enhanced engagement in laboratory-based physics learning.

Abstract

We discuss an inquiry-based curriculum that has been developed specifically for the introductory algebra-based physics course, taking into account the needs, backgrounds, learning styles and career goals of the students in that class. The course is designed to be taught in a laboratory-based environment, however parts of the materials can be used in other settings. As instructors we found ourselves drawing on materials developed for the calculus-based course and for other populations (materials developed for pre-service teachers, for example), parts of which were appropriate, but not a complete curriculum as we would like to teach it, developed specifically for students in the introductory algebra-based physics course. So we have modified and adapted parts of existing materials and integrated them with our own new units and our own format, creating a course aimed specifically at these students.