Student behavior in undergraduate physics laboratories: Designing experiments

We investigated physics students' learning experience and behaviour in a second-year laboratory by analyzing transcribed audio recordings of sessions. One student group was given both problem procedure asked to analyze explain their results. Another provided with only the design execute experiment, interpret data, draw conclusions. These two approaches involved different levels inquiry they have been described as guided open respectively. The latter gave students more opportunities practice "designing experiments," one six major outcomes recommendations for undergraduate curriculum American Association Physics Teachers (AAPT). Qualitative analysis performed transcripts identify emergent themes it augmented quantitative richer understanding experiences. An important finding is that significant improvements can be made laboratories impacting increasing level experiments. This most easily achieved requiring own experimental procedures.