Use of ICTs and active learning tools for a Postgraduate Physics course

Abstract

This paper summarizes the experience and results of the innovative educational intervention “B-learning implementation for the second module of Quantum Physics course”, which is part of the Physics Master at the Science Faculty of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, UNAH. For this educational intervention, developed during the first academic term of 2016, a teaching approach known as “spin-first” was adopted, through which the principles of modern quantum mechanics are introduced. Forefront computational tools for education were used, such as the open-source version of the platform Open edX, an application developed by Oregon State University (OSU) named SPINS to treat the subject interactively, several written and video tutorials based on student difficulties reported by worldwide known universities. Among the main results obtained through a survey carried out, 80% of participants highlight great satisfaction, which considered the approach more enriching regarding their learning than others merely theoretical as the one offered by MIT through its MOOC platform edX. Further, a special evaluation revealed the formalism and fundamental concepts were well assimilated by the students. These results motivate to keep research ongoing for the teaching/learning area of this rigorous branch of physics, quantum mechanics.