Electro-Lab Kit

Numerous studies show what fascinating and successful physics lessons are all about: they rely heavily on experiments. Experiments illustrate physical phenomena and help students obtain a better and deeper understanding of natural science issues. The combination of theory and practice helps students develop better cognitive skills and learn “scientific thinking“. However, life-like experiments are still vastly underrepresented in natural sciences and technology education. Teachers usually have to do without well-equipped physics labs, appropriate curricula, or adequate materials for experiments. Many times, the acquisition of adequate quantities of materials is too expensive for the schools. And with the offers currently available, establishing a didactic link between school experiments and real applications is hardly ever possible.

With the Electro-Lab Kit – a case full of materials for “learning by doing” for the tenth grade and up – the Siemens Stiftung intends to help teachers enrich their physics classes with educationally processed, realistic and practice-oriented experiments. Selection of electronics and electrical engineering as the main focus was quite intentional. Because these topics are still not (nearly) represented enough in today’s curricula, even though they play an outstanding role in all areas of our day-to-day lives. The multifaceted experiments made possible by the box provide a valuable insight into the latest industrial applications. That way, students get to discover e.g. the role voltage, induction or transistors play in modern technologies, or how much “stuff” is really contained in LED color displays, electronic cameras or high-voltage systems. All that is needed is the students’ willingness to study on their own initiative, the courage to try out new things, and personal inventive talent.

The Electro-Lab Kit underwent extensive phases of pilot testing for use in school classrooms. The Chair for Physics Didactics at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich evaluated the experiments and came to the conclusion that the Electro-Lab Kit is very well suited for use in physics classes. In a practical trial, the kits were tested by teachers and students at four pilot schools in different German states.