2026 CAP Congress / Congrès de l'ACP 2026

Session

(DPE) M1-1) Laboratory experiences | Expériences en laboratoire (DEP)

M1-1

22 Jun 2026, 10:15

U. Ottawa - Learning Crossroads (CRX) Building

653. Teaching Students to be Scientists in a First-Year Physics Lab

Matthew Robbins (University of Toronto)

22/06/2026, 10:15

Physics Education / Enseignement de la physique (DPE-DEP)

Invited Speaker / Conférencier(ère) invité(e)

Introductory labs often provide students with highly prescriptive instructions, limiting the independence, autonomy, and creativity that students can exhibit during the experiment. When students enter their first physics lab, they also have varying levels of understanding of the concept of experimental uncertainty, how it arises, and how to interpret it.

To address these challenges, the...

636. Soldering and Fun: Getting Students Started in Electronics With a Custom Printed Circuit Board

Mr Zekun Hao (University of Waterloo)

22/06/2026, 10:45

Physics Education / Enseignement de la physique (DPE-DEP)

Oral not-in-competition (Undergraduate Student) / Orale non-compétitive (Étudiant(e) du 1er cycle)

The capability to construct custom electronics is crucial in many areas of experimental physics, but the associated skills and knowledge are not normally covered in regular classroom or laboratory instruction.

We present a novel electronics teaching kit featuring a custom printed circuit board (PCB) that has been designed to introduce individuals of diverse technical backgrounds to...

684. 1st Year Physics labs: Engaging Students During Labs

Gloria Orchard (York University)

22/06/2026, 11:00

Physics Education / Enseignement de la physique (DPE-DEP)

Oral (Non-Student) / Orale (non-étudiant(e))

As an active member of the 1st year Physics lab community in the department of Physics and Astronomy at York University, spanning a time from the late 1990’s to the present, I have observed a variety of changes in the laboratory experience. Over this time universities have navigated through a pandemic and rapid technological change. Keeping pace with these changes continues to be a challenge....

526. Emulated Gravitational Lensing in the Undergraduate Laboratory

Daniel FitzGreen (McMaster University)

22/06/2026, 11:15

Physics Education / Enseignement de la physique (DPE-DEP)

Oral (Non-Student) / Orale (non-étudiant(e))

General relativity predicts the deflection of light by the gravitational field of massive bodies. This deflection can result in the distortion and magnification of images of distant celestial objects, which is a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. In the work presented here, acrylic disks are machined into lenses with a curvature that deflects light in much the same way as a gravitational...

837. Lessons learned – a graduate student’s reflections on standing on the other side of the classroom

Daniel Trotter

22/06/2026, 11:30

Physics Education / Enseignement de la physique (DPE-DEP)

Oral not-in-competition (Graduate Student) / Orale non-compétitive (Étudiant(e) du 2e ou 3e cycle)

A common feature of many physics graduate programs is taking on roles as teaching assistants (TAs). The responsibilities and time commitments of these positions come with considerable variance, from relatively passive tasks, such as grading, to fully student-facing roles of teaching. In their more student-facing roles, TA positions can be influential in student growth and experience. Indeed,...