This lab was a response to students relying on teacher expertise too much. I was confident that the students had enough background to figure out the assignment and since it was hands-on, they had feedback from the instrument that they were building. Interestingly, this also produced novel designs for the instrument from pan-pipes (the intended) to slide whistle and flute designs.

The two question limit was especially effective as it forced students to reflect on the question that they were about to ask and decide whether it was worth spending one of their tokens on. After some initial difficulty with the lab, the students succeeded and felt more empowered as physics students from that point forward often siting it as a particularly rewarding experience.