Assessment through a rating scale of a laboratory project that uses a cell phone as a sensor

Abstract

Cell phones are powerful tools that enable communication between people and they also offer a wide range of sensors that make it possible to carry out physics experiments. On the other hand, rating scales are useful instruments to assess practical laboratory projects based on the competencies that each one addresses. The present work intends to evaluate the performance of students during the recreation of the Oersted’s experiment using a cell phone as a magnetic field sensor and a rating scale designed for this purpose. The idea arose during the lockdown due to COVID-19 and could be carried out at the college premises during the year 2021. The assessment with the rating scale revealed that, although the experiment is simple to carry out and the students manage to use the app installed on the phone easily, data processing requires teacher support and monitoring.