This study emerges from the widespread dissatisfaction among faculty members regarding first-year engineering students’ understanding and application of Uncertainty Theory in Physics laboratory courses. The innovation seeks to address these challenges by introducing a flipped classroom approach supported by video-based learning and peer-assessed assignments. Furthermore, our proposal attempts to prevent plagiarism in the data analysis reports that students must submit one week after the lab session.

The main goal of the project is to improve the learning outcomes related to Uncertainty Theory among first-year university students. To achieve this, modifications were made across four key areas: educational materials, teaching methodology, assessment practices, and student engagement within the learning community.

The Physics laboratory course consists of four sessions, the first of which is dedicated to Uncertainty Theory. Students are then required to apply these concepts to analyze data collected in the subsequent sessions. Traditionally, this theory was explained through a written document discussed by the instructor during the first session. Afterwards, students would work in pairs outside the classroom to prepare a lab report based on sample data provided at the end of that session.

The revised methodology introduces a set of nine short instructional videos that students are required to watch prior to attending the first lab session. These videos explain the core concepts of Uncertainty Theory in an accessible and structured way. During the actual laboratory session, students work with real data provided at the beginning of the class to apply what they have learned from the videos.

To ensure students engage with the preparatory material, each pair of students must also produce a short video before the lab session. In this assignment, they explain how they would apply Uncertainty Theory to the first lab experiment, following a script provided in advance. These peer-generated videos are assessed both by the instructor and fellow students, and contribute to the students’ final grades for the lab course.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the new methodology, results from experimental groups (using the flipped classroom and video activities) were compared with those from control groups following the traditional approach, as well as with data from previous academic years. Additionally, surveys were conducted to gather students’ perceptions regarding the use of videos for learning Uncertainty Theory and the perceived impact on their understanding.

The results suggest that the flipped classroom model, supported by multimedia content, has a positive impact on student learning and academic performance in the targeted session. Students reported that the new approach helped them better understand the theoretical concepts and increased their engagement with the course content. Instructors also reported positive experiences with the new methodology.

However, the study also revealed some limitations in drawing definitive conclusions due to departmental constraints, which prevented uniform teaching staff assignments across the experimental and control groups. Despite these limitations, the findings indicate that integrating video-based learning and active student involvement in the assessment process can be a promising strategy to enhance the learning of theoretical concepts in laboratory-based courses.

Keywords: Higher Education, Physics Laboratory, Flipped Classroom, Videos, Peer-assessment.