Re: internet use, physics students

[Allen Shotwell <rshotwel@ivy.tec.in.us>]

I think what has worked best for me is the information location and
analysis kinds of assignments. For example, I often pick current events
topics to illustrate concepts in my physical science courses (global
warming for example). I give the students a specific concept to research
and explain (for example, "You are part of a political group that thinks
global warming is a alarmist scam. Write a paper that explains why global
warming is NOT happening.). Usually, I have both sides of a debate going so
other students would have to defend global warming. The students then have
to follow these steps
1. Identify what you need to know to make your arguments (e.g. what causes
global warming, what have global temperatures been doing in recent years,
etc.)
2. Locate resources (on the internet) that can help you answer these
questions.
3. Write the paper.

I usually use each stage as a separate assignment with class discussion in
between.

The students seem to adapt to internet use best when that have a specific
goal for using it rather than a general task of familiarizing themselves.

I also encourage students to submit any assignments they would like to me
via e-mail. We are a community college with all of the limited resources
that goes along with it and so we don't give our students e-mail accounts.
It is surprising how many of them have them already or find a way to get them.



At 11:26 AM 10/8/98 -0700, you wrote:
> I'm a community college physics instructor interested in familiarizing
> my students with the WWW.  Any suggestions for exercises/web-based
> activities I may assign to either my conceptual-physics students, or
> my engineering majors, that seemed to work well in this regard?
>
>
> Thanks, Leon
>
>
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R. Allen Shotwell
Chair, Science and Math
Ivy Tech State College
Terre Haute, IN  USA