| Chronology | Current Month | Current Thread | Current Date |
| [Year List] [Month List (current year)] | [Date Index] [Thread Index] | [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] | [Date Prev] [Date Next] |
From: Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>
Reply-To: "phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators"
<PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: A Request
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 09:29:06 -0500
Dear Colleagues,
I have recently been awarded an Ameritech Technology Grant to develop some
new software for use in Physics laboratories. [I've included part of the
grant proposal below.] As with the rest of my software(
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html ), it will be offered free for
academic use.
The main idea is to provide a pre/post lab tool that closely matches the
actual equipment and actual experiments. Students can then familiarize
themselves with the experiment BEFORE lab, and can explore some more
outside
the lab itself. In a pinch, the software could be used by a student to
'make up' a missed lab or an instructor might use the software to do a
certain lab 'virtually' if the needed equipment was not available to do
something similar 'live'.
My idea is to use digital images of actual equipment to both include some
video sequences and then to animated these images and create an interactive
experience. A very primitive version of the interactive idea can be seen
in
the SIMLAB software offered at the site above--look at the air-track and
air-table simulations.
I intend to start with air-tracks and dynamic carts (trying to get
something
ready for the Rochester meeting) and then expand into other experiments.
My REQUEST is the following:
A. [Air Track and Dynamic Cart experiments only]
1) What air track/dynamic cart equipment do you use (brand and model)?
2) What kind of timing equipment do you use?
3) What experiments do you do? (Send hard copy of experiments, e-mail
them, or send me the URL of your web sites where the info is posted.)
B. What other kinds of experiments would you like to see included in this
work. (I will post modules as completed.)
NOTE: Please send the information OFF THE LIST, to me at:
rtarara@saintmarys.edu or to the mailing address in my signature below.
_______
GRANT PROPOSAL:
MULTIMEDIA PHYSICS LABORATORY SIMULATIONS
Goals: To provide pre/post laboratory computer tools for high school and
college physics laboratory exercises that closely match the available
equipment. These tools will enrich and expand existing laboratory
experiences and can also provide a virtual lab experience for equipment
poor
programs.
Problem: Current instructional physics laboratories have some pedagogical
problems. These include:
a) Students have a very limited time to become familiar with the equipment
and then to actually perform the experiment.
b) The number of equipment setups is often limited and several students
must
share the equipment. This can lead to one person dominating the
experimental experience with the others being 'spectators'.
c) There is usually little or no time for students to explore beyond the
written experimental procedure.
d) The experimental equipment from 'last week's' experiment is seldom
available later to check data or fix mistakes.
e) A student who misses a lab experience for good reason often cannot
effectively 'make up' the assignment due to the unavailable equipment or
the
need for supervision or a lab partner.
f) Certain experiments which may have a very high pedagogical value can be
unavailable to a given school due to lack of funds to purchase the
necessary
equipment.
Solution: Computer controlled video sequences and computer software
simulation using digitized images of the actual equipment can provide a
tool
with which students can:
a) Familiarize themselves with the equipment and the experimental procedure
prior to the lab itself.
b) Individually conduct the 'virtual' experiment so as to gain the full
experience of the experiment even when working in a larger group.
c) Explore the experiment in some depth by using the software to expand the
experiment beyond the 'hand-out' and beyond the time limitations of the
scheduled lab period.
d) Return to the experiment during the analysis and write-up to check the
reliability of their 'live' data. In some cases they may be able to
supplement this live data with some virtual observations.
e) 'Make up' a missed lab through a virtual experience. While less ideal
than doing the full physical experiment, the virtual experience can give
the
student a reasonably complete understanding of the process and can provide
data to analyze.
f) Provide certain pedagogical experiences when the necessary physical
equipment is simply not available. This 'virtual lab mode' should,
however,
be used sparingly and not as a substitute for hands-on experiments.
Implementation: Based on the author's experience in computer animation and
simulations, a package of laboratory simulations will be written using
TrueBasic as the primary programming language and a variety of graphics
tools to provide the digitized images. Video sequences, captured with a
digital camcorder and played through the computer, will be used to
familiarize the student with the equipment and then computer simulations of
the experiment will be used to allow the student to virtually work with the
equipment. This will include adjusting experimental parameters,
accumulating typical data, and exploring other related experiments.
Using the digital video and 'photo-realistic' computer animations should
provide a much better understanding of the equipment, its use, the
experimental procedures, and the goals of each experiment when compared to
today's simple printed handouts. The simulation capabilities will also
provide pedagogical alternatives not currently available to the
instructors.
The software will also allow the instructors to tailor experiments to their
own specifications.
Distribution: This software will be provided free for educational use via
Internet download. The downloaded software will run on both Windows and
MacIntosh computers. See http://www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
for more information on existing software packages and the distribution
system.
________
Thanks for you time (and excuse the cross-posting),
Rick Tarara
**********************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
FREE PHYSICS INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/
PC and MAC software
NEW! OPTICS-2 package for the Animated Chalkboard
CD-ROMs now available
******************************************************