It links to the demo collection websites of 48 universities, including
photos, descriptions, and, at several schools, extensive online videos.
These combined resources are even wider and deeper than the "Encyclopedia"
and provided free of charge by the schools as a public service.
The "Encyclopedia" was produced using the demo collection at the University
of Washington, with some help from the University of Maryland. It was very
carefully done using beautiful hardware. These are just two of the schools
in the link above with their own demo websites including photos if not
online videos. A sizable number of other schools included above have online
demo collections in the same class as the two schools used for the
"Encyclopedia".
To reinforce the point made by a couple of other responders, I hope no one
on this enlightened list is using demos cold, without student interaction,
other than for the occasional, obligatory ego gratification.
1 Choose counterintuitive demonstrations.
2 Before performing the demo, present multiple options as to the result of
the experiment.
3 Have students briefly discuss their predictions for the result in small,
collaborative groups.
4 Poll individual (not group) votes as to the correct prediction. Privacy
of voting provided by electronic response systems is useful.
5 Now perform the demonstration, involving volunteers from the class as part
of the demo whenever possible.
6 Reinvoke the small groups to evaluate preconceptions, based on the result,
and hopefully arrive at a more accurate conception.
-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
[mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Jeff Bracken
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 5:29 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: [Phys-l] Video Encyclopedia of Physics Demos
A question from a new physics teacher....
Does anyone have any thoughts (good, bad, neutral) regarding the multi-DVD
set called "The Video Encyclopedia of Physics Demos" ? The website says
that the entire series will cost $3,000.
I have also seen bits of the Paul Hewitt lectures that can be
purchased. It looks like Hewitt's would be cheaper, but perhaps not as
exhaustive as the demos contained in the Encyclopedia series.
My goal is to see these different demos, construct the equipment, and then
perform the demos in the classroom.
I don't know if our school would purchase these, but it would be great to
know if one set is better.
Thanks in Advance,
Jeff Bracken
bracken5@columbus.rr.com
Physics & Chemistry Teacher
Westerville North HS
Westerville, Ohio