I have a somewhat similar situation and my solution was to write
Excel macros that create individual data spreadsheets for each student. The
problems are "joint projects" with the mathematics department here. The
macros are only about 80 lines of code (much of it for formatting and much
of it re-usable). The macros create a random data sheet (typical tolerance
is about +/- 20%). They also record the data solution with identification
on a separate worksheet for grading. A typical problems reads
Busted! Officer Supertrooper stopped your car
for speeding. The speed limit on that section
of Route 250 is 55 miles per hour.
Your attorney was able to get the readouts
from Supertrooper's brand-new acoustic speed gun.
The first column is the time in milliseconds.
The second column is the emitted wave amplitude from the gun.
The third column is the echo wave amplitude (that came back).
Your task is to determine the two frequencies
and then your speed (to the nearest mph)
using the appropriate Doppler equation.
E-mail your determination of your speed to
oneill@csvrgs.k12.va.us by
7:30 AM, Tuesday, 13 November 2001
In this case typically half of the class is speeding and half is
not. The acoustic part arose because we use PASCO motion detectors in our
labs and the students have some understanding of them. Other joint projects
have included crash investigations (skid marks, masses and angles for
inelastic collisions) and RC decay problems. Note that the solution to the
problem involves the same procedure so students can and do collaborate. The
problem in some form will appear on the hour test and they know it, so most
students choose to work it out themselves. Anyone who is interested in the
macros can e-mail me off list.
THO
Thomas O'Neill
o'neill@csvrgs.k12.va.us
Physics
oneill@csvrgs.k12.va.us
C Shenandoah Valley R Governor's School 540.245.5088