Web simulations for Physics Teaching

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Web simulations for Physics Teaching

• AMSTEL Institute
• University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Frank Schweickert

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Simulations lt-gt Computer experiments ?

• Measurements with interfaces (e.g. Coach, Cassy,
  LabView)
• Videoanalysis
• Remote Lab
• IBEs (Interactive Screen Experiments, TU
  Berlin)
• ------- lt-gt --------------------------------
  ----------
• Modelling
• Simulation 1 (pseudo-empirical)
• Simulation 2 (gedanken experiments)

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Experiments lt-gt Simulations

• An experiment displays nature(may not match
  theoretical expectations)
• A simulation displays a theorie(may not match
  practical expectations from practice)
• Thus
• Experiments and simulations cannot replace each
  other !
• Criterion for simulations numerical accuracy ,
  not realistic appearance !

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Simulations in Physics Teaching

• Which simulation software for Physics do you know
  ?
• How often are they used ?
• What practical problems inhibit the use of
  simulations in class?

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Settings for the use of simulations in school

• lecture-like demonstration / discussion (data
  projector/tv-card)
• groupwork of 2-3 students/comp. (computerroom)
• homework alone (at home)

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Advantages of simulations on web pages

• Less installation (browser, plug-ins)
• Usage easier for students, due to integration in
  a context(HTML, Physlets)
• Better distributable as homework
• Electronic feed-back possible (JiTT)

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Techniques for simulation on webpages

• Shockwave or Flash(authorware from Macromedia)
• Applets(programming language Java)
• programs embedded in HTML

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Java lt-gt JavaScript

• Java "hard core" programming of mighty
  applications (like C) compiled by a
  programmer
• JavaScript a few lines of code between the
  layout tags of an HTML page, to make it
  interactive (pop-ups etc.)

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Physlets (Davidson College, North Carolina)

• about 40 java programs for webpages (i.e.
  applets),
• which respond to JavaScript
• One Physlet can be configured to displaymany
  different student activities. (e.g. Optics)

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Adaptation of examples from others

• Original (Physlet, Davidson College)
• Version of a Dutch teacher(Ron Vonk, St.
  Bonifatius, Utrecht)

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Workshop homepage

• www.natsim.nl
• (English - Workshop Limerick/Dublin)
• Discussion about this course
• http//www.lec.ie/ (Limerick)
• http//webcourses.dit.ie (Dublin)

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Subjects covered by Physlets (e.g.)

• Point mass Mechanics
• Electrostatics
• Magnetostatics
• DC and AC circuits
• Optical bench

• Sound
• Interference of waves
• Kinetic gas theory
• Quantummechanical wave packages
• Orbitals of hydrogen
• etc.
• Davidson

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Features of Physlets

• Physlets respond to hyperlinks and input
  fields
• Physlets on the same page interact with each
  other (e.g. Animator and DataGraph)
• gt Physlets foster creativity in teaching

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Didactics of Physlets

• - Interactivity in text books(b.v. Giancoli )
• - Just-in-Time-Teaching (JiTT)
• - Learning Cycle (Physlet Physics)

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Find Physlet pages from other authors

• Search engine NatSim-Search (lokaal)
• searches in text and JavaScripts of 5000 Physlet
  web pages
• downloads all necessary files for offline use

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Set up your own Physlet pages

• Download and modification of examples from other
  authors (e.g. PhysletSearch)
• Modification of the HTML layout (web editor)
• Modification of the JavaScript (text editor)
• Set-up from the scratch with the help of Physlet
  scriptors

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Links

• Davidson College (Wolfgang Christian)
• http//webphysics.davidson.edu/applets/applets.htm
  l
• TU Kaiserslautern (PhysletSearch, Scriptors)
• http//pen.physik.uni-kl.de/physlets