[2004 Open Source Physics Developer Workshop Participants.]
Explore (free!) computer simulations (Physlets, Open Source Physics materials) for the physics classroom. Workshop participants will learn not only how to find and already available curricular resources, but also how modify the simulations as appropriate for their local classroom. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops to the workshop in order to "learn by doing."
This workshop is supported in part by NSF DUE-0442581.
The Tracker video analysis program allows users to overlay simple dynamical models on a video clip. Video modeling offers advantages over both traditional video analysis and animation-only modeling. In traditional video analysis, for example, students measure "g" by tracking a dropped or tossed ball, constructing a position or velocity vs. time graph, and interpreting the graphs to obtain initial conditions and acceleration. In video modeling, by contrast, the students interactively construct theoretical force expressions and define initial conditions for a dynamical particle model that synchs with and draws itself on the video. The behavior of the model is thus compared directly with that of the real-world motion. Tracker uses the Open Source Physics code library so sophisticated models are possible. I will demonstrate and compare video modeling with video analysis and I will discuss the advantages of video modeling over animation-only modeling.
The Tracker video analysis program is available at: < http://www.cabrillo.edu/~dbrown/tracker/ >.
This workshop is supported in part by NSF DUE-0442581.
Easy Java Simulations, Ejs, is a free and open source tool for creating Java simulations. Unlike other software programs designed to make programming easier for programmers, the structure of the Ejs environment allows users to focus on the process of building simulations, and therefore the underlying physics, as opposed to the technical aspects of building simulations. In this workshop participants will learn how to use Ejs to create simple and advanced simulations for mechanics. We will distribute on a CD the Ejs programming environment and several completed curricular units. The workshop will be based on templates that can be easily adapted to simulate other, more advanced, physical phenomena. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops. The only requirement is that the computer has a CD drive and that the latest version of Java is installed on the machine.
The Open Source Physics Project is generously supported by the National Science Foundation DUE-0442581.
Easy Java Simulations, Ejs, is a free and open source tool for creating Java simulations. Unlike other software programs designed to make programming easier for programmers, the structure of the Ejs environment allows users to focus on the process of building simulations, and therefore the underlying physics, as opposed to the technical aspects of building simulations. In this workshop participants will learn how to use Ejs to create simple and advanced simulations for mechanics. We will distribute on a CD the Ejs programming environment and several completed curricular units. The workshop will be based on templates that can be easily adapted to simulate other, more advanced, physical phenomena. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops with a CD drive and that the latest version of Java is installed.
Partial funding for this work was obtained through NSF grant DUE-0442581.
The premise of Easy Java Simulations (Ejs) modeling is that when students are not actively involved in modeling they lose out on much of what can be learned from computer simulations. Although the modeling method can be used without computers, the use of computers allows students to study problems that are difficult and time consuming, to visualize their results, and to communicate their results with others. Ejs is a free open-source Java application that simplifies the modeling process by breaking it into activities: (1) documentation, (2) modeling, and (3) interface design. The Ejs program and examples of models will be available on CD. Ejs models, documentation, and sample curricular material can also be downloaded from Open Source Physics and Easy Java Simulations websites:
http://www.opensourcephysics.org
Partial funding for this work was obtained through NSF grant DUE-0442581.
The tutorial shows how to use the Easy Java Simulations (Ejs) modeling and authoring tool to create dynamical simulations of physical phenomena for teaching. These simulations can be used for computer demonstrations or virtual laboratories, or serve as programming examples and tasks for computational physics. Simulations created with Ejs are ready to be distributed on a CD or published on a Web page as Java applets.
This tutorial is intended for programmers and nonprogrammers alike. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops as they will receive a CD with documentation and step-by-step examples of simulations of several levels of difficulty. Paper documentation will also be provided. Additional information, including a Web-based forum that provides examples and facilities for exchanging simulation and pedagogical experiences related is available on the Ejs website: http://www.um.es/fem/Ejs/.
This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation DUE-0442581.
Hands-on tutorials are listed in the conference program.
[Visit the Conference Website]
Participants will learn how to use and adapt existing Physlet-based curricular material. We will distribute Physlets (interactive Java applets written at Davidson College) and present examples of how Physlets are used to actively engage students in the classroom. Prior experience with HTML is useful but not essential since this workshop is based on ready-to-run CDs which contain easily adaptable material for introductory physics, waves and optics, and quantum mechanics.
This workshop is supported in part by NSF DUE-0442581.
This workshop will present recently developed computer-based curricular material that improves understanding of statistical and thermal physics topics and that makes many inaccessible topics accessible to undergraduate and graduate students. Participants will receive a CD containing curricular material from the Statistical and Thermal Physics (STP) project as well as a collection of ready to run Java programs from the Open Source Physics (OSP) project. All programs are feely distributable under the GNU GPL license.
This workshop will benefit anyone teaching or planning to teach statistical and thermal physics as well as computational physicists wishing to adopt the OSP Java libraries for their own teaching and research. We will discuss the general pedagogical and technical issues in the design of interactive computer-based tutorials as well as how OSP programs can be adapted to your local situation. Additional information can be obtained from:
Partial funding for this work was obtained through NSF grant DUE-0442581.
Easy Java Simulations, Ejs, is a free and open source tool for creating Java simulations. Unlike other software programs designed to make programming easier for programmers, the structure of the Ejs environment allows users to focus on the process of building simulations, and therefore the underlying physics, as opposed to the technical aspects of building simulations. In this workshop participants will learn how to use Ejs to create simple and advanced simulations for mechanics. We will distribute on a CD the Ejs programming environment and several completed curricular units. The workshop will be based on templates that can be easily adapted to simulate other, more advanced, physical phenomena. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops with a CD drive and that the latest version of Java is installed.
Partial funding for this work was obtained through NSF grant DUE-0442581.
There are many reasons to use computer-based material for teaching relativity. Both the special and general theories are full of (apparent) paradoxes and captivate students’ interest in physics. Because these topics focus on abstract and unfamiliar concepts, visualization is especially valuable. This workshop will emphasis both the special and general theory and the interactive software with which you and your students can explore spacetime. Special relativity examples include: visualizing simultaneity, length contraction, time dilation, and spacetime diagrams. General relativity examples include the gravitational red shift, trajectories of particles and light rays, and the observer’s view in the vicinity of non-spinning black holes. Each participant will receive a CD containing Java applets, programs, and source code developed by the Open Source Physics Project.
This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-0442581).
Recent physics education research findings indicates that the “traditional” lecture-style, passive learning model does not substantially impact the learning and understanding of most students who take introductory physics. The research also indicates that most students enter introductory physics with alternative conceptions to many of the basic concepts that are taught in introductory physics. For most students, passive learning techniques generally do not replace these “misconceptions” with concepts that are more consistent with our understanding of nature. Results from physics education research have indicated identified several different active learning techniques that have substantially increased student conceptual understanding in introductory physics.
Computer simulations, for example, can provide an interactive and conceptual mode for student understanding. Simulations alone, however, are not necessarily the answer for increasing student understanding. They must be informed by good pedagogical practices and must be adaptable to a variety of educational environments. Thus, this Adaptable Simulations for Introductory Physics (ASIP) workshop will allow participants to learn how to modify and create simulations, but, more importantly, workshop participants and leaders will explore how these simulations can be used most effectively in the classroom. This often means coupling simulations with various teaching strategies including Just-in-Time-Teaching, Peer Instruction, Tutorials, and Ranking Tasks.
This workshop will introduce participants to a variety of resources for using simulations from ready-to-run simulations to authoring individual java applets. Participants will work with Physlets© (physics applets) and Open Source Physics resources (www.opensourcephysics.org). Included in this set of resources are tools for authoring simulations (Easy Java Simulations) and video analysis (Tracker). During this workshop, participants will become familiar with the variety of resources available to deliver web-based interactive media-focused problems and other interactive curricular material to students. Participants will also develop the ability and skills to modify, adapt, and construct new materials. One of the goals of this workshop is to provide a flexible suite of resources appropriate to different levels of instruction as well as different levels of geekiness technological sophistication (from low to high) so that participants can choose what will be most successful in their home environment.
Participants will learn how to use and adapt existing Open Source Physics and
Physlet-based curricular material. We will distribute Physlets (interactive Java applets written at Davidson College) and and OSP programs and present examples
of how they are used to actively engage students in the classroom. This workshop shows how computer-based curricular has been used to develop interactive
curricular material. We will discuss the general pedagogical and technical issues in the design of interactive computer-based
tutorials as well as how Physlets and OSP programs can be adapted to your local situation. Additional information can be obtained from
http://www.opensourcephysics.org/
and
http://webphysics.davidson.edu.
Partial funding for this work was obtained through NSF grant DUE-0442581.
TIPERs (Tasks Inspired by Physics Education Research) are a type of problem that are designed to probe student conceptual understanding and help students build their problem-solving skills. Physlets (physics applets) are animations that instructors can customize (by scripting). These two pedagogical tools fit together to provide enhanced interactive engagement for students in the classroom. Participants in this workshop will learn how to use and design Physlet-based TIPER exercises for their own students.
This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-0442581).
The Open Source Physics (OSP) project has developed a collection of high-level programs, smaller ready-to-run simulations, and computer-based interactive curricular material. The workshop will begin by presenting an overview of various OSP programs including the Easy Java Simulation modeling program, the Tracker video analysis program, and simulations from the Java edition of “An Introduction to Computer Simulations” by Gould, Tobochnik, and Christian. During the second half of the workshop, participants will break into groups for in-depth study. Group topics will depend on participant interests and could include computer modeling, video analysis, and computer-based curriculum development for upper level physics such as optics, mechanics, relativity, and quantum mechanics. Because this workshop is based on ready-to-run programs, programming experience is desirable but not essential. Java source code and programs will be distributed on CD under the GNU Open Source GPL License.
This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-0442581).
Participants will learn how to use and adapt existing Open Source Physics and Physlet-based curricular material in this hands-on, make-and-take workshop. We will distribute Physlets (interactive Java applets written at Davidson College) and and OSP programs and present examples of how they are used to actively engage students in the classroom. Prior experience with HTML is useful but not essential since this workshop is based on ready-to-run CDs which contain easily adaptable material for introductory physics, waves and optics, and quantum mechanics.
This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-0442581).
Participants will learn how to use and adapt existing Physlet-based curricular material. We will distribute Physlets (interactive Java applets written at Davidson College) and present examples of how Physlets are used to actively engage students in the classroom. Prior experience with HTML is useful but not essential since this workshop is based on ready-to-run CDs which contain easily adaptable material for introductory physics, waves and optics, and quantum mechanics.
This workshop is supported in part by NSF DUE-0442581.
Although quantum mechanics is one of the most widely taught topics on the college/university level in the physical sciences, the teaching of quantum mechanics has not changed significantly since the 1940s. This workshop will present recently developed computer-based curricular material that has shown to improve understanding of traditional quantum topics and that makes many heretofore inaccessible topics in quantum mechanics accessible to undergraduate and graduate students. Participants will receive a CD containing curricular material from the Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorials (QUILT) project as well as a collection of ready to run Java programs from the Open Source Physics (OSP) project. All programs are feely distributable under the GNU GPL license.
This workshop will benefit anyone teaching or planning to teach quantum mechanics as well as computational physicist wishing to adopt the OSP Java libraries for their own teaching and research. We will discuss the general pedagogical and technical issues in the design of interactive computer-based tutorials as well as how OSP programs can be adapted to your local situation.
You are encouraged to bring a laptop computer. The following package of Java-based workshop material can be downloaded and tested prior to the workshop.
Partial funding for this work was obtained through NSF grant DUE-0442581 and PHY-0244708.
Participants in this workshop will learn how to use and adapt Physlet- and Open Source Physics-based curricular material. We will describe the technology and philosophy behind Physlets and Open Source Physics (OSP) applets and programs and will present examples of how they are used in the teaching of quantum mechanics. Such examples vary in level from modern physics to graduate-level topics and include: standard time-independent problems, time evolution of eigenstates, two- and three-dimensional problems, and wave packet evolution. Participants will receive the books Physlets, Physlet Physics, and Physlet Quantum Mechanics, and a CD with Physlet-based teaching resources for introductory physics through quantum mechanics. Workshop participants are expected to contribute material to a public domain curriculum library and to offer refinements and suggestions for the development of new materials. Some programming experience and knowledge of HTML is desirable but not essential.
This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-0442581).
The Open Source Physics (OSP) project has developed a collection of high-level programs, smaller ready-to-run simulations, and computer-based interactive curricular material. The workshop will begin by presenting an overview of various OSP programs including the Easy Java Simulation modeling program, the Tracker video analysis program, and simulations from the Java edition of “An Introduction to Computer Simulations” by Gould, Tobochnik, and Christian. During the second half of the workshop, participants will break into groups for in-depth study. Group topics will depend on participant interests and could include computer modeling, video analysis, and computer-based curriculum development for upper level physics such as optics, mechanics, relativity, and quantum mechanics. Because this workshop is based on ready-to-run programs, programming experience is desirable but not essential. Java source code and programs will be distributed on CD under the GNU Open Source GPL License.
This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-0442581).
The Open-Source Physics Education, OPEN, project is a synergy of curriculum development, computational physics, and physics education research. This project will conduct a series of summer workshops for programmers wishing to adopt the Open Source Physics library for their own projects.
July 9-12, 2004 (Friday-Monday): Java programming using the Open Source Physics code library. This workshop will focus on educational software development using the Java programming language and the Open Source Physics Java code library. Because Open Source Physics code is being distributed under the GNU GPL license, it is required that workshop participants will distribute their work under this license.
July 10-13, 2003 (Saturday-Tuesday): Curriculum development using Open Source Physics programs. This workshop will focus in writing material that incorporates existing Open Source Physics programs. Workshop participants are expected to contribute at least one curriculum module that uses an Open Source Physics program to a public domain curriculum library and to offer refinements and suggestions for the development of Open Source Physics materials.