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Project Links:
Hypermedia Modules for
Introductory Electricity and Magnetism

Invited Talk, AAPT Summer Meeting, San Antonio

Michael Malak

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

August 5, 1999

Abstract

Rensselaer has used the Project Links Web-based modules on electricity and magnetism in Studio Physics 2 for the last two years. These modules are delivered via the World-Wide Web to students in the studio classroom. They include hypertext, animations, spreadsheets, and interactive illustrations in the form of Java applets. Module topics include electric fields, Gauss's law, potential, circuits, magnetic fields, Ampere's law, Faraday's law, and geometrical optics, as well as developments of more mathematical topics such as gradient, flux, and circulation. This talk will discuss how these modules have been used in class and integrated into the highly interactive studio format of instruction.

Supported in part by NSF grant #DUE-9552465.

Studio Physics Summary

Computer Use in Studio Physics

Why use the Web?

Web advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

Disadvantages

What is a "module"?

A module is a linked set of hypermedia documents discussing subtopics of one overall topic.

A module is comparable to a chapter of a book, in breadth if not in depth.

What does a module contain?

A module's pages may contain

Often a module is built around a particular applet.

How is a module organized?

A module is laid out as follows:

  1. Overview and Objectives
  2. Background and Prerequisites
  3. Workshop
  4. Follow-up

How is a module used?

We use these modules in Studio Physics 2 as part of the in-class work. A module is generally one day's worth of work.

Not every module is used in its entirety, especially if there is already a laboratory experiment about its topic.

Example: Electric Field

  1. Students listen to mini-lecture about electric fields (E = kq/r2).
  2. Students work through two pages of simple examples
    (one charge, two charge, red charge, blue charge,...).
  3. Students do hidden-charge in-class exercise.

Example: Gauss's Law

  1. Students listen to mini-lecture about flux and Gauss's Law ( = q/0).
  2. Students work through examples:
    charged sphere, line charges, cylinder charges,...
  3. Students work through spreadsheet exercise, and/or
  4. Students do hidden-source in-class exercise.

Applets

Tour!