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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
- Combined lecture/recitation/lab
- Highly interactive
- Professor and TAs walk around and help
- Integrated use of computers
Computer Use in Studio Physics
- Data Collection
- Video Labs
- Maple
- Excel
- WWW/HTML/Java
Why use the Web?
- The World-Wide Web uses a client/server model
- One copy of a document
is kept on a server and is downloaded by the students as needed
- Updating is easy
Web advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- HTML, Java, and browsers are commonly available and free
- HTML is simple to write
- Browsers can handle multimedia
Disadvantages
- Mathematical text is tricky
Not interactive
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
- Text
- Pictures
- Animations and video
- 3-D Illustrations
- Interactive Illustrations (applets)
- Links to spreadsheet or symbolic math exercises
- Links to resources at other sites
Often a module is built around a particular applet.
How is a module organized?
A module is laid out as follows:
- Overview and Objectives
- Background and Prerequisites
- Workshop
- Concepts (theory and motivation)
- Discovery (demonstrations)
- Applications
- Collaboration (in-class assignment)
- Practice (assignment)
- 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.
-
Students listen to mini-lecture about electric fields
(E = kq/r2).
-
Students work through two pages of simple examples
(one charge, two charge, red charge, blue charge,...).
-
Students do hidden-charge in-class exercise.
-
Students listen to mini-lecture about flux and Gauss's Law
(
= q/
0).
-
Students work through examples:
charged sphere, line charges, cylinder charges,...
-
Students work through spreadsheet exercise, and/or
-
Students do hidden-source in-class exercise.
Applets
Tour!