This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes the development of a web-based collaborative Virtual Learning Environment for teaching freshman university physics, called the Virtual Physics Lab (VPL). The VPL will deliver an individualized self-paced learning experience using high-end multimedia lectures, and interactive virtual-reality simulations. The multimedia lectures are delivered using a synchronized multimodal combination of both highlighted text and speech that is delivered by near-photorealistic intelligent animated virtual instructors. The multimedia lectures include interactive Flash animations, movies, and 2D/3D animated illustrations. The VPL's interactive simulations are delivered in a video-game-like 3D virtual environment using physics-based models to simulate physics concepts such as pendulums, impact, buoyancy, magnetism etc. The VPL is highly interactive and uses pre-topic, in-topic, and post-topic questions to keep students engaged and to assess whether or not students need further training in any given subject. The VPL also includes collaborative/competitive mini 3D computer games that use relevant physics principles to increase the students' interest about the material being taught, and to add entertainment and competitive dimensions to the learning experience. The VPL's interactivity and the visually stimulating instruction will result in faster assimilation, deeper understanding, and higher memory retention by the students than traditional text-book/classroom learning.
The VPL has the potential to radically change the way physics is taught. Due to the current exponential rate of increase in human scientific and technical knowledge, there is a need for students to assimilate more knowledge at a faster rate. Current classroom and text-book instruction delivery methods cannot satisfy this need due to a variety of reasons, including, delivery of the lecture in non-engaging and minimally interactive way, use of antiquated static graphical illustrations, variability of teacher skill, lack of one-on-one teacher attention, and variability of student learning styles and speeds. The VPL will help overcome those limitations. Particularly, it will enhance the quality, accessibility, and speed of learning. It will enhance the student experimentation, creativity and problem-solving capability. Freshman university physics was chosen because it is one of the essential foundations for training high-caliber engineers and scientists who will ensure the continued leadership of the US in developing new technologies and in conducting cutting-edge scientific research. The US market for the proposed learning tool is estimated at 500,000 licenses per year. A larger market exists worldwide in English language speaking countries, and for future versions of the VPL that will be translated into other languages.
The objective of this project was to develop a full 2 semester undergraduate university physics online class, where the instruction is delivered by a humanoid avatar in both written and spoken form, and is accompanied by a rich interactive multimedia experience. The course includes hands-on lab experiments that are performed in a life-like virtual reality environment that mimics a typical physics lab, and incorporates numerous interactive elements to keep students focused and engaged, and to make learning fun. The Virtual Physics Lab (VPL) online course that was developed as a result of this project greatly reduces the cost of learning since it eliminates or minimizes the demand for the following: the instructor’s time, physical space to convene the class, expensive lab equipment, and a course textbook. The online course allows the student to choose where, when and at what pace he/she wants to learn and even the sequence and the number of times he/she wants to go over the material for a true individualized learning experience. This project will revolutionize the way physics and other courses are taught. First, it will greatly reduce the cost of learning and hence will allow for much easier access to education by a growing global population. It also allows true individualized learning by allowing the student to fully control the learning experience. Furthermore, the high level of interactivity that is built into the system will help students take a more active role in the learning process. Finally, the virtual reality lab component allows students to learn using hands-on activities and to quickly and safely experiment in ways that might not be possible or practical in a real laboratory setting.
