Spreadsheet Applications in the Instruction of High School Physics During the 1991-1992 school year, the project staff will do an extensive literature review and resource search, will develop communication linkages with other physics educators working with spreadsheet software and data acquisition devices in physics instruction, will attend AAPT meetings, and will visit three other sites where extensive physics- spreadsheet instructional activities are ongoing. Based upon this preparation, the staff will develop and field test three spreadsheet modules for delivery of high school physics content. During the spring of 1992, a summer institute will be planned for 20 well-prepared high school physics teachers. The teachers will be selected from school in the state of South Dakota and the 150 mile region surrounding the University of South Dakota. These teachers will be brought to campus for a two-week 1992 summer institute. The institute, presented by the project staff, will consist of training in the use of microcomputers, spreadsheet software, data acquisition devices, and communications software. The 20 teachers will practice with the instructional modules developed by the project staff and will study instructional strategies appropriate to the use of computers in physics instruction and learn physics content using spreadsheets. The 20 teachers will use the instructional modules and the instructional strategies during the 1992-1993 school year in their own high school physics instruction. They will be provided consultative support by the project staff by way of phone, mail and electronic mail. The 20 teachers will also be encouraged to communicate among themselves via the same methods. Three regional meetings, hosted by one of the participating high schools and conducted by two of the project staff, will be used to support the trained teachers and to inservice other physics teachers in each region. Feedback about the effectiveness of the instructional modules and the instructional strategies will be obtained from the participating teachers. Cost sharing equals 37% of the NSF award.
