Vicki L. Plano Clark DUE 9551525 U of Nebraska Lincoln FY1995 $40,000 Lincoln, NE 685880430 ILI - Instrumentation Project: Physics Title: Integrating Multimedia-Based Activities into University Physics Laboratories This project will improve the laboratories which accompany the calculus-based university physics courses. The new laboratories will use the power of multimedia tools to build student understanding of specific physics concepts while developing students' abilities to properly apply these tools. The lessons developed will have the following structure: hands-on exploration of concept, microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) and visual-based laboratory (VBL) applications, and assessment of student understanding. The MBL activities will use various probeware interfaced with a computer to acquire and display data in real time. The VBL activities will use video sequences, prepared digital images, and simulation software to allow careful measurements of phenomena or systems that would otherwise be too difficult or too expensive to reproduce in the classroom. During the application activities, students will have spreadsheet and symbolic-algebra software packages as well as an electronic physics data base at their disposal to aid in their analysis and scientific development. An assessment activity will be completed at the end of each laboratory period to evaluate student understanding of the covered topics. In addition, computers will be made available in the Physics Learning Center where laboratory-related questions will be integrated into the lecture courses. This project will be evaluated by assessing student performance and enrollment. Furthermore, the materials and results of this project will be published and made available for distribution through The Learning Team, a non-profit educational corporation in Armonk, NY.
