1450-1454
-
Upload
nabila-hanim -
Category
Documents
-
view
213 -
download
0
Transcript of 1450-1454
-
8/3/2019 1450-1454
1/5
The role of computer simulations in teaching-learning process
I. Radinschi*,1
, C. Damoc2, A. Cehan
3, and V. Cehan4
1
Department of Physics, Gh. Asachi Technical University, Bd. D. Mangeron, no.67, 700050, Iasi, Romania2 Faculty of Automatic Control and Computers Science, Gh. Asachi Technical University, Bd. D. Mangeron,
no.53, 700050, Iasi, Romania3 Faculty of Letters, Al. I. Cuza University, Bd. Carol I, no.11, 700156, Iasi, Romania4 Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications, Gh. Asachi Technical University, Bd. Carol I, no.11, 700156,
Iasi, Romania
Over the last few years, there has been a great expansion in the computer-assisted methods of teaching and
learning. The implementation of such methods into our physics course and laboratories has brought about very
effective results. The reasons for our choice to incorporate these powerful computation tools into our courses and
laboratories include its assistance to our students in acquiring a better strategy for learning physics, as a
demonstration and study of physics concepts and phenomena, and to check results measured from experimental
work. We have formulated our own methods of using computer simulations to study physics phenomena based on
Adobe Flash CS3 software. Our set of computer simulations allows the students to grasp a deeper understanding
of physics phenomena. We present the set of computer simulations and describe the increase in the interest of
students using them for a better success in understanding physical concepts. Also, as example we describe the
computer simulation elaborated for the study of the thermal activation energy of intrinsic conduction for a
semiconductor. By conducting a statistical survey of the number of functioning computer simulations
implemented in our course and laboratories, we notice a rise in the participation of students using them. This
suggests that we should encourage the production of more computer simulations.
We apply a long term focused teaching-learning strategy in order to improve our physics teaching-learning
process. This creates the possibility for our courses and laboratories to be carried out at a higher level, as
computer simulations have a great effect on the educational process. An interactive education based on computers
advances the effectiveness and efficiency of educational processes. Therefore, students are allowed to further their
knowledge and feel better prepared for integration into society .
Keywords Computer simulations; teaching-learning process; computer based education
1. Introduction
In the recent years, from the educational viewpoint has been admitted that the classical methods of teaching-
learning connected with some computer-assisted methods [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7] are good solutions for
improving the educational process. The implementation of powerful technologies used in computer based
learning leads to the increasing and development of this educational method. At international and nationallevels, considerable efforts have been made for the implementation of adequate software in the educational
process [8], [9], [10], [11].
Concerning the continue improvement of our physics course and laboratories, a very important task is to
describe various physical phenomena and bring them alive with help of computer simulations. The technical
issue includes computational requirements, modern and powerful software and hardware. We have incorporated
these powerful computational tools in the educational process [5], [6] for assisting students to achieve a better
understanding of physics concepts and phenomena, and to check the results obtained from experimental work.We have developed a strategy for teaching students how to operate and realize an interactive use of adequate
software for exploring, learning and applying physics laws. Our set of computer simulations is elaborated using
Adobe Flash CS3 [12] software. For a high level of performance we have optimized continually the
applications. We notice a continue improvement of students understanding and an increasing of interest
concerning the work at the physics laboratories. Students have become more motivated and this has been thereason for the production of more computer simulations.
In this paper we provide a study of the role of computer simulations in the computer-assisted educational
process. We performed a statistical survey of the number of computer simulations implemented in our course
and laboratories through the recent years. This study enlightened a rise in the participation of students that used
the computer simulations. Also, for illustrating our work we present the computer application elaborated for the
study of the thermal activation energy of intrinsic conduction for a semiconductor.
* Corresponding author: e-mail: [email protected], Phone: +40 722542076
Research, Reflections and Innovations in Integrating ICT in Education
1450
-
8/3/2019 1450-1454
2/5
2. Implementation of computer simulations in the teaching-learning process
The development of computational technologies has determined an increasing of the implementation of new
computational programs in engineering education. The computer assisted education provides a framework forthe integration of new and powerful computational tools [3], [4], [5], [6] and especially of the computer
simulations of physics phenomena.
Our long-term experience in the field of physics [7], [8] has demonstrated the usefulness of processing datausing the computer simulations [5], [6]. We do not intend to make a complete replacement of the traditional
methods of teaching and learning physics, but we want to perform a good understanding of physics laws and
phenomena. In this light, we have provided our physics laboratories with a set of computer simulations thatallow the students to develop skills of measurement and analysis. Also, the computer simulations are not
affected by the errors generated by the measurement process and the sensibility of apparatus, and can be used as
checking tools for the laboratory work. for the results obtained from experimental work
We have created a set of interactive physics simulations using computer applications to illustrate some key
phenomena and laws of physics concerning oscillations, waves, thermodynamics and optical phenomena. These
computer simulations are used in our physics laboratory since 2006 and most of them are elaborated in AdobeFlash CS3 [12]. We own a suite of twelve different simulations of our laboratory works regarding various
physics phenomena, detailing many aspects of physics studied in the course that we offer. It was very important
to decide which physics laboratories need computer simulation activities, and amongst these, which hold more
priority. We have collaborated with our students in order to establish which laboratory works are more suitable
for computer simulations, taking in account their arguments and options. After sorting the experiments into theorder of priority, we have elaborated the computer simulations so that they have to yield the same results as
those of experimental results. A comparison between the practical experiment and the simulation can be made
by the students, as the software is able to run during or after the experiment. In Table 1 we present the evolution
of the number of implemented simulations and the number of students that work with these computational tools.
The statistics concerns the computer-assisted process over the last four years.
Table 1 Statistics of the computer simulations and number of students that work with these computational tools.
Year of
implementation
Number of implemented computer simulations versus year of
implementation
Number of
students
2006 3 Determination of adiabatic exponent Java
Study of electromagnetic waves JavaStudy of two orthogonal motions Java
70
2007 3 Study of polarimeter Java
Study of Newtons rings Java
Study of the diffraction grating Java
115
2008 3 Study of Stefan-Boltzmann law of thermal radiation - Adobe
Flash CS3
Determination of Plancks constant using the photoelectric
effect - Adobe Flash CS3
Study of the laws of photoelectric effect - Adobe Flash CS3
145
2009 3 Determination of the thermal activation energy of intrinsic
conduction for a semiconductor - Adobe Flash CS3
Study of magnetron - Adobe Flash CS3
Study of photovoltaic effect Adobe Flash CS3
180
We chose the animation and programming environment of Adobe Flash CS3 for the elaboration of
simulations motivated by its flexibility and advanced graphical facilities. Many applications, animations and
web pages are created and processed in this professional software. The operations, the functions and the user
friendly style allow users who are developing Flash applications access to extraordinary possibilities. This
differentiates Flash as a robust and exciting environment for developing applications. The applications use data
that has been collected from physical experiments in order to allow the simulation to describe the behavior andindications of the laboratory equipment as accurately as possible. Necessary physical formulas are applied to
obtain the results. Using the experimental data acquired from certain sites within a given period of time, an
interpolation of 1st degree could be implemented in these applications. As a result, the user can analyse
simulation values within the same time span as that of the experiment. Therefore, the user can choose a value,
without being constricted to a limited number of values or even by only the experimental values. We ensure that
the applications have a menu in Romanian and English, so that the user may choose according to preference or
Research, Reflections and Innovations in Integrating ICT in Education
1451
-
8/3/2019 1450-1454
3/5
necessity. Each application allows the students to verify experimental data, calculate formulas and construct and
present graphs.
As an example, we present the application elaborated for the determination of the thermal activation energy
of intrinsic conduction for a semiconductor. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 we present the screen-shots of the applications
interface. In Fig. 1 are described the computer interface image for the lab objectives, the apparatus and
equipment, and the measurements and procedure. The aim of the computer simulation is the determination of
the thermal activation energy of intrinsic conduction for a semiconductor. For the determination of the thermal
activation energy of intrinsic conduction for a semiconductor the dependence between the resistance and
temperature of a thermistor is used. The components of the experimental equipment are:
- a thermistor with the terminals coupled to an electronic ohmmeter;
- an electronic ohmmeter by means of which the resistance is measured;
- heat source, that is a 40-W bulb;
- temperature probe, mounted next to the thermistor and connected to it by thermal contact.
The information from the temperature probe is sent to an electronic thermostat programmable in the range 0-100
C equipped with a graded scale. For usual practice, the range 0-60 C is recommended.
To open the application, the students have to press the switch on the electronic thermostat and to choose the
values of temperature for which the values of resistance will be indicated by the electronic ohmmeter. After they
have entered the first value of the temperature, which is indicated to be greater than the temperature of
surroundings, they have to increase the values of the temperature and to read the corresponding values of the
resistance. Otherwise, a warning indicated by a yellow box flashing next to the value of temperature whichcorresponds to the equilibrium state of the value of the resistance has to be read. After the values that observe
the possible value ranges are entered, the button Upgrade will be pressed as it displays the obtained values of
103/T, R and lnR, upgrading at the same time the graphic which gives the dependence between lnR and 10
3/T. In
Fig.1 we present the computer interface image for the laboratory objectives, measurements and procedure and
the components of the experimental equipment. This screenshot allows the students to become familiar with the
theory and experimental method.
Fig.1The screenshot for lab objectives, measurements and procedure and the components of the experimental equipment.
Research, Reflections and Innovations in Integrating ICT in Education
1452
-
8/3/2019 1450-1454
4/5
In Fig.2 we give the screenshot of the application interface that gives the values of the temperature and the
corresponding values of the resistance, 103/T, R and lnR, upgrading at the same time the graph which gives the
dependence between lnR and 103/T.
Fig.2The screenshot for the determination of the thermal activation energy of intrinsic conduction for a semiconductor.
The thermal activation energy of intrinsic conduction for a semiconductor can be determined from the gradientof the straightline lnR= lnR0 + E/(2k10
3) 103/T and expressed in eV. For picking-up the experimental data we
consider for the temperature the values 24-50 C in order to preserve the properties of the thermistor and avoid
the experimental errors given by a non-linear variation.
3. Discussion
In the last decade, more students and physicists are involved in the use of computer simulations for providing a
better understanding of concepts and physics phenomena. In our work we present a set of 12 computer
simulations and point out the increase in the interest of students using these computer applications for a bettersuccess in processing the experimental data with aid of efficient and accurate computational tools. Most of our
computer simulations for the physics laboratory are elaborated in Adobe Flash CS3 program. As an illustrative
example we describe the computer simulation prepared for the study of the thermal activation energy of intrinsic
conduction for a semiconductor. In addition, we give a statistical study of the number of functioning computer
simulations implemented in our course and laboratories.
The rise in the participation of students that are interested in computer simulations of physics phenomena
make us to produce more computer simulations. Because the process of collecting experimental data is affected
by errors we offer to the students the possibility of using virtual tools like computer simulations. The computer
simulations are not affected by experimental errors and can be used as checking tools for the results obtained
from experimental work. We are confident, and the large participation of our students support this, that
computer simulations have improved the teaching-learning process. Further, the computer simulations allow
students to become more familiar with the virtual labs and a comparative mode of learning, and how to
experiment and use software applications. In the future, we want to implement the set of physics simulations inthe distance learning via the Internet (e-learning).
Research, Reflections and Innovations in Integrating ICT in Education
1453
-
8/3/2019 1450-1454
5/5
Applying an interactive education based on the use of computers simulations we improve our courses and
laboratories, which are carried out at a higher level, and we advance the effectiveness and efficiency of
educational processes. Therefore, students are allowed to further their knowledge and feel better prepared for
integration into society.
Acknowledgements This work was supported by grant no. 12-122/25.09.2008 ASISTSYS PN II.
References
[1] S. Hennessy, R. Deaney and K. Ruthven, International Journal of Science Education, 28 (7), 701 (2006).
[2] A. Jones and K. Issroff, Computers & Education, 44, 395 (2004).
[3] G. Murariu and D. Toma, A Note about the Simulation Programs for Heat and Molecular Physics Laboratory.
xxx.lanl.gov physics/0505053
[4] G. Murariu, Interactive computer simulations of electrokinetic physics phenomena. xxx.lanl.gov physics/0609215
[5] I. Radinschi, C. Damoc, A. Cehan and V. Cehan, Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Hands-on Science
Formal and Informal Science Education, Espao Cincia, Olinda-Recife, Brasil, 13-17 October 2008, published in
HSCI 2008, Formal and Informal Science Education, Olinda-Recife, Brasil, 2008, pp. 147-152.
[6] I. Radinschi and C. Damoc, Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium Computational Civil Engineering
2008, Iasi, Romania, 30 May 2008, published in Computational Models for Civil Engineering, Publishing House of
Matei-Teiu Botez Academic Society, Iasi, Romania, 2008, pp. 441-447.
[7] I. Radinschi and B. Ciobanu, Iasi, Romania, International Symposium Computational Civil Engineering 2007, CCE
2007, 25 May 2007, published in: Ionescu C, Paulet F, editors. Proceedings of International Symposium Computational
Civil Engineering 2007, CCE 2007, Publishing House of Matei-Teiu Botez Academic Society, Iasi, Romania, 2007.
pp. 200-211.
[8] I. Radinschi, M. D. Frunza and B. Ciobanu, Proceedings of INTED 2007, Valencia, Spain, 7-9 March 2007, edited by
IATED, Valencia, Spain.
[9] EV. Wilson, Computers & Education, 34(2), 67 (2000).
[10] www.myphysicslab.com
[11] http://phet.colorado.edu
[12] www.adobe.com/products/flash
Research, Reflections and Innovations in Integrating ICT in Education
1454