An educational model simulation of the sound produced by lightning in the sky has been employed to demonstrate realistic signatures of thunder and its connection to the particular structure of the lightning channel. Algorithms used in the past have been revisited and implemented, making use of current computer techniques. The basic properties of…

This timely collection of theoretical and applied studies examines the pedagogical potential and realities of digital technologies in a wide range of disciplinary contexts across the educational spectrum. By mixing content-based chapters with a theoretical perspective with case studies detailing actual teaching approaches utilizing digital…

Lessons and homework problems involving a pendulum are often a big part of introductory physics classes and laboratory courses from high school to undergraduate levels. Although laboratory equipment for pendulum experiments is commercially available, it is often expensive and may not be affordable for teachers on fixed budgets, particularly in…

This paper discusses Svetovid, cross-platform software that helps instructors to assess the amount of effort put into practical exercises and exams in courses related to computer programming. The software was developed as an attempt at solving problems associated with practical exercises and exams. This paper discusses the design and use of…

Computer games such as Unreal Tournament (UT2004 and UT3) contain a "physics engine" responsible for producing believable dynamic interactions between players and objects in the three-dimensional (3D) virtual world of a game. Through a series of probing experiments we have evaluated the fidelity and internal consistency of the UT2004 physics…

"Debates in Music Teaching" encourages student and practising teachers to engage with contemporary issues and developments in music education. It aims to introduce a critical approach to the central concepts and practices that have influenced major interventions and initiatives in music teaching, and supports the development of new ways of looking…

I report on a pilot study on the use of Google Maps to provide virtual field trips as a component of a wholly online graduate course on the history of astronomy. The Astronomical Tourist Web site (http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/tourist), themed around the role that specific locations on Earth have contributed to the development of astronomical…

This study extends the research into faculty and student use of contemporary academic technologies. The goals of the study are threefold. First, the study aims to unpack which technologies students and faculty use, and how often. Second, it aims to understand their experiences in the contexts in which they live them. Finally, it explores the…

This article shows how to use six parameters describing the International Space Station's orbit to predict when and in what part of the sky observers can look for the station as it passes over their location. The method requires only a good background in trigonometry and some familiarity with elementary vector and matrix operations. An included…

Computer algebra systems (CAS) have been around for a number of years, as has dynamic geometry. Symbolic geometry software is new. It bears a superficial similarity to dynamic geometry software, but differs in that problems may be set up involving symbolic variables and constants, and measurements are given as symbolic expressions. Mathematical…

This booklet presents questions and answers on everything from how to find out what technology students will need for college to ideas for handling technology emergencies when they are there at college. Information and selected resources are provided under the following questions that head each section: "How do I find out what technology I should…

This book is a practical, hands-on guide to using commonly available everyday technology, including Microsoft software, to manage and streamline research projects. It uses straight-forward, everyday language to walk readers through this process, drawing on a wide range of examples to demonstrate how easy it is to use such software. This guide is…

We've experienced Generation X and Generation Y. Now Generation Wi-Fi is making its presence known in many schools. Today's students are connected with each other and the world, increasingly through personally owned communication technologies. Cell phones that send text messages and photographs, handheld personal digital assistants that can beam…

At Florida Tech, we have incorporated DataFit from Oakdale Engineering throughout the entire curriculum, beginning with ChE 1102, an eight-week, one-day-per-week, two-hour, one-credit-hour, second-semester Introduction to Chemical Engineering course in a hands-on computer classroom. Our experience is that students retain data analysis concepts…

A simple, rapid method for generating complex genetic profiles using Alu-based markers was recently developed for students primarily at the undergraduate level to learn more about forensics and paternity analysis. On the basis of the Cold Spring Harbor Allele Server, which provides an excellent tool for analyzing a single Alu variant, we present a…