Spreadsheets can be a powerful tool when it comes to teaching physics. From data analysis and graphing to animated simulations, Excel[R] is a very versatile program for the educator and learner alike. This paper describes and supports another use for Excel through Reflective Formative Assessment Spreadsheets (RFAS). To illustrate the use of RFAS,…

A student experiment on dynamic calorimetry is described. Dynamic calorimetry is a powerful technique for calorimetric studies, especially at high temperatures and pressures. A low-power incandescent lamp serves as the sample. The ScienceWorkshop data-acquisition system with DataStudio software from PASCO Scientific displays the results of the…

The use of computers and multimedia, as well as the World Wide Web and new communication technologies, allows new forms of teaching and learning such as distance learning, blended learning, use of virtual libraries and many more. The herewith discussed remotely controlled laboratory (RCL) project shall offer an additional contribution. The basic…

A common undergraduate chemical engineering experiment has been modified for on-line operation over the Internet. By adopting rapidly changing Internet and object component technologies, we developed a novel approach combining the Internet and regular laboratory equipment. The client-server applications use a Visual Basic and Labtech programming…

The implementation of a modern game-console controller as a data acquisition interface for physics experiments is discussed. The investigated controller is equipped with three perpendicular accelerometers and a built-in infrared camera to evaluate its own relative position. A pendulum experiment is realized as a demonstration of the proposed…

The basic properties of extensive air showers of particles produced in the interaction of a high-energy primary cosmic ray in the Earth's atmosphere are discussed in the context of educational cosmic ray projects involving undergraduate students and high-school teams. Simulation results produced by an air shower development code were made…

The successful implementation of an innovation--information technology in this instance--is a process that is developmental in nature, and a highly personal experience for each teacher. Thus, for any change to be successful, the concerns of each individual teacher must be taken into consideration when intervention strategies are developed. Hall,…

Evolution is at the center of the biological sciences and is therefore a required topic for virtually every college biology student. Over the past year, the authors have been building a new simulation software package called EvoBeaker to teach college-level evolutionary biology through simulated experiments. They have built both micro and…

It's the first day of the "Animals" unit for Tami Brester's third-grade class and the first day her students are using Glossopedia, a free online multimedia science encyclopedia. But you wouldn't know that from observing the kids, who are excitedly researching animals on the internet. This is inquiry-based learning of a special kind, incorporating…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the instructional effects of using animations, static figures, PowerPoint bulletins, and e-plus software as chemistry texts with the aid of computer-based technology. This study analyzed the characteristics of students involved in three multimedia courses and their achievement and attitude toward chemistry…

This digest discusses types of computer applications used in science assessment; underlying assumptions that guide their roles in assessment; and issues which relate to validity, gender equity, instructional delivery, mode of user interface, and responsibility to the public. Assessment applications for computers can be broadly classified into two…

Provided is an annotated bibliography on spreadsheets and the use of spreadsheets for science and mathematics. Each reference includes the following information: (1) author; (2) title of article or publication; (3) date; and (4) abstract. (RH)

An emerging technology, classroom communication systems (CCSs), has the potential to transform the way we teach science in large-lecture settings. CCSs can serve as catalysts for creating a more interactive, student-centered classroom in the lecture hall, thereby allowing students to become more actively involved in constructing and using…

This article reports the use of a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) instruction designed to help students develop understanding of image formation by lenses. The study aims to investigate how students, working in dyads and mediated by multimedia Computer-assisted learning (CAL) programs, construct shared knowledge and understanding.…

Describes using computer-based interviews as a research technique for investigating how students think about physics. One program called Graphs and Tracks, designed for use as an instructional aid, displays motions of a ball rolling along a track. Another program called Atwood, requires students to predict effects on motion or graphs of motion.…