New Technology for Introductory Physics

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The Physics Department of Dickinson teaches its introductory physics courses in a workshop setting. Instead of attending lectures, Workshop Physics students learn physics by using direct observations and the computer as a primary tool for data collection, data analysis, and numerical problem solution. The Equipment provided by the grant allows students to explore two-dimensional motion by videotaping, digitizing, and analyzing sequenced events using existing Macintosh SE computer systems. Software, a Workstation, Macintosh SE computer enhancements, and LAN equipment are used to allow introductory physics students to use a symbolic computer language such as Mathematics on a regular basis. This allows students to relate the results of experiments to more abstract and general behavior of functions derivable from theory. As a result of this laboratory improvement program, the Workshop Physics Activity Guides currently under development for dissemination to other colleges and universities are being enhanced to include activities made possible with more versatile equipment and software. The college is matching the NSF grant with an equal amount of funds.