Project COMPACT (Career-Oriented Materials for Physics and Contemporary Technology )

COMPACT项目将开发、测试和传播一种新型的面向应用的、集成的物理入门课程软件。这份材料将面向广泛的受众，包括：(1)注册科学、技术和工程专业的两年制大学生，(2)预期工作场所需求而寻求科学和技术素养的非科学专业学生，以及(3)学习物理的高中生--特别是那些技术预科或职业教育专业的学生。该软件将具有多层次的结构和灵活的格式，以适应科学和数学背景较差的学生，具有一定代数和几何知识的学生，以及高级学生。这些项目材料是从我们现有的原型开发出来的，采用了一种“以学习情景为中心”的方法，而不是传统的以领域为中心的方法，让不同背景和能力的学生参与学习物理、科学和技术。目标是让学生参与探索与他们的职业目标相关的学习情景。每节课将以探索阶段开始，在此阶段，学生将看到应用物理的真实世界范例。然后他们将进入理论阶段，在那里他们将被呈现给他们与例子相关的基本物理概念和定律。学习周期将在“应用”阶段结束，在此阶段，他们将学习一种系统的、专家式的方法来解决科学和技术问题。最初的软件包将侧重于三个广泛的职业导向主题。它将包括八个相互关联的部分：(1)模拟、虚拟实验、(2)问题解决导师和(3)评估工具等，以及问题、测试和问题的集合。教师可以使用自己的经验或整合不同的课程资源(包括网上提供的资源)来修改和扩展问题、解决方案、测试、问题和引导性问题的开放式集合。

Project COMPACT will develop, test, and disseminate a new type of application-oriented, integrated curriculum software for introductory physics. This material will be designed to address a wide audience including: (1) two-year college students enrolled in science, technology and engineering programs, (2) non-science majors seeking scientific and technology literacy in anticipation of workplace demands, and (3) high school students taking physics--in particular those in Tech Prep or vocational education programs. The software will have a multilevel structure and flexible format to accommodate students with poor backgrounds in science and mathematics, those with some knowledge of algebra and geometry, as well as advanced students. The project materials, developed from our existing prototypes, employ a "learning situation-focused" approach rather than a conventional domain-centered approach to involve students of various backgrounds and abilities in learning physics, science and technology. The goal is to engage students in exploring learning situations associated with their career goals. Each lesson will start with an exploration phase where students will see a real world example of applied physics. They will then enter a theory phase where they will be presented with the underlying physics concepts and laws related to the example. The learning cycle will be completed with an "application" phase where they will learn a systematic, expert-like approach to solving scientific and technical problems. The initial software packages will focus on three broad career-oriented themes. It will include eight interconnected components: (1) Simulation, Virtual Experimentation, (2) Problem Solving Tutor, and (3) Assessment Tool, etc., as well as collection of problems, tests, and questions. Teachers can modify and expand an open-ended collection of problems, solution plans, tests, queries, and leading questions using their own experience or incorporating diverse curriculum resources, including tho se available on the Web.