Learning Optics on the Web: 3D Interactive Graphics, Session Logging, and Collaboration

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The goal of this project is to help students learn about optics infreshman/sophomore physics courses and in upper level physics courses. Wewill produce a prototypic set of educational materials: a Web-based, 3Dinteractive computer graphics system with session logging capabilities.We will also investigate the possibility of giving the systemcollaborative capabilities.We have previously developed a 3D interactive computer graphics systemcalled The Optics Project (TOP). TOP has been tested in the classroom attwo universities, and received excellent student evaluations. We now knowhow to port TOP to the Web, making it available for students with PC's.For example, a student can point his/her browser at a URL (such ashttp://www.erc.msstate.edu/~foley/webtop/ ) and select the single slitsubmodule; the browser then loads the 3D environment in which the studentcan change the width of a slit and see the diffraction pattern on anobservation screen change.Our objectives are as follows. (1) Make Web versions of the seven TOPmodules. We call this Web version WebTOP. (2) Create a new Lasersmodule. (3) Enable the automatic generation of session logs that can bereplayed, edited, and analyzed. (4) Investigate the possibility of givingthe system collaborative capabilities. In addition to developing thesoftware, we plan to aggressively disseminate and evaluate it. We willcontinue to give presentations at regional and national meetings, as wedid for TOP. As each new WebTOP module is completed, we will put it onour server, so that others may begin using it. We will hold workshops toshow others how to use WebTOP. We will coordinate with other universitiesand colleges who use WebTOP and travel, when possible, to help them getstarted, as we did with TOP.At the end of the two years, we expect the outcomes to be: (a) aninteractive computer graphics system which runs on the Web and has sessionlogging capabilities, and (b) a large and growing set of university userswhich will use the software. The DUE theme that applies to this projectis