QM Tools--Realizing the Promise of Multimedia in Teaching Introductory Quantum Physics

桌面计算能力和信息技术的进步正在融合，使上级教学法成为可能，并促进积极的课堂学习。但是，个人在高等教育中对技术创新的努力并没有实现他们的承诺，部分原因是教育工作者不愿意使用“罐头”学习辅助工具。我们认为，只有当教师能够随时制作自己的材料，有效地利用今天的技术，系统的变化将遵循。拟议的项目致力于为教育工作者提供所需的工具，无缝集成多媒体和计算元素到他们的课堂材料，并做到这一点，以最小的时间和精力的投资。量子物理所需的工具集-称为QM工具-是免费开发和分发给学术界。在最终发布之前，该产品在全国范围内进行了广泛的现场测试，从而确保了该工具集的最大价值及其预期用途，并被广泛的学院和大学物理系所接受。我们还概述了一个非专有的战略，使用QM工具与其他股票超媒体元素组装“活”的文件，可以根据个人的需求和喜好。QM工具概念的广泛采用将使绝大多数面向技术的学生获得丰富的多媒体教育体验，从而改善保留其中最优秀和最聪明的学生的前景，甚至吸引传统上代表性不足的群体学习科学和工程。

Advances in desktop computing power and information technology are converging to make possible, superior pedagogy and promote active classroom learning. But individual efforts toward technological innovation in higher education have not fulfilled their promise, in part due to the reluctance of educators to employ "canned" learning aids. We contend that systemic change will follow only when instructors can readily craft their own materials that effectively exploit today's technology. The proposed project endeavors to provide educators with the tools needed to seamlessly integrate multimedia and computational elements into their classroom materials, and to do so with minimal investment of time and effort. The required tool set for Quantum Physics - dubbed QM Tools - is developed and distributed free of charge to the academic community. Prior to final release, the product is field tested extensively nationwide, thereby ensuring maximum value of the tool set for its intended purpose and acceptability to a broad spectrum of college and university physics faculty. We also outline a non-proprietary strategy that uses QM Tools together with other stock hypermedia elements to assemble "live" documents that can be tailored to individual needs and preferences. Widespread adoption of the QM Tools concept would expose a vast majority of technically oriented students to a rich multimedia educational experience, with improved prospects for retaining the best and brightest among them, and even attracting traditionally under-represented groups to the study of science and engineering.