Microcomputer-Based Curricular Enhancements for Elementary Physics

这个项目包括在一门新的基础物理课程中增加以微电脑为基础的改进。这门以探究为基础的本科物理课程针对的是职前教师，以及其他第一次接触大学物理科学的人。以“能源转化与节约”为主题，将各个主题联系在一起。学生对物理现象的先入之见——由预测确定——将指导演示、活动和讨论。学生对各种实验结果所做的预测，这些预测构成了班级讨论的基础。学生们将以小组为单位，通过有指导的“小型研究项目”进行调查，以检验他们的预测。课堂讨论将围绕学生调查的结果以及与预测的比较展开。通过这笔拨款获得的设备将允许数据采集、分析和绘图的自动化手段，主要是为了补充而不是取代传统技术。这个项目的产品输出将是课堂测试活动的新颖组合，这些活动在以探究为基础的以能源为主题的基础物理课程中利用数据分析。我们期望这个项目能大大提高那些对科学有反感倾向的学生对物理的认识和态度。传播将通过期刊文章、会议演讲和应要求发布考试、教学大纲等方式进行。

The project involves adding microcomputer-based enhancements to the curriculum of a new elementary physics course. This inquiry-based undergraduate physics course is targeted at preservice teachers, as well as others who are getting their first exposure to college-level physical science. The theme "energy transformation and conservation" is used to tie together the various topics. Students' preconceptions regarding physical phenomena - as determined by pretesting - will guide the presentation, activities, and discussion. The pretests form the basis for a thorough class discussion of the predictions made by students regarding the outcome of various experiments. Investigations to test their predictions will be carried out by the students, working in small groups, through guided "mini-research projects." Class discussions will be centered around the results of the student investigations, and comparison with the predictions. The equipment acquired via this grant will allow automated means for data acquisition, analysis, and graphing which are intended primarily to supplement, and not to replace, traditional techniques. The product output of this project will be a novel combination of class-tested activities that make use of data analysis in the context of an inquiry-based elementary physics course with an energy theme. We expect that the project will significantly improve the knowledge of and attitude towards physics of students who arrive predisposed to think of science as distasteful. Dissemination will be through journal articles, presentations at meetings and on-request release of exams, syllabi, etc..