Collaborative Research and Development of a Prototype Java-Based Learning Materials for the Environment of Undergraduate Electrodynamics

本项目正在开发和实地测试一套配套材料，旨在提供可视化和数值解决方案，说明电学和磁学高级本科课程中的问题和概念。目标是确定如何使用一种高度可移植和无成本的计算和视觉学习工具来被广泛接受。之所以选择电动力学作为这个概念验证项目的主题，是因为它有丰富的可视化机会。这个原型项目包括为本科生开发一些范例学习辅助工具，并在课堂环境中进行现场测试。项目资料由带有数值方法和可视化界面的Java程序组成，并附有描述性文本。原型概念的一个关键组成部分是使用Java可视化和计算工具的文本和讨论材料。此附带材料包括主题解释和使用计算/可视化工具的描述。虽然在这个原型项目中制作了大量的学习材料和软件，但解决的主要研究问题之一是材料的设计，以使它们实际用于课堂。正在测试的设计概念旨在消除许多使新材料适应现有班级的典型障碍。要解决的障碍包括成本、相关性、软件兼容性，以及教师和学生在开始使用学习工具时所投入的重要时间问题。相关性和其他设计特征是项目设计中包括的实地测试的主题。

Physics (13) This project is developing and field testing a set of companion materials intended to provide visualization and numerical solutions illustrating problems and concepts in upper-level undergraduate courses in electricity and magnetism. The goal is determine how the use of a highly portable and cost-free implementation of computational and visual learning tool may be brought into wide acceptance. The subject of electrodynamics has been chosen for this proof-of-concept project because of the rich opportunity for visualization. This prototype project involves developing a selection of sample learning aides for undergraduate electrodynamics with a component of field testing in a classroom environment. The project materials consist of Java programs with numerical methods and a visualization interface and are accompanied by descriptive text. A key component of the prototype concept is the text and discussion materials that work with the Java visualization and computational tools. This accompanying material includes subject explanation and description of the use of the computational/visual tools. Though a significant quantity of learning materials and software are being produced in this prototype project, one of the major research question addressed is the design of materials to that they are actually used in the classroom. The design concept being tested seeks to remove many of the typical barriers to adapting new material for an existing class. Among the barriers being addressed are cost, relevance, software compatibility, and the important issue of time invested by teacher and student in getting started with the learning tools. Relevance and other design features are the subject of field tests included in the project design.