MSU | Department of Physics and Astronomy

ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WEB-BASED TUTORIALS:: Increasingly, the Internet is being used to deliver online courses and content to help enhance learning in offline courses. In science, and in particular physics, this use has included online activities that were meant to replace homework and sometimes laboratories. As a result, there is a growing demand for systematic assessment of the effectiveness of the Web-delivered learning environments. Our group is conducting experiments focusing on the efficacy of Web-delivered visualization tutorials designed to teach kinematics and optics.

In our research, we get volunteers to complete media enhanced interactive tutorials and we compare their performance and attitude to a volunteer control group. We also examine the student interaction with the various elements of the tutorial by examining logs and by videotaping them. Along with these experiments, we have been collecting Force Concept Inventory data since Fall 1998 semester. We are hoping that this data will provide us with a baseline data for future research.

We attempt to base our tutorials on results already published by the Physics education research community as well as results published by other education researchers.

[Master's Thesis by Jie Liang (Spring 2002)]
in pdf format, 1.36 Mbytes
[Master's Thesis by Qiaowu Li (Spring 2002)]
in pdf format, 1.88 Mbytes
WEBTOP - WEB-BASED INTERACTIVE MODULES FOR TEACHING OPTICS:: WebTOP is an enhanced web-based version of The Optics Project (TOP), a system that runs on SGI workstations. It is a set of Web-based 3D interactive modules for visualizing optical phenomena. The current version includes thirteen modules: Waves, Reflection and Refraction, Geometrical Optics, The Eye, Polarization, Michelson Interferometer, Fabry-Perot Etalon, Fraunhofer N-Slit, Rayleigh Resolution, Fresnel Single Slit, Fresnel Circular Aperture, Scattering, and Lasers. Each of the modules includes an interactive simulation, an overview of the relevant theory, a showcase of examples, and a list of suggested exercises. The simulation is implemented using VRML and Java. A recording feature allows users to record their interaction with the module and to save it as a human-readable script. The script can then be replayed, or placed on a website for others to run. The scripts are based on the XML language and can be edited with simple text editors.

Our group is involved in developing some of the learning material associated with the modules, in the dissemination of WebTOP, and in the evaluation of WebTOP effectiveness in promoting learning, and in the developing the modules.
DEVELOPING TOOLS FOR USING TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING:: To help provide reliable and easily adaptable tools for use in our research experiments and to help foster increased use of technology in our department, we have been involved in developing our own web based tools for providing tutorials and for class management. We have also developed tools to help disseminate other project findings. For instance, PERC (Physics Education Research in Courseware,) a small-scale course management utility was developed to help increase student and faculty use of technology. PERC allows faculty to use Just-In-Time teaching in a collaborative easy to use integrated environment. RET (Research and Education Tool) is a tool that we have developed to help deliver tutorials. In addition to the normal Web-Delivery capability that similar tools provide RET allows us to record the interaction of the student with the tutorial and to collect their feedback. Furthermore, RET is modular and expandable, allowing us to easily adapt it to different research requirements.
TRAINING OF FUTURE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHERS:: The MSU physics department has developed five courses specifically for teachers. These courses, which are taught in the summer to make them available to current teachers, are designed to increase the competence and confidence of teachers in those areas of physics which they are or will be teaching. Members of the department have also worked with the College of Education in developing a curriculum for preparing future high school physics teachers. In addition, the department teaches two physical science courses and associated laboratory courses, which under funding from NSF, were developed primarily for future elementary school teachers.
PHYSICS OUTREACH: The department has had an extensive outreach program under which staff members have taken demonstration apparatus and laboratory equipment to elementary and high schools throughout the state. Many school groups have also visited the department.
Physics in the work place:: Currently, under sponsorship of NSF and Peavey Electronics Corporation, the department is providing a group of teachers with real world experience in the applications of physics and technology in industry.
PREPARING TEACHERS TO DELIVER TECHNOLOGY-RICH, PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES:: is a Preparing Tomorrows Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) catalyst grant for the state of Mississippi. The project is a collaboration between the Mississippi Research Consortium members, partner community colleges and school districts. It is funded through a grant by the US Department of Education, Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology program and the various collaborating institutions. Mississippi State University is the lead institution in this project. The main goal of the project is to infuse technology and hands on science practices in the Mississippi Education System. This will be attained by training Elementary Education candidates in a technology rich environment.

Consortium members provide training to university and community college faculty, mentor elementary (Grades 1-8) schoolteachers and elementary education candidates. Training includes the GLOBE protocols for elementary schools, assistive technology, and training about the use of technology in the classroom. Each of the consortium members will collaborate with three community colleges and ten school districts in infusing these technologies.

Dr. Mzoughi is a co-PI and a co-director of the Project.

The project web site is: http://pt3.msstate.edu

Physics Education