Presentation shared by authors at the 2015 EDEN Open Classroom Conference "Open Discovery Space: Transforming schools into innovative learning organisations" held on 18-21 September 2015, in Athens, Greece. Find out more on #OCCAthens here: http://www.eden-online.org/eden-events/open-classroom-conferences/athens2015.html

1. Developing a Spacewalk Simulation with the Easy
Java Simulations Tool and Implementing a Lesson
Plan Using the Inspiring Science Education
Authoring Tool
Malamou Anna
Sarli Mina
Psycharis Sarantos

2. Introduction
• The motion model of an astronaut moving in
weightlessness by means of a backpack
propulsion device was simulated by the EJS
tool.
• Moreover, a corresponding lesson plan was
developed aiming at physics students or senior
year school students.
• The covered material is based on the principle
of conservation of momentum.
• The course was designed using the Inspiring
Science Education (ISE) Authoring Tool and
includes five exploratory activities.

3. The EJS spacewalk simulation

4. The EJS spacewalk simulation
• In order to describe the motion of the astronaut three images
are used:
Boolean
variables thrust nothrust arrived
Image 1 true false false The propulsion device is operating.
Image 2 false true false
The fuel is over but the astronaut hasn't reached his
destination.
Image 3 false false true
The astronaut arrives at the right solar panel and
stops.

5. The EJS spacewalk simulation
• The main window of the simulation includes
various control buttons and a multitude of
labels and text fields.
• The user can view or define the values ​​of the
parameters of the simulation.

6. elapsed time of the simulation speed of the astronaut
start and
stop
button
reset
button
speed of the ejected derivatives
time of operation initial speed total mass mass of fuel
rate that the fuel
is consumed

7. Variables of the simulation
• The variables were divided into:
1. fixed (e.g. the speed of the astronaut)
2. dynamical (e.g. position of the astronaut)
3. constrained (e.g. the rate at which the fuel is
consumed)

8. Technical aspects
• For the implementation of the desired functionality
and graphics, some functions were created.
• These functions handle variable values like thrust,
nothrust, arrived etc.

9. Window of graphs
• The simulation includes a separate window of
graphs.
• The first graph represents the speed of the astronaut
at any time and the other the corresponding
acceleration.

10. Lesson designed using the ISE
Authoring Tool
• The ISE Authoring Tool is a tool for developing a
lesson plan with specific, guided steps.
• Each lesson consists of five phases:
1. Orienting and Asking Questions
2. Hypothesis Generation and Design
3. Planning and Investigation
4. Analysis and Interpretation
5. Conclusion and Evaluation

11. Orienting and Asking Questions
• In our lesson plan, the students must watch a video
from the movie “Gravity” in order to get a first idea
on the content and/or provoke curiosity
(Orientation).
• Subsequently, the purpose of the lesson plan is
formulated through questions that the students
must try to answer (Define the objectives).
• The questions are relevant to the video they
previously watched. The possible answers are also
cited (Exploring and Understanding).

12. Orienting and Asking Questions

13. Hypothesis Generation and Design
• The students must exclude some preliminary
explanations regarding how an astronaut can move
in space (Hypothesis generation and preliminary
explanations).
• The problem is compared to the case of a spacecraft.
The students are encouraged to "play" with a given
application in order to understand how the
spacecraft can move using a fuel propulsion device
(Design a model).
• Finally the students must try to answer some
questions (Representation and Configuration).

14. Hypothesis Generation and Design

15. Planning and Investigation
• In this section the EJS simulation is incorporated in
the educational scenario.
• The students should modify the parameters in the
EJS simulation and try to answer questions(Design
Research), such as:
1. what kind of movement the astronaut makes as
the fuel burn,
2. which parameter changes when the fuel is over,
3. what is the relation between the motion of the
astronaut and the fuel consumption rate.

16. Planning and Investigation
• Furthermore, the students should investigate
certain problems and experiments that are related
to the principle of conservation of momentum such
as missile launch and the motion of a man on top of
a frozen lake where the surface is approximately
smooth and the friction is practically zero.
• The students must then search for similarities and
differences between the above cases and the motion
of the astronaut as described in our simulation
(Conduct Research).
• Subsequently the students must try to answer some
questions (Design and Implementation).

17. Analysis and Interpretation
• In this section the students must come to
conclusions from the data that they retrieved from
the EJS simulation during the phase “Planning and
Investigation” (Analysis and Interpretation).
• The graph window will help the students answer
the questions that describe the way the astronaut is
moving in weightlessness by means of a backpack
propulsion device (Monitoring and Reflection).

18. Conclusion and Evaluation
• In this section the conclusions are specified
alongside with a presentation of the results and the
interpretations.
• The students can use common presentation tools
like power point but also online tools for sharing
results with students of other classes or other
schools.

19. Discussion
• The EJS simulation and the ISE lesson plan can help
the students to be more creative and to discover
knowledge on their own using the simulation and
also searching various sources and literature.
• As a result, they understand the subject more
efficiently and gain motivation to broaden their
knowledge in a very interesting manner.
• In other words, the exploitation of the EJS
simulation in combination with the five phases of
the ISE Authoring Tool, enable the students to
discover knowledge by themselves.

20. References
1. Easy Java Simulations website, accessed in August 2015, http://fem.um.es/Ejs/
2. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum website, Manned Maneuvering Unit, accessed in
August 2015, http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A20010176000
3. MALAMOU, A.; SARLI, M. (2015). Spacewalk EJS simulation, Inspiring Science Education portal,
http://www.opendiscoveryspace.eu/node/828776
4. MALAMOU, A.; SARLI, M. (2015). Educational Scenario: Spacewalk, Inspiring Science Education
portal, http://www.opendiscoveryspace.eu/node/829931
5. Iowa State University website, Polaris project: Docking game, accessed in August 2015,
http://www.polaris.iastate.edu/EveningStar/Unit5/popups/DockingGame5_1.htm
6. YOUNG, H.; FREEDMAN, R.; SEARS, F.; ZEMANSKY, M. (2012). University Physics, (pp. 241-278)
7. LEUNG, A.C.K (2003). Contextual issues in the construction of computer-based learning programs
In Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol 19, issue 4, pp 501–516.
8. National Research Council (2007). Taking science to school In The National Academies Press,
Washington.
9. PSYCHARIS, S. (2011). The computational experiment and its effects on approach to learning and
beliefs on physics In Computers & Education journal, vol 56, issue 3, pp 547-555.
10. VOJTA,T. (2006). An interactive approach to teaching computational physics In Research
Corporation, Cottrell Scholar Conference, July 7, 2006.

21. Thank you
for your attention!