Science labs for physics

1. Science Simulations, Virtual
Laboratories, and Lab Kits in
Distance Education
By
Peter Jeschofnig
Colorado Mountain College
Glenwood Springs, CO

2. Science Labs
 Laboratory Experimentation Must Be
Part of All Science Classes
 Labs Are Currently Weak Link of D.L.
Science Classes

3. Distance Learning at C.M.C.
 12,000 Square Miles Service Area
 14 Campuses
 22,000 Students
 Telecourses (Intro to Chemistry)
 Interactive Video Courses (Gen.
Chem I & II, Physics I & II)
 Internet Courses (Chemistry &
Physics)

4. Undesirable Options
 On-campus Labs
 Defeats Purpose of D.L.
 Once-a-month All-day Labs (college;
C.C.; H.S.)
 Several-days lab (summer?)
 Combinations – Online & On-campus

5. PHILOSOPHICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
 Simulations vs. Hands-on Labs (Kits)
 College Level vs. Basic Concept
(Kitchen Chemistry; Strings & Sticky
Tape)

6. At-Home Labs Options
 Simulations
 Remote Access Labs
 Lab Kits
 Instructor assembled
 Commercially assembled
 Student assembled

7. Simulations
 On-line
 Software - Diskette, CD-ROM
 Journal Chem. Ed.
 Spectrophotometer; IR; Mass-Spec
 Acid-base Titration

8. Simulations
 Java Applets
 Physlets (Applets with physics content)
 Learn Anytime Anywhere Physics
(LAAPhysics) - UNC Greensboro
 WebTOP – The Optics Project
(Mississippi State Univ)

9. Applets/Physlets
 Prof. Fu-Kwun Hwang
 http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/java/
 Wolfgang Christian – Davidson College
 http://webphysics.davidson.edu/Applets
/Applets.html

10. FiPS - Universität
Kaiserslautern
 Früheinstieg ins Physikstudium
 First 2 semesters through D.L.
 Digital Videos
 Interactive Screen experiments
 Applets/Physlets
 Remote controlled Real experiments

11. Interactive Screen
Experiments
 Photorealistic and interactive
 Prof. Rass and Dr. Kirstein at the IFPL
of the Technical University of Berlin
 http://fips-server.physik.uni-
kl.de/software/iseviewer/documentation
 http://pen.physik.uni-
kl.de/fips/projekt/Darstellung/openuni/M
ultimedia/

12. Interactive Screen Experiment

13. ONLINE SCIENCE
SIMULATIONS
 Oxford Optical Rig
 http://pint.pcl.ox.ac.uk/~exp2/rigexpt
/x2tl.html
 Experimental Determination of
the Rate Constant for a
Phosphorescent Decay
 http://pint.pcl.ox.ac.uk/~exp2/rigexpt
/x2tl.html

14. ONLINE SCIENCE
SIMULATIONS
 Virtual laboratory - Univ. Of Oregon
physics.hallym.ac.kr/education/oregon/vlab/index.html
Physics 2000 – Univ. of Colorado
www.Colorado.EDU/physics/2000/index.pl
 Internet Science Institute
www.isi.loyola.edu/

15. ONLINE SCIENCE
SIMULATIONS
 The Remote Laboratory Classroom
olbers.kent.edu/alcomed/Remote/index.html

16. Textbook CD-ROMs
 Houghton Mifflin (Ebbing)

17. Houghton Mifflin (Ebbing)

18. Houghton Mifflin (Ebbing)

19. Simulation Software
 Snowbird Software
 http://www.snowbirdsoftware.on.ca/inde
x-old1.htm
 Assorted Science Simulations
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/kowessex/si
mswebsite/chemistry.htm

20. Model Science Software
 http://modelscience.com/

21. Snowbird Software

22. Logal – Interactive Journey
through Physics

23. Hecht’s Physics: Calculus

24. Netzmedienshop: 3.95 Euros
http://129.13.103.40/shop/index_uk.html

25. Springer

26. ExploreScience.com

27. CD-ROM DEVELOPMENT
 Time Consuming
 Expensive
 Professional Quality?
 CMC-Biology Lab
 Could Be on Server or Student Buys
a Copy

28. WEB-BASED INTERACTIVE
EXPERIMENTS
 Virtual Coke Machine
 Remote User Control of Model Train
in Scandinavia
 Remote Access to Experiments
Under Dangerous Environments
 High-energy Gammy Ray
Experiments

29. Remote Controlled Lab:
Diffraction of electrons
http://131.246.237.97/rlab/web/setup/index.html

30. REMOTE ACCESS
EXPERIMENT
 On-line NMR (Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance) Spectrometer
 http://m110.ifas.ufl.edu/

31. Remote Access Experiments
 DIXIE: Double-crystal small-angle
neutron scattering experiment at the
ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor
(HFIR)
 Oak Ridge National Laboratory
 Materials Microcharacterization
Collaboratory (MMC): Microscopy
 Argonne National Laboratory

32. PEARL Project – Open Univ.

33. Pisgah AstronomicalPisgah Astronomical
Research InstituteResearch Institute
 Radio & Optical Telescopes

34. Lab Kit Issues
 How safe are at-home lab experiments?
 What are legal issues for conducting
labs in an unsupervised environment?
 Are important experiments eliminated
because of safety (or cost)?
 Compliance with proper waste
disposal?

35. LAB KITS:
 Instructor Assembled
 Efforts by a few Individual Instructors
 Northern Virginia C.C.
 Commercially Assembled
 Major Supply Companies’ Group Kits
 Chem-Kits
 Delta Educational

36. LAB KITS: Student Assembled
 Anytime Anywhere Chemistry
Experience (CU-Denver & Univ. of N.
Carolina
 PRISM (Physics Resources &
Instructional Strategies for Motivating
Students)
 Strings & Sticky Tape Experiments

37. LAB KITS – Simple Equipment
 Kitchen Chemistry Labs
 Individual Instructors (From Very
Creative to Inadequate)
 UC-Denver FIPSE Grant
 Anytime Anywhere Chemistry
Experience (AACE)

38. LAB KIT DEVELOPMENT
 Labor Intensive
 Liability Issues
 Shipping of Hazardous Materials
 Disposal of Waste

39. INTERNET SEARCH: KIT
DEVELOPMENT
 Not Much Going on Commercially
With Traditional Supply Companies
 Individual Efforts Only

40. Smithsonian Kits

41. At-home Labs
 Florida Atlantic University
www.science.fau.edu/chemistry/cml/Cmlife.HTM
 Lab 1: Pigment Extraction
 Lab 2: Salt Solutions
 Lab 3: Household Chemicals
 Lab 4: Water Analysis
 Lab 5: Paper Chromatography

42. At-home Labs
 Elmhurst College
 Lab 1: Physical and Chemical
Properties of Household Substances
 Lab 2: Combustion, Heat, and Calories
 Lab 3: Absorption of Solar Radiation -
Greenhouse Effect
 Lab 4: Acids and Bases in Household
Materials

43. Elmhurst College – cont.
 Lab 5: Pollution Dilution
 Lab 6: Properties, Classification, and
Recycling of Plastics

44. Athabasca University
www.athabascau.ca/courses/chem/217/homelabs.html
 Check Out Individual Lab Kits
 Quantitative Determination of
Phosphorus
 Reactions and Identification of Aqueous
Cations
 Calorimetry
 5 Labs in Laboratory

45. Athabasca University

46. Open University - UK
 Since early 70’s
 Very large science kit – storage
problem
 $ 1.6 million/8000 students
 Very high annual costs (warehousing,
shipping, replacement parts, etc.)
 Working on new kit (small & non-
returnable)

47. Some Institutions using Kits
 Carnegie Mellon Univ.
 Northern Virginia C.C.
 Arizona State University – Physical
Science 110 (non-science majors)
 Christopher Newport University
 Virginia Highlands C.C.
 Ball State Univ - PHY 691 (Toy-based)

48. Monash University, Australia
 Physics kit $ 120.00 ($ 100.00 deposit)
– 2nd
semester
 Video instructions
 Students as far away as Signapore
 Kits returned as much as 6 months late
 Success - High retention rate

49. Choice 2000 Program
 California Charter School
 On-line High School
 Lab Kits (equipment & a few chemicals)
 Students supply (lots of household
items)
www.drwelstead.com/new_page_6.htm

50. Anytime Anywhere
Chemistry Experience
 Doris Kimbrough – CU Denver
 Jimmy Reeves – Univ. of N.Carolina,
Wilmington
 http://aa.uncwil.edu/reeves/onlinelabs/
 http://aa.uncwil.edu/reeves/onlinelabs/
menu.htm
 http://aa.uncwil.edu/reeves/onlinelabs/L
ab_Matrix_01_00.htm

51. Anytime Anywhere
Chemistry Experience

52. Anita Corn: CU-Denver &
CCCOnline

53. www.chem-kits.com

54. Chem-Kits Experiments
 1. Observations of Chemical Changes
 2. Laboratory Techniques,
Measurements & Density
 3. Properties of Gases
 4. Liquids and Solids
 5. Physical and Chemical Properties of
Substances

55. Chem-Kits Experiments
(cont.)
 6. The Identification of Metallic Ions
 7. Ionic Reactions
 8. Qualitative Anion Tests
 9. Qualitative Cation Tests
 10. Determining the Percentage of
Acetic Acid in Vinegar
 11. Determination of Water Hardness

56. At-Home Science, Inc
 Distance Ed Kits “in the Pipeline”…
 2nd
Semester Chemistry
 Biology for Non-science Majors
 Biology for Science Majors

- Will Include 400x Microscope
 Physics Kits – 1st
& 2nd
Semester

57. FUTURE OPTIONS
 Consortia - Affordable Prices For Remote
Access Labs
 Reciprocal Arrangements For Lab
Facilities Use
 Short (3-5 day) Lab Courses
 Computer/calculator-based probes
(Vernier, etc)
 Purchase
 Loan