Name of
Main Facilitator

Wee Loo Kang

School

Ed Tech Division (ETD)

Name(s) of
Co-Facilitators

Lee Tat Leong

School

River Valley High Sch

Lye Sze Yee

School

Ed Tech Division (ETD)

Title of Workshop

Designing Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry using Easy Java Simulation

Subject

Physics

Principal’s Comments:

   _______Chan Lai Peng________

           _________________

          ________________

         Name of Principal

                   Signature

                      Date

Name as in NRIC (Mr/Miss/Ms/Mdm)

Designation

School

Mobile No.

Official Email Address

Main Facilitator

Wee Loo Kang

Specialist

Ed Tech Division

92475573

Wee_loo_kang@moe.gov.sg

Co-Facilitator

Lee Tat Leong

HOD IT

River Valley High Sch

97406407

Lee_tat_leong@moe.edu.sg

Co- Facilitator

Lye Sze Yee

Ed Tech Officer

Ed Tech Division

98792588

Lye_sze_yee@moe.gov.sg

Date (Day)

Time
1430 – 1730

Date (Day)

Time
1430 - 1730

19 Feb (Tues)

√

28 Mar (Thurs)

21 Feb (Thurs)

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02 Apr (Tues)

26 Feb (Tues)

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04 Apr (Thurs)

28 Feb (Thurs)

√

09 Apr (Tues)

05 Mar (Tues)

11 Apr (Thurs)

07 Mar (Thurs)

16 Apr (Tues)

19 Mar (Tues)

18 Apr (Thurs)

21 Mar (Thurs)

23 Apr (Tues)

26 Mar (Tues)

25 Apr (Thurs)

Date (Day)

Time
1430 – 1730

Date (Day)

Time
1430 - 1730

02 July (Tues)

13 Aug (Tues)

04 July (Thurs)

15 Aug (Thurs)

09 July (Tues)

20 Aug (Tues)

11 July (Thurs)

22 Aug (Thurs)

16 July (Tues)

27 Aug (Tues)

18 July (Thurs)

29 Aug (Thurs)

23 July (Tues)

10 Sep (Tues)

25 July (Thurs)

12 Sep (Thurs)

30 July (Tues)

17 Sep (Tues)

01 Aug (Thurs)

19 Sep (Thurs)

Workshop Title

Do not exceed 70 characters (with spaces).

Designing Computer Models for Physics Inquiry using EasyJavaSimulation

Subject (e.g Math)

Physics

Workshop Synopsis

Do not exceed 900 characters (with spaces).

The Open Source Physics community using Easy Java Simulation (Esquembre, 2004) has created hundreds of computer models (simulations) that could be finer customized (Wee & Mak, 2009) to the Singapore syllabus for more targeted productive activities.

We will share the basics of using the free authoring toolkit called “Easy Java Simulation” with the aim of scaling up teacher-leadership in customizing the hundreds of free open sourced computer models.

We argue that computer models are appropriate laboratory environments that can provide the experience and context, essential for deepening student’s conceptual understanding of Physics through student centered guided inquiry approach supported by social discourse.

Our work include:

eduLab project: NRF2011-EDU001-EL001 Java Simulation Design for Teaching and Learning

2012 MOE Innergy (HQ) GOLD Award “Gravity-Physics by Inquiry”.

Workshop Objectives

(Please indicate at least 2 learning outcomes)

Do not exceed 900 characters (with spaces).

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to :

(1) download, launch and able to navigate the authoring toolkit to start designing simple physics model such as fall body and spring mass system.

(2) able to download open source codes in authoring toolkit from Digital Libraries, Open source Physics website and NTNU Java Virtual Lab.

(3) publish their own computer model in NTNU Java Virtual Lab

Theoretical underpinnings/Literature Review of pedagogical approaches/strategies/ skills adopted

(about 500 words)

Theory:

Experiential learning (Dewey, 1958; Kolb, 1984) with computer model (Wolfgang Christian, Esquembre, & Barbato, 2011; Wee, 2012b)

Literature include:

• Open Source Physics OSP research:(M. Belloni, Christian, & Brown, 2007; Mario Belloni, Christian, & Mason, 2009; Brown & Christian, 2011; W. Christian, Belloni, & Brown, 2006; Wolfgang Christian, et al., 2011; Wolfgang Christian & Tobochnik, 2010; Esquembre, 2004; Hwang & Esquembre, 2003; Wee, 2010, 2012a; Wee, Esquembre, & Lye, 2012; Wee & Mak, 2009)

• Physics Education Technology PhET research:(W. K. Adams, 2010; Wendy K. Adams, Paulson, & Wieman, 2008; Finkelstein et al., 2005; K. Perkins et al., 2006; K. K. Perkins, Loeblein, & Dessau, 2010; PhET, 2011; Weiman & Perkins, 2005; C. E. Wieman, Adams, Loeblein, & Perkins, 2010; Carl E. Wieman, Adams, & Perkins, 2008; Carl E. Wieman, Perkins, & Adams, 2008)

Strategy include :

• Physics by Inquiry (McDermott, Shaffer, & Rosenquist, 1995; MOE, 2012; Wee, Lee, & Goh, 2011)
• Modeling Instruction (Jackson, Dukerich, & Hestenes, 2008)

Evidence of impact on student learning

(about 500 words)

In my paper (Wee, 2012b, p. 306), evidence on student learning includes:

Active learning can be fun

‘. . . [It] is an eye opener . . . [we] do not

usually get to learn with virtual learning

environment . . . and it makes learning fun

and interesting’.

‘The lesson was fun and makes us think

instead of just listen[ing] to teacher and

remember[ing] whatever the teacher said’.

‘It makes learning much more interesting and

fun. It makes us want to learn and find out

more about the topic’.

(2) Need experience to understand

‘. . . It [this lab] lets me figure out the

concepts rather than just listen[ing] and

believing what is taught without

understanding’.

‘Normally people would have to experience

any physics concepts themselves hands [-] on

to really remember concepts. Lectures on the

other hand may not be effective since maybe

what the lecturer is bringing through us is

unclear, and thus practical lessons to learn

concepts is a great learning deal’.

(3) Simulation can support inquiry learning and

thinking like real scientists

‘These kinds of lesson force us to think

critically. It makes us look at the results,

analyse and then find the trend within, which

is a really good way to learn independently. It

also gives us confidence and a sense of

accomplishment when the conclusions we

arrive at are correct.’

‘Such vlab [virtual lab] lesson effectively

utilizes the IT resources to enhance lessons,

making physics lessons less dry. Besides, by

identifying trends in values first hand, I can

remember it easier rather than via lecture

notes and slides’.

(4) Need for strong inquiry learning activities

‘The activity worksheet did not generate

much thinking and concept understanding,

just simply presents a set of values to copy to

get the answers’.

‘It [virtual lab] helps hasten the process of

learning but the exchange of data [in the

worksheet activities] is troublesome’.

(5) Need for testing and well-designed

simulation [7]

Some students suggest visual and audio

enhancements such as ‘better quality so that

the simulations could be more interesting and

appealing’ and ‘add sound effects’.

A good suggestion that surfaced is to make

the ‘program [simulation] designed as a

game, thereby making it more interactive. At

the end a table can be provided and it would

provide us [students] with the values. From

there, we do analysis’.

This suggestion inspired us to design ‘Game

for concept testing’ described earlier.

(6) Appreciative learners

‘I [student] really thank you for spending

time coming up with this program. You are

really an educator who cares and dares to try

new things. Thanks! Hope you can come up

with even better programs so that they can

empower students in physics subject.’

‘Thank you teachers for spending time to

develop this app.’

Workshop has also been conducted at the following platform(s)

 NIL

 Teacher-led Workshop ( Year- __________)

 Cluster Level ( specify cluster: ________, Year _______)

 Zonal Level   ( specify zone  :_________, Year _______)

 Conference  ( specify conference  :)

 Others (please specify):

1 Physics Subject Chapter (17August 2012) Brown Bag Series for Senior and Lead Teachers

2 EduLab workshop scheduled 4Q 2012 eduLab@AST

Participants’ rating (if any):_____________________________

Target Audience

 All primary school teachers

 All secondary school teachers

 All JC/CI school teachers

 Others (please specify): __Physics Teachers in Primary, Secondary and JC/CI__________________________

Mode of Delivery

 Presentation with hands-on activities

 Field Trip/Learning Journey

 Others (please specify): ____________________________

Venue

 Training Room (with internet access for facilitator)

  IT Training Room (one computer for each participant)

Installation of Software

 NIL

 Yes (please specify):_Java Runtime and Java 3D_______