Experimenting from a Distance RCL-Experiments for Teaching Physics at High-School

1 Experimenting from a Distance RCL-experiments for teaching Physics at High-school S. Gröber, M. Vetter, B. Eckert, H.-J. Jodl 2 Technical note: • Link to the RCL Portal: www.remote-lab.de as well as rcl-physics.de • The portal provides all the book materials for download, such as tasks with sample solutions, worksheets, drafting lessons, as well as a compilation of 335 RCLs worldwide as a result of our research. 3 Preface Physics, especially physics teaching, lives by experiment; of experiments of whatever kind. There is, in our view, no substitute for it, at most supplements like (meaningful) simulations. But what if the real experiment is not available for the next physics session? For example, suppose you as teacher is planning for the following day an experiment, e.g. the Millikan experiment to demonstrate the quantization of charges. As you know, this experiment has its faults and you find after hours of preparation that the commissioning of the experiment simply does not succeed. What to do as a substitute: • Only discuss the theory? • Go through pages in the textbook, calculate tasks, perhaps use original literature? • Discuss and use a simulation program, but which ones to take and where to find? Exactly for such scenarios, we offer the Millikan experiment as an RCL experiment. This RCL experiment is at the University of the Bun- deswehr Munich and can be operated from any computer over the In- ternet. You may not want to experiment with just pushing buttons and watching the screen instead of realizing it. Maybe this is only a generation problem. In the 21st century, their students are growing up with PCs and all sorts of IT products. These students do not go into a library to look for a term they google. The handling of smartphones, iPad etc. is self-evident for this generation. They use YouTube, Facebook, buy via eBay, get information about train departures, hotels, etc. from internet providers or purchase tickets online. This situation description is a fact. This is why, in our opinion, it is even more important to integrate this component - experimentation with RCLs - into the lessons; to learn how to deal with these media and to provide the opportunity to develop a critical attitude (keyword media competency). In the end, there is now almost no workplace that is not equipped with computers and at least requires basic knowledge and skills in dealing with it. 4 And what does this mean to push only buttons at the PC? Earlier, when someone wanted to use a radio, each user knew what was to be done step by step and what is behind these steps: • Press the On key, • Select FM / AM wave type, • Search for station / frequency and optimize reception, • Adjust the volume and sound quality? What is the background to all technical processes? What skills were practiced at that time? Today, we use remote control with a rich array of buttons; we remotely control the TV or the stereo. In our experience the students use our RCL experiments quite self-evident from a distance, like everyday devices on site. Of the approximately 300 experiments in upper secondary physics, we consider about 50 experiments to be carried out as indispensable. We have successfully implemented the following experiments as an RCL variant. • Measurement of light velocity, • Millikan's oil droplet experiment, • Rutherford scattering experiment, • Electron diffraction on graphite foil, • Photoelectric effect, • Radioactivity, • Diffraction and interference, • World pendulum for determining the location dependence of the earth attraction, • Current-voltage characteristics of semiconductor elements, • Wind tunnel. These ten RCL experiments form the core of this book and are pre- sented in chapters 3-13 according to the following scheme: 5 1. Introduction: What is the significance of the experiment in physics as well as in the teaching of physics and everyday life? Which technical variants are offered by the teaching industry? What are the benefits of multimedia, such as simulation programs? What are the reasons for the fact that this experiment is practically not or rarely demonstrated in the classroom? 2. The experiment and our RCL variant. 3. What is the added value of using this experiment as RCL? How good are the measured values obtained? What is the experience we gained during many years? 4. Didactic material: lesson plans, worksheets, task collection with solutions, appropriate literature as well as dissertation for possi- ble lectures. First, in Chapter 1, we describe the position of real experiments in physics teaching, which possibilities are available and how to evaluate them. On the basis of this, we can define clear requirements for an RCL experiment. We generally describe our idea of RCL experiments, the concept and the hoped added value. Finally, we describe how these RCL experiments are to be classified as educational (ICT in society, in professional life, in education). Chapter 2 is more specific about the basics of RCL experiments: How have we technically implemented the requirements for an RCL experiment? How should the navigation menu of an experiment be de- signed? How to present the RCL portal with our 20 RCLs - necessary sufficient information, not overloaded. We also deal with the actual state of science; which RCLs exist worldwide? How good are these? What is good? Finally, chapter 14 contains further suggestions and details for in- terested parties: • For interface technology, • Information on the programs used, • Collection of further topics to be realized as RCL, • Suggestions for pupils' projects in the sense of RCL to be made by themselves, 6 • Proposals on how the use of RCL experiments can stimulate new forms of teaching / learning, • Experiences from the use of external users with our RCLs in teaching courses, teaching assignments, summer camps. The aim of the book is to point out the possibility of RCL experiments, to show their quality and potential by examples, to consider the experimenting by students with RCLs as part of basic information technology, and to embed each RCL experiment in the teaching con- text. The addressee is especially a physics teacher, who may save his next school lesson with the RCL experiment, if its own experiment is not working. In addition, we give suggestions for specialized work and student remarks; up to the reproduction of an RCL (see tutorial on self- construction). Usage: The book was written in 2012-2014, reflecting the state of the RCL experiments. The project promoters are doing a lot to keep the experiments, to keep them available and to develop them further. Nonethe- less, it can not be ruled out that due to changes in technology, such as new operating systems, in didactics, for example, in the curricula, or in project organization, for example in financing, that experiments can be changed, switched off, or be replaced by new ones. See for yourself how the stand is: you can find the remote labs at www.remote-lab.de München, August 2013 the Authors 7 Preface to the English version of this book During 1997-2002 we planed, set up and organized a very success- ful long distance physics course of the first year at university (FIPS Frueheinstieg in das Physikstudium, early entrance into the physics studies). In the course of the supervision of these long distance students we realized that we need experimental activities for these students. The idea of RCLs was born (remotely controlled labs). During 2001 – 2009 we realized about 20-25 RCLs. In the years 2009-2011 we counted about 30.000 users per year using these RCLs via internet. Since then most of these RCLs are still online and functional; a great success. From 2014 the project was taken over by other colleagues (Prof Girwidz LMU and Prof Pickl Bundeswehr Hochschule Muenchen), who manage the performance, functionality and accessibility with high en- thusiasm, personal power and financial resources. But from the total number of RCLs from the beginning a few RCL labs were turned off on purpose:- a few RCLs were too simple (robot in a maze, hot wire, toll system as students projects) and two RCLs were unsafe for these host institutions (radioactivity, Rutherford scattering). But none of them were turned off because of our chosen technology, interfacing, pro- gramming or using open source software. Now about 10-15 RCLs are online and functional, which are de- scribed in this book. It is our purpose to demonstrate by examples the advantages and the potential of RCLs. Therefore it is enough for us that a sufficient number of RCLs are online to read the book. Recommendation at the end: When we investigated the world wide status of RCLs available, we found, that most RCLs died with the end of the producing project; i.e. 2-4 years. In our long term project (2001- 2018) it happened that old partners/colleagues left university, that space for RCLs was not available anymore, that supervising personal changed etc. A pure generation problem but not because of the RCLS itself. So if a pool of RCLs may be set up in the future in a country or nation wide by a European funded project it must guaranteed from the beginning that long term supervision is performed by long term institutions like teacher training institutions, educational industries or spe- cial research institutions at universities and will host this pool. 8 In the beginning of the translation of the German version of this book into English a colleague of mine – Prof. G. Torzo, Physics Depart- ment of the university of Padua was enormous helpful. Thank you Gia- como! Munich, July 2018 H.J. Jodl 9 Table of Contents Preface .....................................................................................................................

Load more