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Implementing VPython

Implementing VPython. Martin S. Mason Mt. San Antonio College. Engineering Physics Course. Integrated Lecture/Lab course. (Workshop Style) Course meets three times a week for 2.75 hours or twice a week for 4 hours. Co-Requisite of Calc2 and Pre-Requisite of Trig based Physics

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Implementing VPython

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  1. Implementing VPython Martin S. Mason Mt. San Antonio College

  2. Engineering Physics Course • Integrated Lecture/Lab course. (Workshop Style) • Course meets three times a week for 2.75 hours or twice a week for 4 hours. • Co-Requisite of Calc2 and Pre-Requisite of Trig based Physics • Majority of Students are UC Bound in Engineering and Science

  3. Course Evaluation: • 3 Midterms (30%) • Comprehensive Final (15%) • 3 Projects (30%) • Weekly Quizzes (5%) • Daily Homework (Mastering Physics) (10%) • Laboratory Documentation (10%)

  4. Organization of Typical Day • QOD (Question of the Day) • An activity designed to elicit students pre-conceptions about a particular topic. • Discussion of Pre-Lab Work • Laboratory Activity • Post Discussion of Laboratory Activity (Includes Problem Solving) • Integrate outcomes of Laboratory Activity into Project

  5. Computational Labs • Can do computational modeling as individual lab activities. • Emphasis on students DOING programming instead of working with simulations. • Integrate computational labs with Traditional Labs

  6. Use of Computational Labs

  7. Assessment • Why do we assess student work? • What is the purpose of documentation? • Students maintain an online blog about their work

  8. Projects • Three 5 week projects. • Six hours in class and 20-30 hours outside of class. • Project is designed to require course material from that five week period and before. • Projects change every semester. • Project is presented as a formal powerpoint presentation.

  9. Evaluation of Projects 20 minute Group Presentation Present PowerPoint and VPython Rubric 10 minute Individual Meeting

  10. Example First Project • Model the behavior of a foam rocket launched from an elastic launcher. • Compare the results of your model to the actual trajectory determine from video analysis. • Competition.

  11. Example Second Project • Create a system of three lunar orbiting communication satellites that always provide a link from the north pole of the moon to the earth. • Include the gravitational effects of both the moon and earth on the satellites. • Show that your system is stable for 10 years.

  12. Sample Final Project • A mass is placed on a low friction cart attached to a spring. At what amplitude will the mass on the cart begin to slip? • Video of System • Computational model • Textbook solution makes many simplifying assumptions

  13. Outcomes: • More students transition into summer REU/Research programs. • Anecdotal reports are positive about the utility of projects after transfer. • Difficult to measure impact on traditional assessment. • Student retention was lower for first three semester after the projects were implemented, but has climbed back up.

  14. Project Grades vs. Exam Grades • Projects measure different skills then exams. • Students who do well on exams do not always do well on projects and vice versa.

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