NSF Award
9351305
9351305 Tobochnik A teachers resource guide is being developed for faculty teaching a model laboratory-based course on computer simulation which will fundamentally alter the nature of the first two years of the undergraduate physics curriculum. This guide will include carefully developed and tested problems, sample programs, explanations of the relevant physics and algorithms, typical results, extensive reference lists, and suggestions for teachers. These materials also will provide guidance to teachers with limited experience in using computer simulations so that they can use the discovery method of teaching and provide direction to students without undue time spent on course preparation. Topics will be chosen that give students opportunities to develop their conceptual understanding of the principles of physics, motivate them to learn more physics, and apply the principles of physics to other sciences and engineering. Funds are requested for release time, computers, student stipends, and travel. The principal investigators have extensive experience in incorporating computers into the physics curriculum, and the proposed work will have national and international impact.
