Developing a Spacewalk Simulation with the Easy Java Simulations Tool and Implementing a Lesson Plan Using the Inspiring Science Education Authoring Tool - Anna Malamou, Mina Sarli and Sarantos Psycharis - #OCCAthens
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This document discusses the development of a spacewalk simulation using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) tool and an accompanying lesson plan designed for senior high school physics students. The lesson plan incorporates five phases aimed at engaging students with the principle of conservation of momentum through exploration and experimentation. It emphasizes hands-on learning, allowing students to understand astronaut motion in a weightless environment while using a fuel propulsion device.
Developing a Spacewalk Simulation with the Easy Java Simulations Tool and Implementing a Lesson Plan Using the Inspiring Science Education Authoring Tool - Anna Malamou, Mina Sarli and Sarantos Psycharis - #OCCAthens
- 1. Developing a Spacewalk Simulation with the Easy Java Simulations Tool and Implementing a Lesson Plan Using the Inspiring Science Education Authoring Tool Malamou Anna Sarli Mina Psycharis Sarantos
- 2. Introduction • The motion model of an astronaut moving in weightlessness by means of a backpack propulsion device was simulated by the EJS tool. • Moreover, a corresponding lesson plan was developed aiming at physics students or senior year school students. • The covered material is based on the principle of conservation of momentum. • The course was designed using the Inspiring Science Education (ISE) Authoring Tool and includes five exploratory activities.
- 3. The EJS spacewalk simulation
- 4. The EJS spacewalk simulation • In order to describe the motion of the astronaut three images are used: Boolean variables thrust nothrust arrived Image 1 true false false The propulsion device is operating. Image 2 false true false The fuel is over but the astronaut hasn't reached his destination. Image 3 false false true The astronaut arrives at the right solar panel and stops.
- 5. The EJS spacewalk simulation • The main window of the simulation includes various control buttons and a multitude of labels and text fields. • The user can view or define the values of the parameters of the simulation.
- 6. elapsed time of the simulation speed of the astronaut start and stop button reset button speed of the ejected derivatives time of operation initial speed total mass mass of fuel rate that the fuel is consumed
- 7. Variables of the simulation • The variables were divided into: 1. fixed (e.g. the speed of the astronaut) 2. dynamical (e.g. position of the astronaut) 3. constrained (e.g. the rate at which the fuel is consumed)
- 8. Technical aspects • For the implementation of the desired functionality and graphics, some functions were created. • These functions handle variable values like thrust, nothrust, arrived etc.
- 9. Window of graphs • The simulation includes a separate window of graphs. • The first graph represents the speed of the astronaut at any time and the other the corresponding acceleration.
- 10. Lesson designed using the ISE Authoring Tool • The ISE Authoring Tool is a tool for developing a lesson plan with specific, guided steps. • Each lesson consists of five phases: 1. Orienting and Asking Questions 2. Hypothesis Generation and Design 3. Planning and Investigation 4. Analysis and Interpretation 5. Conclusion and Evaluation
- 11. Orienting and Asking Questions • In our lesson plan, the students must watch a video from the movie “Gravity” in order to get a first idea on the content and/or provoke curiosity (Orientation). • Subsequently, the purpose of the lesson plan is formulated through questions that the students must try to answer (Define the objectives). • The questions are relevant to the video they previously watched. The possible answers are also cited (Exploring and Understanding).
- 12. Orienting and Asking Questions
- 13. Hypothesis Generation and Design • The students must exclude some preliminary explanations regarding how an astronaut can move in space (Hypothesis generation and preliminary explanations). • The problem is compared to the case of a spacecraft. The students are encouraged to "play" with a given application in order to understand how the spacecraft can move using a fuel propulsion device (Design a model). • Finally the students must try to answer some questions (Representation and Configuration).
- 14. Hypothesis Generation and Design
- 15. Planning and Investigation • In this section the EJS simulation is incorporated in the educational scenario. • The students should modify the parameters in the EJS simulation and try to answer questions(Design Research), such as: 1. what kind of movement the astronaut makes as the fuel burn, 2. which parameter changes when the fuel is over, 3. what is the relation between the motion of the astronaut and the fuel consumption rate.
- 16. Planning and Investigation • Furthermore, the students should investigate certain problems and experiments that are related to the principle of conservation of momentum such as missile launch and the motion of a man on top of a frozen lake where the surface is approximately smooth and the friction is practically zero. • The students must then search for similarities and differences between the above cases and the motion of the astronaut as described in our simulation (Conduct Research). • Subsequently the students must try to answer some questions (Design and Implementation).
- 17. Analysis and Interpretation • In this section the students must come to conclusions from the data that they retrieved from the EJS simulation during the phase “Planning and Investigation” (Analysis and Interpretation). • The graph window will help the students answer the questions that describe the way the astronaut is moving in weightlessness by means of a backpack propulsion device (Monitoring and Reflection).
- 18. Conclusion and Evaluation • In this section the conclusions are specified alongside with a presentation of the results and the interpretations. • The students can use common presentation tools like power point but also online tools for sharing results with students of other classes or other schools.
- 19. Discussion • The EJS simulation and the ISE lesson plan can help the students to be more creative and to discover knowledge on their own using the simulation and also searching various sources and literature. • As a result, they understand the subject more efficiently and gain motivation to broaden their knowledge in a very interesting manner. • In other words, the exploitation of the EJS simulation in combination with the five phases of the ISE Authoring Tool, enable the students to discover knowledge by themselves.
- 20. References 1. Easy Java Simulations website, accessed in August 2015, http://fem.um.es/Ejs/ 2. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum website, Manned Maneuvering Unit, accessed in August 2015, http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A20010176000 3. MALAMOU, A.; SARLI, M. (2015). Spacewalk EJS simulation, Inspiring Science Education portal, http://www.opendiscoveryspace.eu/node/828776 4. MALAMOU, A.; SARLI, M. (2015). Educational Scenario: Spacewalk, Inspiring Science Education portal, http://www.opendiscoveryspace.eu/node/829931 5. Iowa State University website, Polaris project: Docking game, accessed in August 2015, http://www.polaris.iastate.edu/EveningStar/Unit5/popups/DockingGame5_1.htm 6. YOUNG, H.; FREEDMAN, R.; SEARS, F.; ZEMANSKY, M. (2012). University Physics, (pp. 241-278) 7. LEUNG, A.C.K (2003). Contextual issues in the construction of computer-based learning programs In Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol 19, issue 4, pp 501–516. 8. National Research Council (2007). Taking science to school In The National Academies Press, Washington. 9. PSYCHARIS, S. (2011). The computational experiment and its effects on approach to learning and beliefs on physics In Computers & Education journal, vol 56, issue 3, pp 547-555. 10. VOJTA,T. (2006). An interactive approach to teaching computational physics In Research Corporation, Cottrell Scholar Conference, July 7, 2006.
- 21. Thank you for your attention!