Interactive Journey through Physics is an interactive multimedia CD-ROM for foundation and first year university level physics students. It consists of four content modules: Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, and Light and Optics. Each module is broken down into several units (each with its own audio-visual overview) that are in turn divided into topics. The content is primarily in the form of videos, animations, and interactive simulations. All 69 topics have a short text based review of the content with hyperlinks to definitions and other related material. Multiple choice problems, MCAT questions (for US pre-med students), an on-screen scientific calculator, a list of equations, and a glossary are also included.
The package is easy to navigate and has an open architecture allowing the freedom to access topics (and activities within topics) in any order. Its strength is in the use of interactive multimedia to develop conceptual understanding of physical phenomena. The simulations are well suited for small group activities where students could pose questions, discuss the physics, and then adjust the relevant parameters to see the result. There are also many excellent videos and animations that could easily be integrated by instructors into lectures. The authors have deliberately included a range of problem types (traditional, interpretation of videos/pictures, ranking tasks, context rich, guided) to allow for different learning styles.
The package contains useful interactive multimedia components to complement traditional teaching and learning for instructors and students. While students may use this package to learn and review material independently, guidance from an instructor would normally by desirable in the form of selecting appropriate activities and giving a more complete coverage and/or explanation of the content.
Unfortunately I had difficulties with the installation and proper running of this (1997) package, including conflict with more recent versions of QuickTime. I gave up on both Windows98 PCs (for different reasons and after gaining advice from the publisher's technical support) and this review was therefore undertaken using an older 486 PC running Windows95.
[PS: I did almost get the package working on my desktop Windows98 PC, but I got no sound at all (rather important for videos and animations!). As for my Windows98 laptop, it froze after a failed installation - had to switch if off and reboot! If it wasn't for these problems I would have rated it as good, and if I was reviewing this in 1997 I might have rated it as excellent. I didn't think I could rate it any more than fair, given the problems running it and conflict with other software/files - pity really.]
Reviewer: Dr Geoff Swan
g.swan@cowan.edu.au
Physics Program
Edith Cowan University
February 2000
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