| Product Name: |
CUPLE 2.0: The Developer's Version |
| Level: |
First Year Tertiary |
| Platform: |
PC - Windows® |
| Supplied Information: |
CUPLE uses the computer as an interactive platform for the study of physics. It unifies teaching ideas and materials from educators around the US and provides immediate access to a robust assortment of learning tools. The CUPLE environment consists of; customised lecture notes, laboratories, interactive tutorials, problem assignments, reference materials, links to video clips, video/graphing overlay capabilities. This material provides a working environment analogous to that of a professional, with text, interactive video, object-oriented programming, spreadsheets, etc. CUPLE can be used in any setting and can easily be expanded/adapted by the teacher. The subject base includes topics such as; Astronomy, Electricity, Magnetism, Mechanics, etc. |
| Possible Use: |
This product is suitable for First Year Tertiary courses for use by students in laboratory classes. This product could be used for encyclopedic. |
| Price: |
US$400, $1200 (10-pack), $1600 (High School Site Licence), $500 student version (10 pack, only purchased with developers version. Additional copies, $50. Free updates. |
| Developer/s: |
Jack M Wilson, Rennselaer Polytechnic & Edward F Redish, University of Maryland |
| Review: |
The CUPLE (Comprehensive Unified Physics Learning Environment) package is designed to transform the traditional methods by offering a 'complete' first year course, either supplementing or supplanting traditional methods. CUPLE is a hyperlinked multimedia environment. It is designed to replace the lecture/lab/tutorial environment with a 'Studio class'. The package has: a text editor; spreadsheets; graph plotter; digital video; simulations; etc. CUPLE can access tools such as videodisc players and motion detectors. At the time of writing CUPLE covers mechanics, gravitation, optics, waves, astronomy, modern physics (powers of ten and 'Physics Today'), and electricity and magnetism, with thermodynamics being developed. For simple harmonic motion CUPLE has supporting text, simulations and lab materials (videodisc data of a pendulum and a motion detector based experiment of the mass/spring system). Pre-requisites and learning goals are clearly stated. CUPLE introduces the material with a general discussion and a video of a spring. It introduces the mathematics first with accompanying questions. These questions prompt the student to use the calculator and plotting tools (which are hyperlinked to the page on the screen). The relation between uniform circular motion and simple harmonic motion is shown mathematically and with a simulation. This introduces the concept of phase space and damping with only a brief description. CUPLE encourages the student to interact with the system under consideration, and divine the underlying relationships and the general principles of simple harmonic motion. CUPLE relates the 'real world' to the theory. Students are more likely to be able to relate data and graphs to the experiment because of the short time between performing an experiment and plotting the results. CUPLE also makes the tools obvious to the student and shows them how to use them. Sections of CUPLE are screenfuls of equations, which are tedious to read on screen. CUPLE version 2.0 has eliminated problems with digital video that were in version 1.0. CUPLE could be useful in teaching first year physics. However, it calls for a rethink of the way physics is taught at first year level. Proper use of CUPLE requires a complete re-fitting of the physics teaching environments, though no doubt it could be used well as a lecture demonstration or in a conventional lab. Used in studio mode, it brings together all aspects of traditional teaching. (Published in UniServe Science News Vol 4, July 1996) |
|
Mick Pope, UniServe Science, July 1996 |
| |
| Supplier: |
Physics Academic Software, Box 8202, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA |
|
pas@aip.org |
|
http://www.aip.org/pas/ |
|
phone: (919) 515 7447 |
|
fax: (919) 515 2682 |
| Date Record Last Modified: |
5/6/97 |
