Virtual Oscillation experiment for high school physics laboratory

Yi-Shuo Huang¹, Bo-Hua Chiou¹, Chi-Hua Yu¹, Chia-Chi Wang², Ting-Chia Hsu³, Meng-Hsueh Lee⁴, Chih-Ta Chia^5*

¹Department of Engineering Science, Department of Engineering Science, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Taiwan
²Department of Education, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Taiwan
³Department of Technology Application and Human Resource Development, Department of Technology ApplNational Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan
⁴Cross College Elite Program, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Taiwan
⁵Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan

* Presenter:Chih-Ta Chia, email:chiact@ntnu.edu.tw

Abstract: We created an executable computer program as a virtual experiment, and the program is based on the experiment problem of the 2011 International Physics Olympiad competition(IPhO). The physics concepts involved in the experiment problem are the simple harmonic oscillation (SHO) and the parallel axis theorem that are commonly found in physics competitions in Taiwan. The goal is to determine the value of the online computer-assisted experiment teaching. One hundred five high school students participated in this research, and all of them were highly motivated to learn physics. All the students participated in a pretest, and we learned their understanding of the experiment and the background of their learning. The post-test problem is the 2011 IPhO experiment problem. An experimental group had 52 students doing a virtual experiment using a computer program, while 53 were in the control group working in the laboratory. Analyzing the results of the two tests, we found no significant differences between the two groups in learning the SHO and parallel axis theorem, and the result indicated that virtual experiment has the same learning efficiency as conventional lab practice.

Keywords: Computer Simulation Program, Physics Olympiad, Simple Harmonic Oscillation, Parallel Axis Theorem