STEM News Tip: Physics Today features classic article on computers in physics education
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- Published: Friday, 14 May 2021 14:00
How far we have come!
Physics Today recently highlighted this article from 20 years ago, “Computer‐based instruction in physics.” https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.2914747 It discussed the then very new and experimental practice of using personal computers in physics education, with computer-based problem solving and graphing. It looks very simplistic to us today, but at the time was both exciting and controversial!
The 1990s saw the introduction of new technologies, including UMD’s own M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities, taking advantage of the expanding power of computers.
More recent years have seen the growth of computers integrated into teaching laboratories for measurements and calculations, software simulations, and computerized interactive quizzes in the classroom. With the COVID-19 pandemic, as many classes pivoted to running entirely through computer interface, we’ve seen how critical this rapidly changing technology has become!
We’ve introduced some new features here in this vein, including the UMD Physics demonstration video collection on YouTube and our Directory of Simulations cataloguing simulations on various physics topics from around the web. Be sure to explore them and see what’s new in teaching technology!