Paper presented at the 3rd Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference June 2009, Singapore .http://conference.nie.edu.sg/2009/
Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Additional materials likeModeling Science Textbook Chapter 2: Introduction to EasyJava Simulations [6], Modeling Science Textbook Chapter 3:Ejs and Java Concepts [7] and Modeling Physics with EasyJava Simulations [8] are valuable starter learning activities.III.M
OTIVATION
FOR
USING
E
JS
The concepts in linear momentum and kinetic energy and itsconservation in perfectly elastic and inelastic collisions aredifficult concepts for many A- level Physics students. Ejsallows educators to be designers of learning environments toallow for inquiry learning. A customized interactive digitallearning environment can be a manipulative tool used bystudents.
Figure 1. Ejs Applet View of the interative digital media and virtuallaboratory.
Educators can pilot the use of these interactive digitalsimulation, listen to the users’ feedback and improve theinteractive digital simulation without always relying ondifficult enhancement processes such as paying vendors to build and add modifications later. Ejs creative commons andopen source codes on Web 2.0 platforms, allow nurturing of ecology of educators to rapidly proliferate of suchinteractive digital simulation. Mass customizing of learningdigital media, both the process as well as the interactivedigital simulation itself, can serve to work towards realizingMOE’s vision of “Thinking School, Learning Nation”TSLN, engage learners to prepare for life through TeachLess, Learn More (TLLM) - transforming learning [9]
.
In addition, Ejs also presents a possible unified approach inthe building virtual laboratories [10], a standardized platform for creating interactive digital media, allowingcontinual improvements by anyone.IV.L
EARNING
J
OURNEY
OF
MODIFYING
SIMULATIONS
Easy Java Simulations (Ejs) is an authoring tooldeveloped for the conceptual learning of science. As highschool educators, we are able to design, create or modifyscientific simulations, especially with the examples in Ejsitself,ComPADRE Digital Library [11] and Web 2.0
community online forum like NTNUJAVA Virtual PhysicsLaboratory [12]. We can concentrate our effort in writing andrefining the relations in the underlying scientific model.Rapid prototyping allows us to improve learners’ user experience, build in scaffolds and hints for sense making.Through modifying or creating simulations, we are engagedin constructive modeling, improving our understanding of computational physics in this computer enabled pedagogy[13]. Much of our journey requires us to be self directed aswell as to work collaboratively in the Ejs learningcommunity. We strengthen our ability to integrate ICTmeaningfully by creating inquiry learning environments for sense making, aligned with Third Masterplan for ICT inEducation [14].V.
ONE
DIMENSIONAL
COLLISION
VIRTUAL
LABORATORY
DESIGN
FOR
A-
LEVEL
P
HYSICS
TOPIC
: L
INEAR
MOMENTUM
AND
ITS
CONSERVATION
In our exploration on Ejs as a tool for teaching andlearning, we have already create a few examples of remixingand customizing existing source codes into useful interactivedigital media [15].After Ejs is downloaded from the Ejs website, unzip itinto a directory of your choice, for exampleD:\Shared\EasyJavaSimulation.
Figure 2. Example of Ejs console with options setting.
Executing the EjsConsole.jar file in theinstallation directory willlaunch the console and the building interface.
PAP591
DAY 2 Tuesday, 02 Jun 2009 NIE5-01-TR45 PAPER SESSION III 13:30 - 15:00 hrs
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