Physics SAR's "Blog" Space

Central STANYS Physics SAR: Elise Jutzeler (Jamesville-Dewitt)

Elise has taken her time to share her thoughts, ideas and resources - share yours.

This is the question that's plagued me all year...how do I get lab experience for my remote students? I've tried it all. I've recorded videos of myself doing the lab and talking the students through the process, had them join lab groups via Google Meet, written labs using household materials, and even sent them home baggies of equipment.

Each approach required a different level of preparation and work on my part yielding varying levels of success, understanding, and enjoyment for my students. And then I met Physics Aviary. Let me be clear...nothing beats actually having students in the classroom completing actual labs but when it comes to online simulations I have found physicsaviary.comto be the best.

There you will find countless simulations for every topic and my favorite thing is that they provide data that factors in such effects as reaction time. Unlike other simulations I've seen students can perform multiple trials and actually get varied results just like they would in real life. Another think I love is that they provide data in a variety of ways often giving students a data table as well as a graph (or two) to analyze.

Feedback from my students has been excellent. They're user-friendly and provide a lab feel for students who are unable to actually be in the lab space. Try them out for yourself and enjoy!

Elise