Dimitriadis, P., Papatsimpa, L., Kampouris-Papamihalis, K., Karanikas, G. & Kalkanis, G. (2000). The Study of Newtonian Mechanics in junior high school. A new technology - based learning environment. In J. Bourdeau & R. Heller (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2000 (pp. 1312-1313). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/16273.
World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications (EDMEDIA) 2000
2000
ISBN 1-880094-40-1
Jacqueline Bourdeau & Rachelle Heller
AACE
More Information on EDMEDIA
New technology – Microcomputer Based Lab (MBL) in particular – was beneficially used to support Mechanics teaching at Junior High School students. Two series of seven experiments each were developed and implemented at five schools, including control and experimental groups of approximately two hundred students in total. The experiments focused on linear motion, Newton laws and conservation laws. The students of the experimental group demonstrated a significantly more successful ability of distinguishing among position, velocity and acceleration versus time graphs. Furthermore, they appeared to better understand the proportional relation between force and acceleration, the equality between action and reaction, as well as momentum conservation and mechanical energy conservation laws. In conclusion, new technology enables students to build scientific concepts taking profit of their own experience of real world.