Briefing Document: Open Source Physics & Easy Java Simulations Workshop at ICCE 2012
I. Overview
This document summarizes the key information from a workshop titled "Designing Open Source Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry using Easy Java Simulation," held at the 20th International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE 2012) in Singapore. The workshop focused on leveraging Open Source Physics (OSP) resources and the Easy Java Simulation (EJS) authoring toolkit to create and customize interactive physics models for educational purposes. It was organized by Loo Kang Wee and Sze Yee Lye from the Ministry of Education, Educational Technology Division, Singapore.
II. Main Themes and Ideas
- Open Source Physics (OSP):OSP is a project dedicated to providing a vast collection of freely available physics simulations, along with their source code, under open-source licenses like the GNU General Public License (GPL).
- The aim is to enable educators to customize and adapt these simulations for their specific teaching needs. As the document states, "Since the source codes are available and can be modified for redistribution licensed Creative Commons Attribution or other compatibile copyrights like GNU General Public License (GPL), educators can customize these models for more targeted productive activities for their classroom teaching and redistribute them with the world."
- OSP uses a Java-based library that defines objects for building interactive interfaces, drawing 2D and 3D objects, solving differential equations, and representing data using tables and graphs.
- Easy Java Simulation (EJS):EJS is a free authoring toolkit that simplifies the creation and modification of OSP models. It allows users to work with the underlying physics principles to build and adjust the models through its intuitive interface.
- The workshop aimed to teach participants how to use EJS to modify existing open-source computer models for their own learning and teaching needs.
- It enables teachers to create or customize models to align with specific pedagogical strategies such as "student centred guided inquiry approach."
- Physics by Inquiry:The workshop emphasizes a "Physics by Inquiry" approach, suggesting that the interactive computer models facilitate students' conceptual understanding of physics through guided discovery. As the document notes, "These computer models has the potential to provide the experience and context, essential for deepening student’s conceptual understanding of Physics through student centred guided inquiry approach...supported by social discourse."
- This approach promotes student-centered learning, encouraging exploration and active engagement with the models, rather than passive reception of information.
- Customization and Adaptation:A central idea is empowering educators to modify existing simulations and tailor them to their specific classroom context and curricula.
- Participants were expected to "tinker" with the codes, add new capabilities, and adapt the models.
- The workshop encouraged collaborative work with the OSP community to create customized models, promoting the idea of shared resources and knowledge.
- Active Learning:The workshop promoted active learning strategies. Participants are not just passive observers but actively involved in the model-building process.
- The use of computer models can provide experiences and contexts essential for deepening students' conceptual understanding through guided inquiry.
- Scaling Up OSP and EJS:One of the main goals was "scaling up Open Source Physics (OSP) and Easy Java Simulations (EJS)" indicating a desire to see wider adoption of these resources in educational settings.
- Teacher Professional Development:The workshop served as a professional development opportunity for teachers to learn about using open-source resources in physics education. The event was designed as a "hands-on beginners’ introduction."
- The leaders hope to "get participants to identify and self direct their own personally motivating computer model from the OSP and NTNU digital libraries and work collaboratively with the OSP community to create customized or new models."
- Technology Integration:The workshop showcased the use of computer simulations as effective tools in physics education, reflecting a commitment to leveraging technology to improve teaching and learning.
- The workshop highlighted how ICT can be used for learning including using strategies like Self-Directed Learning (SDL) and Collaborative Learning (CoL).
III. Workshop Format and Activities
The interactive event consisted of the following segments:
- Introduction to Open Source Physics: An overview of the OSP project and its resources.
- Sharing of Customized Models: Participants shared their own customized computer models.
- Introduction of Easy Java Simulation (EJS): A demonstration of the EJS authoring toolkit, with a download link provided to "EJS_4.3.7_120821.zip."
- Hands-on Activity: Participants engaged in hands-on practice with EJS, specifically working with a spring mass system model as a sample (Wolfgang Christian & Esquembre, 2008a, 2008b).
- Sharing of Tips: Tips for easily adapting codes from other simulations into a new model.
- Personalized Exploration: Participants downloaded a simulation from the OSP Digital Libraries that they personally found motivating and then worked on it in collaborative groups.
- Uploading to NTNU Java Virtual Lab: Participants upload their projects to the NTNU Java Virtual Lab (F.-K. Hwang, 2010).
- Closing Discussions: A wrap-up discussion of the workshop’s themes, pedagogical and technical issues.
IV. Required Materials and Technology
- Software:Easy Java Simulation (EJS) toolkit (EJS_4.3.7_120821.zip)
- Java Runtime
- Java 3D (for Java 3D models)
- Hardware: Participants were required to BYOL (Bring Your Own Laptop) and were provided with wireless access.
V. Key Quotes
- "Since the source codes are available and can be modified for redistribution licensed Creative Commons Attribution or other compatibile copyrights like GNU General Public License (GPL), educators can customize these models for more targeted productive activities for their classroom teaching and redistribute them with the world."
- "These computer models has the potential to provide the experience and context, essential for deepening student’s conceptual understanding of Physics through student centred guided inquiry approach"
- "The goal of the Open Source Physics (OSP) project is to make a large number of simulations together with source code available for education using the GNU General Public License (GPL) open-source model."
- "...participants will work on computer models provided. Participants will study and explore, step by step, important computational example of the spring mass system model...to learn how they have been implemented, and then modify these examples to add new capabilities."
VI. Additional Details
- The workshop was part of a funded project, "NRF2011-EDU001-EL001 Java Simulation Design for Teaching and Learning," which highlights the recognition and support for this type of educational research and development.
- The project has also received recognition, including a 2012 MOE Innergy (HQ) GOLD Award.
- The workshop materials were made available through blogs (http://weelookang.blogspot.sg and http://iwant2study.org/easyjava).
- The event was also advertised to the wider ICCE audience and highlighted as one of three interactive events for the conference.
VII. Conclusion
The "Designing Open Source Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry" workshop aimed to equip educators with the knowledge and tools to utilize open-source resources like OSP and EJS effectively. By empowering teachers to customize simulations, the workshop promotes active learning, deeper conceptual understanding, and the wider adoption of technology-enhanced learning in physics education. The event also promotes collaboration and the use of community-created resources. The vast list of project links included in the document showcase a large portfolio of work in this area.
http://weelookang.blogspot.sg/2012/08/interactive-workshop-icce2012-designing.html
Interactive Workshop ICCE2012 Designing Open Source Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry using Easy Java Simulation
Update 1 December 2012 photo steam from Ong Day Cheng
Update 28 November 2012 photo stream from http://twitter.yfrog.com/z/nvvj7dzj by engrg1
Update 21 November 2012
some photo slides to publicize the interactive events
Thanks to Lung Hsiang, the IPC co-chair and the Local Organizing co-chair of ICCE 2012.
The IPC of the conference is thinking of giving further exposure/promotion on the three interactive events. Can you prepare 3-5 ppt slides
here u go :)
http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/
Description on OSP for Wolfgang Christian
http://www.compadre.org/osp/features/newsdetail.cfm?id=443
This 3(to 1.5 cut by organizers) hour interactive hands-on workshop aims to cover the basics of the free authoring toolkit called "Easy Java Simulation" organized by Loo Kang Wee and Sze Yee Lye from the Ministry of Education, Educational Technology Division, Singapore. Participants will go through an model building process on a simple spring mass system in the tutorial called Modeling Science Textbook Chapter 2: Introduction to Easy Java Simulations by Wolfgang Christian and Francisco Esquembre. Lastly, participants will also 'tinker' with the codes and construct their design ideas into the model of their choice together with the workshop facilitators.
Title: The 20th International Conference on Computers in Education, ICCE 2012
Venue: National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) (Google Map).NIE Address: NIE Campus Map 1 Nanyang Walk Singapore 637616
Date: 26 to 30 November 2012
Organizers: Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education
Hosted by:
Enquiry: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Goals:
Interactive Workshop ICCE2012: Designing Open Source Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry using Easy Java Simulation
DOC here https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1zktwZyy68YSLG9LSDlczmtLA-PtrNBGR_0Jx6RzKUKk
Loo Kang WEE1, Sze Yee LYE1
1Ministry of Education, Education Technology Division, Singapore
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://weelookang.blogspot.sg, http://iwant2study.org/easyjava Abstract:
The Open Source Physics community (http://www.compadre.org/osp/) has created hundreds of physics computer models (Wolfgang Christian, Esquembre, & Barbato, 2011; F. K. Hwang & Esquembre, 2003) which are mathematical computation representations of real-life Physics phenomenon. Since the source codes are available and can be modified for redistribution licensed Creative Commons Attribution or other compatibile copyrights like GNU General Public License (GPL), educators can customize (Wee & Mak, 2009) these models for more targeted productive (Wee, 2012) activities for their classroom teaching and redistribute them with the world.
In this interactive event, we will share the basics of using the free authoring toolkit called “Easy Java Simulation” (W. Christian, Esquembre, & Mason, 2010; Esquembre, 2010) (http://www.um.es/fem/EjsWiki/pmwiki.php) so that participants can modify the open source computer models for their own learning and teaching needs. These computer models has the potential to provide the experience and context, essential for deepening student’s conceptual understanding of Physics through student centred guided inquiry approach (McDermott, Shaffer, & Rosenquist, 1995; Wee, Lee, & Goh, 2011) supported by social discourse. Keyword: easy java simulation, active learning, education, teacher professional development, e-learning, applet, design, open source, physics PACS: 01.50.H-, 07.05.Tp, 01.50.Lc, 83.10.Rs
I. Introduction
The goal of the Open Source Physics (OSP) project is to make a large number of simulations together with source code available for education using the GNU General Public License (GPL) open-source model. OSP provides both high-level modeling tools and a lower-level computational physics library to create computer simulations through the use of a consistent object-oriented framework (Wolfgang Christian & Esquembre, 2012). The Java-based OSP library defines objects to build interactive user interfaces, draw 2D and 3D objects, numerically solve ordinary differential equations using different algorithms, and represent data using tables and graphs. This workshop provides a hands-on beginners’ introduction to Open Source Physics (OSP) and Easy Java Simulations (EJS) to model physical systems. It is a hands-on practical sessions where participants will work on computer models provided. Participants will study and explore, step by step, important computational example of the spring mass system model (Wolfgang Christian & Esquembre, 2008a, 2008b), to learn how they have been implemented, and then modify these examples to add new capabilities. Assistance will be provided during the sessions. There after, the organisers hope to get participants to identify and self direct (Tan, Shanti, Tan, & Cheah, 2011) their own personally motivating computer model from the OSP and NTNU digital libraries and work collaboratively (Chai, Lim, So, & Cheah, 2011) with the OSP community to create customized or new models. During the workshop we will discuss the general pedagogical and technical issues in the design of interactive computer-based tutorials as well as how existing models can be adapted to Singapore school context. All workshop material will be made available through our blogshttp://weelookang.blogspot.sg and http://iwant2study.org/easyjava .
II. Description of format of interactive eventmodified for 90 minutes:
original:
III. Materials, hardware, software, and other technologies
Wireless access VI. Conclusion This is a series of professional workshops that is conducted by the interactive event leaders in a funded project by NRF2011-EDU001-EL001 Java Simulation Design for Teaching and Learning, (MOE, 2012b) awarded by the National Research Foundation in collaboration with National Institute of Education, Singapore and the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore. Our computer models are downloadable on NTNU Java Virtual Lab (F.-K. Hwang, 2010) creative commons attribution licensed and lesson packages on the ICT Connection edumall 2.0 portal under ICT-in-ACTION http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/cos/o.x?c=/ictconnection/ictlib&uid=200&ptid=711 (edumall 2.0 login required). We hope other educators will share their own creative works with the world as demonstrated by the key originators Francisco Esquembre, Fu-Kwun Hwang and Wolfgang Christian and the passionate (interactive event leaders included) community of the Open Source Physics Project. AcknowledgementWe wish to acknowledge the passionate contributions of Francisco Esquembre, Fu-Kwun Hwang and Wolfgang Christian for their ideas and insights in the co-creation of interactive simulation and curriculum materials. This workshop research is made possible thanks to the eduLab project NRF2011-EDU001-EL001 Java Simulation Design for Teaching and Learning, (MOE, 2012b) awarded by the National Research Foundation in collaboration with National Institute of Education, Singapore and the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore. Lastly, we also thank MOE for the recognition of our research on the computer model lessons as a significant innovation in 2012 MOE Innergy (HQ) GOLD Awards (MOE, 2012a) by Educational Technology Division and Academy of Singapore Teachers.
Reference
email from Ben
Ben Chang,
Associate Professor,
Department of E-Learning Design and Management,
National Chiayi University, Taiwan Dear Loo Kang,
Thank you for submitting the interactive event proposal to ICCE 2012.
We are glad to inform you that your interactive event proposal is accepted.
You are requested to make a web page for your interactive event, and we will publish your interactive event on the official web page of ICCE 2012.
In ICCE, we adopt the "volunteer spirit" policy. All the event organizers serve ICCE for free, and all the participants (including the conference chairs, theme speakers, workshop chairs etc.) need to pay the registration fee. The main conference early bird registration deadline is October 1, 2012, for your information.
Thank you again for your contribution to ICCE 2012, and we look forward to seeing you in Singapore.
Best regards, Description on ICCE by Wong Lung Hsiang
http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/program/interactive-events/
Designing Open Source Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry using Easy Java Simulation The Open Source Physics community has created hundreds of physics computer models which are mathematical computation representations of real-life Physics phenomenon. Since the source codes are available and can be modified for redistribution licensed Creative Commons Attribution or other compatibile copyrights like GNU General Public License (GPL), educators can customize these models for more targeted productive activities for their classroom teaching and redistribute them to benefit all humankind. In this interactive event, we will share the basics of using the free authoring toolkit called “Easy Java Simulation” so that participants can modify the open source computer models for their own learning and teaching needs. These computer models has the potential to provide the experience and context, essential for deepening student’s conceptual understanding of Physics through student centred guided inquiry approach. Organizers:
Loo Kang WEE (on behalf of Educational Technology Division), Ministry of Education, Singapore
Sze Yee LYE (on behalf of Educational Technology Division), Ministry of Education, Singaporefinal announcement by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Dear Participants,
The 20th ICCE is around the corner. See you in Singapore in a few days’ time!
Here are a few tips and heads up for your attention, which we hope will bring you a more pleasant and fruitful experience in the conference.
(1) Conference booklet & abstract book: The conference booklet and the abstract book are ready for download,
Conference booklet: http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ICCE-2012-Conference-Booklet1.pdf
Corrections in the booklet: http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Corrections-in-the-booklet.pdf
Abstract Book: http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ICCE-2012-ABSTRACT-Book.pdfYou will also receive a hard copy of the conference booklet from the registration counter upon your arrival. Meanwhile, we will NOT provide the hard copy of the abstract book as part of our efforts to save the trees (and to reduce the weight of your conference bag J ). If you are keen, you may print out the abstract book at your home or office, or copy it to your laptop/ tablet/iPad, and bring it to the conference. (1) Venue: The National Institute of Education (NIE) campus where ICCE will be held is comprised of seven blocks. There will be another international conference —World Association of Lesson Studies [WALS] Conference – held in the same campus within the same period of time. So, don’t go to the wrong venues or eat the ‘wrong’ food (do check the signage first!). ;-) · Most of our sessions will be held in Blocks 2 3 (while WALS conference will be held in Blocks 5 and 7). Exceptions are plenary sessions (opening and closing ceremonies, keynotes and invited speeches) on Nov 28 (Wednesday) and Nov 30 (Friday), which will be held at Lecture Theatre 1 (LT1), located between Blocks 5 and 7. The plenary sessions on Nov 29 (Thursday) will be held at LT7 and video-streamed in LT8 (both within Block 2). · Your lunches will be served at the southern end of the NIE canteen, right next to Block 3. · We will provide directional signage to assist you. You may also refer to the maps in the conference booklet (pp.106-107). · Do wear your conference name tag while attending all our events and having conference meals. (2) Weather: It’s the beginning of rainy season in Singapore. Don’t leave home or hotel without your umbrella or raincoat, just in case! (3) Gentle Reminder to presenters and poster presenters: Laptops and projectors will be available in the rooms for keynote speeches, invited speeches, panels, parallel sessions, workshops and DSC’s. If you wish to present your work with your own laptops, tablets, iPads or iBooks, don’t forget to bring the power adaptors and cable adaptors needed.Laptops will NOT be provided for e-poster presentations – please bring your own machines and connect them to the flat panels in the rooms. All the e-posters and physical posters can be set up at their respective rooms half an hour prior to the assigned session. (4) Main Conference will Kick-start in the Morning of Nov 28: Our pre-conference days are Nov 26-27 (Mon-Tue), and main conference days are Nov 28-30 (Wed-Fri). We scheduled our Opening Ceremony in the afternoon of Nov 28 to avoid a time clash with WALS Conference’s Opening Ceremony. Nevertheless, our main conference will indeed commence in the morning of Nov 28.Apart from the pre-conference events, do join us from the beginning till the end of the main conference days. The Wednesday morning will bring you 4 parallel sessions (with 3 nominees of Best Paper or Best Student Paper Awards to be presented!), 3 interactive events, 2 community building sessions, and the first poster session. What an exciting morning to kick-start the main conference! (5) Welcome Reception: Join us at the welcome reception as well, at 17:15-19:30, Nov 27 (Tue). It’s included in your registration fee The Guest of Honor will be Prof. LEE Sing Kong, the Director of NIE. There will be a short ceremony to ‘kick-start the main conference’ and to make important housekeeping announcements. Afterward, you will have ample time to mingle with colleagues from all over the world and enjoy the buffet reception – roasted lamb, braised duck, local delights at live cooking stations (Malay Mee Siam, fried prawn, stir fried ice cream …), vegetarian fried rice, Chinese tim sum, seafood bouchee, croissant, Surabaya Lapis Cake, Tiramisu … The food are all halal.(6) Poster Sessions: Thanks to the state-of-the-art Tutorial Rooms in NIE, a new and novel feature in ICCE 2012 is the presentation of e-posters, apart from the conventional physical posters. This should increase interactivity between the poster presenters and the audience, and also give the poster presenters the option to make demonstrations of their software during the poster session. Do drop by the poster sessions at 11:00-12:30 and 17:00-18:30 respectively, on Nov 28 (Wed). 11 e-posters will be exhibited in the morning session and 8 more in the afternoon session; plus 60 other physical posters including 4 under the inaugurated “Special Poster Session on Technology-Enhanced Learning in Indonesia”. Come and witness these wonderful poster presentations which may bring you plenty of “Wow’s!” (7) Interactive Events: It had been quite a while since the ICCE conference series featured interactive events in the last time. This time round, we not only have one, but three events to keep you occupied, all on Nov 27 Wednesday morning!
Promotional ppt slides of the three events are available for viewing on, http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ICCE2012-interactive-events.pdf
(8) Workshops: All the registered participants will have free access to any pre-conference workshop – no registration is required. Just join a workshop of your interest – listen to the presentations and participate in the discussions. Regards
ICCE2012 Conference Secretariat
National Institute of Education
Singapore
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| https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4460790550338&set=oa.565030393513830&type=1&theater |
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| https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4460788790294&set=oa.565030393513830&type=1&theater |
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| More @lookang sharing ejs #icce2012 #edsg http://yfrog.com/estlhroj |
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| RT @engrg1: More @lookang sharing ejs #icce2012 #edsg http://yfrog.com/estlhroj |
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| #edsg sharing ejs with international audience http://yfrog.com/nvvj7dzj #icce2012 |
Update 21 November 2012
some photo slides to publicize the interactive events
Thanks to Lung Hsiang, the IPC co-chair and the Local Organizing co-chair of ICCE 2012.
The IPC of the conference is thinking of giving further exposure/promotion on the three interactive events. Can you prepare 3-5 ppt slides
here u go :)
http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/
 |
| photo from http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/ |
Description on OSP for Wolfgang Christian
http://www.compadre.org/osp/features/newsdetail.cfm?id=443
This 3(to 1.5 cut by organizers) hour interactive hands-on workshop aims to cover the basics of the free authoring toolkit called "Easy Java Simulation" organized by Loo Kang Wee and Sze Yee Lye from the Ministry of Education, Educational Technology Division, Singapore. Participants will go through an model building process on a simple spring mass system in the tutorial called Modeling Science Textbook Chapter 2: Introduction to Easy Java Simulations by Wolfgang Christian and Francisco Esquembre. Lastly, participants will also 'tinker' with the codes and construct their design ideas into the model of their choice together with the workshop facilitators.
Title: The 20th International Conference on Computers in Education, ICCE 2012
Venue: National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) (Google Map).NIE Address: NIE Campus Map 1 Nanyang Walk Singapore 637616
Date: 26 to 30 November 2012
Organizers: Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education
Hosted by:
- Learning Sciences and Technologies Academic Group (LST/AG) & Learning Sciences Laboratory (LSL), National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.nie.edu.sg/
- Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.ntu.edu.sg/
Enquiry: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Goals:
- scaling up Open Source Physics (OSP) and Easy Java Simulations (EJS)
- use SDL and CoL strategies to create customized or new models.
- discuss the general pedagogical and technical issues in the design of interactive computer-based tutorials
Interactive Workshop ICCE2012: Designing Open Source Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry using Easy Java Simulation
DOC here https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1zktwZyy68YSLG9LSDlczmtLA-PtrNBGR_0Jx6RzKUKk
Loo Kang WEE1, Sze Yee LYE1
1Ministry of Education, Education Technology Division, Singapore
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://weelookang.blogspot.sg, http://iwant2study.org/easyjava Abstract:
The Open Source Physics community (http://www.compadre.org/osp/) has created hundreds of physics computer models (Wolfgang Christian, Esquembre, & Barbato, 2011; F. K. Hwang & Esquembre, 2003) which are mathematical computation representations of real-life Physics phenomenon. Since the source codes are available and can be modified for redistribution licensed Creative Commons Attribution or other compatibile copyrights like GNU General Public License (GPL), educators can customize (Wee & Mak, 2009) these models for more targeted productive (Wee, 2012) activities for their classroom teaching and redistribute them with the world.
In this interactive event, we will share the basics of using the free authoring toolkit called “Easy Java Simulation” (W. Christian, Esquembre, & Mason, 2010; Esquembre, 2010) (http://www.um.es/fem/EjsWiki/pmwiki.php) so that participants can modify the open source computer models for their own learning and teaching needs. These computer models has the potential to provide the experience and context, essential for deepening student’s conceptual understanding of Physics through student centred guided inquiry approach (McDermott, Shaffer, & Rosenquist, 1995; Wee, Lee, & Goh, 2011) supported by social discourse. Keyword: easy java simulation, active learning, education, teacher professional development, e-learning, applet, design, open source, physics PACS: 01.50.H-, 07.05.Tp, 01.50.Lc, 83.10.Rs
I. Introduction
 |
| Figure 1. EJS authoring toolkit version 4.3.7 showing the Evolution Page with the Ordinary Differential Equations to model a simple spring mass system. |
The goal of the Open Source Physics (OSP) project is to make a large number of simulations together with source code available for education using the GNU General Public License (GPL) open-source model. OSP provides both high-level modeling tools and a lower-level computational physics library to create computer simulations through the use of a consistent object-oriented framework (Wolfgang Christian & Esquembre, 2012). The Java-based OSP library defines objects to build interactive user interfaces, draw 2D and 3D objects, numerically solve ordinary differential equations using different algorithms, and represent data using tables and graphs. This workshop provides a hands-on beginners’ introduction to Open Source Physics (OSP) and Easy Java Simulations (EJS) to model physical systems. It is a hands-on practical sessions where participants will work on computer models provided. Participants will study and explore, step by step, important computational example of the spring mass system model (Wolfgang Christian & Esquembre, 2008a, 2008b), to learn how they have been implemented, and then modify these examples to add new capabilities. Assistance will be provided during the sessions. There after, the organisers hope to get participants to identify and self direct (Tan, Shanti, Tan, & Cheah, 2011) their own personally motivating computer model from the OSP and NTNU digital libraries and work collaboratively (Chai, Lim, So, & Cheah, 2011) with the OSP community to create customized or new models. During the workshop we will discuss the general pedagogical and technical issues in the design of interactive computer-based tutorials as well as how existing models can be adapted to Singapore school context. All workshop material will be made available through our blogshttp://weelookang.blogspot.sg and http://iwant2study.org/easyjava .
II. Description of format of interactive eventmodified for 90 minutes:
The interactive event consists of the following segments:
• Introduction to Open Source Physics
• Sharing of computer models customized by the proposer (creating a brand new)
• Introduction of Easy Java Simulation EJS_4.3.7_120821.zip
• Hands-on-with Easy Java Simulation with spring mass system model (Wolfgang Christian & Esquembre, 2008a, 2008b)
• Sharing of tips to easily adapt codes from other simulations into a new model
• Participants download a simulation that is personally motivating to them from OSP Digital Libraries, that they want to edit and improve on even after the workshop, in collaborative group of 2-3.
• Upload to NTNU Java Virtual Lab (F.-K. Hwang, 2010) (http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnujava/index.php?board=28.0)
• Closing discussions
original:
The interactive event consists of the following segments:
• Introduction to Open Source Physics
• Sharing of computer models customized by the proposer
• Introduction of Easy Java Simulation EJS_4.3.7_120821.zip
• Hands-on-with Easy Java Simulation with spring mass system model (Wolfgang Christian & Esquembre, 2008a, 2008b)
• Sharing of tips to easily adapt codes from other simulations into a new model
• Participants download a simulation that is personally motivating to them from OSP Digital Libraries, that they want to edit and improve on even after the workshop, in collaborative group of 2-3.
• Upload to NTNU Java Virtual Lab (F.-K. Hwang, 2010) (http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnujava/index.php?board=28.0)
• Closing discussions
III. Materials, hardware, software, and other technologies
- Easy Java Simulation (Esquembre, 2010) (EJS) tool kit download link: EJS_4.3.7_120821.zip
- Java Runtime http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp
- Java 3D (for Java 3D models) select your operating system http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javasebusiness/downloads/java-archive-downloads-java-client-419417.html#java3d-1.5.1-oth-JPR
Wireless access VI. Conclusion This is a series of professional workshops that is conducted by the interactive event leaders in a funded project by NRF2011-EDU001-EL001 Java Simulation Design for Teaching and Learning, (MOE, 2012b) awarded by the National Research Foundation in collaboration with National Institute of Education, Singapore and the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore. Our computer models are downloadable on NTNU Java Virtual Lab (F.-K. Hwang, 2010) creative commons attribution licensed and lesson packages on the ICT Connection edumall 2.0 portal under ICT-in-ACTION http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/cos/o.x?c=/ictconnection/ictlib&uid=200&ptid=711 (edumall 2.0 login required). We hope other educators will share their own creative works with the world as demonstrated by the key originators Francisco Esquembre, Fu-Kwun Hwang and Wolfgang Christian and the passionate (interactive event leaders included) community of the Open Source Physics Project. AcknowledgementWe wish to acknowledge the passionate contributions of Francisco Esquembre, Fu-Kwun Hwang and Wolfgang Christian for their ideas and insights in the co-creation of interactive simulation and curriculum materials. This workshop research is made possible thanks to the eduLab project NRF2011-EDU001-EL001 Java Simulation Design for Teaching and Learning, (MOE, 2012b) awarded by the National Research Foundation in collaboration with National Institute of Education, Singapore and the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore. Lastly, we also thank MOE for the recognition of our research on the computer model lessons as a significant innovation in 2012 MOE Innergy (HQ) GOLD Awards (MOE, 2012a) by Educational Technology Division and Academy of Singapore Teachers.
Reference
Chai, C. S., Lim, W.-Y., So, H.-J., & Cheah, H. M. (2011). Advancing collaborative learning with ICT: Conception, Cases and Design. MOE (Ed.) Retrieved fromhttp://ictconnection.edumall.sg/ictconnection/slot/u200/mp3/monographs/advancing%20collaborative%20learning%20with%20ict.pdf
Esquembre, F. (2010). Easy Java Simulations Retrieved 20 October, 2010, from http://www.um.es/fem/Ejs/Ejs_en/index.html
Hwang, F.-K. (2010). NTNU Virtual Physics Laboratory Retrieved 20 October, 2010, from http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnujava/index.php
McDermott, L., Shaffer, P., & Rosenquist, M. (1995). Physics by inquiry: John Wiley & Sons New York.
MOE. (2012a). MOE Innergy Awards: MOE Innergy (HQ) Awards Winners : Gold Award :Educational Technology Division and Academy of Singapore Teachers: Gravity-Physics by Inquiry Retrieved 25 May, 2012, from http://www.excelfest.com/award
MOE. (2012b). Press Releases: eduLab at the Academy of Singapore Teachers (eduLab@AST) to Bring Ideas into Practice Retrieved 25 May, 2012, from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2012/03/edulab-at-the-academy-of-singa.php
Tan, S. C., Shanti, D., Tan, L., & Cheah, H. M. (2011). Self-directed learning with ICT: Theory, Practice and Assessment. MOE (Ed.) Retrieved from http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/ictconnection/slot/u200/mp3/monographs/self-directed%20learning%20with%20ict.pdf
AUTHORS
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Loo Kang WEE is currently an educational technology specialist at the Ministry of Education, Singapore and a PhD candidate at the National Institute of Education, Singapore. He was a junior college physics lecturer and his research interest is in Open Source Physics tools like Easy Java Simulation for designing computer models and use of Tracker.
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Sze Yee LYE is currently educational technology officer at the Ministry of Education, Singapore. She was a primary and secondary physics teacher and her research interest is in free tools for technology use in education.
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Ben Chang,
Associate Professor,
Department of E-Learning Design and Management,
National Chiayi University, Taiwan Dear Loo Kang,
Thank you for submitting the interactive event proposal to ICCE 2012.
We are glad to inform you that your interactive event proposal is accepted.
You are requested to make a web page for your interactive event, and we will publish your interactive event on the official web page of ICCE 2012.
In ICCE, we adopt the "volunteer spirit" policy. All the event organizers serve ICCE for free, and all the participants (including the conference chairs, theme speakers, workshop chairs etc.) need to pay the registration fee. The main conference early bird registration deadline is October 1, 2012, for your information.
Thank you again for your contribution to ICCE 2012, and we look forward to seeing you in Singapore.
Best regards, Description on ICCE by Wong Lung Hsiang
http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/program/interactive-events/
Designing Open Source Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry using Easy Java Simulation The Open Source Physics community has created hundreds of physics computer models which are mathematical computation representations of real-life Physics phenomenon. Since the source codes are available and can be modified for redistribution licensed Creative Commons Attribution or other compatibile copyrights like GNU General Public License (GPL), educators can customize these models for more targeted productive activities for their classroom teaching and redistribute them to benefit all humankind. In this interactive event, we will share the basics of using the free authoring toolkit called “Easy Java Simulation” so that participants can modify the open source computer models for their own learning and teaching needs. These computer models has the potential to provide the experience and context, essential for deepening student’s conceptual understanding of Physics through student centred guided inquiry approach. Organizers:
Loo Kang WEE (on behalf of Educational Technology Division), Ministry of Education, Singapore
Sze Yee LYE (on behalf of Educational Technology Division), Ministry of Education, Singaporefinal announcement by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Dear Participants,
The 20th ICCE is around the corner. See you in Singapore in a few days’ time!
Here are a few tips and heads up for your attention, which we hope will bring you a more pleasant and fruitful experience in the conference.
(1) Conference booklet & abstract book: The conference booklet and the abstract book are ready for download,
Conference booklet: http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ICCE-2012-Conference-Booklet1.pdf
Corrections in the booklet: http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Corrections-in-the-booklet.pdf
Abstract Book: http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ICCE-2012-ABSTRACT-Book.pdfYou will also receive a hard copy of the conference booklet from the registration counter upon your arrival. Meanwhile, we will NOT provide the hard copy of the abstract book as part of our efforts to save the trees (and to reduce the weight of your conference bag J ). If you are keen, you may print out the abstract book at your home or office, or copy it to your laptop/ tablet/iPad, and bring it to the conference. (1) Venue: The National Institute of Education (NIE) campus where ICCE will be held is comprised of seven blocks. There will be another international conference —World Association of Lesson Studies [WALS] Conference – held in the same campus within the same period of time. So, don’t go to the wrong venues or eat the ‘wrong’ food (do check the signage first!). ;-) · Most of our sessions will be held in Blocks 2 3 (while WALS conference will be held in Blocks 5 and 7). Exceptions are plenary sessions (opening and closing ceremonies, keynotes and invited speeches) on Nov 28 (Wednesday) and Nov 30 (Friday), which will be held at Lecture Theatre 1 (LT1), located between Blocks 5 and 7. The plenary sessions on Nov 29 (Thursday) will be held at LT7 and video-streamed in LT8 (both within Block 2). · Your lunches will be served at the southern end of the NIE canteen, right next to Block 3. · We will provide directional signage to assist you. You may also refer to the maps in the conference booklet (pp.106-107). · Do wear your conference name tag while attending all our events and having conference meals. (2) Weather: It’s the beginning of rainy season in Singapore. Don’t leave home or hotel without your umbrella or raincoat, just in case! (3) Gentle Reminder to presenters and poster presenters: Laptops and projectors will be available in the rooms for keynote speeches, invited speeches, panels, parallel sessions, workshops and DSC’s. If you wish to present your work with your own laptops, tablets, iPads or iBooks, don’t forget to bring the power adaptors and cable adaptors needed.Laptops will NOT be provided for e-poster presentations – please bring your own machines and connect them to the flat panels in the rooms. All the e-posters and physical posters can be set up at their respective rooms half an hour prior to the assigned session. (4) Main Conference will Kick-start in the Morning of Nov 28: Our pre-conference days are Nov 26-27 (Mon-Tue), and main conference days are Nov 28-30 (Wed-Fri). We scheduled our Opening Ceremony in the afternoon of Nov 28 to avoid a time clash with WALS Conference’s Opening Ceremony. Nevertheless, our main conference will indeed commence in the morning of Nov 28.Apart from the pre-conference events, do join us from the beginning till the end of the main conference days. The Wednesday morning will bring you 4 parallel sessions (with 3 nominees of Best Paper or Best Student Paper Awards to be presented!), 3 interactive events, 2 community building sessions, and the first poster session. What an exciting morning to kick-start the main conference! (5) Welcome Reception: Join us at the welcome reception as well, at 17:15-19:30, Nov 27 (Tue). It’s included in your registration fee The Guest of Honor will be Prof. LEE Sing Kong, the Director of NIE. There will be a short ceremony to ‘kick-start the main conference’ and to make important housekeeping announcements. Afterward, you will have ample time to mingle with colleagues from all over the world and enjoy the buffet reception – roasted lamb, braised duck, local delights at live cooking stations (Malay Mee Siam, fried prawn, stir fried ice cream …), vegetarian fried rice, Chinese tim sum, seafood bouchee, croissant, Surabaya Lapis Cake, Tiramisu … The food are all halal.(6) Poster Sessions: Thanks to the state-of-the-art Tutorial Rooms in NIE, a new and novel feature in ICCE 2012 is the presentation of e-posters, apart from the conventional physical posters. This should increase interactivity between the poster presenters and the audience, and also give the poster presenters the option to make demonstrations of their software during the poster session. Do drop by the poster sessions at 11:00-12:30 and 17:00-18:30 respectively, on Nov 28 (Wed). 11 e-posters will be exhibited in the morning session and 8 more in the afternoon session; plus 60 other physical posters including 4 under the inaugurated “Special Poster Session on Technology-Enhanced Learning in Indonesia”. Come and witness these wonderful poster presentations which may bring you plenty of “Wow’s!” (7) Interactive Events: It had been quite a while since the ICCE conference series featured interactive events in the last time. This time round, we not only have one, but three events to keep you occupied, all on Nov 27 Wednesday morning!
- Drop by the Learning Sciences Lab Open House at Level B3 (Basement 3), Block 5 (09:00-12:30, Nov 27) – walk around the lab, meet different research teams, participate in hands-on demonstrations of new technology … and, breakfast will be served (throughout the entire event)!
- Experience the Smart Lab for the next generation students – active learning through multi-touch table technology and collaborative software solutions! (11:00-12:30, Nov 27, TR303)
- Learn about the basis of using a free authoring toolkit “Easy Java Simulation” to modify physics computer models for your own research, teaching and learning needs (11:00-12:30, Nov 27, TR303)
Promotional ppt slides of the three events are available for viewing on, http://www.lsl.nie.edu.sg/icce2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ICCE2012-interactive-events.pdf
(8) Workshops: All the registered participants will have free access to any pre-conference workshop – no registration is required. Just join a workshop of your interest – listen to the presentations and participate in the discussions. Regards
ICCE2012 Conference Secretariat
National Institute of Education
Singapore
FAQ on Open Source Physics and Easy Java Simulations
- What is Open Source Physics (OSP)? OSP is a project that aims to provide a large collection of physics computer simulations, along with their source code, for educational purposes. These resources are made available under open-source licenses like the GNU General Public License (GPL), allowing educators to freely use, modify, and distribute the models. OSP includes both high-level modeling tools and lower-level libraries for creating interactive simulations.
- What is Easy Java Simulation (EJS)? Easy Java Simulation (EJS) is a free authoring toolkit that simplifies the process of creating and modifying computer simulations. It provides a user-friendly interface to work with the OSP library, enabling educators to design interactive physics models without needing extensive programming expertise. EJS allows users to customize existing models or build new ones by manipulating visual elements, equations, and other parameters.
- How can OSP and EJS be used in education? OSP and EJS enable a student-centered, guided-inquiry approach to learning physics. By using interactive simulations, students can explore physical phenomena, manipulate variables, and visualize abstract concepts. Educators can customize these models for their specific teaching contexts, create targeted learning activities, and encourage collaborative learning through model building and sharing. The availability of source codes also fosters a deeper understanding of how simulations are constructed.
- What kind of models are available through OSP and EJS? The OSP project contains hundreds of physics computer models covering a wide range of topics, from basic mechanics (like spring-mass systems and collisions) to more advanced areas like electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. These models are mathematical representations of real-world physical phenomena, making them suitable for exploring different physics concepts, and many are available in 2D and 3D.
- What are the benefits of using open-source resources like OSP and EJS? Open-source resources promote collaboration and sharing within the educational community. Educators can freely access, customize, and redistribute these models, ensuring they are widely available and adaptable to various learning environments. This approach also reduces the financial burden of accessing educational resources and allows for continuous improvement of models through community contributions. Furthermore, it can foster a sense of ownership and agency with both students and educators.
- What is the typical workflow for using EJS to modify OSP simulations? The typical workflow involves several steps. First, participants are introduced to OSP and EJS. Then, they learn how to use EJS by working through an example, such as a spring-mass system. Next, they are given tips on adapting code from existing simulations. Finally, participants download simulations from OSP libraries and collaboratively modify them to create something new or more suited to their needs.
- Is prior programming knowledge required to use EJS effectively? While having some programming background could be beneficial, it's not strictly necessary for beginners to start using EJS. The EJS environment is designed with a visual, user-friendly interface that enables educators to create and modify simulations without writing lots of code directly. The focus is on learning by doing and modifying existing models, not coding them from scratch.
- How can I access OSP and EJS resources and where can I learn more? The OSP resources can be found on the ComPADRE OSP collection website, with EJS information on its dedicated website. These resources, including the EJS toolkit, are available for free download. Additional resources can be found on the workshop organizers' blogs, and the NTNU Java Virtual Lab. The references and links provided in the source materials also offer more ways to learn and contribute to the community.