Supporting physics teaching with research-based resources

The CPU project produced modular content units and computer software, to support an environment where students, individually, in small groups, and as a whole class construct knowledge in physics. Content units were developed in the topical areas of Light and Color, Current Electricity, Static Electricity and Magnetism, Underpinnings (in Search of Patterns), Motion and Force, Waves, and the Small Particle Model of Matter. Each content unit was packaged with a set of computer activities, computer simulations, and an electronic journal. Students use the computer activities, simulations, and electronic journal along with critical small group and whole group discussion to construct an understanding of physics concepts. In the CPU classroom students develop, test, and modify their ideas through experimentation and discussion with peers, rather than depend upon the instructor as the source of knowledge. There is a carefully designed sequence of activities and pedagogy that promotes and values the extensive intra-group and whole class discussion, building towards class consensus of physics concepts. Each content unit is divided into several cycles of student idea construction, and each cycle has three phases: elicitation, development, and application.

Because these simulators were produced in Java in 1999, they may not run on modern computers. We provide no guarantees or support for the software below.