WebPhysics Summary

What Works (for us)?

Teach physics, don't hack.
Start with application packages that are easy to use and have wide applicability. e.g., Execl or Quattro.
Word Processing (with graphics for drawings, equations, and data) is more important than you think.
The less sophisticated the student the more sophisticated the user interface.
Graphical User Interfaces, GUIs, and protected operating systems are essential.
It is impossible to do the entire physics curriculum in one year. Focus your energy both in terms of funding and curricular development.
Faculty offices must have access to the same tools that the students have in the computer labs and classrooms.
Make the technology easy to use in the lecture hall.
Don't overestimate your ability to program. If you MUST write a program (data acquisition?) keep it simple. Transfer the output to a commercial package for further analysis.
Don't underestimate the time required for system administration.
Don't skimp on the initial hardware- It is not your primary cost!
- Curricular development, training, facilities, and system administration are major long term costs.
- The "three to four year lifetime" quoted in the literature for hardware/software is too short. If the paradigm shift was worth doing, the software and curricular material will hang around for years.

You are not alone! Make the WWW work for you.

What is WebPhysics?

Web Physics is a flexible low budget outlet for small volume, high quality, html based curricular materia.
Web Physics provides a forum for physics educators to exchange curriculum ideas and resources that make use og the Web technology (public domain material only.)
WebPhysics provides a medium for the dissemination of student work.
WebPhysics is democratic. Let the democracy of the net do the weeding.
Web Physics has low initial investment.
Web Physics is not a vendor's forum.

What resources do we want on WebPhysics servers?

Visit the IUPUI and the Davidson WebPhysics servers for additional information.