🚀 go-pugleaf

This is our second year teaching a combined physics/preclculus program.  To me,
the text book selection is not the real issue.  We use the texts already in
place for the separate courses.  The issue that we considered is the technology
base that we would use to make the combination work.  The primary structure
that we use is a cooperative learning design with computers and microcomputer
based laboratory units. Each laboratory group of three to four students has
access to the set of equipment.

We also use traditional laboratory work, laser disk segments (especially
Physics Cinema Classics) and the Mechanical Universe videotapes.  The bulk of
the precalculus graphing is on TI-82 calculators.  I have tried spreadsheets
and several computer graphing programs, but none of them give me the power and
ease that I am searching for for instruction.  I will still look.We also use an
extensive set of physics simulations including several titles from Physics
Academic Software.

The overlap of subject matter is greatest during the first two thirds of the
school year.  Material had to be re-ordered in both subjects to obtain a good
fit that compromised neither subject.  We are designing a program that is
coordinated rather than integrated.  Eventually, the coordinated aspects should
apply to students outside of the pilot section.  I gave a talk on this at the
summer AAPT at Notre Dame.

We have been evaluating the students during and after the program.  The initial
evaluation looks good, but it will take several groups of students tell if the
results depend on the particular group of students rather than the program.

Bernie Clemens       bernie.clemens@uc.edu
Sycamore High School
7400 Cornell Road
Cincinnati, OH  45242