Taha Mzoughi

WebTOP: A 3D interactive system for teaching and learning optics

WebTOP is a three-dimensional, Web-based, interactive computer graphics system that helps instructors teach and students learn about waves and optics. Current subject areas include waves, geometrical optics, reflection and refraction, polarization, interference, diffraction, lasers, and scattering. Some of the topics covered are suited for introductory level physics students while others are suited for intermediate optics students. WebTOP is developed with a flexible interface to suit the various needs of instructors and students. Many of the features lend themselves to classroom use or self-guided study. WebTOP is implemented using VRML, Java, JavaScript, and VRMLs Java EAI.

WebTOP: web-based interactive 3D optics and waves' simulations

WebTOP is a three-dimensional, interactive computer graphics system developed at the Mississippi State University to help students learn about optics and waves. It has been used to help teach undergraduate introductory physics and upper-level optics classes. WebTOP is designed to be flexible, allowing faculty and students to use it in a variety of ways. It can be used for homework, classroom demonstrations, laboratories, and online tutorials. Currently, it comprises sixteen modules spanning eight different subject areas. The subject areas are waves, geometrical optics, reflection and refraction, polarisation, interference, diffraction, lasers, and scattering. This paper provides an overview of WebTOP, a description of each of the current modules, as well as outline of WebTOPs use for teaching and learning.

WebTOP: 3D interactive optics on the Web

The Optics Project (TOP) is a 3D interactive computer graphics system that visualizes optical phenomena. The primary motivation for creating TOP was to develop a tool to help undergraduate students learn optics. WebTOP is a Web-based version of the system that encompasses a physical simulation, an overview of the theory involved, a showcase of examples, and a set of suggested exercises. The actual simulation is implemented using VRML, Java, and the External Authoring Interface, and runs under multiple hardware/OS/browser configurations. This work is significant in that it represents, to our knowledge, the first complete 3D interactive optics system on the Web.

The Optics Project on the Web (WebTOP)

WebTOP is a three-dimensional, interactive computer graphics system developed at Mississippi State University to help students learn about waves and optics. It has been used to help teach undergraduate introductory physics and upper-level optics classes. Currently, it is comprised of sixteen modules spanning eight different subject areas. The subject areas are waves, geometrical optics, reflection and refraction, polarization, interference, diffraction, lasers, and scattering. WebTOP simulations have the following characteristics. First, they are three dimensional, i.e., they have navigation controls that allow the user to rotate the scene, pan, or zoom, in order to view it from any desired orientation. Secondly, they are interactive. The user can change the parameters either by typing in the desired values into the appropriate text entry box, or by using the mouse cursor to move the appropriate widget in the scene. Thirdly, the simulations are animated, for those phenomena for which animation is appropriate. Furthermore, the simulations include VCR-type controls that allow the user to record his/her interactions with the simulation for later retrieval, viewing, and editing. Finally, these modules run inside a web browser. They can be run from our website, http://webtop.msstate.edu, or they can be downloaded from this website and run on the user’s local machine. This paper provides an overview of WebTOP and a description of each of the modules.

WEBTop: interactive 3D optics simulations on the Web

The Objects Project (TOP) is a 3D, interactive computer graphics system that was developed at Mississippi State University to help students learn optics. TOP runs on Silicon Graphics workstations. We describe our initial progress on WebTOP, the Web version of TOP.

PERC-a collaboration between engineering and arts and science faculty to help insure better student preparation

In an attempt to enhance preparation of engineering students, the College of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences at Mississippi State University have been working together to try to enhance the effectiveness of pre-engineering courses. As part of this effort, the physics department has started supplementing regular physics for engineering courses with Web-based content. The goal is to develop tools and content that will help infuse proven effective teaching practices in the teaching of these courses. The aim is to have Web tools that affect both the in-class activities as well as the outside of class activities. Currently, some of the tools used allow for just-in-time teaching inquiry based learning through online tutorials. To accomplish this goal a set of dedicated tools and tutorials (PERC) was developed and placed on a dedicated Web server. Effort was made to ensure that the tools were easy to use by both students and faculty, and that they do not require an extra time investment from the faculty. Pre and post standard tests were administered and used to help evaluate the effect of PERC. We describe PERC, from both student and faculty viewpoints. We demonstrate an example tutorial and show the faculty-authoring interface. We address faculty and student use. We discuss collaboration issues both within the department and outside the department. We finally report the evaluation activities and their results.