Open Source Physics OSP and CSI

Background of science modelling at SST

In the original 2008-present School of Science and Technology iMVT (Modeling and Visualization Technology integrated inquiry-based learning) by Baohui Zhang and his National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore NIE team, described their work on iMVT as an innovative pedagogy that applies to chemistry, biology, physics. This project idea was eventually selected to be funded as one of the four proposals under the Future School Programme for School of Science and Technology Singapore SST. In short the name iMVT (Modeling and Visualization Technology Integrated Inquiry-based Learning) aims to be an uniformed theoretical framework for designing effective learning environments to support science learning.

iMVT (Modeling and Visualization Technology integrated inquiry-based learning) by Baohui Zhang

iMVT was active until the activist Baohui is no longer in Singapore and the practice is less evident now and the name is re-branded as Collaborative Inquiry in Science CSI under the FutureSchools@Singapore (FS@SG) Programme School of Science and Technology .

https://sites.google.com/a/wimvt.info/mvtii/home

The advent-coming of CSI LC in terms of modelling

Now, there is a learning community called CSI Collaborative Science Inquiry that is conceptualized to advocate this Future School project.

Collaborative Inquiry in Science (CSI) Learning Community (OPAL password required)Keywords:Inquiry Based Learning, Self Directed and Collaborative Learning, learning Sciences, Seamless Learning
Welcome to the Collaborative Inquiry in Science (CSI) Learning Community! ...

What is Open Source Physics OSP about? (some thoughts on the innovation type - radical, incremental or disruptive)

The OSP Collection of curriculum resources aims to engage students in physics, computation, and computer modelling. Computational physics and computer modelling provide students with new ways to understand, describe, explain, and predict physical phenomena. It has been described as a radical innovation type probably due to it social enterprise nature to do good.

poster created for Singapore Public Service PS21 Best Ideator Award GOLD 2012

Goals of OSP?

The OSP Collection seeks to address the failure of updating curriculum with computational physics and modelling approaches in education and allow students critically (by interactions such as 1) play with the simulations and 2) changing the source codes) to assess these simulations. In short, combination of computational physics and computer modelling with theory and experiment can achieve insight and understanding that cannot be achieved with only one approach.

The OSP community

The key community members are 

1. Wolfgang Christian - Davidson College wochristian@davidson.edu
2. Mario Belloni - Davidson College mabelloni@davidson.edu
3. Doug Brown - Cabrillo College dobrown@cabrillo.edu
4. Anne Cox - Eckerd College coxaj@eckerd.edu
5. Francisco Esquembre - Universidad de Murcia fem@um.es
6. Harvey Gould - Clark University hgould@clarku.edu
7. Aaron Titus - High Point University titus@mailaps.org
8. Jan Tobochnik - Kalamazoo College jant@kzoo.edu
9. Bill Junkin - Eckerd College 

Not in this list, are a growing number of contributors that uses these tools to create many more curriculum materials all over the world.

The Singapore OSP community

The definition of this is based on the Easy JavaScript Simulation and Tracker lists maintained by lookang. The combined number is about 23, of which the very active ones are less than 11.

1. Andy Luo Kangshun, Tampines Junior College, Singapore
2. Chan Weng Cheong Ezzy, Peirce Secondary School, Singapore
3. Chia Juin Wei, Curriculum Planning and Development Division, Singapore
4. Dave Lommen, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore
5. Gideon Choo, River Valley High School, Singapore
6. Goh Giam Hwee Jimmy, Yishun Junior College, Singapore
7. Kwek Eng Yeow, Victoria Junior College, Singapore
8. Lee Tat Leong, River Valley High, Educational Technology Division, Ministry of Education, Singapore
9. Leong Tze Kwang, Raffles Girls Secondary, Singapore
10. Lim Ai Phing, River Valley High School, Singapore
11. Lim Jit Ning, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore
12. Ling Yih Jye, Chung Cheng High (Yishun), Singapore
13. Lye Sze Yee, Educational Technology Division, National Junior College, Singapore
14. Ng Boon Leong, Angelo-Chinese Junior College, Singapore
15. Ng Kar Kit, River Valley High School, Singapore
16. Ning Hwee Tiang, National Junior College, Singapore
17. Samuel Ooi, National Junior College, Singapore
18. Siow Seau Yan Sharon, Raffles Girls Secondary, Singapore
19. Sng Peng Poo, Anderson Junior College, Singapore
20. Tan Kim Kia, Evergreen Secondary School, Singapore
21. Thio Cher Kuan, Raffles Girls Secondary, Singapore
22. Wee Loo Kang Lawrence, Educational Technology Division, Ministry of Education, Singapore
23. Yeu Chee Wee Thomas, Meridian Junior College, Singapore

- three ways in which teachers appropriate OSP (create, use, and adapt)

examples of teacher 

1. create http://iwant2study.org/lookangejss/indexTRZdl_info.html
1. Lim Jit Ning, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore has many tracker video resources
2. Lee Tat Leong, River Valley High, Educational Technology Division, Ministry of Education, Singapore. has many easy java simulation resources on his blog.
2. use unclear to the degree of use, generally a lot of teachers do use some of resources we create but they do not email us the details unless it is for new customization.
3. adapt unclear, generally we agree not many teachers bother to remix the simulations, typically more adapt with more customised activities worksheets instead of adapting the simulations.

How is the OSP LC currently organized (mostly vertical between teachers and Loo Kang)

Activist organisation, core activist is lookang. There is no core group per say, but more core 11 (see above) activists that may occasionally meet up depending on opportunities.

- The growth of the OSP LC (Loo Kang and his disciples - the core group that "create"; the adapters; and the users only)

unclear growth, more like different agents advancing their own agenda, on their own time and space while fulfilling the requirements of the job as a teacher in the school. To grow the number of possible creators, lookang initiated to date two edulab projects that has funding to invite experts to Singapore for 4 days hands-on workshop to empower teachers to create more resources.

- The difficulties of teacher take up of OSP

• Easy download and use, remix and re-publish
• Middle only for largely Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics need to make their own resources
• Difficult not the tool-product itself but more the lack of information-process or just in time help. Having Google search indexed helps alot, like PhET simulations.

- the future need for greater laterality in the OSP community in order to spread OSP

refer to the OSP framework for spreading scaling up.

NRF2011-EDU001-EL001 EduLab Project Scaling-up Reflections on Using Open Source Physics

NRF2011-EDU001-EL001 EduLab Project Scaling-up Reflections on Using Open Source Physics
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1409/1409.7989.pdf

- the tradeoffs between teacher need for programming and delegating programming to templates and structures)

time spent programming, time saved when delegated

- Possibilities for student programming OSP in the further under teacher-pedagogic guidance

possibilities is there, i am waiting for political will for advancing this agenda.

Conclusion
- the soul/spirit of the OSP community as crux

OER Open Educational Resources and the belief in doing good.

Open educational resources (OER) are freely accessible, openly licensed documents and media that are useful for teaching, learning, and assessing as well as for research purposes.

"Global Open Educational Resources Logo" by Jonathasmello - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

"Global Open Educational Resources Logo" by Jonathasmello - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

- why is modelling so important in science learning and the need to sustain the OSP community going forward.

practice 5 (mathematical and computational thinking) and in the K-12 Science Education Framework.
example

model X = t suggests you know how to use kinematics equation of s=ut+12at2 where initial velocity u =1 and acceleration a = 0
http://weelookang.blogspot.sg/2013/12/ejss-kinematics-model.html
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/44365627/lookangEJSworkspace/export/ejss_model_kinematics/kinematics_Simulation.xhtml
source: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/44365627/lookangEJSworkspace/export/ejss_src_kinematics.zip
EJSS Kinematics Model by lookang, based on models and ideas from Fu-Kwun, Andreu Glasmann, Wolfgang Christian, and Mario Belloni
authors: lookang, Fu-Kwun, Andreu Glasmann, Wolfgang Christian, and Mario Belloni

Conclusion remarks for nurturing learning community

this is a possible way to engineer learning community. The bigger the vision, reason and emotion the better-easier to is the overcome barriers of scaling up the practices of the learning community.

1. Vision - Open Source Physics Digital Library, 
2. Reason - Benefit all humankind, 
3. Emotion - Feel so alive everyday doing and reviewing, i made Open Educational Resources a must instead of a should.This identity defines who and what i must do. I live who i believe i am. raising standards and having ritual make the vision real, by doing small successes each day - Tony Robbins. http://youtu.be/FbxJQpPKygU

Hope i have inspired you to do likewise for your own area of interest (work) using the simple framework to understand why ordinary people can do to achieve phenomena success. Fill in your own below! Enjoy :)

Vision - __________________,
Reason - __________________________,
Emotion - ________________________________.