Interactive Applets in Introductory Course of Quantum Physics: Their Role not only in Distance Learning
Abstract
Being an abstract part of physics, quantum physics requires teachers to use multiple representations, especially in introductory courses. Interactive applets and other means of visualization are considered one way to overcome students' difficulties in studying basic concepts such as the wave function, the probability density function, quantum measurements etc.
Based on 10 years of our positive previous experience, we strongly emphasize graphical representation in the quantum physics course for future upper secondary school teachers. Besides using internationally well-known sources like Physlets Quantum Physics, PhET simulations, or Quantum Visualisation Projects (QuVis), we also prepared our own tools for the purposes of this course.
Moreover, because we consider Czech terminology knowledge to be very important for future physics teachers, we have translated selected applets into Czech. In this paper, we would like to share our experience with using the above-mentioned applets and with their integration into active learning instruction.
We pay special attention to the period of distance learning, which especially pointed out the benefits of this approach; to support this claim, we provide students' feedback on the use of applets in our course.