Build your own virtual photonics communication system: a Photonics Simulator for high school students (original) (raw)
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Web-based photonics simulator for secondary school students
In the "real world", Photonics is somewhat invisible to those who rely upon it worldwide. We would like students to connect their everyday experiences of communications with the underlying ideas in Photonics. To do this, we have developed the Photonics Simulator to illustrate to high school students how text or information is coded into binary optical signals which are relayed through photonic communications networks from sender to receiver.
Developing intra-curricular photonics educational material for secondary schools in Europe
12th Education and Training in Optics and Photonics Conference, 2014
There is an imminent shortage of skilled workforce facing Europe's hi-tech industries mainly due to the declining interest of young people in science and engineering careers. To avert this trend the European Union funded the development of the 'Photonics Explorer'-an intra-curricular educational kit designed to engage, excite and educate students about the fascination of working with optics hands-on, in their own classrooms! Each kit equips teachers with class sets of experimental components provided within a supporting didactic framework based on guided inquiry based learning techniques. The material has been specifically designed to integrate into the curriculum and enhance and complement the teaching and learning of science in the classroom. The kits are provided free of charge to teachers, in conjunction with teacher training courses. The main challenge of this program was the development of educational material that seamlessly integrates into the various national curricula across Europe. To achieve this, the development process included a preparatory EU wide curricula survey and a special 'Review and Revise' process bringing together the expertise of over 35 teachers and pedagogic experts. This paper reports on the results of the preparatory study which identified two specific age groups at secondary schools for photonics educational material, the didactic content of the Photonics Explorer kit resulting from a pan-European collaboration of key stakeholders, EU wide dissemination and sustainability of the program.
Photonics explorer: Revolutionizing photonics in the classroom
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 2012
The 'Photonics Explorer' is a unique intra-curricular optics kit designed to engage, excite and educate secondary school students about the fascination of working with light-hands-on, in their own classrooms. Developed with a pan European collaboration of experts, the kit equips teachers with class sets of experimental material provided within a supporting didactic framework, distributed in conjunction with teacher training courses. The material has been specifically designed to integrate into European science curricula. Each kit contains robust and versatile components sufficient for a class of 25-30 students to work in groups of 2-3. The didactic content is based on guided inquiry-based learning (IBL) techniques with a strong emphasis on hands-on experiments, team work and relating abstract concepts to real world applications. The content has been developed in conjunction with over 30 teachers and experts in pedagogy to ensure high quality and ease of integration. It is currently available in 7 European languages. The Photonics Explorer allows students not only to hone their essential scientific skills but also to really work as scientists and engineers in the classroom. Thus, it aims to encourage more young people to pursue scientific careers and avert the imminent lack of scientific workforce in Europe. 50 Photonics Explorer kits have been successfully tested in 7 European countries with over 1500 secondary school students. The positive impact of the kit in the classroom has been qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated. A non-profit organisation, EYESTvzw [Excite Youth for Engineering Science and Technology], is responsible for the large scale distribution of the Photonics Explorer.
Board Games To Learn Complex Scientific Concepts And The "Photonics Games" Competition
2015
This poster explains in short the main goals of the Photonics Games Competition, which was organised in the frame of the EU-funded project Photonics4All. Moreover it informs about the main advantages of game-based learning. This poster was presented at the 9th European Conference on Games Based Learning, taking place in Steinkjer, Norway from 8th to 9th October 2015.
Web-based interactive simulations and virtual lab for photonics education
Fifteenth Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2019, 2019
There is large industry demand for qualified engineers and technicians in photonics advanced manufacturing. Current workforce training methods require expensive state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, as well as commercial licenses for photonic design software, which can be prohibitively costly for many universities. Virtual laboratories and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can help fill this training gap by providing a scalable approach to photonics workforce education for an international audience. In this project, AIM Photonics Academy-the education initiative of AIM Photonics, a Manufacturing USA Institute-is creating a virtual laboratory to enable self-directed learning for the emerging photonics workforce. Students learn photonic device and circuit modeling in a 3D online virtual lab environment with interactive simulations of micron-scale photonic visualizations. An intuitive interface highlights the most critical device design parameters and their optimal operational settings for applications in Datacom, wireless communication, sensing, and imaging. Simulations include silicon waveguide propagation and loss, radial waveguide bends, and directional couplers for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). In spring of 2019, AIM Academy has integrated these simulations into an online course focused on PIC-chip design, with a fundamentals course expected in fall of 2019. Additionally, these online tools will be used in a blended learning curriculum in 2020 to train engineers and technicians in semiconductor design, testing and packaging for photonics applications. Following online module completion, students can take blended learning on-site workshops at affiliated university laboratories to capitalize on their simulated training with hands-on experiments in chip design, packaging, and optical or electrical testing.
A Thematic Review of the Present Photonic Education
Education and Training in Optics & Photonics Conference 2021, 2021
In the presented study, we discussed the thematic review of 68 recent conference studies focused on elementary and secondary school levels to enlighten the future needs of Optics and Photonics Education.
OptoSci educator kits – an immediate solution to photonics teaching laboratories
Education and Training in Optics and Photonics, 2003
The burgeoning growth of the worldwide photonics and optical communications industry has imposed ever increasing demands on the supply of suitably skilled engineers and scientists who can design, install and operate modern photonics systems. In recognition of this need OptoSci, in collaboration with university academics, has commercially developed a series of hardware based teaching packages in optics, optoelectronics and optical communications. Each educator kit is fully self-contained, including all of the optoelectronic hardware and comprehensive literature support. This saves the academic tutor considerable development time and enables the kits to be immediately installed in the photonics teaching laboratory to support accompanying lecture courses. A fundamental design objective of our educator kits is to provide students with hands-on practical experience of photonics components, instruments and systems and allow them to investigate essential physical principles and key technical issues relevant to their lecture courses. This paper will outline the design philosophy behind the products to meet the desired educational aims, and then examine the specific educational objectives and topics investigated in each educator kit.
Photonic Simulation Software Tools for Education
Education and Training in Optics and Photonics, 2007
A solid education in optical devices and optical communication systems must include an understanding of the basic building blocks of optical devices and networks as well as the interplay between them. Software vendors, such as Optiwave Systems Inc., provide free as well as for-purchase software tools that can be used in classroom and computer labs as an educational aid. This paper examines the role software simulation tools play in the education of students studying optical communication and related disciplines. The different techniques to employ photonic simulation software in classroom lectures, computer labs and graduate research are discussed.
2002
The design of computer-assisted educational materials and programs is a speciality of science education and relies heavily upon the results of science education and educational technology research. This paper explores the implications of this research for successful computer- assisted instruction. Two areas are examined: (1) Simulations and problem-based learning environments. (2) The basis for the evaluation of distance learning course software. Examples will be given using a project developed by the NASA Classroom of the Future, at the Center for Educational Technologies at Wheeling Jesuit University. There are a number of optics-related computer simulations in CD-ROM based programs such as the award winning Astronomy Village: Investigating the Universe. Most educational designers can identify the characteristics of a good educational simulation. The design of an entire course delivered over the Internet requires high quality software that can maximize not only course material del...
The Development of Virtual Laboratory Learning Media for The Physical Optics Subject
Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Fisika Al-Biruni
This study aims to produce virtual laboratory interactive learning media that is effective and practical for the subject of physical optics. It uses the Research and Development (R & D) method. The material in the learning media includes dispersion, diffraction, interference, and polarization. Users of this product can be directly involved in observing, measuring and taking practical data. Product development has been validated by material expert, media expert, and practitioners (teachers). This product has also been tested in one-to-one, small groups, and field trial. Based on the results of the assessment by material expert, media expert, teachers, and field trial, this learning media software is categorized as “excellent” with a value of 4.63 for validity, “medium” with an n-gain value of 0.37 for effectiveness, and “excellent” with a value of 4.49 for practicality.