Influence of the PACSETPRO Simulated Experiments on Physics Teaching/Learning

This study demonstrates on two categories of students designated Groups 1 and 2 the influence of the PACSETPROducts from a project to use Python to model and simulate laboratory experiments to aid the teaching/learning of physics. Group 1 has a total of 27 first year undergraduate students randomly selected into three sets: Set I used PACSETPROducts, Set II carried out physical experiment and Set III was a control set neither exposed to the PACSETPROducts nor physical experiment. Group 2 has 18 third year undergraduate students randomly selected into two sets: Set I used PACSETPROducts and Set II was a control set not exposed to the PACSETPROducts. Conceptual tests on Hooke’s law were administered to the three sets in Group 1 to assess their understanding before and after teaching them and then to only Sets I and II after using the PACSETPROducts and physical experiment respectively. Conceptual tests on Schrodinger particle wave on a step potential were administered to the two sets in Group 2 to assess their understanding before and after teaching them and then to only Sets I after using the PACSETPROducts. The relevance of the positive influence of the PACSETPROducts from the results is discussed.