MobiNet A Pedagogic Platform for Computer Science, Maths and Physics Sylvain Lefebvre, Fabrice Neyret, Samuel Hornus, Joëlle Thollot GRAVIR / IMAG-INRIA

History (since 2002) Bi-annual ‘Engineering Week’ of INPG –Less students choose science –Public : highschool students (~15 years old) –Goal : discover research and engineering –How : 1 week of tutorials MobiNet Tutorials –GRAVIR / IMAG-INRIA

Mobinet: Interactive simulation software Put theory into practice –develop intuition –introduce scientific, engineering approach Try, understand and learn –accessible, easy to use –no fear of making mistakes Develop team work –networked simulation space

MobiNet approach Experience notions, visually !

MobiNet approach Model of real world –Object’s state variables (x)  mathematical model –Object’s motion (x : x+1)  physical model of behavior Nothing magic ! x x : x+1

MobiNet

Network Master Computer 2 Computer 1

Network Master (visualize 1) Computer 2 Computer 1

Network Computer 2 Computer 1 Master (visualize 1 + 2)

Network Computer 2 (export hand) Computer 1 Master (visualize 1 + 2)

Network Computer 2 (visualize 1) Computer 1 Master (visualize 1 + 2)

MobiNet tutorials Video games development Students like video games ! Simple games : highschool math & physics Game world = simple model of real world Engineering problem: split in simple tasks

MobiNet tutorials

3 hours tutorial –1h30: learn MobiNet, simple notions Create a mobile Simple trajectories Bouncing ball Interacting mobiles –1h30: team work Pong game Presented as an engineering problem

MobiNet tutorials

Evaluation Since 2002 –4 INPG Egineering weeks –16 groups –250 students Evaluation done in 2002 –2 highschools –3 groups –77 students

Evaluation Have you been interested by the tutorial ? students

Evaluation Have you find using MobiNet easy ? students

Evaluation Do you think this tutorial was useful for you ? students

Evaluation Did MobiNet change your idea of math and physics ? students

The future MobiNet tutorials –‘Engineering Week’ of INPG Distribution –Free, open source – MobiNet into highschool and universities

Pedagogic use Personal use Stand-alone tutorials Visualization of course concepts Exercises –from scratch –from framework given by teacher Clubs …

Demo

Acknowledgments –Students and teachers of involved highschools –All the teaching assistants –Patrick Kocelniak for technical support –INPG for administrative and financial support

Questions ? MobiNet Demo: during coffee break after lunch 13h30 / 14h00

MobiNet tutorials 10 to 20 students –best case: 1 student per computer Teachers –1 animator –1 teaching assistant for 4 students 1 big screen

Evaluation MobiNet in highschool: useful ? + -

MobiNet www-imagis.imag.fr/mobinet