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 Ratings
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| Reviewed: |
Jun 02, 2002 by Mathematics |
| Overview: |
This tool allows the user to convert an interactive Geometer's Sketchpad Sketch into an interactive Java applet. See also the Java Sketchpad Examples Gallery and its review at Java
Sketchpad Examples Gallery |
| Learning Goals: |
It helps the instructor create interactive demonstrations of concepts in plane and/or analytic geometry. |
| Target Student Population: |
High school and college geometry students. |
| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
The user should be familiar with the Geometer's Sketchpad software package. |
| Type of Material: |
Authoring software |
| Technical Requirements: |
A Macintosh or Windows-based PC with internet access and a web browser. |
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| Strengths: |
After creating a sketch in Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP) the user can convert the sketch to a Java applet with all of the interactivity intact. |
| Concerns: |
Java Sketchpad does not currently support all GSP functions. In the beta version several formatting and color issues have to be changed by editing the HTML code. |
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
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| Strengths: |
This tool will allow teachers, professors, researchers, and students, to create interactive Java applets, suitable for the web, that can demonstrate some rather complicated mathematical and scientific concepts. Once the user is familiar with GSP, a WYSIWYG geometry package, they can instantly begin converting their sketches to a format that can be viewed on the web. Using GSP the user can create interactive sketches that are great for illustrating concepts involving either plane or analytic geometry such as:properties of quadratics functions, properties of polynomials, least squares regression, the derivative as a function, proofs of the Pythagorean theorem, properties of reflection, properties of refraction, and many of the interesting properties of triangles, circles, ellipses, and polygons. |
| Concerns: |
There is a long list of class files required to viewing a given interactive sketch that may take some time to download. Subsequent sketches are viewed more quickly. |
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
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| Strengths: |
Java Sketchpad opens as a condensed version of GSP. It allows one to make minor changes in the GSP sketch such as labeling, centering, and hiding or adding components before converting to HTML. Once the appearance of a sketch is acceptable one simply chooses the "Convert to HTML" option and an html file of the same name is created in the same directory. The user must place a copy of the class files in an appropriate place on the server so they may be accessed when the converted sketch is viewed. The only difficulty (as mentioned above) is in doing some format and color changes. As far as I can tell these still need to be done by editing the HTML code. On the other hand,
this ability to modify the HTML allows the user to use the Java Sketchpad construction grammar and an HTML editor to make modifications (possibly major) without having to reopen GSP and reconvert. |
| Concerns: |
None. |
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