This is a web-based video analysis suite similar to several commercial software products. It allows users to do quantitative analysis of motion using digital video files. Students run video clips frame by frame, mark the position of objects in each frame, and the positions are recorded by the software. It can track multiple objects in two dimensions. A wide selection of video clips are provided; users can also analyze others by entering the appropriate URL. Data can be graphed at the site or exported for additional analysis.
Type of Material:
HTML and Javascript document
Recommended Uses:
In-class demo or online experiments
Technical Requirements:
Requires Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher to function and Windows Media Player.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Study motion and mechanics through video of real objects
Target Student Population:
Introductory physics students, although these tools could be used in a wide range of classes.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Using the data will require a basic knowledge of kinematics, and detailed analysis of motion requires some programming experience to manipulate the data, for example with spreadsheets.
Other topics such as energy and momentum can also explored using this tool. Using the data will required a basic knowledge of kinematics, and detailed analysis of motion requires some programming experience to manipulate the data, for example with spreadsheets.
Other topics such as energy and momentum can also explored using this tool.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This software provides a general purpose tool for students to study motion and dynamics of real systems. Although it may lack the sophistication of dedicated video analysis software, it can easily handle basic experimental measurements. It includes a large collection of videos for analysis, or users can supply their own avi files.
Concerns:
Some of the videos are a little fuzzy or have distance scales that are somewhat difficult to view. Detailed analysis of the data will require students to use a separate program.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This software fulfills the vital need of a way for students in distance education classes or other classes without a traditional laboratory to perform experiments. They can take and analyze data in a manner very similar to physical labs, and work in very similar ways to gain physical understanding. The application can track up to 4 objects in either one or two dimensional motion. This should be more than sufficient for most experiments at an introductory level. The application can utilize outside video clips if a URL is specified, so instructors can design customized experiments to fit their own courses.
Concerns:
Because the videos are already created, students will not need to perform the important step of deciding what setup is necessary to measure the desired physical quantities. Lessons for using the videos and software will need to be created by instructors.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The software is very intuitive and easy to use. A simple set of instructions leads users through the steps necessary to create and calibrate their data. The user controls change dynamically to reflect previously selected options.
Concerns:
The buttons used to select graphing variables are labeled "Start", which is not intuitive.
The pages work with Internet Explorer and windows media player only.
Finally,
the data export (cut and paste) appears to only work with Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet. Quatro Pro 9, Mathcad 2001i, and StarOffice's Starcalc were unable to import the information as a table of numbers.
Other Issues and Comments:
This is an excellent, freely available tool for physics labs.
Creative Commons:
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