Effect of motion simulation programs in teaching force concept1

Abstract The most important concept in dynamics is force. Teaching forces in secondary schools has many difficulties, due to the fact that when students start learning dynamics, they have already developed a force concept based on their everyday experiences. This concept is usually simplified and often confused with impulse. However, the concept taught on physics lessons, is a much more complex, based on a vectorial quantity, with a time-dependent direction and magnitude. This confusion of concepts can be largely eliminated by the visualization of force vectors during the motion of an object. This opportunity is available in motion-simulation software, which work as a digital sandbox, allowing users to create their own scenes and display force vectors during the simulations. Connecting kinematics by motion visualization and dynamics by force visualization is a powerful tool that helps students to develop deeper understanding in mechanics. In our educational research, we investigated the positive effect of using such a program. With the participation of 700 students, divided into experimental and reference groups, we measured their development in understanding mechanics. The results proved that students who used the simulation program reach a better functional understanding of the concept of force than those being in the reference group.