THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the backdrop of over 45,000 classrooms of Classes VIII to XI in the state made hi-tech, the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) has now come up with mechanisms for higher secondary classes for undertaking physics experiments on laptops.
This will be facilitated through a FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software) and hardware – ExpEYES (Experiments for Young Engineers and Scientists). The facility for physics studies is in addition to the IT Laboratories for Mathematics which will be introduced from this academic year.
At present, there are 36 practical activities for higher secondary students. Along with experiments in laboratories, students can conduct electronics, electrical, mechanical, thermal and sound experiments on a computer via ExpEYES. These include creation of AC/DC signals, sonometer, resonance column single pendulum and helical spring. It will also facilitate detailed analysis of data obtained from laboratory experiments.
ExpEYES is a four-channel oscilloscope which has square, sine and triangular wave generators. At times, equipment such as oscilloscope may not be available for physics experiments in schools. So, not only does ExpEYES fill such gaps but also enables over 150 physics experiments, allowing the teacher to conduct a demonstration in classrooms while teaching the theory and students to try the experiments in laboratories.
“As part of the ongoing IT vacation training for higher secondary school teachers, ExpEYES kits have been made available to all physics teachers,” said KITE vice-chairman and executive director K Anvar Sadath.
ExpEYES in all schools
Now, all schools will be equipped with ExpEYES kits. Organisations such as the International Centre for Free and Open Source Software, Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi and Free Software Community are partnering with KITE for the project. In 2017, 20 teachers were trained by IUAC at New Delhi.
It is in continuation to this programme that recent training for over 2,700 higher secondary teachers of physics is being conducted.
The recently rolled-out IT@School GNU/Linux 18.04 Operating System by KITE already has the ExpEYES applications incorporated. Over 150 experiments in higher secondary level in topics such as motion, thermal properties, oscillation, waves, electric potential, capacitance, current electricity, magnetism, electronic magnetic induction, AC, semiconductors and others have already been prepared.
ExpEYES will also facilitate experiments for high school students such as Ohm’s law, resonance, analogue and digital, half-wave and full-wave rectification.