Abstract:

In today's classrooms, a wide range of technologies are providing both students and teachers with new learning, engagement and interaction tools. Namely, the integration of educational software in the classroom is a very effective manner to improve student’s skills in a given subject. The lack of good and up-to-date lab experiments are a major impediment in the teaching of optics at the schools. In this regard, we have designed a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that simulates an optical bench using the MATLAB GUIDE environment, a versatile and user-friendly tool that allows to design educational interfaces. This application is part of a series of GUI’s with Physic-Chemistry, Biology-Geology and Technology-related content specially orientated to Compulsory Primary Education (EPO), Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and Baccalaureate students. The idea behind this software is to add to the textbook a virtual optical bench where students can perform simulations related to light propagation and the formation of optical images with standard optics elements (lenses and mirrors) and therefore resemble a real experimental activity. This interactive tool is addressed to Baccalaureate students.

Keywords:

Active learning, Education, Matlab guide, Educational Software, Virtual optical bench, Geometric optics.