Abstract:

GeoGebra is very popular free and open source software. In this paper, the author will demonstrate how it can be effectively used for creating digital educational materials, such as animations, simulations and computer games for teaching and learning physics. A few examples of digital learning materials, created by the author, will be presented. It's about animations, simulations and computer games that could help understanding of terms, phenomena and processes, as well as to improve adoption of knowledge and skills in several areas of physics, including movements, dynamics, electric circuits, and swings. The exploration will stress relations between these digital learning materials with the theory of physics.

The digital learning materials used do not pretend to substitute the textbooks in physics, but to complement it. The pictures in the textbook are motionless and reflect only one point, one situation from a given process or procedure. In contrast, animations and simulations can capture all aspects of the processes and procedures under consideration. The paper will also elaborate in detail the connection between animations, simulations and computer games with the methods of active learning, problem learning, experimenting, project learning, and others.

The paper will try to explain the universality of the application of animations, simulations and computer games made in the GeoGebra software in several aspects:
1. They can be successfully used in more degrees of physics education, from elementary to college,
2. They can be multilingual;
3. Various variations of animations and simulations with different weights can be made that can advance the individualisation of teaching within a certain level of education and provide conditions for programmed instruction.

Keywords:

Geogebra, physics, teaching and learning, animations, simulations, computer games, active learning.