The TEUTATES-Project: Tablet-PCs in Modern Physics Education

Abstract

The overall objective of the TEUTATES approach is to implement a flexible mobile learning concept for a modern physics education at universities focusing on enhanced access to a broad variety of experiments. Within a blended learning concept, Tablet-PCs allow an increase of the experimental part of the education right from the beginning. Different types of experiments – remote and virtual – are utilized. Executed within web-interfaces, experiments can be implemented and accessed regardless of the location of the laboratory and the experimenter. Additionally, experiments can be performed which otherwise would not be accessible for reasons of expense, security, or availability. Students work individually or in small groups, designing and executing different types and realizations of experiments including the investigation of the underlying theoretical models. Through its highly interactive approach, TEUTATES contributes to a modern pedagogy for university teaching which aims at creative thinking and high level learning, encouraging students to become active learners challenged by complex problems and situations, seeking collaboratively a variety of solutions. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are applied to learning purposes and modern pedagogics such as project-based learning, problem oriented learning, principles of non-linear learning, co-operative and cross-cultural learning.