A scenario design tool for helping students learn mechanics

Learning physics, particularly mechanics, is an area with which students often have difficulties. It has been widely acknowledged that computer-based simulation can make a significant contribution in helping students overcome their learning difficulties in this area. Simulation allows learners to control complex systems, manipulate variables, run experiments, take measurements, etc., in ways which would be difficult or impossible to achieve with real world systems. Simulation to create software named Scenario Design Tool (or SDT) for teachers to create interactive simulation used in the learning and teaching of mechanics. SDT is built on top of an earlier simulation system called DM3. In SDT, teachers build a simulation microworld by modifying scenarios already existing in the system or they can create new scenarios from scratch. SDT provides a direct-manipulation interface with which users can create a scenario by selecting required simulation components provided by the system. The users then interactively define the properties of each chosen component and relationships among the components. The components provided by SDT include: measuring control devices (slider and button); moving objects and motion objects which govern the motion of the moving objects. Users can create a scenario in SDT without programming.