Transcript Animated Interactive Spreadsheets: It’s Dynamic Graphical Storytelling Time! Scott A. Sinex Dept. of Physical Sciences & Engineering Prince George’s Community College.

Animated Interactive
Spreadsheets: It’s Dynamic
Graphical Storytelling Time!
Scott A. Sinex
Dept. of Physical Sciences & Engineering
Prince George’s Community College
Why interactive spreadsheets?
• Easy access for students and useful for
them to know
• Easy for instructors to develop – see
Developer’s Guide to Excelets
• Creates an engaging pedagogy
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…more why?
• Addresses topics conceptually, while
camouflaging mathematics
– Students have to think:
predict - test - analyze
• Allows for mathematical modeling and
studying errors
– More science process
– Mathematics resurfaces!!!!
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…and every graph tells a story!
Why is pizza cut in even number of slices?
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Here we use spinner
from the Forms
toolbar. The Forms
Tools operate on
both PC and Mac
platforms.
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/fractions.xls
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How does a burning candle
behave?
Here we collect the
data by clicking the
up arrow on the
spinner.
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/burning_candles.xls
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…adding error to the data
Scatter is added to the data by increasing random error.
=E6+$K$7*RANDBETWEEN(-10,10)/10+$G$10
The circled scroll bar controls the size of random variation.
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Burning candle…
• The activity including notes to
the instructors–
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/
burning_candles_act.pdf
• The Excelet –
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/
burning_candles.xls
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Viewing data of tidal gauge stations
Option buttons allow which data set is viewed.
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/inundator.xls
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Just add data…
When data is added, mathematical model appears.
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/stacking_cups.xls
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…physical and mathematical models
The rim height controls the slope
and the base height controls the
y-intercept.
Look under the graphs for how they were constructed!!!
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…and more Excelets
• Learn linear regression
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/regression.xls
• Interpolation and extrapolation
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/interpol_extrapol.xls
• x- and y-intercpets
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/intercepts.xls
• Rate of change explorer
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/Rate_of_Change
_Explorer.xls
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Remember…
• It is all done computationally – formulas,
logical statements (no programming!!!)
• Look under the graphs for construction
help.
• See the Developer’s Guide for
instructions!!!!
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Student feedback…
Which do you prefer:
Spring 07
static graphs in textbook 21% (6)
dynamic graphs in Excel 76% (22)
both
3%
(1)
Spring 09
7%
(2)
89% (25)
4%
(1)
Using Excelets does not require that you be familiar
with Excel.
most definitely
I think so
just barely
not at all
don’t know
7%
38%
34%
14%
7%
(2)
(11)
(10)
(4)
(2)
25%
36%
32%
7%
All Student Survey results
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/assess.htm
(7)
(10)
(9)
(2)
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more feedback…
Excelets offer a more visual experience with graphs
instead of using just the mathematical equations.
most definitely
I think so
just barely
not at all
don’t know
66% (19)
24% (7)
10% (3)
75% (21)
14% (4)
11% (3)
Excelets make it easier to grasp or learn a concept.
most definitely
I think so
just barely
not at all
don’t know
55% (16)
31% (9)
14% (4)
43% (12)
54% (15)
4%
(1)
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The “How to” resources...
Developer's Guide to Excelets:
Dynamic and Interactive Visualization
with "Javaless" Applets or Interactive
Excel Spreadsheets
<http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets>
Tutorial, instructions, and over 150
interactive Excel spreadsheet examples
Resource list for mathematics and science
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More info...
Scott Sinex
[email protected]
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex
Partial support for this work was provided by
the Howard/Hopkins/PGCC Partnership for
Research and Education in Materials (PREM),
funded by NSF Grant No. DMR-0611595
…and thanks for coming today too!!!
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excelets
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