Virtual laboratories are on the horizon at Saint Mary's. Rick Tarara, professor of physics at Saint Mary's was awarded a $10,000 grant from Ameritech to develop a virtual physics laboratory experiences.

Tarara hopes that the experiences, which will be video sequences and animated simulations, will enhance students' experience in the lab and allow schools with limited equipment to offer more varied experiments to students.

"The whole project is about providing a software tool that is a pre and post-lab excercise for physics labs to familiarize students with equipment," Tarara said.

Tarara explained that a major problem with physics labs is the limited time allowed students. Within the limited time slot, students are expected to become familiar with equipment, perform the experiment and analyze the results.

A virtual lab that allows students to become comfortable with the equipment before lab time and return to the equipment once the lab is completed will offer the students a more complete lab experience.

"Time is a problem in many labs," Tarara said. "You have a certain amount of time in lab, and once you leave, you don't have access to the equipment. If you can be familiar with the equipment when you come in, you won't have to waste the first half-hour of lab."

The grant allows Tarara to expand on a rougher, initial version of animated computer simulations that he began several years ago. He has initial work done on an air track simulation already completed.

Once the entire lab is completed he will offer it free on the internet to interested faculty at both the high school and college level.

"The first thing I hope to do is to release this experiment on the web and get some feedback before going on to the next experiment," Tarara said. "I will offer it free on the internet for download through my website."

Tarara will be presenting his virtual laboratory to both a meeting of the Indianna Association of Physics teachers and at the National Association of Physics teachers meeting.

Ameritech has a history of supporting ideas that enhance technology available to students and skills students learn.

"Ameritech is committed to supporting educational initiatives that utilize technology to enhance learning," said George Fleetwood, president of Ameritech Indiana. "We are proud to support Saint Mary's College as it expands the opportunities high school and college students have to learn."

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