Learning Goal
Algodoo is a virtual physics lab that allows students to run their own simulations by arranging computational objects on a canvas. The primary learning goal is to enable students (from ages 5 to 14+) to understand and mathematize physics concepts by designing their own virtual experiments, manipulating parameters to show the effect of different variables, and connecting object-based phenomena to symbolic representations through the use of data plots.
Functionalities
Algodoo provides users with a palette of shapes (circles, rectangles, polygons), and line-drawing capabilities, but also has unique features like optics, rays, lasers, axles, hinges, gears, lenses, prisms, and springs that make it uniquely suited to exploring physics. Algodoo enables students to adjust a range of parameters within their models. For example, the physical properties of many of the objects can be changed along several dimensions including density, texture, and restitution, which encourages open-ended experimentation. The material composition of objects can also be changed, with options including gold, glass, stone, steel, rubber, helium, wood and ice.
The colorful, easy-to-use interface makes Algodoo feel more akin to a drawing studio than a lab. Nevertheless, the designers have been careful to embed graphing and computational capabilities. Students can manipulate their arrangements of objects by adding vectors to represent velocity, force, momentum and friction, and then can generate graphs that plot these vectors. This constellation of different parameters and possibilities enables students to build models of varying levels of complexity, and allows teachers to define their own specific learning goals.
Software Review
To read a complete review of the Algodoo software, including analysis of its educational philosophy, follow this link. To see how Algodoo rates on a variety of educational dimensions, please see this table.
