Conceptual Learning Approach to Waves: Home

What is the Conceptual Learning Approach to Waves-CLAW?

Waves represent one of the most important concepts in physics, playing a crucial role in topics ranging from acoustical phenomena, electricity and magnetism, optics, Fourier analysis, and even quantum mechanics. However, since waves have both a temporal and spatial dependence (often in more than one dimension) that may be difficult to visualize, many undergraduate and graduate students have a poor understanding of even basic wave concepts.

  Part of the problem is that waves are typically explained using static and non-interactive pictures or perhaps only mathematical equations. In CLAW we have attempted to explain many basic wave concepts using dynamic and interactive graphical simulations. There are many excellent web sites using similar graphical interactive tools, but they tend to focus on mechanics, electrostatics, and magnetism. The visual interactive approach emphasizes the basic concepts and we hope that students will gain a new perspective on these important and exciting topics. We have included quizes (please allow pop-ups in your web browser) throughout CLAW that are intended to guide students through the simulations. The simulations themselves are the key tools for answering the quiz questions.

  The CLAW web site is still a work in progress and we are continually adding and revising the content. The basic concepts involved in waves are very rich and broad, and we keep finding new places to use and new ways to visualize them.

Project CLAW Simulations?

These highly graphical and real-time simulations are also able to respond to the needs of the learner. The simulations contain interactive tools that include start, stop, and pause buttons; checkboxes, and sliders. By using these tools the learner can modify, exert some control, and get useful information that will allow the learner to enhance his/her understanding of a concept. This will be checked using conceptual questions to allow the user to gauge the learning process.

We invite you to interact with the Conceptual Learning Approach to Waves!