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This study for an appropriate applying a computer network to practical physics education. From surveyed information the system is designed in 3 parts, experiment part, instructors service part and laboratory management part. Knowledge of Physics and Metrology blend with System Analysis result to relation database system, database management system and user interfaces. Objectives are support concept of student center, applicable to an interesting modern instrument. Not only keep an achievement skill of practical physics learning but also has benefit of good data management. Students can know their result after period end for improving their next experiments. It is more convenient to instructors and accommodating laboratory management according to education quality assurance.

Methodology

Instructors and lab staff whose experience is our start up information. Collection of activities and problems from the student’s experiments and annual activities of the laboratory include some guide on the education quality assurance policy of the Department lead us the ideas for designing this software system. Modern educational concept, Student Center, is importance theme of this system. This means, students must do their experiment by hand on the usual way, except some difficult or very sensitive measurement. The system is not “A push button experiment” but designed to support self-check experiment. This is the advantage that they can know their experiment result after the class end.

The system able to runs with an automatic measuring system. This makes better comparison to student experiment result. Student’s interfaces design to semi-free form. They can design some part of their data sheet. Comparison process is very complicate part. Not only do calculation follows the experiment hypothesis but also includes many estimation to cover possible error and number of measurement uncertainty. Also, the system has online help to give information about instruments, experiment setup and procedure. We use System Analysis Guide to generate data flow diagram and entity relationship diagram for designing user interface and relational database system. Software system is divided in three parts as shown in Figure 1. First is user interface, the second is relational database system and the third is function modules. The user interface is support three groups, that is, student applications or experiments data sheets, instructor service or class applications and lab technician service or laboratory management applications as shown in figure 2 and 3. The function modules are many various functional object that assembly into classes. The modules examples such as significant digits check, units and prefix check, sensitivity comparison, uncertainty comparison, instrument driver and various of measurement modules.

                                   Figure 2 : Student Interface           Figure 3 : Teacher Interface

      Communication among student instructors and lab technicians is also importance part. Online help is the part that un-omission. These last two parts are on consideration for user interface. Because some complexity, we can’t ensure that student have the same computer skill background.

Results, Discussion and Conclusion

      This software not already trial on real lab class. Because it is only a pilot design, but our forecasts are improvement on both side , the student and the laboratory. Students can do pretest for their understanding by answer the multiple choice question random picks up from test bank. It’s easy for them to modify data input pattern to their style. The can correct frequently mistakes while fill up data by limit trials. When system error occur, it can auto recover data to continue laboratory. If not complete in class student can complete their calculation after but not the measurement value. It is conveniently to them to know their experiment result immediately after the class end. The instructors prepare experiments contents and procedures, target result value, error checking. They are able to config any error limits and scoring weight for each answer. To follow lab class proceeds, system can show score of student’s filled data and ratio of the already fill fields and blank ields. Communication module may be the real-time powerful tools for individual questioning and look over each student experiment. The lab-management application can help the technician to do scheduling, inventory and listing. Such as, the measurement result database can process to indicate the instrument performance. This information is a feedback for maintenance plan.

Acknowledgement

The main project was support by Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute.