Maths from still and moving imagesA wonderful range of products enables data to be gathered from pictures and video. A great resource for teaching using data from still and moving images is the webpage of Adrian Oldknow at http://www.adrianoldknow.org.uk. Some products are easy to use now and some will become more accessible in the near future. This page is in three sections:
Maths from Still ImagesGridPic
DigitiseImage DigitiseImage is a small and free shareware application, created by Jeff Waldock of Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Downloaded from http://maths.sci.shu.ac.uk/digitiseimage
, the program enables you to mark up an image so that data can be exported for
analysis to a spreadsheet (Excel). It is simple to use, quick to
download and free. Image and CursorThis is a fabulous LITE APPLET- a tiny program that can be downloaded
from the internet to use very flexibly. Also free and open source,
so that you can insert your own pictures (not instantaneous, but
not too hard). Mark the points on the picture and then export to
your spreadsheet for analysis, plotting, curve fitting, distance
calcualtions etc etc. Endless possibilities! Available for any non-commercial
use. Click here to see image and cursor with a map of Africa. These applets work most simply from the internet. Follow the instructions under our Merri Creek activity to get the files onto your own computer. Modelling a Water SquirtAnother LITE APPLET, this time enabling you to fit a curve over a picture. Type in the formula, the curve is displayed in a second window. http://www.sun.ac.za/mathed/Shoma/Fountain.htm * Note: .mht files can only be read on a Windows PC running Internet Explorer. Or you can fit a curve to a Holden! Then compare it to a Ford. Click here to see image and cursor and the water squirt (*.mht file) Click here to see image and cursor and the Ford (*.mht file). (This might not work on your computer - but for further instructions see the Merri Creek activity to get the files onto your own computer.) Look for more in the LITE APPLET collection of the Journal of Online Mathematics Applications. Using digital images in dynamic geometryImages can be inserted into dynamic geometry diagrams, leading to stunning visual effects and an opportunity to analyse the geometry and measurement of real situations. Cabri Geomètre: http://education.ti.com/us/product/software/cabri/features/features.html Other possibilitiesImageJ is free image processing and analysis public domain software in java. http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/. It will tell you what percentage of a photo of a leaf is dark green, or count the number of microbes on a photo.
Maths from Moving ImagesData highly relevant to students' lives can be captured from digital movies taken with domestic digital video cameras. There are many products available for the analysis of movies. The software purchased by many school science departments for use with physical data logging equipment may be suitable - see below. A list of some products to investigate is given below, but co-ordination with your science department is highly recommended. VidshellVidshell 2000 by Doyle V. Davis is free software which is highly recommended by Adrian Oldknow. It is fairly easy to use, has a good range of basic capabilities, and comes with a rich supply of good videos to work on. DatapointDatapoint is free software to collect data from video and export to a spreadsheet for analysis. http://www.stchas.edu/faculty/gcarlson/physics/datapoint.htm. A small program, quick to download, with few options and consequently easy to use. Logger ProLoggerPro from Vernier Software and Technology is for Windows or Mac and works with Vernier's LabPro interface. It has very wide ranging capabilities for data analysis, creating lab reports, importing data from handheld devices and exporting to spreadsheets. http://www.vernier.com World-in-MotionWorld in Motion ( http://www.physicscurriculum.com/software.htm ) from Physics Curriculum and Instruction is also available for PC or Mac. This video capture and analysis software comes with over 200 video experiments in mechanics, a graphing tutorial program, and an html editing program with drawing, data analysis and graphing capabilities. Measurement in Motion (for Macs and PC)Measurement in Motion from Learning in Motion is for the Macintosh as well as PC, and provides a wide range of capabilities and support materials. http://www.learn.motion.com/products/measurement/index.html VideopointVideopoint ( http://www.lsw.com/videopoint/ ) from Lenox Softworks is commercial software for PC or Mac used in schools and industry. VideoPoint has been used to analyze situations ranging from a dropping ball to determining the acceleration of an irritable crawfish. Summary websiteVideo Analysis Investigations for Physics and Mathematics (Texas A&M University college) has a set of videos and links to sites which provide video analysis software. http://www.science.tamu.edu/CMSE/videoanalysis/
Data logging can be very useful for teaching mathematicsThe term "data logging" means gathering data from the real world by connecting probes (e.g. for light intensity, temperature, motion) to a computer or calculator and also gathering data from pictures and videos. There are data loggers that work with computers and data loggers that work with calculators. Science departments in schools often already have the equipment. Common probes measure temperature, light intensity, sound intensity, pH, motion detectors. The software that is used to analyse the data coming into the computer from the instruments, such as Logger Pro 3 collects a wide variety of data using Vernier's LabPro interface but can also be used to obtain data from video images. It supports statistical analysis and curve fitting, can synchronise movies with data collection, and can playback experiments at different speeds. |
Scissors lift at the Ballarat Air Show. 