Physics Studio

You will find that all the major topics in Physics can be studied and tested in ‘Physics Studio’; Waves and Optics, Mechanics, States of Matter, Electricity, Electromagnetism, Atomic Structure and Energy.

Each topic is sub divided into sections and each section has a number of units to be completed. Generally, in one section there will be a few ‘teaching’ units that provide the student with the information to be learnt along with illustrations to support the ideas. The illustrations are animations, some of which are interactive. None of the content is overcomplicated, it is presented in convenient and manageable chunks that are easily accessible.

Every time a unit is completed the progress through the section is made very clear. This allows the student to experience their progression through the entire content while building confidence in what they have achieved. This is significant for a subject such as Physics which is often branded as ‘difficult’ due to the abstract concepts. Students who struggle with connecting the individual ideas will literally see their learning develop. The learning loop is closed at the end of each section with a multiple choice quiz that provides immediate feedback for the user.

As well as the teaching and quiz units there are also units that demonstrate applications of the concepts and units that test understanding through games. There is a great range of different applications for each topic, most of which are interactive. Some of the application example include the dynamo, Newton’s cradle, satellite launches, musical instruments and periscopes. The games also have a variety of themes from simple ‘drag and drop’ to the more bizarre ‘refractory monkey’ where the player has to use their understanding of refraction to zap a monkey. Each game has three levels that become increasingly more difficult as you complete the challenge. There is no doubt that the developers of the app have used some very creative ideas to make the games entertaining yet subtly relevant to the learning.

Whether you are a teacher or a student you will find there are some little yet helpful additions in each unit. The key words are displayed neatly in each unit box along with the estimated time required to complete the unit. Your progress through each section is indicated using stars and once a section review has been attempted you will also see the grade you have achieved. The menu screen also gives you the option to select an examination board to follow. The specific syllabus reference from the exam board is then displayed with each of the individual units to show you what is being covered.

There is little to fault in this app. From an educational point of view every base is covered, however, visually the graphics and animations can seem very clunky. The images are low definition and pixelated, and some of the diagrams can be difficult to make out, especially if you are accessing the app on a smart phone.

A great deal of content has been jam-packed into ‘Physics Studio’ and it is phenomenal considering that this is currently available free of charge. A subscription version is also available that has the potential to connect the teacher to the student through ‘classrooms’ where students can be set assignments and the progress of the class can be monitored.